But who could fault Diana? She was a pillar of the community, an advocate for social justice, the matriarch of a loving family. Lucy had wanted so much to please her new mother-in-law.
That was ten years ago. Now, Diana has been found dead, leaving a suicide note. But the autopsy reveals evidence of suffocation. And everyone in the family is hiding something...
My Thoughts:
Sally Hepworth is a new author to me, but she has made me an instant fan with this book. I loved these characters. I loved this story. And my jaw hit the floor when I got to the end.
This story deals with a number of storylines, but the main one centers on Diane and her daughter-in-law, Lucy. Lucy's mother passed away years ago, so Lucy married into her new family with high hopes for her relationship with her mother-in-law. The relationship did not meet her expectations. At all.
The way Diane treated Lucy was, at times, what I considered cruel. But as this book progressed, I began to see Diane's point in many of the issues they clashed over, and I began to see Diane as more of the "good guy" in the relationship. But Lucy was also a good one and supported her husband and family in an unconditional way that every wife should strive to do.
I loved Lucy's relationship with her husband also and they ease at which they worked as a team to raise their children, provide for their family, and take a stand against Ollie's parents.
But as this book continues, there is a shift in Lucy and Diane's relationship, and it is just beautiful to see the two ladies begin to understand each other in a way only women can. These two ladies create a bond that can only be broken in death - a death that happens and shocks the entire family.
This book is ultimately a thriller and watching this family work through the death of their mother, the investigation into what was assumed to be a suicide, and the consequences that came from all of it kept me on the edge of my seat. As puzzle pieces began coming together I thought I had this story all figured out. But then the end arrived and I was so completely wrong. Yet, the way this book ended was so much better than what I had conjured up in my head!
This is one of those books that I could read over and over again simply for the beauty in the bond that forms between Lucy and Diane. It deserved a place on every reading list.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley
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