You don't have to have ambivalent feelings about your mother inl aw to have strong ones about Diana, the eponymous woman at the center of this thoroughly engrossing and well-written novel that abjures the currently fashionable trend of unreliable female narratives in favor of creating complex, multidimensional characters who have different but equally understandable perceptions of themselves and the events that drive the plot. While Diana and Lucy, her daughter in law, are the most vividly drawn characters in the novel, the other members of this family are also fully realized - their dreams and expectations as well as the central relationship in the book, are brilliantly depicted. Although a death is at the center of the plot, it's the lives of this middle class Australian family that drives the narrative to its denouement.

A story of a dysfunctional family, murder, suicide and money. I was hooked on the first page. When I was forced to put it down because of life things happening I was very frustrated until I could get back to it. More twists and turns than a mountain road kept the story fresh throughout. A must read for all mystery fans.

I enjoyed how this book was told from the viewpoints of the women involved but it was frustrating to see how much mis-communication occurred in this family. I was also very disappointed in the ending.

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth is a mystery/thriller novel about one woman's complicated relationship with her mother-in-law that ends in murder...

From the moment Lucy met her husband's mother, Diana, she was kept at arm's length. Lucy wanted so much to please her new mother-in-law.

Chapters alternate between past and present from the POV of Lucy, the daughter-in-law to Diana, the mother-in-law.

The story is set in Melbourne, Australia. Lucy is married to Ollie with three young children. Ollie's parents, Tom and Diana, and a sister Nettie and her husband, Patrick, complete the family package. One big happy family!

That was five years ago.

Now, Diana has been found dead, a suicide note near her body. Diana claims that she no longer wanted to live because of a battle with cancer.

But the autopsy finds no cancer…but does find traces of poison and suffocation.

Who could possibly want Diana dead?

Why was her will changed at the last moment to disinherit both of her adult children and their spouses?

In The Mother-in-Law, the under minding characters, the mystery and the storyline all came together like a jigsaw puzzle, to deliver a gripping family drama about family dynamics and the shocking secrets that come to light.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for my digital copy.

Another can’t put down book by Sally Hepworth! A relationship with the mother-in-law can be tricky. And it’s sometimes built on what we think we know....but what about the things we don’t know? Hepworth’s style of having the chapters focus on either the MIL Diana or the DIL Lucy has a way of bringing past and present together in an unusual, compelling way. This book is more than a psychological thriller...it’s a compassionate story of lives. Well worth the read...I definitely recommend it! I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and publisher in return for an honest review, which this has been.

This was a really good book, but a little slow. I usually can read a book in a few days but this one took longer because it didn't really draw me in, I enjoyed the characters but a little confusing with the back and forth. Surprised at the end but wasn't one of my favorites.

I absolutely loved this novel. Ms. Hemsworth created such well rounded characters. I love that each chapter is from a different angle and character. At first, I wished Diana would have told more of herself but it left a bit of mystery. 5 stars.

Thank you to Net Galley for for ARC. I wasn't sure what to expect from this book from it's title. It was an interesting read. At first, Diana seems cold-hearted and ruthless. But as the story develops you see there are many layers to Diana and why she is the way she is. Does she love her children? Without a doubt and the decisions she makes may be harsh but she is trying to prepare them for life. Talk about tough love. I recommend this book. A good read and kept my interest.

A unique thriller told from several character viewpoints and time frames. This storytelling was a addictive slow reveal offering little peeks at the characters and their relationships. It made me want to keep turning the pages to find out what happened to Diana, the mother-in-law and it illustrated all the things we don't know about people, even our own family. This was a Ruth Rendell-esque psych-thriller. I can't wait to see what Sally Hepworth will turn out next.

OMG!! I really loved this book. It goes to show how people can see different situations in different ways. Was very entertaining and I would recommend whole-heartedly!!

‘The problem is it’s so easy for a mother-in-law to get it wrong.’

Lucy wanted to please her mother-in-law Diana, but, how could she? Diana kept her at arm’s length: polite, but remote. And Diana was one of those near perfect women: prominent in the community, an advocate for social justice, a woman who helped female refugees settle into life in Australia. Diana and her husband Tom were happily married and wealthy.

And then, some years later, Diana is found dead. There’s a suicide note in which Diana claims that she no longer wanted to live because of a battle with cancer. But while an autopsy finds no trace of cancer, there are traces of poison and evidence of suffocation. Who killed Diana, and why? Why did Diana change her will to disinherit both of her adult children and their spouses?

Yes, there’s a mystery here. The novel also addresses other difficult issues, including both extremes of the fertility issue: having an unwanted, unplanned pregnancy and the challenges and costs of fertility treatment. As the story unfolds over several decades, we learn more about Diana and her motivation as well as about Lucy.

This is the first of Ms Hepworth’s novels I’ve read. It won’t be the last. Highly recommended.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

To me, in-law drama is one of the most, if not THE most, fascinating type of drama. I've experienced plenty of this and feel like I have a good understanding of some of the causes of in-law drama. This book delves deeply into this particular type of drama, if you couldn't tell from the title! Of course that is what initially caught my attention. It was interesting getting a "behind-the-scenes" look at the MIL's point of view, as I myself am a daughter-in-law and its always great to have a better understanding of "the other side". This book picked up quickly, kept my interest, and had quite an interesting finish. In my opinion it was not as good as The Family Next Door, which I loved, but I still give it 4 stars, The characters are complex, and so is the story line.

What a captivating book that is so hard to put down. Lucy joins the Goodwin family through marriage and while she and her father in law Tom connect easily, she struggles to understand her mother in law Diana. Diana and Tom are well to do and their children Ollie and Nettie often come to them for money to which Tom says yes while Diana refuses. After Toms death, Lucy and Diana begin to connect and become close. Diana asks Lucy to help her set up an email that will help her obtain things she needs to end her own life. When Diana is found dead things don’t quite add up. Who killed her and why?

The queen of domestic thrillers is back with another impressive book. This book keeps you reading deep into the night and makes you realise that there are always two sides to any mystery story, even when it's a mother in law

I've seen this author:s name before, but never read one of her books until now. After finishing The Mother-in law in 24 hour, I have reserved Hepworths other books
Needless to say this book was unbelievable. Part of it ours at my heart strings and made me cry and parts had me racing through to see what really happened to poor Diana. The title.made me think this would be a story of evil in- law against innocent daughter in law drama. This was not the case. This book shows how deeply a mother loved her children and extended family and will do anything for them.
Pre+order this gem now, you will love it.

The first thing that drew me to this book was the title. The relationship between daughter in law and mother in law always seems to be notorious for not getting along. Though this is not true in many cases, there are some horror stories about it. I liked the book- it was an interesting exploration of family relationships and flew by for me. I would recommend it to anyone ( regardless of whether they have a mother in law or not). Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

What I really enjoyed about this book was the way the author provided a plausible different POV. Lucy is a daughter-in-law who finds her mother-in-law to be cold and difficult. Diana is the other half of this relationship and, with experience and wisdom, provides a different perspective that is equally compelling. Both narratives make perfect sense and the reader (at least I did) understood both of them perfectly. This, I think was the real objective of the novel. Through the turmoils of life, Diana and Lucy, very different in backgrounds and personalities, find they are not so different in essential ways.

The unraveling of the possible homicide or suicide is interesting and provides a perfect backdrop for a well written novel. The reason the book held my interest was, at times, to find out why or if a crime had been committed, but in reality I was smitten by the evolution of the main narrators. Also fascinated by the stubborn stasis of other characters. Very well written book.

https://amusingreviews.blogspot.com/2018/11/review-mother-in-law.html

Just a fabulous book! Loved it - the whole thing through! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this copy for my honest opinion.

I really liked this. Nuanced, layered story with interesting characters. Put it on your list. Free advanced copy from Netgalley, comes out April 2019

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book. My reviews can be found on my GoodReads page at https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1335387-kelly.