Book Review - The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth

Title: The Mother-In-Law
Series: -
Author: Sally Hepworth
 
Description: From the moment Lucy met her husband’s mother, Diana, she was kept at arm’s length. Diana was exquisitely polite, and properly friendly, but Lucy knew she was not what Diana envisioned. But who could fault Diana? She was a pillar to the community, an advocate for social justice who helped female refugees assimilate to their new country. Diana was happily married to Tom, and lived in wedded bliss for decades. Lucy wants 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. Who could possibly want Diana dead? Why was her will changed at the eleventh hour to disinherit both her adult children and their spouses?
 
Review: Lucy has one wish since the moment she meets Ollie: to have a nice connection with her mother-in-law. But from her first meeting with Diana, she knows that’s not in the cars. She is somewhat cold towards Lucy. When years later Diana is found dead, the circumstances are very suspicious.
 
First of all, I want to say that this books doesn’t have the correct genre attached to it. It’s marketed as a thriller, but it definitely isn’t one. It’s more of a suspenseful, domestic mystery.
 
It was my first Sally Hepworth novel and I really love the way she writes her characters. You really get to know them, especially Lucy and Diana. We follow the story through their perspectives and it switches in timelines. I always love that with my stories. This book is more character based than it is plot driven. I prefer the latter.
 
When it comes to the story, I expected a more terrible mother-in-law. Diana isn’t that bad of a person. Yes, she is a bit cold towards Lucy, but that’s mainly it. They just have a very complex relationship.
 
The question you want answered is, did Diana really commit suicide or did someone kill her? I was surprised by the reveal, but overall it’s not a very special book. I enjoyed the family drama and trying to figure out what happened to Diana. But it didn’t really excite me. It was just okay.
 
Rating: 3/ 5