I loved this book. It kept me guessing the whole way through. One of my favorites by this author. 4 out of 5 stars.

Was SO excited to get The Mother-in-Law! Thrilling, dangerous, and heart pounding. I read it in two days! Will order for library's fiction/mystery collection.

Some people are tired of the mother in law trope... not me. And this one's actually from the MIL's POV! I love a thriller that explores broader controversial themes too, this was right up my alley and I can't wait to read more.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my review.

To say the relationship between Lucy and her mother in law, Diana, is strange is to vastly understate the reality. This novel, told from several differing viewpoints, explores just what it means to be "family".

From the moment she meets Diana, Lucy knows she is NOT what Diana wanted for her well-loved son. And things don't get better when Lucy has children. Diana is closed-off and just doesn't respond, no matter how hard Lucy tries.

Diana is successful, well-respected, rich and at ease in any situation - except that of being Lucy's mother in law. We finally do see in some of Diana's sections, that she is as frustrated as Lucy, but just doesn't know how to do this.

When Diana is found dead, and a note indicates she has committed suicide, Lucy is devastated for her husband and sister in law. But then, no sign is found of the cancer that supposedly drove Diana to this act, and strange bruising indicates she might not have died at her own hand.

Lucy knew from the beginning that her and her mother-in-law, Diana, were never going to be best friends. Diana is found dead with a suicide note which states she has cancer. The autopsy doesn't detect any cancer and Diana's will has been changed to disinherit her children and spouses. It all seems suspicious to Lucy and she's determined to discover the truth. I enjoyed this twisty mystery and recommend it to all mystery lovers!

A twisty thriller that will keep you guessing. With characters that you love to hate, until the end when you may need to rethink everything you thought you knew. Sally Hepworth creates characters that are multi-dimensional and connect with readers immediately

It's a domestic mystery with a touch of suspense. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to others.

Thank You Netgalley, St. Martin’s Fiction, and Sally Hepworth

Wow. I could not put this book down! More aptly described as a family drama than as a thriller, this book begins with the news that Diana--Lucy's mother-in-law--is dead. What follows is a journey to how we got here, rotating between Lucy's perspective now and then, and Diana's perspective then.

I love the way the author gets in the head of the characters--she offers so much insight and compassion into human relationship, examining all that goes unsaid between family members. This book is an impressive sociological tour de force. The mystery behind Diana's death pushes the story along, and the pacing of the writing is very well done. Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty!

The task of repopulating the senior library has been an exciting and daunting task aS in a boarding school our aim is to encourage all members of the community to read. Because of this, I have been searching down a wide and diverse range of books to read that will entice a wide cross-section of the school to come in, browse and find books that they love.
Books like this will ensure that the senior students in the school see the library as a diverse, modern and exciting place with books that speak to them and they want to recommend to their friends, classmates, teachers and tutors.
It is an engrossing and exciting read with fully-formed characters and a plot that ensures that it's hard to look away. It is as far from formulaic as it is possible to be and kept me up far too late in order to finish it. I immediately wanted to read all of this writer's other books as I loved their voice and found that it really drew me into the story and made me think about it even when I'd stepped away from this tale.
This is a thought-provoking read which I'm sure will be a popular and well-read addition to our new library; I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to read it and I know that the students are going to absolutely love it too!

Overall I enjoyed this book. Read more like fiction with a hint of mystery to me. If you are a die hard fan of thrillers this will not satiate your appetite. This story reads from the perspectives of both Lucy the main character and her mother-in-law Diana as it takes us through their shared experiences and past relationships with the rest of the family that have led up to the mysterious death of Diana. There was certainly more substance to the story line outside of the mystery component and to me much of the book focused on the intricacies of family dynamics and the types of relationships that can tend to develop.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read the Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth.

I love a good family drama and this was exactly that. I expected more of a thriller but I didn't really find that. I did find the relationship between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law fascinating. I didn't expect that twist at the end which isn't usually the case for me. Thumbs up on this book.

For every action there is a reaction.... this book proves that is true. Lucy Obviously does not like her mother in law. Although Diana is friendly towards her and has done her best to win her over, Lucy is reluctant to say the least. Fast forward and Diane is found dead with a note beside her stating she could not live anymore due to the cancer eating her alive. However during the autopsy, there was no cancer and it was found that she died of strangulation and poison. Also, Diane changed her will and left her children out of it. What would cause her to do such a thing? Could Lucy have done something to her mother in law? The book was written in two different pov’s and is done so perfectly. It is easy to see who the villain is yet not the killer. Atleast not in the beginning. The author does a great job with the development of the characters and the pace of the story. I really love this book and hope there will be more by this author soon.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This wasn't heavily plot driven, but a well written family mystery driven by character development. The pacing is rather slow at times, but over all was a good story.

I find this author to be hit or miss for me, I'm afraid.... I realize I'm in the minority here and will keep plugging through their releases so as to not miss a hit. Thanks for the opportunity to review this!

Absolutely loved this book! Hepworth did an amazing job of getting me invested in the story and all of the characters. The characters felt like real people I know from their passions, quirks, and unflattering personality traits. The complicated family dynamics served to make the story even more interesting and I was eager to find out who the murderer was. I will definitely be recommending this to thriller readers.

When Lucy first meets her soon-to-be mother-in-law Diana, she knows right away that Diana is not who she wants her son to marry. Diana is crass, rude, and sometime just plain nasty. Lucy's fiancee and then husband Ollie tells her not to worry about it, that his mother likes her just fine. But this family is full of lies and deceit. Diana refuses to help her children financially, even though they ask every chance they get. She spends more time with the refugees she helps than her own family. And she still seems to hate Lucy for no reason. The Mother-in-Law was so good and such a fast read, that I took it with me everywhere I went and finished it in a day! I cannot wait to read more by Sally Hepworth! Thank you NetGalley!

I was expecting more of a thriller, but this book was a slow burn soft suspense--and I loved it! The domestic drama was built up really well and the missed opportunities for understanding between a mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law were numerous and interesting. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind a book without a lot of action but that still brings the suspense.

Actual Star Rating - 4.5

Sally Hepworth is QUICKLY becoming one of my all time favorite authors. This book? SO FREAKING GOOD. I honestly didnt know who to love or hate the entire time. I thought it was remarkable and brilliant. And besides, its fun to read books about other people's mother in laws to make me feel better about my own :)

Her mother-in-law kept her at an arm’s length. She is cold to Lucy, when Lucy only wants a mother. Her own mother died when she was very young. But then the MIL ends up dead and everything Lucy thought about her turns out to be wrong.