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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Another dark and twisty delight from Ruth Ware. Hal is all alone in the world following the death of her mother, and trying to make ends meet by reading tarot cards on the pier in her home town of Brighton. In debt to a loan shark, she is desperate, but the surprise arrival of a solicitor’s letter informing her that she is a named beneficiary in her wealthy grandmother’s will seems like the answer to her prayers. But there’s a catch – there has been a mix-up, and Hal is not who the family think she is. Travelling to Cornwall for the reading of the will, she guiltily hopes to receive just enough of a payout to keep her head above water, but discovers she has inherited the majority of the estate. But as she meets her new “family” she finds that there are dark, long-buried secrets in the old, rambling house and soon realises she is in danger. Can she escape before it is too late? A gripping plot with some real heart-in-the-mouth moments. Highly recommended.
Already a fan of Ruth Ware, I looked forward to reading this one. This one is a slow burning suspense filled book. Harriet Westaway is struggling to make ends meet when a letter arrives that informs her of a inheritance from a family member she knew nothing about. Everything is not as it seems when she shows up at Trepassen to find out more about the letter and the inheritance.
This is the only book by this author that I couldn’t get into. I put it aside, read another book and then came back to it. Maybe I’ve had one too many of these books that are written alternating between different characters and past/present. Cabin 10 was awesome as was The Turn of the key.
I loved the delicious suspense as the story unfolded layer by layer. Really enjoyed this book.
Just finished listening to this book. This book like many I have read have mixed reviews. I really enjoyed the twist and the build up towards end of this book. This is the second Ruth Ware book that I have listen to. Highly recommend this book.
About book- Hal is young woman trying to make ends meet. Due to her mother passing away three years ago. And then a letter comes in the mail. And Hal decides to answer the letter and go to this woman funeral. But when Hal goes there is are things that she learns and secrets that she finds out.
I really like the narrative style of this writer, her descriptions of characters, and the realistic dialogue. This is a modern gothic tale about a young woman, Harriet, on the verge of financial ruin and under threat from a loan shark whose high interest she can not repay. An odd letter, informing her of the death of her grandmother and possible inheritance which she knows she is not the rightful heir to, has her taking advantage of an unlikely opportunity.
What she discovers are insidious secrets, subtly woven into a tangle of lies from the dark past of the family who has gathered at the estate home of the recently deceased Mrs. Westerly, secrets that have Harriet questioning her own identity.
Like peeling the transparent layers of an onion, one layer at a time! It was a wonderful, haunting read! The Narrator of the audio book is excellent!
What would you do if you receive a letter stating your presence was requested for a bequeathed reading of a stranger’s will? The last name of Westaway, same as Harriet’s, Hal to her friends.
Down on her luck and even further down on her bank account, Hal reads tarot cards on the pier in Brighton, England as income.
Being bullied by Mr. Smith’s hired hands to pay back the money she borrowed some time ago, money she’s repaid numerous times, but Mr. Smith keeps demanding more.
Threats of harm, even broken bones and teeth keep coming her way, if she doesn’t pay up.
Could the reading of this mysterious will be her answer to her current situation? Only one way to find out…. she must play the bequeathed part.
As she arrives at Mrs. Westaway’s residence and meets her “new” family, Hal relishes the warm greeting, something she’s never had.. belonging, a family!
But as she settles in and gets to know her “make believe family”, she realizes she should tell them the truth, she’s an imposter, not a true heir.
As days roll by she starts to get the feeling things aren’t what they seem. Evil lurks here and secrets from her late Mom’s past start emerging.
Should she explore her suspicions, should she come clean with the truth, or should she run, leave this haunting feeling that’s surrounding her?
I loved this book, great plot, great characterization, and such an original twist to the end.
The Death Of Mrs. Westaway will intrigue the sleuth in Murder mystery fan’s.
A decent enough mystery. Trepassen House might have been the most interesting character. For all the worry Hal has about Mr. Smith I felt like that was unresolved. Hal’s discoveries about her mother and father were what kept me engaged with the story.
Family drama turned upside down by mystery and suspense.
The book was just okay. It was slow moving and a little confusing towards the end. It did keep my interest and wasn’t a waste of time.
I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see how the story unfolded. A true page-turner.
What can I say about The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware other than the fact that it is a straight up mystery. It was not however, a thriller, like some of her previous books. To that extent, it was okay, but not great for me. I wanted that suspense and thrill from this book, but it was more of a nonchalant mystery.
Harriet Westaway, also known as Hal, is struggling tarot card reader on the boardwalk where she lives. After her mother was ploughed down in a hit-and-run in their neighbourhood on the eve of her 18th birthday, Hal has had to fend for herself. One day a letter arrives addressed to Harriet Westaway, where it says she has a family inheritance. She knows this isn’t really her inheritance, but she goes any ways because she is desperate. Once at the estate, The Trepassen House, Hal comes face-to-face with the dark and grisly secrets this family has hidden behind their family name. With a nagging instinct, Hal begins to dig for answers about this family but also for herself, but some secrets are worth killing over.
I’m honestly on the fence with this book. I found the build up too slow and the plot twists to be boring. That being said, Ruth Ware, does a fantastic job with her writing. The description of the estate and the atmosphere she builds makes this story feel like a classic mystery novel — something straight out of an Agatha Christie or Arthur Conan Doyle novel.
I have to give credit where it is due. The last 60 pages or so of this book is what really turned this review around for me. I’m not going to spoil this, but if it weren’t for the ending with the plot twists and writing, it would have been a disappointing book! It was dark and creepy, and not to mention, it held my attention right to the end!
Ruth Ware’s The Death of Mrs. Westaway had all the making of a classic mystery novel. With the atmospheric imagery of an English estate, a dark mysterious family with secrets, and protagonist searching for answers. Having read all of Ware’s other novels, I was expecting a bit more of a thriller, with plot twists that left me on the edge of my seat. This was not that. But, it certainly had the blow out of an ending I was looking for from Ruth Ware. I’ll stay on the fence with this one.
Read my full review here: https://bit.ly/2GVZAGe
I could hardly put it down. Lots of twists and turns!
I have read and enjoyed everyone of your books. Your a winner.
Just finished the audio version of this book. Fantastic!! Well done!
I’ve lived every book I’ve read by Ruth Ware, but this is, by far, my favorite.
This is one of the best mystery/thriller books I have read! Ruth Ware gets better with each book. Can’t wait to see what she comes out with next.
Great mystery
Hard to put down!!