Wow! What a fantastic read! Thank you NetGalley for my arc copy of The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth.

Lucy has a complicated relationship with her mother in law, Diana. Lucy is a very sweet and lovable person. She she was thirteen years old, her mother passed away. More than anything, she wants a close and loving relationship with her mother-in-law. Diana, however isn't interested and doesn't care (very cold). Diana even struggles being close with her own children. The story is told through two points of view; one being Lucy and the other Diana.

Ollie is Lucy’s husband and Diana’s son. He grew up having a privileged life. Diana and her husband, Tom are very wealthy. Diana wants her children to be self sufficient. Ollie's business is failing and their house is too small for their family that is growing. Ollie's sister, Nettie desperately wants children but needs money for a surrogate. Diana has the money to help both her children but refuses. Then Diana gets murdered. Who is responsible? Is it one of her own children or maybe her Daughter-In-Law?

A fabulous book you won't want to put down.

Sally Hepworth's latest book The Mother In Law was full of her usual suspense but I have to admit a little slow to get into. It was really good and insightful into the relationship between mothers and their children. Just not as exciting as her previous in my opinion. Diana is a woman who is stern in her beliefs and seemed at times a little stern and aloof but by her intentions were always good. She had a hard life that her children knew nothing about that shaped her into the woman they knew. She has 2 grown children, 3 grandchildren. Her life seems complete if not a little less after her husband dies but she seems to be doin fine. Until she mysteriously turns up dead. A suicide but there are things that don't add up to her suicide. What really happened to this mother in law???? Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for my honest review on this book

This book really took me by surprise! Let me start by saying I'm a big Sally Hepworth fan and I was so excited to get my hands on this book.

At first I thought it was going to be just another typical psychological thriller but man was I wrong. This is actually a quite beautiful, though sad, story of familial love and how you never really know who someone is unless you take the time to stop judging and dig deeper.

I thought the Lucy and Diana storyline was just wonderful and not at all what I expected.

And Nettie broke my heart. I found her character arc deeply sad.

Last, but not least, I loved the humane refugee angle. I loved everything about it. For a moment I was worried that the refugees were going to tie into the crime, and I would have HATED that...but I should have known better. Sally Hepworth is better than that.

4.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

Books like these are tough to rate. The Mother in Law was strong when focusing on the complex dynamic between daughter in laws and mother in laws. The ups and downs of the relationship between Diana and Lucy had me fascinated, as well as relieved that she wasn't my mother in law. The mystery of what happened to Diana didn't interest me in the least. I just found it hard to care when Diana was completely unlikable. She was judgmental, rude, distant and selfish. The writing was excellent and characterizations were on point, so I would definitely recommend The Mother in Law to fans of domestic dramas.

The Mother-in-Law is not the first I have read by Sally Hepworth, and it won't be the last. As the author takes you back and forth from the present and the past, she enhances her work by giving you the two perspectives of Lucy and Diana to tell the story. While reading, one cannot escape thinking about how family relationships within a family of origin and a family inherited by marriage are easy in some respects and difficult in others. Diana is the most complex to be admired and disliked, sometimes at the same time. She is strong yet shows weakness, cold yet shows empathy and distant but loving. Lucy is the likeable one, even during those times of failure.

When Diana dies, it is presumed to be suicide, but all the other characters have reason to be thought of as suspects. with varying motives. This includes the daughter-in-law Lucy, Lucy's husband Oliver, and even Oliver's business partner. Diana's daughter Nettie as well as Nettie's husband, Patrick are also suspects. A must read to find out who done it!

I thank Net Galley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed The Mother In Law by Sally Hepworth. The characters were realistic as was there relationships with each other. Hepworth brings just enough suspense to not be over the top, but keeps you from being able to put it down. As much as I kept guessing, I still didn't quite see it coming!

Yes! Sally Hepworth has done it again! Another fantastic novel that had me up all night to finish it! Love the cover work too so beautiful and enticing!

Oh my gosh! This book! The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth is one of those books that you’ll start and finish in one day- it’s one of those books you just can’t put down...because you are desperate to know what is going to happen!

The book centers around Lucy and her mother-in-law Diana. It is told in alternating voices, and past and present. I really really like how this story is told- it’s important to the central storyline and really helps us understand the characters.

This book portrayed an interesting dynamic - the relationship between daughter-in-laws and mother-in-laws. What is the role eacb should play in the relationship? We get inside both individuals heads and truly understand what each is thinking! I absolutely loved watching the relationship develop throughout the novel- although sometimes I was so frustrated and just wanted to yell at both Lucy and Diana to talk to each other!

The premise of the book, which you learn in the first chapter, is that Diana has died, and it looks like she has committed suicide. What happened? What led to this tragic turn of events? Why was Diana the way she was? Let me tell you- you will absolutely want to keep reading and not put this book down to find out.

Every time I thought I knew what was happening, I was thrown off. I appreciate books where I don’t always see the ending coming!

Fans of mysteries and thrillers will appreciate this book, as well as people who enjoy books with characters where you truly see their development. I would give this book 4/5 stars.

**I was provided a free advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**

I was given an Arc from Net Galley for an honest review.
This is my first novel by Sally Hepworth, written by several points of view, each character is very well drawn out. I loved this book definitely unputdownable.

I really enjoyed this book! Having never read any of Sally Hepworth I was unsure what to expect but I was excited to be reading an Australian mystery. It was well written and engaging and I appreciated that the settings/situations were very relatable as it was set in modern Australia.

The pace seemed quite slow to me - or at least a lot didn't really seem to happen, especially in the 'Now' section of narrative. I thought the back story was when the author really shone. But having said that I found it very readable and it kept me hooked. It certainly wasn't greatly taxing to read, and I wouldn't call it a 'thriller' as it was a bit too slow paced for that but I enjoyed the ending and I am glad I read it! Will be looking for more of Sally Hepworth's books in the future.

While I enjoyed this - I didn't find it as much a thriller as a look into family dynamics. Liked the character growth and enjoyed it - but didn't love it!

Mother-In-Law. Not usually a term that brings warmth and rainbows to mind. In fact, this term is often said in hushed terms to one’s closest confidants. But what if you actively despised your Mother-In-Law, would you mourn her untimely passing? Or might you be the one who did it?

In The Mother-In-Law, we have a fairly normal looking family. Lucy is trying to keep her head above water dealing with three little ones while her husband works long hours to support them. But one day, her Mother-In-Law is found dead of an apparent suicide, but details suggest that the simplest answer is not actually the truth. Was Diana indeed murdered? And by whom? Everyone in this family has a motive and something to gain by Diana’s untimely passing.

This was the first book by Sally Hepworth that I have read, and I greatly enjoyed her voice and writing style. It was witty and spunky and had me turning the pages with ease. I really enjoyed this book, though had trouble connecting to the characters as the book got deeper into their motivations. I appreciated that the book provided the view-points and inner thoughts of Diana and Lucy, which showed that neither were bad people, they just didn’t understand each other. I guess where I had my issue was particularly with Diana’s daughter, Nettie. Nettie struggles with infertility and while I connected strongly with her in the beginning, she let her desire for children drive her to be a person I couldn’t respect or really believe as a character. Maybe it is just my personal experiences shaping my perspective of her, but it just didn’t sit well with me.

All in all, this was a quick read that incorporated some intriguing back stories and engaging dialogue.

*I would like to thank the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I initially had wondered if The Mother in Law would be a copy of other thrillers involving conflict between a mother and her son's sweetheart that seem to flood the market lately but I can happily report that is not the case of this book. This story may seem similar but there are so many layers to this story that separate it from the rest.

I found The Mother in Law to be an enjoyable and absorbing read with well developed characters who compel you to finish every last sentence.

I would recommend equally to lovers of women's fiction and lovers of psychological suspense.

📖I received an uncorrected digital galley from Netgalley, Sally Hepworth and St Martin's Press in exchange for my honest review📚

I was hooked on The Mother-in-law from the very beginning. A series of awkward moments and misunderstandings stop aloof Diana and daughter-in-law Lucy from getting on. It is easy to dismiss Diana as cold, but she is much more complex than that.
At the start of the mystery, Diana is found dead. What initially looks like suicide begins to look more like murder. We are told there is no love lost between her and Lucy, but there are no easy answers. This book cleverly reveals the truth about these two flawed people, and how things went wrong between them. Four stars.

Thank you to Sally Hepworth and St. Martin's Press for this ARC..

I enjoy all of Sally Hepworth's books, and this was no exception.. Very well written, and interesting story.

I have read every one of Sally Hepworth's books, and I have really like all of them- this one blew me away.
I loved it, it amazed me. I felt every word that was in here between daughter-in-law and mother-in-law.

I could not stop reading once I started. I was so invested in their story, it is my story.

Everyone no matter how old, wants mom's approval
and EVERYone no matter who they are, wants their mother-in-law's approval.

I recommend this book!

Relationships with your in-laws can be complicated - especially a mother-in-law. Lucy definitely has issues in her relationship with her mother-in-law, Diana. Diana is very poised, generous and a well-respected member of the community - yet no matter how hard she has tried, Lucy cannot seem to get close to Diana or earn her respect. Five years after meeting her, Diana has tragically taken her own life and a suicide note uncovers a battle with cancer as the reason. When an autopsy is performed, however, it shows no sign of cancer - yet it does show traces of poison and suffocation. Who would want Diana dead? And why was the will amended at the last minute to disinherit her children and their spouses?
This was definitely a page-turner with twists and turns around every corner! I enjoyed how the book switched back and forth from Lucy's POV to Diana's POV. I loved every minute of it and didn't want it to end!
Thank you to Sally Hepworth, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this fantastic book!

This book was hard to put down. The story is told from multiple points of view and goes back and forth between past and present. The mother-in-law, Diana, is a difficult and complicated woman. Everyone in her family has a reason to want her dead. After she is found murdered, the race is on to find out who killed her. It was fun to follow the clues and try to guess who the killer was but I honestly didn't know for sure until the reveal. I'm looking forward to checking out more Sally Hepworth novels.

I loved this book. I loved the mystery of Diana's death, but I really enjoyed the look into Diana and Lucy's relationship. It was so interesting to see both sides of situations where Diana was trying to reach out and do something nice but had trouble explaining it so it came off as mean or passive aggressive and vice versa. I found Nettie's story heartbreaking, but it was easy to see how she alienated herself from everyone in her baby craze.

The Mother in Law is the perfect mix of family drama with real world situations. What lengths are we willing to go for the ones we love? And what happens when the love has limitations? This book is sure to be a best seller.