The Mother-In-Law

I feel like I’m about to say something scandalous, but I gotta be honest: I didn’t love this. 

It’s by no means a bad book. It’s Sally Hepworth for goodness sake. I don’t think she knows how to write a bad book! I think I just didn’t particularly connect to the characters or story this time around. It may also be that I listened on audio and it’s one of those times reading it would’ve been better. Most of my friends raved about it, so I’m assuming it’s a “me” thing.

When Diana Goodwin dies unexpectedly and the police come knocking on her son Ollie and daughter-in-law Lucy’s door asking questions, what was originally thought to be suicide turns into a homicide investigation - especially after it’s determined that Ollie and his sister Nettie were disinherited.

Looking at events prior to Diana’s death, the chapters are narrated alternatively by Lucy and Diana. This isn’t your typical ‘MIL from hell’ story, though. Diana was aloof and emotionally cool, but underneath it all, she seems to have wanted what was best for everyone. Lucy just wanted a mother figure after losing her own at a young age, but she couldn’t seem to get that from Diana.  

Did someone murder Diana? The evidence for suicide isn’t adding up, and there’s plenty of motive for others, including her own children, to want her dead. So what’s the truth?

There was a lot of potential to expand the suspect pool or make this a more suspenseful, intriguing mystery, but in the end, everything felt just a little … anticlimactic. The reveal wasn’t particularly surprising, and the characters were all fairly unlikable, so there wasn’t much of an emotional response to any of it.

I still adore Sally Hepworth’s writing, and there are loads of 4 and 5-star reviews that prove that sometimes it’s just the right book for the wrong reader. I can’t wait to dig into her newest book The Soulmate soon. I have a good feeling I’ll be the right reader for that one!

★★★ ½