The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Out April 23rd! Preorder from Amazon here.
This book is being put in the mystery/thriller genre, but while it does have an element of mystery, I would consider it more of a domestic drama. It was definitely more of a slow burn than a full blow edge-of-your-seat thriller. And it was also very good.
Talk about a study in perspective and miscommunication. Lucy and her mother-in-law, Diana, are a walking, talking example of how differing personalities and communication styles can drastically affect relationships between people when the parties involved aren’t on the same page. I was addicted to their stories and how they tried to navigate the sometimes challenging daughter-in-law-mother-in-law relationship. It’s particularly difficult with Diana because of her strong opinions and unyielding moral values, which can at times cause rifts throughout the entire family.
And when Diana is found dead, the question becomes… did Diana commit suicide or did somebody have motive to kill?
Sally Hepworth’s writing was wonderfully executed, keeping my interest the entire time. I am usually a fan of books with relatively short chapters because I tend to be more inclined to keep reading when a chapter ends, flying right through the book from cover to cover. And this book was no exception. Flipping between time periods, past and present, can often be challenging to accomplish without causing confusion for the reader, but in this case was absolutely essential to the storytelling. I also enjoyed the “past of the past” timeline that took place even earlier in time and how that tied into the overall story.
Overall, I enjoyed this one very much and would recommend to those who typically enjoy domestic dramas with a pinch of mystery.
-I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Sally Hepworth, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review.-
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