Absolutely loved! Quick, fast-paced chapters with concise, captivating writing made this one a stand-out for me. Domestic drama at its best. Would highly recommend.

Such a great book. I loved the suspense of the book and I loved the different characters. I think anyone who has a mother-in law can relate somewhat to this book. I love my mother-in law but there are times where she gets a little too much. I loved all of the twists and turns in the book and never saw parts of it coming. This was a fun read for me and I hope that others will enjoy it as well. I typically get confused when books switch between past and present, however I thought the author did a great job at guiding the reader as to whether they were in the past of one character or the present of another character. Thank you so much for this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This was a really solid domestic mystery/thriller! It definitely went in a completely different direction that I thought it was going to, and that made my reading experience all the more interesting/enjoyable.

I really enjoyed the dual perspective as well as he time jumps throughout. I thought it was the ideal way to tell this story. The charaacters were also very interesting and they kept me guessing until the last few pages. I look forward to checking out more of Sally Hepworth’s works in the future!!

Lucy was so excited to meet Diana, the mother of her boyfriend, Ollie. Lucy's mother died when she was a teen and she hoped for a good relationship with her hopeful mother-in-law. But Lucy and Diana don't get off to an easy start--Diana has a rigid set of views formed by her own life experiences. From simply co-existing to arguing about parenting to eventual fisticuffs, their relationship is volatile. Then, one night, Lucy and Ollie hear a knock on their door. The police arrive and tell them that Diana is dead in an apparent suicide. But as the investigation progresses, it looks as if there is more to the story. Everyone in the family has history with Diana; but did someone actually kill her?

"'Then I'm very sorry to inform you,' the policewoman starts, and I close my eyes because I already know what she is going to say. My mother-in-law is dead."

This was my first Sally Hepworth novel, and I have heard good things, so I was excited to read some of her work. I found it to be a fast read, with a set of engaging characters. The book alternates between Lucy and Diana's point of view, with much of the story being told in the past. I found the format to be very effective; it worked very well at drawing you into the story and keeping you guessing at what was going on. Many parts of the story were told twice, in some ways, as both women told their side of the story, yet it never felt repetitive.

The main characters in this one are Lucy and Diana, but we have strong appearances from Ollie, his sister Antoinette "Nettie, " and Tom, Diana's husband. I can see why people enjoy Hepworth's novels--I felt very much a part of the story, and I was certainly stumped along the way. Sometimes there was a little too much rumination about mother-in-laws and the meaning of families for my taste, but oh well. I was too eager to find out what had happened to Diana.

"More importantly, you don't choose your mother-in-law. The cackling mercenaries of fate determine it all."

Overall, I really enjoyed my first Hepworth book. It was a quick, engaging, and interesting read that kept my interest.

Like many other women, Lucy yearns for a close relationship close with her mother-in-law, Diana, who seems to keep her at a distance. Try as she might, Lucy never quite break through the walls Diana has built up and instead, suffers through many an awkward birthday party, family dinners, even the birth of her children proves to be fraught with complications. It's no secret that the two women aren't the best of friends but Lucy would never stoop to murder, would she? When Diana is found dead in an unclear case of "is it homicide or suicide?" everyone's eyes turns to her.

I think this book has a great release date and I fully expect it to be the beach read of the summer, given how easy and entertaining it was to flip through. The problem is, I feel like I've seen this plot of women not getting along with their mother-in-laws. Case in point: "The Other Woman" just came out last year. Unfortunately, I don't think this book brought anything new to the table and was rather light on suspense. What I enjoyed was the alternating viewpoints between Lucy and Diana, helping me understand the two women and the dynamics of their relationship as it evolved.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity read this book ahead of its scheduled April 23rd, 2019 release date.

I read The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth for a Bookstagram buddy read. Some people recommended it to me, and I decided that I would give it a try, even though I’m generally not a big fan of thrillers or dramas. The beginning, however, was incredibly suspenseful and pulled me right into the story. Lucy’s mother-in-law, Diana, is murdered or has committed suicide and the rest of the book focuses on all the events, past and present, leading up to this death and eventually explain what exactly happened.

I had to get used to the writing style a lot. I can’t really put my finger on it, but it was just hard to follow for me and I had a difficult time distinguishing thoughts from actual spoken language. It did get better as I got used to it, though. A friend of mine referred to is as Australian suburban, and since I’m not very familiar with that, it would explain why I was struggling a bit. There were, however, also plenty of spelling and grammatical mistakes throughout, which didn’t make it much easier on me. It was an ARC, though, so I’m willing to turn a blind eye for now.

For me, the most interesting part of the book was the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law: Diana and Lucy. The way it evolves throughout the book is very captivating. At the end I was quite sure that Lucy was not Diana’s murderer, which turned out to be true. They actually ended up having much more in common than I had ever thought possible. Even though their relationship was always rocky, there were just these little things that crept in that proved it was never that bad. For instance, the way they referred to men as “menfolk” in some part of the book really cracked me up. It was like they were discussing a whole different species.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and I’m glad that I picked it up. If you’re ever looking for a change of genre and feel like reading a thriller/ family drama, I would certainly recommend The Mother-in-Law.

Wow, this is my first book by the author. I was completely blown away and found myself guessing until the very end.

The story is told in alternate viewpoints from the daughter-in-law and mother-in-law from last to present. The book was easy to follow and I enjoyed until the very end,

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39863405

I greatly enjoyed this novel. It was an engrossing and suspensful read. The characters were realistic and empathetic. The plot was good enough to keep me reading for hours. The mystery of Diana’s death kept me wondering what happened to her. Was it suicide or murder? Lucy, who tried so hard to make Diana like her, finally got her wish toward the end of the novel. Ms. Hepworth brought Diana’s character to life even to a greater extent than she did Lucy. Diana appeared to be one of those perfect women that did everything correctly, had endless energy for pursuing her charity, was a very young-looking 53 year old and, to top everything else off, was wealthy. Years later, when she & Lucy begin to get along, Diana becomes a more human version of her earlier self. She becomes likeable to the reader then suddenly she dies.
The ending was a big surprise and shock. I really didn’t see it coming.
For those readers who enjoy psychological drama, mystery, and women’s fiction, this novel is definitely worth the read.
Thank you, NetGalley & MacMillan for the opportunity to read & review this novel.

What an absolutely captivating novel! Mother-in-Law beautifully navigates the complex relationship between a woman and her Mother-in-Law.

Diana Goodwin is the classic family matriarch. She’s the picture of strength, poise and unyielding resolve. Lucy is kind, loving and desperately wants to be accepted by her future Mother-in-Law. She has always dreamed of having a mother-in-law she could be close to and would care for her in turn. What she got however, was a cold woman who appears to loath her. Lucy’s devastated.

From the day they meet, to Lucy’s marriage to Ollie, her first child, death of Diana’s husband and following depression culminating in Diana’s suspected suicide; the reader bears witness to all that Lucy and Diana are. How they feel, their perceptions of each other, and often times misunderstandings.

There was something lovely and raw about Lucy and Diana’s rocky 10 year journey. At the core, Diana is a cold, strong vulnerable woman who can’t communicate her feelings. Lucy’s empathy, openness and quiet acceptance of those around her lend a strength of its own. The juxtaposition between these two women was perfect and lent honesty to the story. It made those moments of true understanding more believable.

Then there’s the rest of the family. Ollie, the ever-friendly son, and Diana’s daughter Nettie who is obsessed with being a mother. All of whom, like Lucy, have a strained relationship with their often cold and apparently uncaring mother. Readers get to see into their psyches as well, illustrating a family dynamic full of struggle, heartbreak, hate and love.

The death and resulting mystery was interesting and full of twists. I truly enjoyed it but I felt at the heart of this novel is the need for acceptance, understanding and how precarious family can be.

Hepworth’s writing was excellent with smooth transitions between characters both past and present. However, I felt the story dragged a bit. But that’s just me. If you’re a lover of mystery thriller’s and family drama this one’s for you!

Wow! I loved the twists and turns. My stomach was in knots and this book had such a great ending. I truly enjoyed this book and will definitely be recommending it!

I ended this book I tears. What I thought was going to be a book about battling mothers-in-law turned out to be so much more! Sally Hepworth has a gift for creating characters and plots that keep the pages turning. I read this one in a little over two days because I couldn’t stop.

I like that this book flipped between past and present, and between Lucy and Diana. It was interesting to hear an event from Lucy’s perspective, then hear it from Diana’s. It’s a perfect example of how our intentions aren’t always shown, and that we should always say what we’re thinking, because you never know when it could be too late.

Part murder mystery, part family dynamics, The Mother in Law is not one to be missed!

Thank you to St. Martins Press for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I finally read my first Sally Hepworth book and absolutely loved it! Can we all agree that the subject of mothers-in-law make great books?!

This was such a quick read and kept me turning the pages dying to know what was going on. Hepworth wrote a fantastic domestic thriller centered on family secrets. I love this type of book! It was mysterious and the perfect amount of twisted but wasn’t scary.

I really enjoyed that the chapters rotate between the past and present. That has become one of my favorite formats. It’s such a fun and interesting way to find out how the stories come together.

I sided with the daughter-in-law and then found myself having sympathy for the mother-in-law. It was a lot of back and forth of emotions. Hepworth did such a fantastic job showing the reader the different sides of each character.

I highly recommend you pick up The Mother-in-Law as soon as it is available! I cannot wait to read more of Sally Hepworth’s books. She is clearly a very talented author.

It was an interesting book. I felt it was somewhat "draggy" in areas but all in all good. Somewhat surprised on the ending.....not who I thought it would be.

Told from alternating points of view, and in the past and present tense, the story of the Goodwin family unfolds as they learn of the death of their matriarch, the keeper of the money and the secrets, Diana. This novel explores the truth behind the rocky relationship between Diana and her daughter in law, Lucy, and how things within a family are not always what they seem. Full of twists and turns you might not see coming, The Mother In Law will keep you guessing the entire way through!

Mixed Feelings: One fascinating character coupled with one who was lacking turned this into just an ok read for me.

The Mother-in-Law is a family drama that tracks the tumultuous relationship between a mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law.

The book begins with the reader learning of the death of Diana, mother to Ollie and mother-in-law to Lucy. The narrative is divided into both Lucy and Diana's perspectives over the course of ten years.

Diana has been described as some as a hateful character. While she is not necessarily likable, I found her chapters to be fascinating! As cold as she was, her character was much more compelling than Lucy's, who fell rather flat for me. I wanted to know more about Diana--especially her past and her relationship with Tom. There are allusions to what shaped her, but I wanted the whole picture!

I am split between so many elements of this book: The characters, the narrative structure, the plot, etc. At times, I was completely enthralled, whereas during other times I was bored out of mind. I wanted more--I felt that the reader is only offered the surface of Diana and Lucy’s relationship. We dive in a little deeper towards the end, but it seems like in an effort to keep an element of surprise going throughout the novel, we lose what could have been a more complex reading of the relationship between these two women. I also thought that this book was trying to be too many things at once: Domestic drama, women’s fiction, psychological thriller all in one. Overall, while I loved some parts of The Mother-in-Law, it just didn’t work as a whole.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

If you enjoy a good family saga then you might want to read Sally Hepworth’s latest novel. This is my first time of reading a book by this author and I was not disappointed! “The Mother-in-Law” brings to life an incredible family account of greed and betrayal.

This book, set in Australia, has many of the components that make a really good story: from the mood and undercurrents to the very clever writing and the experience of deep family secrets and fractured relationships, not forgetting the feelings of hope, the fear, the utter desperation and failure.

“The Mother-in-Law” focuses on Lucy's fractious relationship with her husband's mother, Diana. Lucy has married Ollie, who is from a wealthy family, dominated by the matriarch.

From the very first chapter, I found myself immediately drawn in, following the grave news of Diana's death, the circumstances of which were being treated as suspicious by the police. Her death had the appearance of suicide due to the presence of a note, but then became a matter slightly more deceiving. Diana, inclined to be rather aloof, left behind her husband Tom, son Ollie and daughter Nettie, not to mention her impressive estate…

This story is told from dual perspectives - Lucy's and Diana's - in the present with flashbacks to the past. Sally Hepworth has drawn a great character in Lucy, the outsider, trying hard to please her mother-in-law, to be accepted into her husband’s family, only to repeatedly fall short of the mark.

Sally Hepworth has also done a brilliant job with her portrayal of Diana and this really complements the story for me. Diana was not simply a typical mother-in-law mischief-maker; she was a person with many attributes - mother, wife, friend, daughter and do-gooder. Some of her drive was quite understandable which made it difficult for me to completely scorn her. As past and present merged it became clear that nobody in the family really knew or understood each other.

One of my favourite aspects of this novel was the fluidity of Sally Hepworth’s writing. She managed to provide the details and twists of the plot without messing with the tone of the storyline. Each brilliantly executed chapter left me with a compelling need to read on.

For me, “The Mother-in-Law” was a tale of dramatic suspense but also one of deep reflection. At times, it made me dwell on my own family relationships and dynamics, especially those of the past. This novel definitely leaves you in a reflective mood, both during and after the story ended.

The book definitely has a strong mystery element, culminating in a thrilling and fulfilling ending. I really enjoyed it and I would certainly recommend it. This novel has left an impression on me and I will be reading more from Sally Hepworth. She has now become an author to watch out for!

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and the author, Sally Hepworth, for my free ARC of The Mother-in-Law in exchange for an honest review.

I picked up “The Mother in Law” and thought I was about to dive into a psychological thriller, so it really wasn’t the direction I expected, but I really liked it! Even though the daughter in law and mother in law were so different, seeing both sides of their story, you could empathize with them both in their own way. The story was engaging and I found myself not wanting to put it down to see what happened next. I would be interested in reading more of Hepworth’s books in the future

Ah, mother-in-laws... So many jokes have been told about them, so many complaints have been said about them, so many stories are shared about them, but none are like Diana in The Mother-in-Law. She appeared to be like a “typical” mother-in-law, strict, overbearing, and critical. She had her annoying ways, tones, and looks, and had the tendency to drive Lucy crazy. But she, too, was shocked to find out that she was dead.

As we read through this novel full of twists and turns and alternate points of view, we get to see and know another side to Diana, and we can almost commiserate with her and feel for her. We start to understand why she acts the way she does and says what she says. Mother knows best after all, right? So who killed her? And why?

This book was full of twists and turns and was filled with compelling characters and intriguing family drama and intricacies. It was a great gripping read, one that you can’t wait to find out what happens next, and hopefully finally solve the puzzle with that last missing piece.

Really enjoyed this! It was different than I expected- much more tender than what you usually get with a thriller/mystery. Slow but steady character development. And I liked getting to see how the characters relationships with each other evolved. Great book.

The Mother-in-Law is told from two alternating viewpoints - that of Lucy and that of her mother-in-law, Diana. In addition, some chapters are sub-labeled as “The Present” and some are labeled as “The Past,” covering the past ten years. The story weaves back and forth in time and in POV resulting in a somewhat disjointed tale. Lucy tells of her challenging relationship with her mother-in-law while Diana details her disappointment with her children and their spouses.

We learn at the outset of Diana’s death (in the Present) and gradually the tale unfolds about what really happened both before and after her death. I found the ending to be somewhat contrived, especially Diana’s unexpected change in character. The story isn’t terrible, but it's not one that I would recommend to my friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for receipt of this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.