The Mother-in-Law: A Novel Kindle Edition

When Lucy met her mother-in-law, Diana, she had high hopes that they’d have a tight-knit, loving relationship. After losing her own mother to cancer at thirteen, Lucy was desperate for a motherly figure in her life. While Lucy instantly connected with Ollie’s dad, Tom, it definitely wasn’t the same with Diana. They didn’t have the mother-daughter relationship she’d hoped for, and over the next decade, their relationship remained tumultuous.So when the police knock on Ollie and Lucy’s door one evening to tell them Diana has died, they’re both shocked. They said it appears to be a suicide, but when detectives from the homicide department start appearing at their doorstep to question them, it’s made apparent that the police no longer believe Diana caused her own death.Although Lucy and Diana didn’t have the best relationship, Lucy knew Diana loved her family. So of course she wouldn’t want to hurt her mother-in-law, but there are plenty of people in Diana’s life that would. And it appears that Diana wasn’t being completely honest herself. The breast cancer she apparently was battling seemed to be nonexistent. Why would someone lie about being terminally ill?Questions about Diana’s death remain in the air. And the secrets of this family start seeping through the cracks. If Lucy, the person with seemingly the most motive to murder Diana, didn’t kill her, then who is to blame for Diana’s death?The Mother-in-Law is Sally Hepworth’s newest domestic suspense. I’ve seen quite a few books going around recently about mother-in-laws, some lackluster. But The Mother-in-Law was masterfully written and kept me fully engaged from start to finish. Told through both Diana and Lucy’s perspectives, “past” and “present,” a picture of both their lives, and their complicated relationship, is painted. This is my first Sally Hepworth read, but certainly won’t be my last—4.25/5 stars.Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Sally Hepworth for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It keeps going to the end of the book when I turn a page! Very frustrating. The book is well-written but for $14.99 it is a gyp since Amazon messed up the Kindle edition!!

How enticing is the title of Sally Hepworth’s new novel. THE MOTHER-IN-LAW. If you pick it up based on name alone, you will not be disappointed. We’re talking a hard to please, stern, no-nonsense type, no woman is good enough for her son. A future daughter-in-law, especially the kind who has no mother of her own, is looking for a little bit of warmth and a solid welcome to the family, but this Mrs. isn’t doling any kindness out.There is an unexpected death. The MIL. She said she had cancer, but her suicide note, and subsequent autopsy don’t add up. She rubbed some the wrong way. Did someone rub her out?I started and finished this book in the same day. I was positively glued. Just when you think you know what’s going to happen, you don’t. The best kind of reading.

This was the first book I had read by this author, came across this by chance. So impressed! Verywell written, couldn't put it down once I started reading. All the characters connected with a who done it feel!Highly recommended! Just onto my second book written by the above, have become a fan.

I pre-ordered this book months ahead of its release. I really was looking forward to it. It was well worth the wait. The interpersonal relationships between the characters were so well developed. The relationship with Lucy and her mother in law began as predictable, however as this story progressed and you learn what makes each character the way they are, it is hard not to be sympathetic. Life and love are hard. It was a great reminder that we become who we are shaped by life's experiences. Good and bad. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Don’t waste your money! I’m a readaholic! I read every type of book imaginable, fiction, non-fiction, historicacal fiction, biographies, history. I read it all.I enjoy a light, fun read now and then, one that is well written, with a plot. Everything this book is NOT. I’m kicking myself for giving in to the hype and paying $14.95 for this dreck. I don’t know what the other reviewers were thinking but they roped me in.

A great relaxing read, with enough mysteries to keep me turning then pages between pauses to reflect on my own relationships. I will recommend this book to my friends.

5 bravo stars for this author and this book .I adored this read.It was thoughtful, loving , disturbing, sad, beautiful, twisty , shocking ,relatable, tragic, real ,witty even dare I say funny at times. This book is the whole package filled with pages of love , family mystery, huge suspense, and secrets .Seriously this read will go by too quickly. You will be desperate to get to the end because you absolutely need to know what happened but at the same time you will be sad to know the read will be ending. I can't say or type enough about how much I enjoyed this book. I will be downloading every book she has written as soon as I'm finished with this review .Thank you so much author Sally Hepworth for such a thoughtful,advice filled and heartfelt and suspenseful read .I was shocked at the ending and I loved the Epilogue. Just Perfection.These are the kind of reads that make you love the fact that reading is your favorite past time.

This story is set in Australia and features a middle class rich family, headed by Tom and Diana Goodwin. They have 2 children, Ollie who is married to Lucy , and Nettie whose husband is Patrick. Diana runs a charity for pregnant refugees/immigrants. She is cold and distant with her family and more engaged with her charity’s work.When Diana is found dead, the family comes under suspicion.The author writes well but the story is too long and has a lot of unnecessary detail. It is more of a family story than a crime thriller. It is easy to guess who the perpetrator is and the ending is low key. I would probably buy another book by the author.

No spoilers and no details, but I loved this novel. I felt empathy for all of the characters. It’s a really good story- recommended

Only towards the end did I start to realise who did it. Great writing on the complexities of relationships that we marry into. Was also good to read it from both sides as having this option meant I did not hate the mother in law as a person. Without her side of it one automatically would.

The author has obviously had some serious mother in law problems. Apparently they’re all pretty awful, but Lucy’s (the mother in law of the title) is one of the worst. The priggish Diana lives in a house big enough for 10 families but considers Lucy frivolous for wanting to buy an expensive wedding dress. Di’s philosophy is that you must never help a relative, as this might make the person weak and dependent. But it’s OK to help refugees. I did wonder, therefore, why she didn’t invite a few refugee families to live in her enormous mansion.To further ram home what a horrible person Diana is, the author has her turning off her grandson’s baby monitor (didn’t want to make the baby weak and dependent) and being so neglectful when babysitting that her granddaughter ends up with a fractured skull. In the hospital Lucy attacks Diana, knocking her the floor so that she suffers a concussion. Later, one of the nurses tells Lucy that the staff consider her a “hero” for this action! Honestly, could you imagine any sensible person talking like this? Nurses must hate their mothers in law too.It’s all pretty silly, with ridiculous cardboard cutout characters and a denouement that is beyond belief. A waste of time, in my view.Just for the record, I adored my mother in law. She’s dead now, but was one of the kindest, nicest people I ever met. Just saying.

Very well written