Reviews

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth

cady_sass's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Sally writes amazing characters and depictions of family dynamics, and each novel really showcases that talent. This one walks the line of being a thriller but doesn’t quite get there, mystery is perhaps more suitable but it doesn’t pretend to be unpredictable. At the beginning it’s unclear who these characters are as people and what their motivations are, and if they are even reliably narrating, but we slowly unspool each of them to come to the ultimate climax of the story and conclusion. It is well crafted, but not as emotionally gripping and consuming as some of her others 

lizeth26's review against another edition

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3.0

It was an okay book that’s all.

codergrl's review against another edition

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3.0

This book felt rushed. I enjoyed it but i feel like there was so much lost potential. I would have liked to learn more about the characters and their relationships.

cakeybarkid's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

lilbookowl's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

kelseylitsliftsanddips's review against another edition

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3.5

This started out a little slow for me, and didn’t really pick up with the twisty turns until the last 1/4th of the book. And to be honest, the payoff wasn’t there for me. I saw all the “big” twists coming, which is always a disappointment. Even in that case, I still enjoyed the book well enough. I always enjoy Hepworth’s writing style, and this was a decent enough thriller break after reading some heavy lit fic. 

alayna017's review against another edition

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4.0

Diana is dead with a suicide note, but there are questions around her death. Which of her family members would want to kill her? It had me suspecting many of the family.

I’d call this a quiet mystery. It was well paced, and I liked the alternating perspectives of Lucy and Diana (the MIL). The mystery was interesting and kept me guessing. I’ll definitely check out Sally Hepworth’s backlist this year.

kimberlyf's review against another edition

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2.0

A rather mediocre mystery. very slow paced, with much of the drama and action being packed in towards the end of the book. very little character development throughout and, overall, a somewhat disappointing read

angela1025's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

diadandy's review against another edition

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mysterious

4.5