The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth

Having read Sally’s books before, I was looking forward to reading her new one - and it didn’t disappoint! The story begins with Diana, the mother in law, being found dead and the story unravels from there.
The book covers all sorts of family dynamics and switches between Diana, and the daughter in law Lucy. We see the story change from present to past too, and as it progresses we learn much more about their personalities and how their relationship changes.

I was kept guessing as I read to who did it and it wasn’t until the end that it all fitted into place. It is a twisted family drama, and whilst it’s not fast paced, I read it very quickly as I was intrigued by the thought provoking relationships and the suspense as to how she died. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Disclaimer: Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton and Netgalley for the complimentary digital copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.

A super devour-it-in-one-sitting domestic thriller from Sally Hepworth. I read and thoroughly enjoyed The Family Next Door and this is just as good. I truly loved the way in which the book flits from past to present and follows the lives and the motivations of the family members, Diana, Tom, Lucy, Ollie and Nettie. A powerful family drama of sacrifice, love, loss, pain and betrayal that all result in such devastating consequences but one that does have an uplifting and hopeful ending for some of the family.
A sheer delight and pleasure to read and definitely worth going out of your way to read.
Thank you to the author, St Martin's Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Ollie and Lucy Goodwin live in Australia with their three children. On seeing a police car pull up outside their house one day, they soon learn that Ollie’s Mum, Diana has died. We are then introduced to the other sibling Nettie and her Husband Patrick, who have their own story. The plot which then unfolds is one surrounding the Goodwin family, headed by the very cold and stoic Matriarch Diana and her Husband Tom. There is plenty of family money and that together with family discord keeps the story ticking over. By moving back and forth between the past and the present day we hear the story from the points of view of Diana and Lucy. A very different side to Diana is revealed as well as the circumstances in which she died.
This is the first book that I have read by this author. Although very well written, it was just a little too slow for my taste and I didn’t enjoy reading it as much as I initially expected.

From the moment Lucy met her husband's mother, Diana, she was kept at arm's length. Diana was exquisitely polite, and perfectly friendly, but Lucy knew that she was not what Diana envisioned. Even so, Lucy wanted so much to please her new mother-in-law. 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. The autopsy does find traces of poison and suffocation. Everyone in the family is hiding something. But what? And where will the secrets stop?

What a gripping read this was. I was hooked from the beginning and found myself unable to put this down. There is something quite simple but yet incredibly effective about the plot, I found it thrilling, twisted, dark and unexpected, the perfect mix for a family thriller.

Hepworth writes in the present and flashbacks to the past where we learn everything is not what it seems. Both time periods are exceptional, unusually I did not prefer one over the other, instead I thoroughly enjoyed the intensity and danger they both built up and looked forward to what they would reveal next.

As with all family thrillers, this is a family with a lot of secrets that slowly reveal themselves. They all complement each other beautifully, some are emotional and some are plain dramatic, but all ensure for absorbing reading.

The characters in this are fabulous as well and I loved their complexities and flaws that made them into the characters we have. Following them was very entertaining and I loved following the more emotional developments as well.

'The Mother-In-Law' is an engrossing, addictive read and one that I loved reading. This explores both the complexity of a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship and families in general and I adored this realistic plot. 'The Mother-In-Law' is a thriller for people to love and enjoy being gripped by.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy.

With thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Staunton for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

I was excited to read this after enjoying Sally Hepworth`s last book The family next door.

Five years earlier Lucy was first introduced to her future mother In law Diana Goodwin. Lucy`s mother had died when she was a small child and she now looked forward to having a maternal figure to speak to. However on their first meeting Lucy soon found out that Diana was cold and aloof. Unfortunately they never became close after Lucy overheard Diana describing her as just fine.

In the present day Lucy was married to Ollie Goodwin and they had three children Archie, Harriet and Edie. One evening the police arrived to say that Diana had committed suicide Months earlier Diana had told Lucy and Ollie that she had been diagnosed with cancer. However the police decided to investigate further after an autopsy showed she did not have a cancer. They found a trace of gold thread in her hands which may have come off a pillow near her body.

I loved this book. The story was told from the POV of Diana and Lucy, the chapters were divided into the past and present of each women.

I enjoyed reading about the relationship between Lucy and Diana. After Lucy`s mum died she wanted to have the perfect relationship with Diana. To be honest I think Lucy was overly sensitive and took every misunderstanding with Diana to heart.

I started off not liking Diana but I understood her more as her back story was revealed. Although she seemed a cold fish she adored her husband Tom. As Diana`s story came out the reader discovered why she was disowned by her wealthy family and her charitable work with refugees.

The Mother In Law had twists and turns a plenty. As each part of Lucy and Diana`s story was told I was hooked.

I recommend this book about the secrets and desired within one family.

The Mother-In-Law is a 5 star read, it grabbed me from the first page and didn’t let up until I had finished it.
Lucy is married to Ollie and it is his mother who is the mother in law, Diane. The story is told from Diane and Lucy’s point of view and you do have to read the chapter titles carefully as they do go back in time quite often but it definately worked for me.
Lucy just wants Diane to accept and like her but for reasons we find out about further in the book Diane is a reserved mother in all aspects. The book starts off with Lucy and Ollie finding police officers knocking on their door to tell them that Diane is dead but how has she died and why?
A book I couldn’t put down and consumed in a day, a perfect family thriller with likeable characters and an easily followed writing style with a few twists along the way.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Hodder and Staughton for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review. (less)

Loved this book! Part family drama, part thriller, I connected easily with the main protagonist and had to find out what happened! Just goes to prove we never really know the whole of a person or their intentions. Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC!

So I’m not much of a kindle reader but after Net Galley approved me for this book I’ve had it in my tbr pile for ages and now I have to ask myself why did it take you so long to read this!! I think everyone can relate to this book, we have all had mother-in-laws from hell but it’s only because you don’t know how to communicate with each other. I absolutely loved this thriller and would recommend everyone to read it.

The story focuses on the relationship between Lucy and her mother in law Diana but there are many other family dynamics going on around this fraught relationship. The story switches from present day to past leading up to why Diana took her her own life or did she?. A great backstory to this moment with lots of lovely suspects and secrets. Great characters leading to a great ending.

This is the first novel I have read by Sally Hepworth but it will not be the last. ‘The Mother-in-Law’ is slightly different to my usual read but I thoroughly enjoyed it as it is the age-old story of a mother-in-law, Diana, and daughter-in-law, Lucy, trying to make things work. It sounds simple but this is far from it.

The story is mainly told in the first person alternating between Lucy and Diana, which offers clever and insightful dynamics. All of the characters are well rounded and believable and most of us will have seen a version of at least one of these in our own family environment. At least I have.

Diana and Tom have money, and they believe their children need to understand the meaning of money so try to make them stand on their own two feet. In addition, there is no knowledge within the family about Diana’s upbringing (apart from Tom) and how she had her first born, Ollie, who is now married to Lucy. This adds to the complex relationships along with Nettie, Ollie’s sister and her desperate desire to have a baby.

It isn't a regular ‘who-dunnit’ because there are few options, including suicide, as the story progresses. I loved it.

Thank you NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Sally Hepworth for my ARC in return for my honest review.

Really great read. Highly recommended.

I had 3 goes at reading this book, I just couldn't connect with it.I found it too slow and the characters didn't resonate with me.I felt quite disappointed, I was looking forward to enjoying this book, I chose to read it but I am afraid it just wasn't for me.thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an ARC.

OMG this is brilliant. So well plotted that it’s emotionally draining. Without giving too much away, I was pulled in two different directions all the way through depending on whose chapter or timeline I was reading. Brilliant characterisation, great story a genuine five star read.

A story of the relationship between family members particularly focussing on the mother-in-law daughter-in-law dynamic. Dodging between different family members and times, it was gripping, tense and fascinating. I found it interesting that while I didn't warm to any of the characters, I could engage in their flaws and lives with ease. Very well done indeed.
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to review this.

I loved Hepworths last book so couldn’t wait to read this, and I was blown away! I actually loved this more than The Family’s next Door. A brilliant look through the eyes of the daughter in law and the mother in law- both sides of the story are explored with a potential murder thrown in for good measure. A fantastic thriller that so many people will be able to relate to.

I really enjoyed this.. the whole thing was cleverly written - each character having their own story alongside each other, made it easier to get to know each one in their own right. I was able to emphasise with each of their situations.

At times I wasn't 100% sure where the story was going, but again that was cleverly done to keep the reader guessing.

The only negative thing I can point out is a couple of spelling mistakes ie of instead of off. But that is me being picky!

I would definitely recommend this book!

From the moment Lucy met Diana, she was kept at arm's length. Diana is exquisitely polite, but Lucy knows, even after marrying Oliver, that they'll never have the closeness she'd been hoping for.

But who could fault Diana? She was a pillar of the community, an advocate for social justice, the matriarch of a loving family. Lucy had wanted so much to please her new mother-in-law.

That was ten years ago. Now, Diana has been found dead, leaving a suicide note. But the autopsy reveals evidence of suffocation. And everyone in the family is hiding something...

The Mother-In-Law is one of those books that you think will be predictable...but it absolutely isn't. Told from the point of view of both Lucy (daughter-in-law) and Diana (mother-in-law) - you get both sides of the story from start to finish. And you won't want to put the book down, trust me. Getting to the bottom of exactly what has happened and why is a twisted road full of revelations, family secrets and despair. For a subject that has been repeatedly covered (Mother's in law) - this is a refreshing and original take on a family dynamic.

This book looks at the complex mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship and how it can impact on a family. It also looks at wealth and this can influence individuals in terms of expectation and influence. I really enjoyed this book and the characters. Couldn’t wait to get to the end to find out what happens but then still wanted time to savour the plot and how the characters develop. Will look forward to other books by Sally Hepworth as this was a great story. Thank you for letting me review this book.

Thank you to both NetGalley, Hodder and Stoughton and the author for the Digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest unbiased review

I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but was still a good read.

Here comes the blurb as they say it better than I could!

She has never approved of you. But it's when her body is found the secrets really start to come out ...
From the moment Lucy met her husband's mother, Diana, she was kept at arm's length. Diana was exquisitely polite, and perfectly friendly, but Lucy knew that she was not what Diana envisioned. Even so, Lucy wanted so much to please her new mother-in-law.
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.
The autopsy does find traces of poison and suffocation.
Everyone in the family is hiding something. But what? And where will the secrets stop?

Focuses on the strong women in one family, and the secrets they share , the mother and daughter in law dynamics were written really well and I found the characters very relatable.

Okay, so I was expecting the usual mother in law and daughter in law dynamic in these types of books. I was wrong.

I'm not going to give anything away, however as it sits in a slight crime and thriller genre I actually found it more endearing and often found myself smiling.

I loved how certain events in the book are given both perspectives by Lucy (DIL) and Diana (MIL) and how both women read these situations.

I lost my mother in-law last year so the grieving aspects of the book really touched my heart. I hope everyone gets to read this great novel.

Thank you netgalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

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.