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

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Not one of her books has disappointed me. In fact, they just keep getting better. This is a compelling story of a family with secrets, regrets and deep love for one another even if they do not show it. Diana is a great character. She is complex and tough, but she has her reasons for her tough exterior. This is a great story!

Lucy and her mother-in-law, Diana, do not see eye to eye and do not get along. This story is told from each of their perspectives and is compelling from the very first page. Lucy and Ollie, Diana’s son, are married with three children. Diana appears cold and unloving, except towards her husband Tom. Diana is bereft after the death of Tom and when she is found dead, it appears that she may have taken her life. Throughout the story we learn more of Lucy and Diana and their past history. Things are not always what they appear to be. This is an excellent story of domestic drama, family struggles, greed and also love.

The story unfolds through alternating chapters told by Diana (the mother-in-law) and Lucy (the daughter-in-law married to Diana's son, Ollie), and from the present and the past. Towards the end, Nettie, Diana's daughter, is heard from as well as loose ends are tied up. This was my first book by Ms. Hepworth and has inspired me to check out some of her earlier titles.

The book kept my interest during a series of long flights with its unique storyline and interesting characters. Diana turns out to be more complex than I originally expected although I don't think all the threads of her story were fully developed.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the introduction to Sally Hepworth and the opportunity to read The Mother-In-Law!

From the Title, there is an immediate assumption that there is conflict and the mother-in law is the villain. In a delightful twist, I found myself liking both characters. The author was able to effectively switch time frames and characters in an easy to follow method. There is conflict, of course but the reader is able to see both sides. I found myself reading way beyond bedtime because I was just so interested in the story line. It takes great talent to lay out personalities and values so different and let the reader make her own conclusion or identify with both characters. This is a must read next spring! Completely enjoyable
Netgalley #sallyhepworth

I really enjoyed this book and though it is marketed as a thriller it is so much more than that. The family drama keeps unraveling with every page. I liked all of the characters and became very emotionally invested with each one. I had an idea in my head on how this book was going go just based on the synopsis but I was so happy to find it to be so much more than just the usual generic mother-in-law story line. It's also worth noting that every question and thought I had was answered in the end. I really appreciate that from authors! This would make a great book club pick as there are many story lines being followed and much to discuss. This was my first Sally Hepworth book and I will definitely be on the look out for more. Overall great read I highly recommend this book it was a roller coaster of emotions that I enjoyed the whole way through.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

What a twisting, compelling, insightful and addictive novel The Mother-In-Law turned out to be! Full of pockets of grey, nothing is as it seems and no one is truly good or bad. By telling the story from the perspectives of both the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law, Sally very much shows us that there is always two sides to every story.

‘If you ask me, everyone is a little too interested in their children’s happiness. Ask anyone what they wish for their kids and they’ll all say they want them to be happy. Happy! Not empathetic contributing members of society. Not humble, wise and tolerant. Not strong in the face of adversity or grateful in the face of misfortune. I, on the other hand, have always wanted hardship for my kids. Real, honest hardship. Challenges big enough to make them empathetic and wise. Take the pregnant refugee girls I deal with every day. They’ve been through unimaginable hardships, and here they are working hard, contributing and grateful. What more could you want for your kids?’

With clever wit and a plausible plot, Sally walks us through a myriad of family dynamics that were entirely relatable. There is a high level of suspense sustained throughout, not only with regards to how Diana died, but also about the secrets various family members were harbouring and the past grievances that were yet to be revealed. The chapters are delivered in short bursts, solidifying this novel as a real ‘page-turner’. Highly recommended!

‘It occurs to me that only a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law can have an all-out war without anyone so much as raising their voice. The funny thing is, if any of the menfolk were here, they wouldn’t have a clue that anything other than a pleasant conversation was going on. If Ollie were here, he’d probably comment on “what a nice afternoon that was with Mum.” In that way, menfolk are really quite simple, bless them.’


Thanks is extended to St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Mother-In-Law for review.

Review posted to my blog on 28/01/2019 in line with Australian release.

A little slow at times but still a very good book. Some of the characters are very hard to like but redeem themselves at the end of the book. There are a couple of possibilities as to who might be the killer , if you think you know who did it, I can pretty much guarantee that you don't ! I did like the book very much but I did not love it. And I am still not sure why.

This book opens with the death of the mother in law of the primary narrator, Lucy . Although it appears to be a suicide, the police almost immediately are able to see it was actually a murder. Although I was able to figure out the "mystery" of the murderer relatively quickly, I still found this novel to be incredibly engrossing. I would qualify it much more as a family drama than as a mystery or thriller, so if you're looking for that, you'd be better served to look elsewhere.
The author did an amazing job of not losing her audience, even though chapters alternated between past and present, as well as alternating between narrators (the aforementioned Lucy, and the titular mother in law). Hepworth also made great use of cliffhangers, and I found myself racing through chapters on several occasions so I could read the outcome of the previous chapter's cliffhanger. I felt this book had the perfect amount of characters, which is something I haven't been able to say about many of the books I have read in recent months. There were just enough to keep you entertained and not so many you lose sight of their part in the plot.as strange as that sounds, that small point made this book THAT much more readable and enjoyable.
All in all, I was really impressed with this book, and with the author. I absolutely believe it will appeal to a wide audience, and will be an easy sell.

What a compelling story. I think most women can relate to the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship. That relationship is hard enough, without the sweet expectations that are quickly proven wrong. I love that in the end that relationship comes full circle. This book is full of twists and turns and I cannot fathom my family going through all the trials at once. It was a great book that caught my attention quickly, was riveting, and hard to put down. I highly recommend this book!

Overall this is a good read, not read this author before but I will probably read more.

In my opinion it wasn't a gripping page turner, a bit slow in parts but a different sort of read for me. I am not sure I would recommend this to my friends but this is only my opinion. I liked it but didn't love it.

Sally Hepworth rocks, and she has raised the bar with her newest. The Mother-in-Law kept me glued to the page from word one. Differing points of view written brilliantly. I love this book!

I received an ARC of this ebook from Netgalley. This isn't my first ARC of a Sally Hepworth novel. I absolutely requested it because I know will really enjoy the book. I love the depth in Sally Hepworth's books. The characters are well developed and the stories draw me in. I don't want to put the book down or have the story end. That is the case with this novel. I came to care for all of the characters and I really didn't want anyone to be guilty of murder. But as always I felt good about the ending and was not let down.

The Mother In Law was a twist and turn book. Lucy the daughter in law and Ollie the son to Diana and her husband and family. Lucy wants to be close to her mother in law but can’t seem to whatever she seems to do. Lucy has 3 small children with Ollie. Nettie is Diana’s daughter and she has a husband. Suspenseful page turning novel.

It's rare that two points of view are so successfully and diametrically opposed as they are in Hepworth's well-done domestic thriller.

My obsession with Sally Hepworth began through her novel The Family Next Door. I was so intrigued by the plot that I raced through it. I thought surely, Sally can't continue this kind of genius work? Well, folks, she can. The Mother-in-law was compulsively readable. So fascinating that I found myself setting it up while I washed dishes, reading it while I brushed my teeth. A family drama surrounding deep but complex relationships. The family matriarch has died from an apparent suicide. But it may not be as apparent as previously considered. It is written in alternating perspectives which enriches the plot and pulls the reader in. Sally creates characters so deceptively charming, so warm but mysterious. They could easily be your sister, cousin, mother-in-law. I read many domestic suspense novels and I truly believe Sally Hepworth is in a class all her own. I HIGHLY recommend.

*Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.* I can't tell you how excited I was to get my hands on Sally Hepworth's latest offering, 'The Mother-in-Law'. I had high expectations for this book and it did not disappoint. Not at all. I devoured this book, reading voraciously to find out the next twist in the tale. Like Hepworth's equally addictive 'The Family Next Door', MIL is set in my hometown, Melbourne and a number of the scenes take place just a few suburbs away from where I live. This just added to the appeal of the novel. The story starts with the death of the protagonist, Lucy's MIL, the rather intimidating Diana. What has happened? How has she died? Why has she died? Was it suicide, natural causes... or does someone have metaphorical blood on their hands? Hepworth has such a talent for creating characters that are so true-to-life. The book is not out for a few months, but once it hits the shelves, I highly recommend scooping it up.

*Thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own*

This is my first Sally Hepworth book and I can't wait to pick up another one! It took me a few chapters to get into the flow of character and time changes but once I did I could not put the book down.

The Mother-in-Law is a story of secrets, lines crossed, and twists and turns throughout the story. I won't say much because I do not want to spoil the story. I enjoyed the uniqueness of the storyline and the quick short chapters that kept me intrigued.