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

The Mother-In-Law has been on my TBR list for quite some time and I took the opportunity between library holds to listen to the audiobook version of this book. It captivated me.

The book is told from a dual time line and the narrative of three women. Diana is the matriarch of the family. She can present as being cold and uncaring, but as her daughter-in-law Lucy learns, there is more to Diana then her tough outer shell. Lucy is married to Diana’s son Oliver. Together they are trying to raise a family and start a new business. Oliver’s sister Nettie is married to Patrick and this couple is desperate to start a family of their own. As is the case in many families, the two younger couples have both gone to their parents to borrow money on occasion. Diana never agrees to do so, but her husband Tom has always secretly passed the money requested without Diana knowing. After all, they have more than enough money to give away. But when Tom passes away quickly, the siblings know that money will be harder than ever to get from their mother.

Then, Diana is found dead. She had recently told the family she had late-stage breast cancer and a suicide note is found nearby. The police initially tell the family that it looks like suicide, but an autopsy is needed to confirm this. When the autopsy shows no evidence of cancer, the whole notion of it being a suicide is questioned. What transpires is a slow reveal of the events leading up to Diana’s death.

I really enjoyed The Mother-In-Law which, in my opinion, is part mystery and part women’s fiction. The relationships between the women significantly contribute to the development of the characters. The book is engaging, and kept me wanting to read more. I listened to the audiobook edition of the book and highly enjoyed the narration by Barrie Kreinik who speaks in the Australian accent of the author. She has a clear and articulate tone to her voice and the versatility to capture the two generations of women.