Nearly three million copies of Ruth Ware’s books sold worldwide. The highly anticipated fourth novel from Ruth Ware, The Globe and Mail and New York Times bestselling author of the In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, and The Lying Game. Harriet Westaway–better known as Hal–makes ends meet as a tarot reader, but she doesn’t believe in the power of her trade. On a day that begins like … but she doesn’t believe in the power of her trade. On a day that begins like any other, she receives a mysterious and unexpected letter bequeathing her a substantial inheritance. She realizes quickly that the letter was sent to the wrong person–but she also knows that she can use her cold-reading skills to potentially claim the money.
Hal attends the funeral of the deceased and meets the family…but it dawns on her that there is something very, very wrong about this strange situation and that the inheritance is at the center of it.
Full of spellbinding menace and told in Ruth Ware’s signature suspenseful style, this is an unputdownable thriller from the Agatha Christie of our time.
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Closest thing to an Agatha Christie mystery in a long time.
Some books fill the reader with gratitude to the author for writing it. Thanks, Ruth Ware for the gripping and beautifully written THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY! The suspense captured me, the twists surprised me, and the characters felt real and mattered.
“Trust yourself,” said Hal’s mother, and “Take your time,” good advice for Tarot reading and for navigating the dangerous secrets Hal (Harriet) stumbles upon while looking for a way out of financial trouble. A little equalizing of wealth didn’t seem such a bad option, when news of an inheritance had to be an error but would help so much, but the spooky house, the magpies (for secret, never to be told), the hostile housekeeper . . . perhaps the price is too high. I so much wanted her out of that attic bedroom that I had sympathetic claustrophobia reading about it.
Many insights, questions, and wisdom:
If you suspect something is wrong, should you speak up? To whom? Whom to trust?
Tarot cards are explained as a way to focus one’s mind on questions and find insights and solutions, not certain and not magic, pointing to alternatives . . . “they give you the space to question . . . reflect . . . analyze.” “You can’t influence fate . . . you can choose what you yourself do with the cards you’re dealt.”
“How could it be right that some people had so much, while others had so little?”
“This was it. The moment of truth . . . Lies.”
Apparently this book is a big seller and recommended. However, I found it to be tedious, wordy and twice as long as needed. Very disappointed.
This book is so Ruth Ware. If you liked The Girl in Cabin 10, you will love this one. Ruth Ware presents a story full of twists and turns and just when you think you’ve nailed it, you haven’t. The characters are well developed, the premise is intriguing and the setting is mystical. An outstanding delivery from a well written author.
Ruth Ware has written another thrilling murder mystery. There were some aspects that I found personally disturbing but nothing unexpected in today’s world. The Death of Mrs. Westaway will keep you guessing until the last few pages.
One of the best mysteries I have read in a long time!
Predictable
I found this book confusing to read. All the characters were named one name but called something else. The story was just so/so, I found I didn’t really like any of the characters and the development wasn’t there. I had the plot figured out a third of the way through.
Kept me interested.
Very enjoyable, with twists and turns. The author hints at the solution to the puzzle, but it is still a shock at the end. A good read!
Ruth Ware has done it again in her gripping new novel, The Death of Mrs. Westaway. What was described as a spellbinding experience has more than lived up to my expectations.
Hal Westaway is struggling to make ends meet reading fortunes on the pier, something she learned from her late mother. When she receives a letter stating she is heir to an inheritance from a recently deceased family member that she didn’t know existed, she is sure it is a case of mistaken identity, but sees it as an opportunity to escape her financial woes. In an attempt to pretend to be the long-lost heir, Hal soon discovers that things in the Westaway home are not as they seem. What will happen if her true identity is discovered?
I loved the setting and atmosphere of this book. It was ominous and dangerous, and it was eerily riveting. Unable to put this one down, I was transfixed from page one. It had a bit of real magic mixed in with the tarot card readings. Then, add in the secrets around every turn and plenty of hazards and suspense. I was on the edge of my seat, completely engrossed. The pacing was perfect and I lost myself in the dark all-consuming world of the Westaways.
I would highly recommend this book! Unique from any other book I’ve read, and even unparalleled by Ware’s other novels, this one is a must read. If you enjoy a gothic ambience, historical mysteries, or even a psychologically mind-bending thriller, this contemporary spine-tingling mystery will entertain you for hours on end.
5 captivating stars!
Review by Amy, Late Night Reviewer for Up All Night with Books Blog