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A twisty, compelling new novel about one woman’s complicated relationship with her mother-in-law that ends in death…
From the moment Lucy met her husband’s mother, she knew she wasn’t the wife Diana had envisioned for her perfect son. Exquisitely polite, friendly, and always generous, Diana nonetheless kept Lucy at arm’s length despite her desperate attempts to win her over. And as a pillar in the community, an advocate for female refugees, and a woman happily married for decades, no one had a bad word to say about Diana…except Lucy.
That was five years ago.
Now, Diana is dead, a suicide note found near her body claiming that she longer wanted to live because of the cancer wreaking havoc inside her body.
But the autopsy finds no cancer.
It does find traces of poison, and evidence of suffocation.
Who could possibly want Diana dead? Why was her will changed at the eleventh hour to disinherit both of her children, and their spouses? And what does it mean that Lucy isn’t exactly sad she’s gone?
Fractured relationships and deep family secrets grow more compelling with every page in this twisty, captivating new novel from Sally Hepworth.
Praise for Sally Hepworth:
“With jaw-dropping discoveries, and realistic consequences, this novel is not to be missed. Perfect for lovers of Big Little Lies.” —Library Journal, starred review
“Hepworth deftly keeps the reader turning pages and looking for clues, all the while building multilayered characters and carefully doling out bits of their motivations.” —Booklist
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Wow! I really enjoyed this book and didn’t see the twist at the end coming. Loved how it was told in the POV of Lucy, the daughter-in-law, and Diana, the mother-in-law, in past and present timelines. This one had me guessing as any of the main characters could have been responsible for Diana’s death. Exceptional novel that will blow you away!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions are my own.
Wow! The Mother in Law by Sally Hepworth is full of sharp twists and fast paced suspense! Clear your schedule when reading this Five Star thriller for you won’t be able to put it down! #Suspense #sharptwists #FiveStar #mustread #family I received an Advance Copy and opinions are my own.
I finished this book at 3 this morning; it is a book that once you start reading, it is impossible to put down! The Mother-in-law is suspenseful, with twists and turns around every corner, never knowing where it’s going to take you! The story revolves around the contentious relationship between Lucy and her mother-in-law Diana, two strong, independent women that are always butting heads, never really understanding what makes the other woman tick. This story is also very poignant and heartfelt, and as events unfold you are pulled deeper into the relationships and conflicts with all of the compex characters in this story. The dialogue is sharp, the feelings intense, secrets abound, the plot fast-paced—an excellent book all around!
5 out of 5 stars
First off I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange of an honest review.
To be honest when I first started reading this I was not sure how I was going to like this because I was expecting this to be more of a psychological thriller but this is more of a family drama, mystery. I needn’t worry though as I was hooked almost immediately.
The story is told through the POV of Mother-In-Law Diana and Daughter-In-Law Lucy. Told in past and present Lucy and Diana lure you in with their story. You find yourself understanding each woman more and more as the story goes on and your heart breaks as the women’s relationship is pulled apart because of misunderstanding. I did not agree with most of Diana’s choices but I understood why she made many of them.
As I said this is definitely more of a family drama with a mystery thrown in. I do think you will be able to figure out the guilty party pretty quickly but then again I don’t think it matters. The story is really all about the two women.
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, after about 3 years of trying to get pregnant, for infertility treatments and she 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.
Thanks @Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
This was the first book i have read by this author, and it won’t be my last. This book was fantastic! A clever, unique, and very well written psychological thriller, that kept me on the edge of my seat..
I think as women, we can all relate about the relationships with our Mother in Law. Some good, some not so good, but on a typical night, this mother in law, Diana, comes up dead, from what was first ruled a suicide, but that all changed.
The book is very surprising, and over all a good book, that will be hard to put down!! Sometimes it’s not what it seems!
When Lucy marries Ollie she is so very happy! She loves Ollie and she is so excited to be part of a bigger family. For years it has been just Lucy and her dad since her mom died. Marrying Ollie she has Tom and Diana her in laws. She wants to be close to Diana but Diana is cold and distant. This story is told by Lucy and Diana, now and in the past, in alternating chapters. When Diana is found dead, did she die of suicide or was she murdered? This was a great story of family drama and secrets and moves very quickly as you want to read and find out what exactly happened. The characters are so real and Lucy could be your best friend. The ending was simply perfect and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Diana. I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. All opinions are my own.
The Mother-In-Law was an account of Diana and Lucy’s relationship beginning when Lucy and Ollie’s relationship started to get serious. Sally Hepworth tells the story in a way that feels so real, raw, and will make you look at your relationships with your mother, daughter, and mother-in-law in a whole new way. It wasn’t what I was expecting, but such a beautifully heartbreaking story to read.
This book kept me going all day trying to decifer what really happened. Several twists in relationships and personalities will keep you guessing until the end. Characters I didn’t like, I grew to appreciate over the length of the book. Very intriguing psychological thriller will keep you turning pages until the end. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC