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The Mother-in-Law

Sally Hepworth (Goodreads Author)

3.98 · Rating details · 58,545 ratings · 6,299 reviews

Someone once told me that you have two families in your life - the one you are born into and the one you choose. Yes, you may get to choose your partner, but you don't choose your mother-in-law. The cackling mercenaries of fate determine it all.

From the moment Lucy met Diana, she was kept at arm's length. Diana is exquisitely polite, but Lucy knows, even after marrying Oli ...more

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Hardcover, 340 pages

Published April 23rd 2019 by St. Martin's Press (first published January 29th 2019)

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May 24, 2019 Emily May rated it it was ok

Shelves: mystery-thriller, 2019

I've read a number of thrillers lately, ranging from the quiet character drama of Miracle Creek and Disappearing Earth, to Coben's high-octane Run Away. And this book just sits blandly somewhere between the two.

I had to think about my rating here. I almost upped it to 3 stars because it’s not that BAD. But then it’s not much of anything really. I found it a very tame lukewarm domestic mystery/thriller that lacks either the urgency or depth of characterization needed to make it compelling.

The bl ...more

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Jan 07, 2019 Deanna rated it it was amazing

Shelves: my-favorites, arcs, 2019-releases

My reviews can also be seen at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...

I am a huge fan of this author. “The Mother’s Promise” was my first Sally Hepworth novel and is one of my favorite books.

The first line in the description of this novel grabbed my attention…

“A twisty, compelling novel about one woman’s complicated relationship with her mother-in-law that ends in murder…

I couldn’t wait to start reading!

The story begins with a police car pulling up to the home of Lucy and her husband, Ollie. ...more

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Sep 20, 2018 Kaceey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-from-publisher, buddy-read, favorites, top-reads-for-2018

All I can say is, Magnificent!! This book is headed straight to my favorites’ shelf!!

Oh that poor mother-in-law! Boy, she’s been getting a bad rap lately. This is the third book I’ve read recently regarding a so called “evil mother in law.” This time...it’s just a bit different.

There are two sides to every story. Maybe it’s time we all heard the mother in law’s side of the story....

Told from 2 points of view of Lucy the daughter-in-law and Diana. Yup, you guessed it...Diana “the mother in law.” ...more

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Sep 20, 2018 Susanne Strong rated it it was amazing

Shelves: buddy-read, 2018-five-star-books, favorite-authors, direct-from-publisher, favorites, must-read

5 Simply Irresistible Stars.

Sally Hepworth is the Master of Domestic Suspense! This is a heart pounding mystery that I was racing to finish! It’s complexities and craziness had me wild-eyed right up until its shocking end. A favorite read for this the year!

Mother-in-Laws, as well all know, are not to be trifled with. Sometimes they’re scarier than others and sometimes you hit the jackpot. Perhaps it’s because of the competition factor, mothers not being able to let go of their sons, or wives 5 Simply Irresistible Stars.

Sally Hepworth is the Master of Domestic Suspense! This is a heart pounding mystery that I was racing to finish! It’s complexities and craziness had me wild-eyed right up until its shocking end. A favorite read for this the year!

Mother-in-Laws, as well all know, are not to be trifled with. Sometimes they’re scarier than others and sometimes you hit the jackpot. Perhaps it’s because of the competition factor, mothers not being able to let go of their sons, or wives simply not feeling like they measure up. Whatever it is, Lucy, (one of the main characters in Sally Hepworth’s “The Mother-in-Law”) knows exactly what I’m talking about. Here, she desperately tries to make a good impression on her Mother-in-Law, Diana, and she fails miserably. Silly, Lucy.. Mommie Dearest always knows best!

Diana however, isn’t so lucky after all. In a crazy turn of events, her body is found in what initially looks like death by suicide. Nothing about Diana’s death adds up and once the investigation begins, everyone in the family is scared stiff. The only motive the cops can find? Money. It always comes down to money, doesn’t it? If only things were that simple.

In “The Mother-In-Law” by Sally Hepworth, the twists and turns simply kept on coming and none of them are foreseen. Discount whatever you think you know, start from scratch, then do it all over again. The storyline is utterly wicked with moments that are simply jaw-dropping. The characters are multi-faceted, and their intentions are never straight-forward. Having read three of Ms. Hepworth’s prior novels, this was my favorite to date. The characters, the mystery and the storyline all came together in a way that fit perfectly: like a jigsaw puzzle, where, once the pieces interlock, I couldn’t help but sit back and smile, absolute perfection! A favorite of the year for 2018!

A buddy read with Kaceey! This was my favorite by far Kaceey!

Thank you to Jordan Hanley at St. Martin’s Press and to Sally Hepworth for a galley of this novel in exchange for an honest review. It was my pleasure.

Published on Goodreads, Twitter and Instagram.
*Will be published on Amazon in April of 2019. ...more

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Mar 24, 2019 Meredith rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley

Mixed Feelings: One fascinating character coupled with one who was lacking turned this into just an ok read for me.

The Mother-in-Law is a family drama that tracks the tumultuous relationship between a mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law.

The book begins with the reader learning of the death of Diana, mother to Ollie and mother-in-law to Lucy. The narrative is divided into both Lucy and Diana's perspectives over the course of ten years.

Diana has been described as some as a hateful character. ...more

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Apr 14, 2019 Debra rated it really liked it

Shelves: traveling-sister-reads, netgalley

Families - there is the one you are born into, the one you marry into and the one you choose.

When Lucy marries Ollie, she desperately wants to be accepted into his family, especially by his Mother Diana, as Lucy lost her mother at an early age. But from day one, Diana appears reserved and distant. The rest of Ollie's family embraces Lucy but Lucy feels that she just can't do anything right in Diana's eyes. Lucy is a lively woman who chooses to stay home with her children and is doing the best sh Families - there is the one you are born into, the one you marry into and the one you choose.

When Lucy marries Ollie, she desperately wants to be accepted into his family, especially by his Mother Diana, as Lucy lost her mother at an early age. But from day one, Diana appears reserved and distant. The rest of Ollie's family embraces Lucy but Lucy feels that she just can't do anything right in Diana's eyes. Lucy is a lively woman who chooses to stay home with her children and is doing the best she can to be a good mother, wife and daughter in law.

Diana was basically disowned by her parents during her later teenage years for choices she made and was taken in by her Aunt. She eventually meets her husband Tom and her life changes for the better. With Tom, Diana raised two children: Ollie and Nettie. Diana often must play the bad cop in her family yet has a generous and giving nature with the refugees she helps.

I don't want to say any more about the plot and encourage fellow readers to go in knowing as little as you can about the plot. This book pleasantly surprised me. I have been a fan of Hepworth since reading her first book and this book lived up to my expectations of her writing. I loved how she gave us the inner thoughts of each of the two main women - Lucy and Diana. I also appreciated how she showed each's intentions and how often intentions can be misread, or someone might have difficulty fully articulating his/her motives/thoughts/emotions to another person effectively, thus causing others to make inaccurate assumptions about that individual. It's what you say, how you say it and sometimes the things you don't get the chance to say, choose not to say or don't say. Relationships are tricky things. In fact, relationships can be messy. Worry about overstepping, worry about not being liked, worry about not teaching your children the skills to live, worry about being over bearing, worry about not being involved...ah...all the worries.

Diana and Lucy are not the only characters with relationship issues in this book. There are quite a few things going on in the relationships of others in this book as well. These subplots with are a part of the larger plot are just as important and show issues which can occur in marriages, with co-workers and with people we interact with in our personal lives.

I found this book to be a fast read which did not disappoint. I enjoyed how the Mother in law/daughter in law complicated relationship unfolded. How each tired with the other in her own way. It was refreshing to read both of their POV sections to see how they interpreted situations and often misinterpret each other intentions.

But this book is also not all about relationships, it is also about what happened to Diana. There is a mystery here. Was her death a suicide? Was she murdered? Who knows? One must read to find out!

I found this book to be thought provoking and captivating. It was a fast read which did not disappoint this reader.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Sally Hepworth and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own. ...more

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Apr 20, 2019 BernLuvsBooks rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019, netgalley, adult-reads, traveling-sister-read

4 This was NOT what I was expecting BUT I LOVED it stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Diana was a complicated woman. Her outward appearance depicts a wealthy, strong and even altruistic woman. Yet we instantly come to see that her family had a vastly different view of her and it wasn't all positive. Thus, when the story opens and we find Diana dead we are easily enveloped by the questions - was her death a case of suicide or murder?

The story is told from multiple view points as well as alternating timelines, filli 4 This was NOT what I was expecting BUT I LOVED it stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Diana was a complicated woman. Her outward appearance depicts a wealthy, strong and even altruistic woman. Yet we instantly come to see that her family had a vastly different view of her and it wasn't all positive. Thus, when the story opens and we find Diana dead we are easily enveloped by the questions - was her death a case of suicide or murder?

The story is told from multiple view points as well as alternating timelines, filling in the blanks of Diana's life and leading us to the circumstances surrounding her death. I was expecting more of a thriller but the story ended up having more of a domestic mystery vibe. It definitely worked within the plot and allowed us to get a feel for the family dynamics between the characters.

There has been quite a lot of commentary about Diana and her actions in other reviews. I personally felt that Hepworth did an amazing job of explaining why she was who she was and ultimately acted the way she did. She was a very guarded person, rarely letting all her walls down. Tom, her husband, was by far one of the only people that truly knew her. They were definitely a yin and yang relationship, each providing the other with what they needed most. Their relationship, as well as the parts told from her point-of-view helped me warm to her character and have empathy for her. Hepworth has talent for developing multi-layered characters. Things are not as cut and dry as they seem. Her writing evoked many different emotions in me as I read through the story and came to know and understand each character.

So much of what takes place between the family ultimately involves miscommunication and misunderstanding. You can't help but feel for where they ended up and wonder how different things could have been, if they had just taken the time to honestly communicate with each other and connect about the things that were important to them versus suffering through them alone.

Overall, this one drew me in immediately and kept me engrossed throughout. It wasn't so much about the whodunnit as the complicated family dynamics that kept me turning the pages.

Thank you to Sally Hepworth, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. ...more

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Sep 20, 2018 Katie B rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, read-in-2018, family, australia, fiction, st-martins-press

I try not to give out 5 stars too often but this one was special and deserving in terms of how much I enjoyed it and took away from it. I went into this thinking it would just be a typical mother in law story but there was so much more to it than that. It explored not just the mother and daughter in law relationship but also the dynamics between child/parent, husband/wife, and siblings. It was one of those reading experiences in which you seriously start reflecting on your own life and how you d I try not to give out 5 stars too often but this one was special and deserving in terms of how much I enjoyed it and took away from it. I went into this thinking it would just be a typical mother in law story but there was so much more to it than that. It explored not just the mother and daughter in law relationship but also the dynamics between child/parent, husband/wife, and siblings. It was one of those reading experiences in which you seriously start reflecting on your own life and how you deal with family members.

Ever since they first met Lucy has had a polite, but distant relationship with her mother-in-law, Diana. It's like no matter what she does, Diana just won't warm up to her. The story jumps back and forth between Diana's perspective of things that happened in the past and the present day in which Lucy and her family have just learned Diana is dead. Her death will have lasting consequences for the entire family.

What I thought the author did brilliantly was the dual perspectives as it prevented Diana from being this one-dimensional character. There were so many layers to Diana and Lucy's relationship and it was interesting to see what they each thought about certain events. There were moments in the story that were so relatable, like when you come across the exact opposite of how you intended or when you regret leaving something unsaid. And while relationships were certainly an important part of the book, the mystery of what happened to Diana was intriguing as well. Overall, such a fantastic book and I can't wait to check out Sally Hepworth's other novels as she definitely has a knack for getting you to feel for her characters on an emotional level.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for sending me an advance copy! I was under no obligation to post a review and all views expressed are my honest opinion.

* Edited on 4/23/19 This was my first Sally Hepworth novel and after reading this advance copy, I was excited to check out her other books. I am now caught up and while I liked her other novels, this one remains my favorite. ...more

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Dec 23, 2018 JanB rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc-from-publisher, buddy-read-with-marialyce, netgalley

1.5 stars

Let me be clear that I think an author can choose to write her characters any way she wants, and I can choose to read it or not. But this was an issue book with characters vs a book with characters who have issues. I prefer the latter. If the author is going to write an issue(s) book then I’m going to comment on what I disliked about her stance on those issues. It is not the characters so much as the fact the author seems to be pushing an agenda.

We are told from the start that Diana, th 1.5 stars

Let me be clear that I think an author can choose to write her characters any way she wants, and I can choose to read it or not. But this was an issue book with characters vs a book with characters who have issues. I prefer the latter. If the author is going to write an issue(s) book then I’m going to comment on what I disliked about her stance on those issues. It is not the characters so much as the fact the author seems to be pushing an agenda.

We are told from the start that Diana, the mother-in-law, is dead of an apparent suicide but the police have their suspicions that it was murder, not suicide. From the blurb: “She was a pillar of the community, an advocate for social justice who helped female refugees assimilate to their new country.” But she was not well-loved by her family and for good reason. I don't require my characters to be likable, but if they are unlikable they'd better have other redeeming qualities, be sympathetic, or be funny. Diana was none of these.

The author tried to generate sympathy for Diana and, while I sympathized with what happened to her in the past, it was no excuse for her behavior in the present. She was cold and mean-spirited, even to her own children and grandchildren. She had money, but found money distasteful and judged everyone accordingly. Diana was just a vehicle for the issues the author wanted to highlight: money is bad. Being poor is good and will make you happy.

Money in and of itself is neither good nor bad. It offers people choices, and can be used for good. But not to Diana. She was a stingy miser who refused to help her children, even when they were clearly hurting and in need. Plus she was hypercritical of everything they did, even to the point of openly criticizing her future daughter-in-law in public for spending too much money on her wedding dress.

Instead of making sure her own children would not suffer from being unloved as a child, as she was, she repeated the pattern. But she's only cold and unloving to her family. She had no problem showing love and concern for strangers or giving them a helping hand. They got her attention and her money, while her own family did not. Little wonder that her own grandchildren were unmoved by her death.

I also felt the author trivialized severe depression, even to the point of intimating that assisted suicide is a valid option, instead of ensuring the person received the psychiatric help they needed (btw, this is NOT a spoiler, there are a lot of characters, twists and turns, and red herrings).

There were dramatic personality turnarounds in characters that were absurd, and behavior that made no sense. Other characters, like her husband, were undeveloped. I, for one, needed to know why he married Diana in the first place.

This was definitely easy reading and the first 75% was interesting enough for me to continue. But the last 25% was ridiculous.

2 stars because I finished the book and did want to know what happened to Diana. I shouldn't have bothered. Thank you to my friend Marialyce for reading this book with me and listening to me vent.

*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review ...more

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Apr 22, 2019 Mary Beth rated it liked it

I am just going to put my thoughts down and I am not going to get into the story but you can read the blurb for that.

This is not a thriller. It is a contemporary fiction and a slow burning mystery. I want thriller fans to know this because I really struggled with This book. I am the wrong audience for it. I am not a big fan of contemporary fiction or a slow burning mystery. I did like it close to the ending but I didn't love it. I did love the premise of the book and I was intrigued enough to fi I am just going to put my thoughts down and I am not going to get into the story but you can read the blurb for that.

This is not a thriller. It is a contemporary fiction and a slow burning mystery. I want thriller fans to know this because I really struggled with This book. I am the wrong audience for it. I am not a big fan of contemporary fiction or a slow burning mystery. I did like it close to the ending but I didn't love it. I did love the premise of the book and I was intrigued enough to find out what happened to Diana. This one seemed to drag a lot. I think of it was shorter, it would be a lot better. It just had too much random imformation that was not needed.

In the last 70% of the novel it did a complete u-turn and I really enjoyed it, but it was a little too late for that. My connection with the characters grew and I was happy that I finally grasped the connection to the characters. I was shocked when I found out what happened to Diana. I never guessed what happened to her and found this to be an unpredictable read. I also thought that it was pausible.

I think the author did great with the characterization of Diana. Close to the end I felt like I really understood her. She suffered through depression. My favorite characters were Diana and Lucy and I loved the bonding that they shared close to the end. Lucy really needed this. My most unlikable character was Lettie. Diana was wealthy and she asked for an enormous amount of money and I can understand why Diana said, no because I thought she was unstable and couldn't handle the responsibility. I thought she was a selfish spoiled brat. Diana did help out her family when they needed it. She did help out Ollie.
She just wanted her children to be able to stand on their two feet and work hard. I do think she could of done more for them though. I also thought it was very well written.
I just love that bookcover.

This was a Traveling Sister read and it really made a good discussion because we all felt differently about the characters and things that happened in the book.

I would strongly recommend this book to contemporary fiction and slow burning mystery fans. I think that audience will love this book.

I want to thank Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Dec 27, 2018 Crumb rated it it was amazing

Intensely Readable and Immensely Dishy!

What is it about in-laws that makes them so abhorred? Is it their constant meddling? Perhaps their subtle, but persistent disapproval of every little thing. For Lucy, she just wants her Mother-in-law, Diana, to love her. Accept her. But that is never going to happen. At least not as long as Diana walks the earth . . .

For originality, this one deserves five stars. In addition, this was Hepworth's first attempt at the thriller genre, and I think she naile ...more

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Nov 10, 2019 Dita rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audible

It was fine.

It's the kind of book you engage in while you're reading it and then you set it down to go make toast and don't think about it while you're doing that and maybe don't care if you ever pick it up again.

I think I was expecting more after all the hype.

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Mar 17, 2019 Dorie - Cats&Books :) rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley-feedback, 2019-netgalley-challenge, mystery-thriller

Once again I find myself in the minority regarding reviews for this book, it is well loved by many.

Truthfully I was hoping for a really good mystery but this is really more contemporary women’s fiction. Knowing that the main character is dead at the beginning definitely takes away some of the suspense in the novel.

Here’s what we know:
Lucy is the new daughter in law who has married Ollie, son of Diane and Tom Goodwin. Lucy had no idea that the family was wealthy until she entered their mansion of Once again I find myself in the minority regarding reviews for this book, it is well loved by many.

Truthfully I was hoping for a really good mystery but this is really more contemporary women’s fiction. Knowing that the main character is dead at the beginning definitely takes away some of the suspense in the novel.

Here’s what we know:
Lucy is the new daughter in law who has married Ollie, son of Diane and Tom Goodwin. Lucy had no idea that the family was wealthy until she entered their mansion of a home to meet them for the first time. I mean an indoor pool testifies to a fair amount of wealth.

Diane, as mother in law, is not what any young woman would want. I know because my mother in law and I never saw eye to eye on anything for 40 years (may she RIP). She was as cold to me when I met my husband as Diane was to Lucy and it never improved. There are sometimes just very different personalities that will never agree. However Diane does seem to go out of her way to make Lucy feel uncomfortable, incompetent and not worthy of their son. More about her later.

Their other child is a daughter, Nettie, who is married to Patrick, they have no children.. As the book continues, Ollie and Lucy have three children and Nettie is trying everything to get pregnant. Finally they have run out of money for infertility treatments after 3 years of trying. Nettie approaches Diane for a loan, she turns her down flat. Diane’s reasoning is that Nettie should find another way to earn the money or turn her life towards a different goal at this point. This does sound pretty heartless considering the loan wasn’t for something frivolous.

Later we find out why Diane has some of these feelings, she had quite a tough life as a young woman but I won’t reveal any spoilers here. It does help to explain some of her reasoning.

The book was page turning but I didn’t think that the characters were that well developed with the exception of Diane, we know almost nothing about Tom, their life together as a couple. He seems to be pretty much the indulgent husband who adores Diane and goes along with most of her wishes. He has been known, however, to slip the children money for things which Diane knows nothing about.

There are other sides to Diane. She treats refugees, particularly pregnant women, with extreme kindness and goes above and beyond the usual to see that they get care, clothes and food for the little ones, helping them find jobs, etc. She spends a lot of time in her charitable work. I felt with the title being “The Mother In Law” that there would be something more titillating, or out of the box behavior from Diane. Things in the book are really nothing that I would call exciting or mesmerizing.

When the murder occurs, at about 75% into the book, the action does pick up and I found myself unable to set it down until the end. We all want to know who did it, right?

Then there is another family tragedy and that adds to the tension. We are then shown what is going on 10 years later and it’s all just a little too perfect for me to believe. Not impossible, just not probable.

All in all it was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it as a light entertaining read.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley. ...more

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Dec 17, 2018 Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader rated it it was amazing

Shelves: hard-soft-copy, arcs, 2018-reads, smp

5 stars! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

(Updated with full review for pub day today!)

The opening scene is where a family, specifically a son and his wife, are being told that their mother (mother-in-law) was found dead. The story proceeds in dual narration. We hear from Lucy, the son’s wife/the daughter-in-law, and Diana, the mother-in-law who was found deceased.

Through that narration, we quickly learn that Lucy and Diana have a flawed and challenging relationship as many mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law do 5 stars! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

(Updated with full review for pub day today!)

The opening scene is where a family, specifically a son and his wife, are being told that their mother (mother-in-law) was found dead. The story proceeds in dual narration. We hear from Lucy, the son’s wife/the daughter-in-law, and Diana, the mother-in-law who was found deceased.

Through that narration, we quickly learn that Lucy and Diana have a flawed and challenging relationship as many mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law do. Lucy feels like she does not measure up to Diana’s expectations of who she should be.

Diana is a big deal. She’s well-loved in the community, helps refugees with adjusting to Australia, and is a blissfully married wife to the charming, Tom. For five years, Lucy and Diana have not been able to find common ground.

And in the present, Diana has passed away with a suicide note next to her body. In the note, she wrote she had cancer, but the autopsy shows no cancer. Who could have hurt Diana and why?

The Mother-in-Law becomes more complex with the turn of every page, just as Lucy and Diana’s relationship continues to intensify. Where you might expect a dramatic story to have an evil, mustache-twirling character, you don’t find one here…At least initially. What you will find is two extraordinarily complex women trying desperately to connect but continuing to miss signals. The dynamic is refreshing for this type of storyline and utterly relatable if you ever been in the same shoes trying arduously to meet someone in the middle.

The Mother-in-Law is emotional, original, well-written, thought-provoking, dramatic, intense, and in the end, a surprising and shocking read that left me with much to think about.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

—————

I deliberated on this one for a couple days, and as much as I thought about it when I wasn’t reading it, I knew it had to be a five-r! This book explores the complex mother-in-law/daughter-in-law (and mother/daughter) relationship in a way I’ve not seen before. It was also explosively dramatic and well-written. Full review to come much closer to pub date in April! I continue to love Sally Hepworth!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the copy. All opinions are my own. ...more

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Oct 26, 2018 Elyse Walters rated it liked it

When Jordan at St. Martin’s Publishing presented this book to me to read and review- I definitely ‘paused’’, thinking this could be an interesting topic, yet I definitely had reservations of concern. I didn’t want to create problems - add more to my already - sometimes challenging relationship with my mother in-law.
However - this book is so far off from anything in my life - I didn’t relate to any of it.

NOTES OF INTEREST.....about in-laws’ ......It’s a hot topic in the news today. Review of t ...more

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Mar 28, 2019 Liz rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

This book has perfect timing. With the whole college scandal going on, the whole concept of what parents owe their children or how much help they should provide is especially apt.

Losing her mother to cancer when she’s a teenager, Lucy envisions becoming bosom buddies with her mother-in-law. That’s before she meets Diana, who has a frosty nature and is not the buddy sort.

I know many will see Diana as the cold, uncaring MIL, but I actually sympathized with her. Yes, some of the things she did we ...more

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Apr 21, 2019 *TUDOR^QUEEN* rated it it was amazing

I received a widget for this all the way back in October from St. Martin's Press. Otherwise, I would have never requested an arc of this book. I'm not sure what prompted me to accept the widget, because I've kind of dreaded the thought of reading this book, and here am finally cracking the pages a week prior to its publication. The irony of this is that I really LOVED this book! Maybe it was PTSD from my experience with my own mother-in-law that inspired a feeling of dread. However, quite unexpe I received a widget for this all the way back in October from St. Martin's Press. Otherwise, I would have never requested an arc of this book. I'm not sure what prompted me to accept the widget, because I've kind of dreaded the thought of reading this book, and here am finally cracking the pages a week prior to its publication. The irony of this is that I really LOVED this book! Maybe it was PTSD from my experience with my own mother-in-law that inspired a feeling of dread. However, quite unexpectedly, I felt a visceral connection with... and empathy...for the mother-in-law Diana. I also admired the character of the daughter-in-law, Lucy. In fact, if you melded together the personalities of Diana and Lucy, it became a composite of my mother, who I feel extremely honored and blessed to have had. For that reason, I understood Diana and was often touched by her musings throughout the book.

When Diana married Tom, she married into money. Even so, Diana is content with simplicity, but indulges Tom who wants the big audacious house. The bottom line is, Diana loves her husband just for being him, and he's the only one who can crack that rather hard and remote facade to her softness below the surface. Diana has a challenging early history that informed the person she is today. She is passionate about her charity where she helps immigrants with baby clothes and trying to help them find jobs with the skills and certifications they've earned in their birth country. To her own children and their spouses, Diana is a hard nut to crack when they ask her for money. The usual response is a measured lecture about trying to make it on their own, and how they will become stronger people because of it. Then the kids try to get it from their father, who will sometimes comply. Diana and Tom's eldest child Ollie married Lucy. Lucy lost her own mother when she was thirteen. Therefore, when she marries Ollie Lucy's hoping Diana can become a mother-like presence in her life. However, Lucy soon learns it will be a dicey relationship to navigate. Like the incident on Lucy's wedding day when Diana produces a celtic knot necklace signifying strength. She gives it to Lucy for "something borrowed", but makes it abundantly clear that something borrowed means she wants it back after the wedding.

Lucy is a stay at home mom to her three kids, a very dedicated wife to Ollie, and a wonderful daughter-in-law to Diana. Even though Diana can be a bit harsh and cold at times, Lucy always does the right thing and her loving nature shines through. Theirs was actually a beautiful relationship to watch grow. Diana also has a daughter Nettie who struggles with infertility issues and has a cheating husband. But, the fact that Diana is found dead at the beginning of the book is the predicate that this story builds upon. The chapters are narrated in dueling fashion by Diana and Lucy, weaving the past and present to the story's conclusion. There is a question as to whether Diana committed suicide, or if it was murder. This was a wonderfully written book about a sometimes difficult but strong, sensible, hard-working woman and her family, with a murder mystery lurking in the background.

*As I alluded to at the beginning of my review, the character of Diana reminded me of my own mother, who my brother and I revere and feel lucky to have had for a mother. She lived through the Great Depression and admired FDR for helping our country get through it. At one point when her father was very sick and couldn't work (there was no disability payment system back then), she handed in her weekly paycheck to carry the family, and felt proud to do it. These experiences probably informed her values of personal responsibility which she imparted to my brother and I. We never got an allowance and had to get jobs as soon as we were old enough. When I was sixteen she arranged a part-time job via a neighbor in a local 5 and dime store. When I got my first paycheck it was $42. She told me that I had to give her $10 board out of it. I also had to buy my own clothes and anything else I wanted from then on. When I got married I had to save for the wedding myself along with my future husband, and still had to pay my regular board, which by that time had increased to $200 a month (I had now graduated college and was working a full-time job). I remember being totally surprised upon hearing my supervisor at work talk about buying her daughter's wedding dress. I never even knew that that was a common practice, as I purchased everything myself. My brother got a paper route as a youth when he wanted to purchase an electric guitar and amplifier. It's not like today with my own son who only works a summer job so he can be fully invested in his school work. Once I worked that part-time job in the variety store, I worked it continuously for 7 years throughout high school and college until I got my full-time job. I've always felt confident in the quality of my work and the satisfaction of making it on my own. I look around and see what I have and my husband and I know that we did it together without help. We also travelled the lonely and expensive road of infertility problems and no one in the family helped us financially, even though there were several that had the money to do so. So, I can relate to a lot of issues in this book, and it may seem like tough love, but I do agree a lot with Diana because I know from experience that self-sufficiency builds a stronger person.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley. ...more

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Oct 07, 2018 Linda rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery-thrillers, first-reads, fiction, giveaways

Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets.

Standing at the door of those secrets is the sentinel of our choosing who presents the face of the moment. We don the mask we find appropriate and carry it forward while protecting the truism of self.

Sally Hepworth presents an absolutely dynamic story that weaves its way into a family unit that has locked down their deceptions with bolt and key. She is a wizard at revealing just enough backstory on her varied characters to more than wet your whistle. Cha Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets.

Standing at the door of those secrets is the sentinel of our choosing who presents the face of the moment. We don the mask we find appropriate and carry it forward while protecting the truism of self.

Sally Hepworth presents an absolutely dynamic story that weaves its way into a family unit that has locked down their deceptions with bolt and key. She is a wizard at revealing just enough backstory on her varied characters to more than wet your whistle. Chapters shift from the perspective of Lucy, the daughter-in-law to Diana, the mother-in-law. Hepworth adds the element of present and past events as well. It's a boiling pot of family situations that gets stirred about......better keep your oven mitts on for this one.

Our story is set in Melbourne, Australia. Lucy and Ollie seem to be a young couple battling the challenges of everyday life with three young children. Add to the mix: Ollie's parents, Tom and Diana, and a sister Nettie and her husband, Patrick. We have a spicy stew of the In-Laws and the Out-Laws building up and tearing down typical interactions from year to year......until typical is no longer typical.

Lucy and Diana's relationship is in the spotlight. Each is in a defensive mode and each presents themselves as territorial. When lines begin to cross, tension is elevated to high degrees. As readers, we experience the layers being peeled back and there's some rotten fruit on both sides of these encounters. That's why this novel would be an excellent read for book clubs. There's definitely a love/hate tango going on here.

Then Hepworth throws in a lightning bolt. Diana is found dead on the floor of her home. A suicide note has been kept in a drawer of her desk....found much later. The police are hesitant to call this a full-out suicide quite yet. Family members are called in for questioning. And now the feathers begin to fly. Who is responsible for all this? Diana, herself, or a family member, or one of the individuals that Diana has been helping through her charities?

The Mother-in-Law is a honey of a read. If you enjoy very creative storylines, then this one has your name all over it. A very, very satisfying read.

I received a copy of this book through Giveaways on Goodreads. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to the talented Sally Hepworth for the opportunity. ...more

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Apr 23, 2019 Michelle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-arcs

So lately there seems to be many "mother-in-law" books that have overtaken the psychological thriller genre. Some more successful than others. However, Sally Hepworth does something different here. Most definitely it wasn't what I was expecting. This is NOT a psychological thriller but there is a mystery to solve.

Lucie and Ollie meet and fall in love. Ollie decides it's time for Lucie to meet his parents and Lucie wants nothing more than to impress them. Having lost her own mother at a young ag ...more

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Dec 17, 2018 Mackenzie - PhDiva Books rated it it was amazing

Shelves: suspense, domestic-noir

Gripping and haunting — there’s a poetry to the story told in The Mother-in Law that is so captivating and suspenseful, you will think about it for days after reading it.

Over 24-hours after finishing Sally Hepworth’s The Mother-In-Law, there are still so many nuances I’m left turning over in my mind and unpacking. This is a thought-provoking novel of domestic suspense. I hate to compare it to other authors, though there are a few I see, because Hepworth to me has a truly unique voice and a story ...more

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Apr 17, 2019 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it liked it

Three a little disappointed, when I was expecting thriller I found regular fiction stars.

I think I designated my place in the minority team because so far too many readers enjoyed this book a lot.
It’s really good written and never gets you bored but as soon as I read the blurb, I visualized an evil mother-in-law and a big mystery about her death but when I start to read it, I realized there is no twist, mystery and any gripping, riveting story to captivate your mind. You may guess the killer s Three a little disappointed, when I was expecting thriller I found regular fiction stars.

I think I designated my place in the minority team because so far too many readers enjoyed this book a lot.
It’s really good written and never gets you bored but as soon as I read the blurb, I visualized an evil mother-in-law and a big mystery about her death but when I start to read it, I realized there is no twist, mystery and any gripping, riveting story to captivate your mind. You may guess the killer so easily. The reasons beyond the killing didn’t make me satisfied, too.

There is no evil plan, mind games on this book. It’s plain, simple, in some ways easy to absorb.

There is only miscommunication, misunderstandings, generation gaps and different POVs of the characters which force them antagonize each other.

Lucy , daughter-in-law, was more connectable character because of her actions, way of thinking. She grew without a mother which pushed her more to earn her mother in law’s respect and her love. So I can understand her frustration and disappointment after she gets rejected and mistreated by her too many times.

At some parts, Diane, mother-in-law is interesting character. She became a tough, independent woman after being rejected by her own family. Her desire to help the other people, working for charities passionately may also be understandable. But her miscommunication and lack of empathy, the way of treating to her children are mostly inexcusable! I also didn’t get her husband’s deep devotion to her. There are not much clues about their love story. There are too many blanks about Tom and Ollie’s characterizations. The writer only concentrated to tell about two women’s story and missed to tell the other important characters of the book.

I think, because of genre complication or unanswered questions and too many blanks about motivations of characters, this book left me dissatisfied. And don’t forget to good to be true ending, too.

Well, maybe I should have tried other books of the writer. This one was not for me! ...more

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Jul 11, 2019 Joey R. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

3.5 Stars— After reading several glowing reviews, I decided to give Sally Hepworth’s “The Mother-in-Law” a try. This has been a year that I have focused on reading authors I’ve never read before, and this book looked interesting. After finishing the book I can definitely say that Ms. Hepworth is a very talented writer. She does a good job in character development and paints very realistic relationships between her characters. The book details the complicated relationship between Lucy and her ver ...more

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Feb 27, 2020 Anne Bogel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

5 stars for the audiobook version: I INHALED it. I went into this book knowing nothing and that really worked for me.

In the ten years she’s known her, Lucy has never felt her mother-in-law Diana approved of her—an especial disappointment because she’d hoped Diana would finally become the mother she’d never had. Yet she’s distraught when the police show up to announce that Diana has died by apparent suicide—and even more so when they reveal that the evidence points to possible murder.

As we get ...more

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Nov 08, 2018 Holly B rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2018, net-galley, enjoyed-the-characters

Relationships can be complicated, especially when it involves the "Mother-in-law".

A twisted family situation and a hidden motive lead to murder. The MIL is Diana and my opinion of her changed so many times throughout the book and she certainly surprised me in the end.

The first chapter was intense and sets the stage for a compelling read. We get the POV of Diana and Lucy (the daughter in law). Their relationship is complicated and Lucy has many insecurities when it comes to Diana. The aut ...more

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Dec 17, 2018 Berit☀️✨ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: net-galley, book-besties, 2018

Sally Hepworth completely sucked me in with this compulsive engaging addictive story! This book took a hold of me and did not let go until the last page was turned!

This was an intense twisty story full of complex characters and complicated relationships. I absolutely love books that dig deeply into the psychology of the characters, and oh boy did this book do that! Perhaps there is no relationship more tenuous than that of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. My own mother in law unfortunately pa Sally Hepworth completely sucked me in with this compulsive engaging addictive story! This book took a hold of me and did not let go until the last page was turned!

This was an intense twisty story full of complex characters and complicated relationships. I absolutely love books that dig deeply into the psychology of the characters, and oh boy did this book do that! Perhaps there is no relationship more tenuous than that of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. My own mother in law unfortunately passed away a year ago, and I will be forever grateful that she really stayed out of our business, LOL! Someday I will have my own daughter in law, a relationship I am looking forward to because I trust my son’s taste in a significant other. Although I am imagining it will be a tricky relationship I am up for the challenge! What is that saying;”adaughter is a daughter for all of her life, but a son is a son until he takes a wife.”

This story is told from duel points of view, mother-in-law Diana and daughter-in-law Lucy. I felt this was a extremely impactful way to tell the story, you could really see how much misunderstanding there was between these two women. They both truly sought the approval of the other, and neither really knew how to go about it. Most interesting indeed!

The book starts out with the apparent suicide of Diana. As the book progresses we get a look at events leading up to the tragedy. As well as the present day investigation. As things begin to unfold and secrets begin to be revealed we really find out how truly complicated it all was. As the past is revealed Diana becomes a more and more sympathetic character. You truly do need to understand where someone’s coming from to fully appreciate their current actions. I liked Lucy from the very beginning and I enjoyed delving deep into her immediate family dynamics. Her relationship with Oliver and the kids was so relatable. Tom, Diana‘s husband and the father in law was a jovial likable character, who sometimes should’ve perhaps had Diana‘s back a little more! Always much easier to be good cop then bad cop!

This book will feed your appetite for domestic Drama with a glimpse into this family‘s conflict. I just think there is something so alluring about a domestic thriller, it just is always so intriguing to read a story about family dynamics.. What is so brilliant about this story, is this family could be any of ours! It is so familiar and there is something comforting about that, making the story just that much more!

Strongly recommended to anybody who enjoys a story with complicated characters, complex relationships, twists, turns, and a well structured compelling plot!

*** many thanks to St. Martin’s Press for my copy of this book ***

...more

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Oct 31, 2019 Virginie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: drama, library-purchase, english, suspense

Heart-wrenching mystery

I'm glad I read some reviews before starting this one. I knew it wouldn't be a thriller, but a family drama with some twists. Knowing that, I appreciated every bit of it! I'm a really sensitive person and reading about all these complicated relationships broke my heart... but, yeah, it was so good. Makes you think about a lot of things in your life!

Read it asap if you like slow-paced and character driven mysteries.

5*: Sad to finish it, this book was amazing
4*: Really liked ...more

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Apr 20, 2019 Lindsay - Traveling Sister rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: traveling-sister-read, netgalley

4+ stars! A twisty, addictive, suspense-filled family drama!

Lucy yearns to connect with her mother-in-law Diana. Having lost her own mother, she craves a maternal connection. However, Diana has always kept Lucy an arm’s length away - always being kind and available, but never quite embracing her with warmth and welcome into the family.

The police knock on Lucy’s door one evening to inform her and her husband, Ollie, that Diana was found dead in her home, a suicide note tucked into her desk drawe ...more

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Apr 18, 2019 Christina - Traveling Sister rated it liked it

Shelves: traveling-sisters, arc

3, I was expecting a thriller but this is definitely more contemporary fiction with a mystery but I still enjoyed it stars!!

Full review along with a recipe for a lightened up chicken parm featured on my blog Recipe & a Read!

When Lucy meets the love of her life Oliver “Ollie” she doesn’t just see a future with him, she sees one with the family she’s never had. She has a loving and doting father, but having lost her mother when she was young she has long yearned for the mother-daughter relationshi ...more

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May 09, 2019 Sarah Joint rated it it was amazing

I had a lukewarm response to a book I read from this author before, but this one really defied expectations. I couldn't get through it fast enough, but then I had that sad, empty feeling when it was over that we're all familiar with. Not because it wasn't great, but that it was over.

Lucy lost her own mother some time ago, and she was determined to have an amazing relationship with her mother-in-law. After all, she loves her son and will provide what she's sure is much longed for grandbabies. Th ...more

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Dec 15, 2018 James rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 1-fiction, 7-netgalley, 9-read-2018-12-december

I read one of Sally Hepworth's earlier novels last year and immediately connected with her writing style and storytelling approach. I marked the rest of her books as TBR, then saw The Mother-in-Law available via NetGalley. I was lucky enough to be approved for an ARC earlier this week and began reading it right away. What an emotional and angst-ridden tale about the relationship between several family members who can feel all too real and all too fake at the exact same time. I truly enjoyed this I read one of Sally Hepworth's earlier novels last year and immediately connected with her writing style and storytelling approach. I marked the rest of her books as TBR, then saw The Mother-in-Law available via NetGalley. I was lucky enough to be approved for an ARC earlier this week and began reading it right away. What an emotional and angst-ridden tale about the relationship between several family members who can feel all too real and all too fake at the exact same time. I truly enjoyed this book and give it 4.5 stars. Let's get into some specifics...

Lucy lost her mother when she was young. Although her father was wonderful, she never felt that connection with an older female who could guide her through becoming a mother, caring for a family, or securing your own position in the world as a strong, intelligent woman. When she meets Ollie, and he wants to introduce her to his family, Lucy is nervous but hopeful it fills a hole that's been growing for far too long. Unfortunately, when Lucy meets his mother, Diana, it becomes quite clear that won't happen.

Diana had a difficult childhood and was essentially almost forced to give Ollie up as a baby. When she was kicked out, Diana learned how to build something from nothing and to care for her family when she didn't even have a place to live. She used that savvy experience to become a major player in an organization that helps young women trying to escape from difficult circumstances in their own country and move to America for a better life. Diana also developed a thick skin and an attitude that no one should be given a handout without working for it in return.

Although the story alternates chapters from Lucy's and Diana's viewpoints throughout the decade they know one another, there are other characters who help show what each woman is truly made of. Diana's husband, Tom, is the complete opposite of her; he's a lovable, genuine, and thoughtful husband and father who gets sick. Ollie's sister and her husband are desperate for a baby and go to the extremes to make it happen with or without their family's support and money. Ollie's best friend becomes his business partner and wreaks havoc on a complex family relationship. Then there's the 3 young children Ollie and Lucy have during that first decade. Throw in Diana's untimely death, mysterious circumstances that make it look like a suicide but also a murder... and you've got quite a psychological exploration of what it means to be a parent and an in-law.

This book explores that fine line of how you say things without coming across as insensitive or rude, how you determine when to let a mistake happen so a new parent learns on her own how to care for the child, and how you deal with making a decision when you and your spouse are on opposite sides of how to best support your children. At times, Diana was truly a horrific witch of a human being. You come to realize she kinda knows the way she's behaving is wrong, but it's been ingrained in her. When she softens, you want to root for her. You want to believe she will turn that corner and do the right thing. Then she goes in the opposite direction, unlike Lucy, who is nearly consistent almost the entire time. She sucks it up when Diana is rude or distant. She does all the things she doesn't want to do just so she doesn't look like she's being difficult. Until something bad happens, then Lucy blows up.

While 90% of me sides with Lucy, I do understand Diana's approach. And it works in many circumstances; however, there comes a time when you let someone try to help themselves for only so long before it becomes too late. If you have an excess of money, and your children need it, don't hold on to it forever if they have put years into helping themselves only to fail for reasons out of their control. Eventually, Diana begins to see the light, but it's too late. Too much has been set in action, and her death is imminent. Was she murdered by one of these people who felt she went too far? Did she commit suicide because she felt guilty? Was it a freak and unexpected accident? You'll have to read the book to find out, but I believe it's worth it.

I couldn't put the novel down. If I did, within 15 minutes, I kept telling myself 'just one more chapter.' Hepworth is brilliant at displaying angst, love, pain, and despair in a family who needs a little therapy to heal and forgive. It's down-to-earth, regular actions and words that remind you of your own world (not the drama necessarily, but the way people relate to one another) feel comfortable yet push you just enough to question how you think about a situation. I adored this book and would love to give it a full 5-stars, but there were a few items I thought could have been a bit more tidy to be absolutely perfect. The ending is 'ten years' in the future which is great, but I would love to have seen some of the immediate drama after Diana's death. We get a lot, but once the true reason she died is discovered, there's a bit of a windy wrap-up without a clear enough focus on everyone's reactions to the truth. I don't want to spoil this surprise, but ultimately, if you're gonna throw a curveball at us, give us a few reactions from the rest of the people involved so we sense a complete and thorough emotional see-saw when learning what happened to your family member.

That said, it's a high recommendation from me... can't wait to see what others think when it comes out in early 2019. ...more

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Crime, Mysteries ...: The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth - February 2020	6	101	Feb 20, 2020 10:28PM
Fiction Fanatics: August 2019 - The Mother-in-Law	8	40	Aug 11, 2019 08:39PM
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About Sally Hepworth

Sally Hepworth

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Sally Hepworth is the bestselling author of five novels, most recently The Mother In Law (2019). Sally's books have been labelled “enchanting” by The Herald Sun, “smart and engaging” by Publisher’s Weekly, and New York Times bestselling authors Liane Moriarty and Emily Giffin have praised Sally’s novels as “women’s fiction at its finest” and “totally absorbing”.

Sally's novels are available worldw ...more