Ruth Ware's "The Death of Mrs. Westaway" is a suspenseful novel that weaves together elements of mystery, family secrets, and a touch of the gothic. Ware excels at building a sense of suspense. The crumbling mansion, with its watchful crows and shrouded history, creates a deliciously creepy atmosphere. The characters Hal encounters at Trepassen House are all harboring secrets, and their veiled motives cast a shadow of suspicion over their interactions. As Hal delves deeper into the mystery of her supposed inheritance, she uncovers a web of lies and long-held grudges that threaten to unravel the truth. The novel is told from Hal's perspective, allowing readers to experience the story through her eyes. Ware portrays Hal as a flawed but relatable protagonist. I had hoped that Hal's background as a tarot card reader would add an intriguing layer to the narrative, blurring the lines between intuition and reality. However, Hal's study serves as an annicdonte and does not lend itself to the mystery. The narrative is slowly paced, the suspense lacks tension, and the mystery, predictable. This novel did not have the expected twists and turns, but the writing is solid as always and a pleasant if predictable read.

this is going to be a short review because, while i enjoyed the story, i honestly have nothing substantial to say about it.

the writing is easy to read (although the pacing is a little slow), the characters are decent and relatable, and the plot is intriguing (albeit predictable). its quite an atmospheric story - so if you enjoy gothic mysteries, this will be enjoyable for you!

Ruth Ware weaves a tale of mystery and surprise in The Death of Mrs. Westaway. Hal is a young woman whose mother is dead and her father is unknown. She's broke and being hounded by loan sharks. She's desperate and frightened, having no where to turn. But then she receives a notice to attend the funeral and reading of the will of an old woman. Even though the old woman had the same last name as Hal, she knows there is no relation, as all her relatives are dead. But if there's a chance she could be given a sum of money, Hal is willing to act as if she is indeed related to the late Mrs. Westaway.. Hal heads to the funeral, not realizing that the venture could end up leading to her own funeral.
I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#ruthware
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This is a popular title at our library. Course, I imagine Ruth Ware is popular everywhere! I've always enjoyed her work.

Another hit for Ruth Ware! This creepy Cornish mystery channels Daphne Du Maurier in all the best ways.

I listened to this on a road trip. I was completely bored. I waited and waited and waited for something to happen. The twist finally happened . . . and it was good, but unfortunately it was too late for me. It was a tedious listen. Maybe the physical book would have been better.

Excellent pacing kept me on the hook. Dark and atmospheric. Interesting twist with the tarot cards.

The Death of Mrs. Westaway is quite a gothic, dark novel with many Westaway family secrets just waiting to be uncovered by Hal as she investigates her inheritance from her grandmother. As the mystery is unveiled, more twists and turns are thrown in making me not want to put this book down feeling like Mrs. Westaway was watching every second until the surprising ending.

I enjoy all of Ruth Ware's books, especially as audiobooks! They are very easy to follow but interesting enough to keep you reading! This one is probably one of my favorites of Ware's for several reasons. One, I am finding I love the set up of an unknown person getting an inheritance from a long lost relative and/or benefactor. Two, I love creepy manor houses, especially when their is a creepy matron of the house. Three, I love to be kept guessing at mysteries! I kept changing my mind as to how I predicted this book would end, and that is a huge plus when you're reading a mystery!

I’ve only read one other of Ware’s books, that being THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10. While I liked that book, I like this one much better! Lots of twists, a big rambling mansion, and loads of secrets! Highly recommend this book!

4 Stars! Wow! Such a great book from the Queen of Thrillers. Ruth Ware has done it again with this phenomenal book that had me both eager and dreading the end.

The Death of Mrs. Westaway is about Hal, who receives a letter telling her she is receiving inheritance. Hal realizes the letter was sent to the wrong person, but realizes it's her perfect opportunity to use her skills as a (fake) tarot card reader to claim the money. But, as you would imagine, everything is not what it seems...

I have read thrillers for at least 20 years and some of the twists and turns in this book made me literally gasp out loud. It kept me guessing until the end, which is the best thing about thrillers. Loved it!

I have my doubts when I asked for this ARC, I read The woman in cabin 10, which I enjoyed it but not loved it.
I am glad I decided to give it a chance, I loved it.
The descriptions of the mood and setting were son vivid that I felt like I was there, in that cold, drafty old house that held so many secrets and heartache. My only issue was the stretching time to the solving of the mystery.

Mrs. Ware conveys emotions, brilliantly! Hal is so lovable and made me feel she needs protection and love.

The Tarot cards were an intelligent touch, it makes the story more exciting and it shows the author's research.
I gave the story 5 stars and I am looking forward to reading more from Ruth Ware.
Thank you for letting me read this ARC.

Enjoyed just as much if not more than Ware’s precious works. Traditions gothic setting is very effective here.

As a librarian I had of course heard of Ruth Ware-- very prolific! Very popular! But I hadn't actually read anything by her, until The Death of Mrs. Westaway.
Now I understand the hype completely and consider myself a big fan after reading all her other work after this. She has such a talent for making you change your mind on reading just one more chapter-- you want to read a bunch more chapters and stay up way too late to finish it.

I really struggled with this book. It didn't make sense most of the time. And when it did, I was rolling my eyes. This wasn't a great representation of this author's writing. I almost wondered if someone else wrote it for her. It definitely wasn't for me.

This was an O.K. novel. I expected something a bit better seeing I've already read something from Ruth Ware before and loved it. I'm hoping to eventually read another novel by her to hopefully make up for this.

It strongly felt like a different book I had read before, and sadly it was done better.

Thank you for letting me read this book before it was published, and I hope to read a lot more from this publisher.

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware is a book I received some time back and placed it up on the shelf and shamefully forgot I even had it. When I did finally locate it, opened it and read it. I found that like a fine wine or well aged steak, it was a delicacy waiting for me to enjoy.

Summary

"...Dear Miss Westaway,
I am writing at the instruction of my client, your grandmother, Hester Mary Westaway of Trespassen House, St. Piran.
Mrs. Westaway passed away on 22nd November, at her home. I appreciate that this news may well come as a shock to you; please accept my sincere condolences on your loss.
As Mrs. Westaway's solicitor and executor, it is my duty to contact beneficiaries under her will. Because of the substantial size of the estate..."

It was a day like any other for Hal Westaway since the death of her mother. She worked her booth at the Pier, reading fortunes in the Tarot cards and eeking out a living that was not enough to feed her or clothe her. The past dues were piling up and soon the utilities would be turned off and she would find herself out on the streets. Worse was the money she had borrowed from Mr. Smith. A man without qualms about how he went about collecting on a debt.

The the letter came and all Hal could do was see the words....beneficiaries....substantial size....it was as if fortune was beginning to change for her. Except for one problem. Her grandmother has been dead for twenty years. The letter was meant for someone else!

Could Hal pretend to be the granddaughter of Mrs. Westaway? Could she claim the inheritance that belonged to someone else. The risk was great but so could be the reward, and really, what choice did she have. If she ignored the letter the bill collectors would come calling and one of them, might be the death of her.

Hal travels to Trespassen House and the reading of the will. She must fool not only the solicitor but the whole of Mrs. Westaway's family. For they had never known there was a granddaughter that might lay claim to the estate. But Trespassen house has secrets of its own.

"...The bars gave Hal a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, though she could not have said why. Perhaps it was the incongruity of finding them up here, in the attic. On the ground floor they might have been needed to keep out intruders. But up here there was only one explanation: these were bars not to keep someone out-but in. Only...this was not a nursery room, where the bars might be needed to safeguard a clambering toddler. It was a maid's room, far from the rest of the house, totally impractical for a small child.
What kind of person needed to stop their maids from escaping..."

Hal begins to realize that she is not the only one keeping secrets at Trespassen House. The Westaways have secrets of their own and Trespassen House has a secret Hal may not survive.

Review

There is not another writer going today who can lay claim to the mantle of the Great Agatha Christie like Ruth Ware can. Atmospheric, Gothic, slow churning tension that trembles like an ulcer in your guts. Ware does not only slide the knife in, she takes perverse pleasure in slowly twisting in a circle. Counter clockwise to boot!

There is also a pleasure for a reader to watch the growth and confidence in a writer from her first offering to the skill with which she presents her current work. I have been a fan of Ware's since I first read In A Dark, Dark Wood to this her fourth book, The Death of Mrs. Westaway. I know that there is another book out, The Turn of The Key and you can believe I will be reading and reviewing that one shortly!

The Death of Mrs. Westaway is a creepy mystery that develops with each turn of the page. It is a mystery that is well crafted that if they make a movie of it, it should only be done in black and white. Simply put, it may well be the best mystery I have read in some time.

That is, until I read the next Ruth Ware offering.

One hell of a good book!

Ruth Ware is masterful in the way she composes complex and positively addictive stories. The layers of suspense and character development are only surpassed by the quick-paced nature of her writing. The perfect amount of intrigue and eerieness.

Ruth Ware's slow-burning mystery is well done and deserves all the favorable comparisons to Agatha Christie.

On a dark and stormy night....we find our main character, Hal when she receives a mysterious letter bequeathing her a substantial inheritance. She realizes that the letter was sent to the wrong person but she is so desperate to escape the financial burden and loan sharks that she is under, she thinks that her cold-reading skills (from being a pier tarot card reader) will help her get the inheritance. When she realizes that she is inheriting the entire estate, and that not all is as it seems, she must figure out the mystery of her mother and the other Westaways before it is too late.

From the gloomy grey cover to Ware's bone-chilling description of the weather and the estate, it leaves you dreading whatever is coming next and freezing! I just wanted to warm Hal up! Although her behavior is questionable, you do relate to Hal and have compassion for her. I did know where the mystery was going but that didn't stop me from enjoying the big reveal.

The only negative I would say is that the beginning was a little too slow-burning but eventually picked up.

Ruth ware writes a great story. Keeps you guessing til the very end. She makes the characters believable and lovable or love to hate.