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The Death of Mrs. Westaway
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INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A New York Public Library Best Book of 2019
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, and The Lying Game comes Ruth Ware’s fourth novel, “her best yet” (Library Journal, starred review).
On a day that begins like any other, Hal receives a mysterious letter bequeathing her a substantial inheritance. She realizes very quickly that the letter was sent to the wrong person—but also that the cold-reading skills she’s honed as a tarot card reader might help her claim the money.
Soon, Hal finds herself at the funeral of the deceased…where it dawns on her that there is something very, very wrong about this strange situation and the inheritance 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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Ruth Ware has done it again. The Death of Mrs. Westaway is an un-put-downable tale of family turmoil, long-buried secrets, and deception that will keep you up at night, reading just one more chapter...until you've devoured the whole thing in one sitting. Ware gives us an appealing protagonist, shifty characters, a questionable will, and the de rigeur treacherous housekeeper all wrapped up in a brooding Cornish mansion right out of Agatha Christie. One of the best I've read this year. Highly recommended.
Harriet Westaway, known as Hal to her friends, is at the precarious edge of financial desperation: she can't pay her bills, she can't pay her rent, and she can't pay off the loan shark she borrowed £500 from a few months ago. Her mother died a few years ago, and she has no other family that she knows of to fall back on. Then, just when things seem to be at their worst, a letter arrives from a solicitor: Hal's grandmother has died, and Hal must go to the family estate in Cornwall to claim her inheritance. At first, she assumes that a mistake has been made -- the letter must have been intended for a different Harriet Westaway. But... if she were to come into a small inheritance, maybe a few thousand pounds, all of her financial problems would be solved. She goes to the estate, where she learns that things are more complicated than she first supposed. She is connected in some way to this family -- but someone doesn't want her to turn up any of the secrets buried in the past.I devoured this book, which is a mystery in a modern setting, but with gothic touches. I figured out part of the mystery halfway through, but not all of it by any means. There's plenty of suspense and foreboding here, but not a lot of on-page violence, which is just right for what I personally can tolerate. If you enjoy a good mystery rooted in family drama, give this one a try!
I loved this book, just the mixture of a perfect story, mystery, old mansions and a snow storm.....shades of Rebecca, but totally different in its own way....
The Death of Mrs. Westaway is the third of Ruth Ware’s novels that I’ve had the pleasure of reading and, at this time, it is my favorite. The novel is a modern mystery with a Gothic, even Dickensian atmosphere. Hal, or Harriet, the narrator, is an orphaned waif, barely subsisting off the business her mother had started, that of a Tarot Reader. Worse, she owes a loan shark money, too much to ever pay back. Hal then experiences what most orphan fantasies consist of: a letter stating that she is (essentially) the long-lost heir to an inheritance. Hal believes this to be a case of mistaken identity, but she’s desperate. She doesn’t ask for much, only to survive. So she goes off on her adventure, to play the part of a missing granddaughter in the hope that, if she plays it well enough, she’ll be able to pay off the loan shark and live a comfortable if lonely life.As with her previous novels, Ware gives us an unreliable but likeable narrator. All we know is what Hal knows, although most of us are old enough to know better where Hal isn’t. She’s tough but naive. She’s very good at acting, but still flubs her lines. At the first, the reader wants to protect her and even supports her attempt at fraud if only to save her own life. Better still would it be that Hal really is the missing granddaughter.Nothing is ever that simple. Hal finds herself in a setting worthy of Daphne Du Maurier. An old, run-down mansion; an attic room with locks on the outside of the door; a menacing housekeeper; and an eclectic group of uncles that Hal might or might not be able to trust. Ware skillfully twists the many threads of family secrets, and there are quite a few. Hal’s own connection to the family is the deepest secret of all. Again, the reader only knows what Hal knows, and by the time Hal has finally pieced everything together, it is nearly too late.The ending is satisfying and somewhat expected because it was hoped for.Mystery and family secrets aside, one of the themes of The Death of Mrs. Westaway that I found most intriguing was that of family. Hal’s close relationship with her mother, her shaky relationship with the men who might or might not be her uncles made me think about what ties families together. Hal has had no connection with this family ever, as far as she knows. She is a stranger to them; yet, the mere idea that she might be the daughter of their missing sister is enough for them to embrace her, to some degree anyway. Without that blood connection, she is nothing to them. Yet, Hal is the same person, whether related to them or not. The rather quaint saying–“Blood is thicker than water”–is tested over and over in The Death of Mrs. Westaway. For me, the novel reveals just how tenuous family ties can be.
I've been wanting to read this one for quite awhile, and I managed to get it in before the end of the year. This is my first Ruth Ware book, but it won't be my last. I've already ordered The Woman in Cabin 10. I really enjoyed the book, and I liked all the characters. They were all really well portrayed. Ms. Ware did a good job of maintaining tension throughout the plot, and there is a huge twist at the end. I thought I had it figured out, but didn't expect that humdinger near the end. It changed the whole tone of the book, from general uneasiness to all-out fright. I also enjoyed the insight into tarot card reading. I have always been fascinated with the tarot card mystique. The book was a creepy, suspenseful book with an extremely creepy house at the centre of it. All brilliantly portrayed by Ms. Ware, and, best of all, not over-the-top like so many thrillers are these days. Highly recommended for those who like their thrills a bit understated.
I was up until very late last night reading this - I couldn't put it down! Definitely one of the best mystery thrillers I've taken up in a long time. There is no murder, for a change. I liked the way every person, place and event was described. Hal is a very likeable heroine, in a very difficult situation. Her choices and dilemmas drive the story. The ending took me by surprise. Looking back I can see the little clues littered along the way in what one would assume were minor details.
This was a fun and engaging mystery. Complex family relationships, fast-paced plot and twisted characters with lots of skeletons in the closet. Couldn't put this one down!
I don't usually finish books as moody, painful and dark as this one, but there was something compelling about it. After her Mother's death following a hit and run accident, Harriet Westaway is struggling to survive as a Tarot reader when she receives a letter advising her of a potential inheritance. Fairly certain there's been some sort of mistake, but willing, actually desperate for money, she heads to Trepassen, the family estate. What she finds there is worthy of a nightmare.
Cute little thriller but not much else.Hal Westaway has just received a letter that her grandmother has passed and is leaving her something mentioned in the will. There's only one problem, that's not Hal's Grandma! Hal prepares for the funeral and to deceive the rest of the family members into believing she has someone she is not in order to receive the inheritance and pay off her debt to a gangster loan shark that has promised her terrible retribution if he has not received his money in a week. But there is more mystery to this thriller then just deception.This is a quaint little thriller. It's very cute and constantly asks the question "Who dunnit?" It very much reminded me of Clue. I found a couple inconsistencies in the author's writing but nothing that takes away from the underlying story.I personally found Hal's character to be extremely naive to the point of annoyance. I mean seriously I had this book figured out way before she even did!The ending was predictable at best. I feel like I have read and reread the story over and over again. This could be why I usually don't read books like this.All in all it was an okay cute little read. I have to admit that I skim through most of it because the storyline was so easy to follow that I didn't miss anything by skimming. I did not find this read very fast paced as with other thrillers that I have enjoyed.I have heard that this author makes points in her books that seem to bleed together. Perhaps this book is a case where she is writing the same thing over and over again and it becomes more water down every time she writes it. I am guilty of this myself in my own writings.I wouldn't say that I recommend this book but for those who like mysteries and thrillers oh, this might be up your alley.
Not sure why I had a hard time engaging with this book since I have enjoyed previous books by this author. I try this book again at a later time.
Ruth Ware is a compelling story teller, but she is certainly successful enough now to spend a bit more time in the editing. Or at least pay someone to do it. The inconsistencies are jarring and often seem to drag out the suspense just to make the book longer. A phone can be a flashlight, but not a camera; handwriting recognized only when convenient. Other reviewers have noted additional problems, please Ms. Ware show your readers more respect.
Y’all this book rocked my world. We all know I am a huge fan of a thriller, and Ruth Ware has climbed my list of must read thriller authors. Her stories are always insanely addicting and full of surprises and The Death of Mrs. Westaway was no different. Hal (Harriette) Westaway has had a rough go of things since her mothers untimely death 2 years prior. Barely making ends meet, the 21 year old can hardly keep food on the table working her job as a tarot card reader at the local pier, let alone pay off the loan shark she has become indebted to. It seems almost too good to be true when she receives a summons to meet with a lawyer to discuss an inheritance left from her recently deceased grandmother. Only, Hal doesn’t have any family. Her mothers birth certificate lists completely different parents to the one who’s will she is in. Her mothers past wasn’t something talked about, her father a one night stand, it’s always just been Hal and her mother. Even though she quickly realizes a mistake has been made, Hal is desperate for money. With some trepidation, Hal decides to travel to Trepassen House and accept “her” claim. It isn’t long after arriving to the funeral, Hal realizes something is very off about this family, and her place in it’s inheritance. So I listened to this one on audiobook and, YAY, it was read by Imogen Church who I am absolutely obsessed with. (She read Wares, The Lying Game also, check out that review here!) This story had all the elements needed for a really riveting read; interesting characters with compelling backstories, deceit, lies, murder, and the ever satisfying (if heart stopping) discovery of truths. The dreary setting of Trepassen house with it’s cold, dark facade really lend itself to the overall mysterious and spooky tone of the book. Another read by Ware that I was absolutely unable to put down (stop listening too?)! Do yourself a favor and get your hands on this one ASAP!
This was an engrossing read with an almost Gothic feel to it.The Westaway family are not very welcoming to Harriet at the funeral, and even less so later when they learn that she has inherited a considerable part of the estate. They had not even been aware of her existence. But then Harriet sees photographs which make her question where she fits into this family after all. She had only hoped for a small legacy.The dead Mrs Westaway looms over this family - her will has unleashed issues that have to be resolved.
A good old-fashioned gothic complete with the requisite isolated mansion, creepy housekeeper, mysterious attic room, foul weather, and a family keeping dangerous secrets. The narrator, Harriet (aka Hal), is a likeable young woman who was orphaned at 18 and still struggling to make ends meet several years later. The tension builds steadily to a satisfying climax. Highly recommended.
Definitely "fun" to read in a nicely gripping sort of way--I kept thinking I had it figured out but Ware kept me guessing until the end.
An eerie, atmospheric mystery. The first half felt more like a familial drama to me, but by the second half the plot was getting so tangled and dark that I couldn’t get to the reveal fast enough. It’s by no means a fast paced thriller, more of a slow burn mystery, but that added to the uneasy feel of it.
Ruth Ware has been called the Agatha Christie of our time. I disagreed with that until I read this book. It had the missing element that her other books lacked, I think. What that element is I can't quite put my finger on, but I really enjoy a mystery/suspense involving a dusty, old creepy house, full of secrets.
I have read all of Ruth Ware's books and this is the best of her books yet. I found it to be a creepy page-turner with lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. I liked the idea of the tarot card readings throughout with gave the book a mystical feeling. I found the characters well-developed and believable. I would highly recommend to those who like psychological thrillers. Looking forward to her next book!
I found this an ok read. I wouldn't call it a thriller as the pace was really rather slow, especially in the beginning. The slow pace made me think it maybe should have been a much shorter book. But, I will say the author does a really great job of creating mood and atmosphere and character. As far as the mystery goes - I did figure out 90% of it a little more than halfway through but I kept reading for some kind of twist. There was a small one that I overlooked and it made the read worth it.
I've read Ruth Ware's first two books and whilst I enjoyed them, I think she's gone to another level with the fantastic The Death of Mrs Westaway. Despite being set mostly in the present day, it has a very gothic feel that almost belongs in a different era. I think the author did an amazing job at creating that level of atmosphere without having to take us back to Victorian times or the 1930s/40s.Harriet Westaway, known as Hal, reads tarot cards on Brighton Pier. She's young and is just getting over the death of her mother, living in a small flat and owing money to the potentially violent Mr Smith. So a letter telling her that she is a beneficiary in her late grandmother's will is very welcome, except Hal doesn't have any family. Or does she?Hal is a fantastic creation. She's clever and used to telling the people she reads for exactly what they need to know. So she knows that she could possibly pull off a deception - can she pretend to be Mrs Westaway's long lost granddaughter? She needs the money, after all.Trepassen House in Cornwall, the home of the late Mrs Westaway, is the archetypal gothic dwelling. I could imagine creeping round it, peering into all the rooms trying to work out where I should be and getting completely lost. But the house is well past its prime and the lack of upkeep only adds to Hal's sense of unease whilst she is there. It makes it all so much more creepy. Not to mention the housekeeper, Mrs Warren, who has her own suite of very private rooms. She's rather unpleasant and Hal doesn't know why she seems to have it in for her.There's nothing like a novel chock full of family secrets and the Westaways have plenty of them. Hal meets Harding, Abel and Ezra, the sons of the late Mrs Westaway. Can she trust any of them? Can Hal herself be trusted, given that she is trying pass herself off as somebody she is not, the daughter of the late Maud Westaway. It's all so deliciously dark, sinister and thrilling and despite Hal's deception I was rooting for her, hoping that she could escape Trepassen House and build a better future for herself.I read this book in instalments and I have to say that I couldn't wait to read the next one. It's truly a gripping story and I didn't see any of what happened coming. It's full of twists and I delighted in each one. Ruth Ware has written such a compelling and addictive story and I highly recommend it.
Hal owes money and she receives a notice that she has inherited money from the passing of her grandma, except they have the wrong person. She becomes involved in a family that is full of secrets and learns secrets about her mother. So much of this book was unnecessary, I feel like I could have read the last 60 pages and understand what the entire book was about. Some of the twist were obvious and the ones that were not did not fit the story whatsoever. It was still interesting to find out and speculate about who the characters really were and I enjoyed the concept, I just wish it was a bit more thought out and polished.
Harriet Westaway reads tarot cards on Brighton pier. She's in trouble and owes money to loan sharks. When she receives a letter saying she has inherited a substantial estate from her grandmother in Cornwall, it seems her prayers for help has been answered. There is a slight problem however, Hals grandparents have been dead a long time.This book had two things that appealed to me instantly, its by Ruth Ware and it features a tarot reader. This book I found very different to the previous books. The first three are very much thriller reads, but this offering with its rambling old house and family secrets is totally different and very much like books by Kate Morton. What the story does have in common with the previous books is the isolation and claustrophobic feel. In the story its a house where the other books its been a house in the woods and onboard a ship.I enjoyed this book and knew that I would. I like books that have the rambling old house with the secrets. The secret in this story wasn't anything new but did keep me guessing which way it was going to go.As with any old house yearns there is a diary and Hal gets to read the diary entries. The story does have the classic elements that a story like this has, the house, the diary, the heroine and the baddie. All good fun !I enjoyed this story, it didn't blow me away but did keep me entertained.
Ruth Ware's gift for telling a story is remarkable. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Imogen Church, whose performance was icing on the cake. I loved it!
Harriet, called Hal, Westaway, is barely making ends meet working as a tarot card reader on the pier at Brighton. She's made the mistake of borrowing money from a loan shark, and still mourning the untimely death of her mother. So she nearly throws away a letter from an attorney telling her she has been named in the will of her grandmother, Hester Westaway. Hal is pretty sure that Hester is not her grandmother, but she heads to the family house anyway, for the funeral and reading of the will. There she uncovers an unknown connection between herself and this family of Westaways, and finds herself in danger. Great audiobook!
This is the 3rd book of Ruth Ware's that I have read. I guess I have made the mistake of comparing them to the first one Woman in Cabin 10 which I really liked a lot. I read her first book and just hated it and now i hear it is going to be a movie. I was looking forward to TDoMW but found it quite boring. So loaded down with characters that it didn't focus or lend any kind of mystery or thrill. Honestly, I found the ending quite lame. It was just ok for me. I see a lot of people just rave about it but I don't think I will read this author again.
A story of family secrets. Possibly a case of my expectations being too high from all the gushing on social media.
This turned out to be my least favorite of hers so far. I love a good gothic mystery, but this one was full of too many cliches for me. I knew what was happening too soon and the obstacles that kept getting in the way felt a bit ridiculous. Still kept me going, but definitely not as thrilling as I was hoping.
Hal's constant whinging and cringing was a bit much. It's prolonged and needlessly heavy handed. I feel sorry for her already, jeez. Also I thought Mrs. Warren's character too much. Too hostile. Too one-dimensional and an obvious manipulative ploy. The story itself was ok, but there were too many dead ends and it took longer to get to the end than it should have. Needs trimming.
Ms. Ware is quite the storyteller! This is the second of her books that I have read- the first being In A Dark, Dark, Wood. Both are straight forward mystery thrillers, this one being my favorite of the two. Her prose is magnetic, drawing me into the story and holding me there. I could clearly see the influence of Dauphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, and would suggest that fans of that classic would love The Death of Mrs. Westaway. It is a modern, fresh take on the classic gothic mystery.
I’m really enjoyed this book. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read from this author. Will definitely be looking for the next book!