My first Sally Hepworth, but won't be my last. An intense portrayal of strong women in one family, exploring their frailties, secrets and regrets.

I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but nevertheless made a great read.
The plot was fresh and new, with plenty of intrigue, yet not too dark. It explores complicated family dynamics with sensitivity and flair.
The characters were well thought out and engaging, with plenty of backstory to explain their perspectives. All of the characters were just ordinary people, which actually made the story more relatable and enjoyable.
Not a fast paced racy kind of thriller, but plenty of mystery and depth.
Definitely well worth reading.

Never read any of Sally’s books before but I certainly will do from now on . This book is all about family . Diana the mother-in-law is found dead they all think she killed herself but did she the police don’t think so, So what happened it twists and turns from one person to the next . This is a well written book . Really enjoyed it.

This is my second book from this author and I absolutely loved it. Did not let me down. This story explores the mother and daughter in law dynamics and it is very well done. I loved the alternating chapters between Lucy and Diana.
An absolutely heart pounding mystery xx

The story is slow to unfold and there is quite a lot of back story but I quite like getting to know the characters in this way. All of the characters are flawed and don't communicate and this can be frustrating as an honest conversation or two would have solved most of their troubles. I wasn't held in suspense as to who did it as it could've been any of the family. I thought Diana's suicide plans didn't ring true for her character and I put this book down quite easily between reads so I wasn't gripped. The structure of present, past, and changing viewpoints were used to withhold and reveal Information and hold my interest in a fairly mundane story. After the reveal, the ten years later held no interest because I didn't care enough about the characters..

I enjoyed the book but a little bit to much then and now going on. But good story line and didn’t see the end coming was rather surprised

Oh, the age old story of daughter-in-law pitted against mother-in-law. It's a tale as old as the institution of marriage. Well whatever you think you know about this dynamic, leave it all at the door when you read this non-stop page turner. Everytime I thought I knew what was going on I quickly found out I was completely wrong. With every chapter, my assumptions and feelings about the characters shifted as we learned more about their pasts.

When Lucy falls in love with Ollie, she is over the moon about her future and her future family. Having lost her mother at a young age, she yearns for a close relationship with her new mother-in-law, the crisp even-tempered Diana. Diana comes across as someone with very little emotion or regard for others, especially Lucy, but Lucy is determined. That is, until Diana is found dead of a suspicious suicide. Now, as the secrets and lies of this family are unwound, all of them become suspects in Diana's shocking death.

I read this book in just two days because I just couldn't put it down. I even read it whilst standing in line at the market. Not only because I wanted to know what happened next, but because I started to feel really strongly about the titular character. As we learn more about Diana through flashbacks, you begin to realise why Diana is the way she is and begin to really feel sympathy and attachment toward this outwardly standoffish woman. So many times I just wanted to shake Diana and yell "JUST SAY WHAT YOU MEAN, YOU'RE ACTUALLY DOING A NICE THING WHEN IT'S IN CONTEXT."

By the end, I was utterly brokenhearted and wanted to scream, in that amazing way only the greatest of books can make you feel. Fellow readers will understand what I mean. "This book totally destroyed me, you have to read it." Honestly, five stars aren't even enough for this. It wasn't just a suspense novel, it was an emotional one too. I think the author captured it best when writing about why mothers and daughters-in-law have tougher relationships than their male counterparts:

"Sons-in-law and fathers-in-law don't care enough to have issues."
"So we have issues because we care?"
"We have issues because we care too much."

And at the heart of it, that is what this book was about. Love for your children. Love for yourself. Love for your family. So the next time my wonderful mother-in-law irks me, I'll try to remember it's only because cares so much.

I think this book was just not for me. I'm sure lots of people will enjoy it for what it is. It's a light, family drama with lots of chatter and daily details.
I just like more psychological thrillers with more depth, motive and a bit of uniqueness.

I'm sure it can make a nice beach book, easy reading, no grim details, which I was very happy about.

I just couldn't root for any of the characters or hold my attention for long.

Thanks a lot to NetGalley and the publisher for this complimentary e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Blitzed this in two sittings. Really enjoyable, but do much back story missing - I really would have loved to have learned much more about Diana. I had no idea how it was going to play out, I knew something terrible was due to happen, but wasn’t expecting what did.

Highly recommend.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

Excellent book that I couldn’t put down.

I enjoyed the way this was told from both Diana and Lucy in past and present. It was good to get the history of Diana and why she behaved the way she did and throughout the book I felt sorry for her.

This was a real case of no idea who the guilty person was and a surprise when we find out.

On the whole this had likeable characters which always makes for an easy read. I’ll read this book again when the final copy is available.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

I enjoyed this book. I am a mother in law and have to tread very careful with a daughter in law. Lucy always wanted a mother in law as her mother died, Diana was not the most mother in laws most daughter in laws wanted, she said stand on your own two feet as I did.
She treated her own daughter in the same way, just get on with it,
Is that the correct way to treat your daughter, she asked her mother to help her with having ivf in having a baby and was told to get on with it herself.
She was a hard mother to have, then she died. Was she killed or was it suicide.
This was a very interesting book and thank you netgalley for letting me read this early edition.

You know it’s a good book when you want to start it again ! And that’s what I wanted to do with this one. No wonder I struggled to get up for work as I didn’t want to put it down. It all starts when Diana is found dead with a suicide note . The book tells the story of the Goodwin family and concentrates on the lives and relationship between mother in law and daughter in law , Diana and Lucy . After Lucy lost her own mum as a child she was looking forward to having the kind of relationship she had dreamed of with her mother in law , how wrong could she be . The story is told by both Lucy and Diana from there perspective and moves between present day and the past , i really didn’t like Diana right from the start and all credit to the author for making me feel like this about a character in a book , but by the end i had changed my opinion i really liked her. This book kept me guessing all the way through, A story of hate , greed , jealousy, love , selflessness, pride , deceit , ethics, morals and a dead body this book has it all and more !

It was an interesting read. The lead character - Diana - wasn't really portrayed the right way. I can see what the author was trying to say about her, that in reality she was a kind and loving woman who just struggled to show this side of her. But in actual fact, she came across very cold, distant and judgemental. However it was still a compelling read, with a definite twist at the end. Well written and worth sticking with.

A domestic thriller with a definite edge from Sally Hepworth - 'The Mother-in-Law' will keep the reader turning those pages. Credible characterisation, a swiftly moving plot and some clever twists make for an engaging read.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the book in exchange for an honest review.
The Mother in Law is a very clever book and is totally engrossing. You find out about Diane’s past, her present and her future and what made her the person she was at the end of her life. You also find out about her two children and their partners. Lucy, as the daughter in law, by the end of the book has finally got a worthwhile relationship with Diane and that is shown by Diane leaving her the necklace, Diane lent her for her wedding.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found it really interesting, particularly in relation to Diane’s charity work..
Highly recommended.

Excellent book! Loved the characters and it was a great storyline. I would highly recommend this book.

Another great story from Sally Hepworth, thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend. Interesting look at the family dynamics and relationships with in laws

This was a weird one and I'm not sure I enjoyed it. To be honest if I hadn't been sent it for review I would have abandoned it after the first third but it did pick up but was a bit of a curate's egg. We are lead to believe the protagonist dislikes her rich mother in law who runs a refugee charity but doesn't extend a helping hand cash wise ( and seemingly only reluctantly help wise) to her family. WE also get chapters form the mother in law's point of view and get a glimpse of her background and life struggles and an insight into why she behaves as she does. The mother in law is found dead but the police soon start to suspect it wasn't a suicide but a murder- are they right? It was interesting, not a book I'd read again, but once it got going it was worth reading.

I would imagine there are many of us who recognise the family dynamics and resentment you originally feel during the first half of this book all your sympathies going to Olly Lucy and Nettie struggling whilst it seems their parents have enough to help them but prefer to see them make their own way then l began to understand Diana and why she took the final step tbh l still did not like her. Helping everyone else but not her own family seemed cruel and the ends did not justify her actions resulting in her alienating once too often - perfectly plausible storyline thoroughly enjoyed

It's so easy to see one side of the story...until suddenly the other becomes clear. A terrific read and a great portrayal of family relationships, wrapped up in a tense and gripping plot.