The Mother-in-Law: everyone in this family is hiding something

"The Mother in Law" – novel by Sally HepworthThis is the first novel by Sally Hepworth that I have read and I have enjoyed "The Mother in Law" so much I now intend to read her other books.The story opens on a normal evening in the Goodwin household – that is Oliver, Lucy and their three children. What is not normal though is that a police car has driven up outside their house and two cops are walking up to the front door. This is the start of the journey, the mystery surrounding the mother-in-law, Diana Goodwin. The mystery of Diana's death.The chapters for the most part alternate between past and present from the aspect of Diana and her daughter-in-law Lucy. Don’t worry it is not confusing because each chapter is headed Past or Present and with the name Lucy of Diana. It does not make the story disjointed, it all adds to the mystery and intrigue of the events as they unfold.This is definitely a page-turner and I really enjoyed this novel. It brings out the complexity of families and the different generations.

I am probably not in the target demographic for this pulp novel but I wanted to read it as it is billed as the "must-read novel of 2019" and I don't like to feel left out.The marketing team have done a good job on this, building it up and getting it onto the best seller list. It has an interesting structure with multiple narrators who tell their respective stories in either the past or the present and the snippets come together to describe a dysfunctional family, none of whom came over as being particularly pleasant. Well it would be a bit boring if they were, wouldn't it?I read this to the end wanting to know what happened but, to be frank, I wish I had read something else instead as, while this may be a triumph from the viewpoint of its interesting structure, the story line, and the characters are a bit dull.

I'd heard a lot about this book and was looking forward immensely to reading it, but it took quite a while to engage me and, in retrospect, I may have done Sally Hepworth a bit of a disservice by making it my night-time Kindle read. Tackling it in 3% chunks immediately before falling asleep is not the best way to approach any novel, especially a slow burner.For a good while I found most of the characters difficult to like and I'm pleased I persevered with it because at the heart of this novel is a genuinely intriguing mystery and it's supported by a structure that is extremely well conceived. The book didn't win me over quite enough to merit a fifth star but I did find myself reading just another few per cent each night towards the end which tells a story and probably places any blame firmly at my door. Sally Hepworth is clearly a very talented writer and I'll certainly read more of hers.It's not difficult to see why 'The Mother-in-Law has sold so well and I'm happy to recommend it. Next time though, it will be a 'day book' so that I can lose myself in it more easily.

I purchased this book after it popped up on ‘frequently purchased together’ when ordering a B A Paris book. I was incredibly sceptical as I had never heard of the author and can be very fussy when it comes to books. If it doesn’t grip me within the first few pages then I won’t read it. I finished this book within days of beginning it and, despite my temptation to flick to the end, I am so glad I finished it. The ending is a twist I didn’t see coming (and usually I spend my time predicting the ending). I don’t usually like books that flick between different characters perspectives and different time periods as it can be quite difficult to follow, but the writing style of this book made it effortless to keep track of the different characters and their experiences.

I really loved this book. It had me on the edge of my seat I kept trying to guess what would happen.but got it wrong it was impossible to put down everytime I said I need to go do something I'd end up picking the book back up. First time I've read this athour I can't wait to read more I highly recommend but make sure you have tissues it's an emotional read. Beautifully written