I officially want to work for St. Martin's Press so I can read all the goodies they get!

This book was a whodunit, but it also was a story about a woman, and her family. Well, maybe a story about two women and their families. It incorporated classic mother in law grievances, but it went so much deeper.

You start off not really liking Diana very much but then there's a shift. The book alternates between Lucy's point of view and Diana's point of view.

Lucy just wanted to be accepted by her mother in law and to possibly have what she had lost with the passing of her own mother. She a mother and committed to her family with a mother in law that is awfully unbearable at times.

Diana is cold, unfeeling and oftentimes hurtful but eventually you get to see that there are two sides to this multifaceted woman and your view of her may change a little. The book shows that now of us are one dimensional. There are always several layers of a person and sometimes you're surprised by what you find when those layers are peeled back.

Then there is Nettie and she is a reminder of the harsh reality of the price some people pay in their quest to have a family.

This story is about the love two mothers have for their families and how different it is often conveyed. Mixed in with a good mystery, greed, and family secrets this book was nothing short of amazing.

4.5 stars, rounded up*

Lucy, a stay at home mom, is completely floored when police show up at her doorstep with news that her mother-in-law, Diana, has died. There are signs that Diana committed suicide, but the police suspect she was murdered. Lucy’s relationship with Diana was complicated even at the best of times, and the past is revealed through alternating POVs of both women. This is certainly a strong mystery, cemented in Diana’s death and the events leading up to it. But it’s also a powerful novel about women and their relationships with each other, particularly mothers and daughters.

I especially love the alternating POVs, as one person’s coldness or oddness is revealed as simply an ineptitude to connect with others. No one is a cartoonish villain; life just happens, with hopes and aspirations, and the sometimes thin line between cruelty and kindness.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an arc.

My first book by this author and it won't be my last! Evil Mother-in-Law, or no? What is her side of the story ? Well you get to hear from both... which I really liked! Gives the reader the perspective of both women.

Greed, betrayal and murder.... Diana is found dead, supposedly due to suicide but is that really what happened? If suicide, why ? If murder, who hated her enough? This was more than just a mother-in-law, daughter-in-law story, it is family drama, greed and secrets which I found very interesting.

A quick and compelling read that I thoroughly enjoyed! I will be checking out this author's other books..

" I worked hard for everything I ever cared about. And nothing I ever cared about cost a single cent."

A huge thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book! Greatly appreciated!

The Mother-I-Law reads like a combination of a whodunit and a jigsaw puzzle where all of the pieces fall into place perfectly! The book opens with a crime scene where the mother-in-law Diana is found dead in her home with a bottle of poison close by, and a suicide note tucked away in a desk drawer. The likely suspects are the main characters... the son Ollie, and his wife Lucy,the daughter Nettie and her husband Patrick. The reader is taken through the complex backgrounds and relationships that Diana has with each of these characters which builds the motive and suspense in this book. This book is a real page turner because you just have to find out who actually committed the crime. The book moves very well between past and present with the chapters being labelled past and present and who the main character in the chapter is addressing so it is very clear and flows well. The suspense builds at a great pace and keeps the reader engaged right through to the last page.
Many thanks to Neutrally and St.Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

I received The Mother-in-Law as an ARC from NetGalley. This book reminded me of a Liane Moriarty book - full of twists and turns. Lucy's mother-in-law, Diana, is found dead of an apparent suicide. Lucy did not have a good relationship with her mother-in-law but no one believes that she would commit suicide. This book will keep you drawn in trying to figure out how Diana actually died. I have not read any of Sally Hepworth's other books but this one makes me want to go read them.

The Mother In Law was a good book overall and it was surprisingly different (in a good way) than I thought it would be. The build up was slow, I felt the book dragged in the beginning yet I still couldn't put it down. It definitely left me thinking about relationships and the meaning of family whether it's spouses, mother and daughter, mother and son, mother and daughter in law, etc. A quick read and one I would recommend to others. Thank you for the ARC copy.

Do you get along with your mother-in-law? Lucy hopes to have a good relationship with her husband Ollie's mother, but Diana makes it difficult. Diana is far from nurturing and Lucy finds her cold. When Diana is found dead of an apparent suicide Lucy reexamines everything she know about Diana and the rest of the family. An exploration of family and how you never really know everything about a people.

This book had my attention from the first page, finishing it in just over a day! I did not know what happened to Diana in her final moments until the final pages of the book. It was a fun and complicated story of a family’s deep secrets.

But beyond the mysterious death of Lucy’s mother-in-law, I found all the family issues fascinating and, as much as I would have liked to have disliked Diana(the mother-in-law), she really grew on me and I respected her views of her adult children and her love for her husband Tom.

Diana and Tom(the in-laws) were fairly wealthy and were “expected” to bail their children out of whatever financial troubles they came across. This never sat well with Diana and caused tension in the family. I could relate to Diana’s feelings of wanting her children to be independent and fight their own battles.

Anytime I finish a book and the characters sit with me for a while, making me reflect on my own life, that is a great book! I love the character developement in this story, and even though there was a mysterious murder, this story for me was ultimately about family, and the relationships we leave behind when its time to go.

I received this advanced copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. This book was published April 23rd, 2019. I hope you will check it out!

Wow! This was a compelling story. Diana had some secrets didn’t she? I was engaged immediately and when a book does that for me I am hooked. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Although it is a mystery, this novel explores some very large life issues. The writing skillfully moves the reader through several narrators and a period of several decades.

We are made to think about the horror of being an unwed mother and forced to give up a child, the ethics of euthanasia and the fertility issues which haunt so many women.

So, wrapped within this mystery, there are so many topics that a reading group will enjoy discussing. Amazing how Hepworth has turned what could have been an ordinary “who done it” into a thoughtful study of a family in crisis.

Enjoy!

This was the first book of Sally Hepworth's that I have read. I didn't know what to expect but enjoyed getting to know the characters in The Mother-in-Law. I was hooked fairly quickly and found myself looking forward to each character's storyline. I would like to have known more of Diana's story. This book explores the relationships between family members and made me wonder how I fit in my "in-law" story. A good read.

The Mother-in-Law was a great read. It kept me hooked from the very beginning. I loved the way the book is told from two different perspectives. I was able to relate to both characters. I even found myself cheering on the mother-in-law. This is another great book from Sally Hepworth!

I love Sally Hepworth's books and was very excited to get an ARC from NetGalley. I enjoyed this book - it had a good family drama with a little mystery and humor mixed in. The chapters alternated not only between Lucy, the daughter-in-law's and Diana, the mother-in-law's points of view but also between the past and the present. Their relationship was very believable and authentic. I had the hardest time with Nettie - her change throughout the book was so dramatic and none of the family seemed to notice what was going on. It was a great book and I highly recommend anything by SallyHepworth.

I was really intrigued by this book to see how the author would portray the mother-in-law. I have to say she did it perfectly! In the beginning I really did not like Diana, the mother-in-law. How could she be so cold and distant, even to her own children? But the way this book plays out with dual perspectives from Lucy, the daughter-in-law and Diana, through past and present, helps us to understand both truly and honestly. Even though I didn't agree with Diana's actions, you learn why she is the way she is and you soon come to appreciate her reasons. I couldn't put this book down! After Diana is found dead, the question is was it a suicide or a homicide? I was so absorbed into who could've killed Diana and why?! I mean there were plenty of reasons why, but who would actually go through with it? This is definitely a page-turner and I loved every minute of it. This was my first Sally Hepworth book and I look forward to reading more!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

When a story unfolds by revealing a character's perspective, it's always an interesting journey. Sally Hepworth lays out the path from three points of view within a family, and no doubt many readers will see some similarity between snippets of this story and their lives. The family dynamics are all here, both good and bad, and yes some ugly moments too, but that's what families are really about.

The distinct parallels between my life and what I was reading was stunning. Sally Hepworth nails them spot-on. Parents want to spare their children the pain they experienced growing up, but so often those one-sided intentions lack the clarity of insight into other's lives. Unless one feels the pain, they can't appreciate being saved from it. The pain is what makes us, not its absence.

The Mother-in-Law has good twists that will keep you turning the pages, and provide reading groups with plenty to discuss.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the egalley of this book in exchange for an honest review. My review is entirely my own genuine review of this book.

What a wonderfully different approach to family dynamics... Lucy has always had a strained relationship with her mother-in-law, Diana and when Diana is found dead under suspicious circumstances, everyone’s involvement is called into question - from Lucy to her husband Ollie, sister in law Nettie & Nettie’s Husband Patrick. Told in alternating perspectives from Lucy & Diana, the plot begins to unravel and shocking secrets come to light.

In my humble opinion, this is Hepworth’s best yet and I found this book entirely un-put-downable!

This was a fantastic read! The author did a fantastic job of weaving together various storylines that make you both love and hate the characters.

I wanted to read this book for a few reasons. Not only did the synopsis intrigue me but having a mother-in-law for the past 37 years and becoming a mother-in-law to my son's wife 5 years ago, I was curious if there would be any similarities to my real life relationships, and there were some.

Lucy lost her mother at the age of 13 so when she married Ollie she was hopeful that she would win his mother, Diana over and have a warm and loving relationship with her. However, Diana was a bit standoffish, some would even say she was "frosty" and as the years went by, the relationship turned volatile at times.

The story alternates between Lucy and Diana's perspectives both past and present but opens with the discovery of Diana's death. At first, the police felt it was a suicide but there were items at the scene that might lead in another direction.

The suspense was ongoing throughout the story, which made it hard to put this book down. The characters convincing. Not only was the mystery of Diana's death gripping, I also found the personal dynamics captivating.

Mothers of sons usually have to walk a fine line so as not to get the evil mother-in-law status, but in this case, Diana's past had such a bearing on her personality that I felt for her.

In the end, a letter was found in her desk with the following words of wisdom that Lucy now lives by:
I worked hard for everything I ever cared about. And nothing I ever cared about cost a single cent.


An outstanding read! I am looking forward of reading more books by Ms. Hepworth.

This is the story of strained relationship between a daughter in law and her mother in law, or so I thought it was. As the story unfolds, you get the an understanding of all the familial dyanmics and begin to realize that Diana, the matriarchy of the family, has her own history, beliefs and values that she persues steadfastly, even to the dismay of her family who misinterpret it as being disconnected or cold. Every few chapters, I had a new suspect at large, that is until the very end when, OF COURSE its the person you least suspect!

Giving this novel 5 stars for attention to developing the characters and their relationships, also because it was twisty/turny, and exactly what you want from a good "who done it" type story. This was my first Sally Hepworth book, and I will definitely be reading more of her in the future.

"You're a bit of a hero around here.Everyone's wanted to give their mother-in-law a head injury at least once in their life."

Thank you #netgalley ! The Mother-in-Law tells the story of Lucy, and her mother-in-law, Diana. Goodreads calls this a "twisty thriller about one woman's complicated relationship with her mother-in-law that ends in murder." Lucy is married to Ollie, Diana's son. Diana and Lucy seem to have a strained relationship from the beginning. Although Lucy hopes to have a great relationship with her mother-in-law, Diana always seems to keep her at a distance. When Diana ends up dead, the police cannot determine if it's a suicide or a homicide. This begs two questions. 1.) If it is suicide, why would Diana kill herself? And 2.) If it is homicide, who hates Diana enough to want to kill her?

This was my second novel by Sally Hepworth that I have read. (If you haven't read The Things We Keep, I highly recommend it.) The Mother-in-Law was an intriguing read that hooked from the very first page. Hepworth put a refreshing twist on the classic "hated mother-in-law" stereotype. The story alternates between Lucy and Diana's perspective, both past and present. Their stories were woven together seamlessly. The fact that we got the mother-in-law's side of the story left me feeling sorry for Diana. Rather than seeing her as dreadful, I was left feeling like she was simply misunderstood. She undoubtedly had her flaws, but I couldn't help but feel like she had the best intentions at heart. This story was also a good reminder that our parents are people, dealing with their own emotions and issues. The tension between Lucy and her mother-in-law was palpable. Hepworth made me feel for both Lucy and Diana; rather than siding with one of them, I found myself rooting for both of them. Besides the characters, the mystery of what happened to Diana kept me wanting to read more. I kept trying to piece together the details, and just when I thought I'd figured it out, there was a new revelation that threw prior assumptions out the window. You'll definitely want to put this on your TBR for 2019! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5