The Mother-In-Law, by Sally Hepworth
MacMillan Audio - 2018
Thriller
Audiobook
Narrated by Barrie Kreinik
Thriller
Audiobook
Narrated by Barrie Kreinik
9 Hours, 12 Minutes
My Rating (out of 5)
⭐⭐⭐⭐
A tight and well thought out thriller that has a depth to it that I am always happy to see in the genre.
Lucy's mom died when she was a baby. She always yearned to have a strong mother figure in her life, so when she became engaged to Ollie, she was filled with thoughts of building a close relationship with her Mother-In-Law; until she actually met her that is.
Diane is not the warm-fuzzy type of Mother-In-Law, she is more like the cold-fish type of Mother-In-Law. While she seems to have an unlimited amount of compassion for refugee families, she does not seem to have very much for her children, and certainly not for Lucy. Lucy and Diane's relationship is strained at best.
One day the police show up at Lucy and Ollie's house. Diane has been found dead in her home. As shocking as this news is, there is more shocking information to follow. Initially it would appear that Diane committed suicide due to the breast cancer she had recently told her family about - but the autopsy shows no evidence of cancer at all, but it does show evidence of potential foul play. Also, in a recent meeting with her lawyer, the wealthy Diane had disinherited her children and their spouses, and left all of her sizable assets to charity.
The characters in this story were well developed and multi-dimensional. Each seemed to have their own secrets and struggles, each were at times likeable and at other times somewhat unlikable.
One thing that really struck me about this book was how perception shaped emotion. While Lucy and Diane did not seem to get along very well, it seems that they both were trying in their own way, but their actions and words were often misinterpreted. Diane's attempts to bridge the gap between them often had the opposite effect, as she would remember after the appropriate moment passed to explain the meaning behind the gesture. Without the understanding those explanations would have provided, the gestures seemed shallow and uncaring to Lucy, and contributed her dislike of Diane - yet had Lucy understood the meaning behind those acts, she probably would have been touched by the thought. I wonder how often this type of scenario plays out in the real world.
Barrie Kreinik provided very good narration with good range of character and emotion. Her voice was clear, with good tempo and tone. As an aside, she has a beautiful Aussie accent. All in all, she made listening a pleasure.
Well thought out and written, with perception and depth, this was a thriller worth the time.
Lucy's mom died when she was a baby. She always yearned to have a strong mother figure in her life, so when she became engaged to Ollie, she was filled with thoughts of building a close relationship with her Mother-In-Law; until she actually met her that is.
Diane is not the warm-fuzzy type of Mother-In-Law, she is more like the cold-fish type of Mother-In-Law. While she seems to have an unlimited amount of compassion for refugee families, she does not seem to have very much for her children, and certainly not for Lucy. Lucy and Diane's relationship is strained at best.
One day the police show up at Lucy and Ollie's house. Diane has been found dead in her home. As shocking as this news is, there is more shocking information to follow. Initially it would appear that Diane committed suicide due to the breast cancer she had recently told her family about - but the autopsy shows no evidence of cancer at all, but it does show evidence of potential foul play. Also, in a recent meeting with her lawyer, the wealthy Diane had disinherited her children and their spouses, and left all of her sizable assets to charity.
The characters in this story were well developed and multi-dimensional. Each seemed to have their own secrets and struggles, each were at times likeable and at other times somewhat unlikable.
One thing that really struck me about this book was how perception shaped emotion. While Lucy and Diane did not seem to get along very well, it seems that they both were trying in their own way, but their actions and words were often misinterpreted. Diane's attempts to bridge the gap between them often had the opposite effect, as she would remember after the appropriate moment passed to explain the meaning behind the gesture. Without the understanding those explanations would have provided, the gestures seemed shallow and uncaring to Lucy, and contributed her dislike of Diane - yet had Lucy understood the meaning behind those acts, she probably would have been touched by the thought. I wonder how often this type of scenario plays out in the real world.
Barrie Kreinik provided very good narration with good range of character and emotion. Her voice was clear, with good tempo and tone. As an aside, she has a beautiful Aussie accent. All in all, she made listening a pleasure.
Well thought out and written, with perception and depth, this was a thriller worth the time.
Happy Reading,
Christine
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