Book Review – The Death of Mrs. Westaway

I was going to wait until the 29th, worried that I wasn’t going to finish this one by the end of the month, but huzzah! I did it and I’m excited to share this one with you!

Title: The Death of Mrs. Westaway

Author: Ruth Ware

Number of Pages: 368

Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery

My Rating: 💋💋💋💋💋

Book Summary:

Harriet Westaway – better known as Hal – makes ends meet as a tarot reader, but she doesn’t believe in the power of her trade. If she did, what would the cards say about the choice that lies ahead of her?

When Hal receives a mysterious and unexpected letter bequeathing her a substantial inheritance, she knows that it wasn’t meant for her because Mrs. Westaway is not her grandmother. Struggling with crippling debt, Hal is presented with a difficult choice: ignore the letter, or use her cold-reading skills to potentially claim the money and change her life.

After a loan shark pays Hal a threatening visit, she decides to attend Mrs. Westaway’s funeral. She meets the family at Trepassen House, the Westaways’ country estate. Once there, Hal discovers more secrets than she could have ever imagined. There is something very, very wrong with this family, and somehow Hal and the inheritance are at the center of it.

My thoughts:

Harriet Westaway or Hal as she is better known by throughout the novel, is a lovable, strong and crafty young woman, persevering through a hard time in her life. A tarot reader by trade who doesn’t quite believe what she practices, but often depends of the wisdom her mother taught her regarding tarot and reading people. Her skills at reading people is remarkable and is definitely an advantage to her as she walks this tricky path. You can’t help but feel for her as you go through the novel, wanting so desperately to figure out the mystery that surrounds her life, upbringing and her new relatives.

Upon first impressions, the relatives seem pompous and snobby, but you get to know their personalities slowly throughout the book. She ultimately doesn’t fit in, being the black sheep of her relatives and not born into money. Harding the eldest is all business and has an air of money about him always, Abel is a sweet, kind man and Ezra is the rough around the edges, rebel without a cause type, all ending up to be Hal’s new uncles. However, when one of Hal’s Uncles gives her an old photograph of her mother, this sparks a spiral down the rabbit hole that she must crawl out of.

This book keeps you on your toes and really keeps you guessing. If you are an arm chair detective, then this is the novel for you. You have to really read carefully and put the pieces together, chapter by chapter. But the reveal will shock you in the end, it definitely did for me.

I was a little skeptical if I’d enjoy this one, the title really is deceiving, but it was a great read and I highly recommend to anyone who likes a thriller. You definitely root for Hal, but be warned you will go through a bit of an emotional roller coaster with her, only to end in satisfying delight.

Must read and looking forward to reading more from Ruth Ware. I just ordered The Woman in Cabin 10, so keep your eyes out for a future review on that. She will be added to my list of favourite writers.

Enjoy the novel, I know I did!

My next novel I’m about to start is Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune, review to come in March!

Ciao!