The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth

The Mother -In -Law

Book Blurb:

From the moment Lucy met Diana, she was kept at arm’s length. Diana is exquisitely polite, but Lucy knows, even after marrying Oliver, that they’ll never have the closeness she’d been hoping for. But who could fault Diana? She was a pillar of the community, an advocate for social justice, the matriarch of a loving family. Lucy had wanted so much to please her new mother-in-law.
That was ten years ago. Now, Diana has been found dead, leaving a suicide note. But the autopsy reveals evidence of suffocation. And everyone in the family is hiding something

My Review: 3.5 stars

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The Mother-in-Law was an interesting dive into family dynamics, secrets kept, the silence that speaks volumes and the fine line of helping your adult children financially, or not. Honestly, the title threw me; I thought this would be more of a thriller/mystery, focused on some evil matriarchal character, but instead it was classic women’s fiction with a murder thrown in.

I found the mother-in-law, Diane, to be the most interesting and well-developed character. She was as cold to her own children as she was warm and altruistic to refugees. She was an enigma and was extremely multi-faceted. Knowing from the start that she was murdered was a hook that seems to be used quite frequently now. Similar to Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty or Miracle Creek by Angie Kim – we know a character is murdered from the start.

I enjoyed this book but found the rest of the characters one-dimensional. I wish they were more fleshed out. Hepworth set up a good scenario with Diane’s kids and their spouses all having reasons to despise her. I felt the worst for her daughter, who so wanted a baby. That sub-plot was emotional and heart-breaking. I also really liked how this book focused on the things we say to one another and how they can be misinterpreted from their original meaning. 

Although I liked the ending, it got too tidy when we learned about what happens a decade later. All of Hepworth’s books have been enjoyable and most importantly, each different from one another. My favorite still being The Things We Keep.

Quotes I liked:

I’m their mother, which means in our relationship they will always be children, and will only see things from their own perspectives.” 

“People underestimate the role fate plays in our lives.” 

“I could have written more, but in the end, there’s really only two pieces of wisdom worth leaving behind. I worked hard for everything I ever cared about. And nothing I ever cared about cost a single cent.”