Lovely family drama, all about relationships, family secrets and misunderstandings. When love turns to jealousy and hate what happens then? How do you protect the ones you love when they do bad things and should you?
Good moral and ethical family questions asked in this book that make you ponder what you'd do in similar circumstances.

This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

Harriet “Hal” Westaway earns her living by telling peoples’ fortunes in a small booth on Brighton’s West Pier. It’s a business she has inherited from her mother, who died just before Hal turned eighteen. Now twenty-one, Hal is struggling to pay the lease on the booth, the rent on the small apartment in which she has lived for her whole life, and is some three thousand pounds in debt to a loan shark who wants his money as soon as possible. When she receives a letter from a solicitor inviting her to Trepassen House in Cornwall for the reading of her grandmother’s will, Hal decides to see how far she can get before someone catches on to the fact that she’s the wrong Harriet Westaway.

From the outset it’s difficult not to find ourselves in Hal’s corner, as we watch this lonely young woman work, eat, sleep and repeat. The visit from Mr Smith’s enforcer is enough to tell us – and, indeed, Hal – that things will go very badly for her if she doesn’t have the money by next week. So we don’t find it unreasonable that she decides to play the grieving granddaughter in the hopes of walking away with enough money to pay off the loan shark and put her back on her feet. Trepassen House is old and beginning to fall into disrepair. The same can be said for the late Mrs Westaway’s housekeeper, Mrs Warren, who seems to dislike Hal from the instant she meets her. When she arrives, she meets Mrs Westaway’s sons – Harding, Abel and Ezra – and finds that she is in luck: Mrs Westaway also had a daughter, who ran away over twenty years earlier, and who no-one has heard from since.

No-one questions Hal’s claim, but when she discovers that her bequest is much larger than the one she hoped to swindle, Hal’s conscience rears its head, and she begins to dig into the Westaway family’s history, finding secrets that the remaining members would much rather stayed hidden.

As readers, we’re firmly behind Hal throughout the story, despite her original intention to defraud this family about whom she knows nothing. It helps that the family in question is largely dysfunctional and it quickly becomes clear why old Mrs Westaway decided to take her revenge in death, setting in motion a series of events that lead to intrigue and murder.

The Death of Mrs Westaway has a somewhat gothic feel, no doubt down to the setting: the old Trepassen House with its various nooks and crannies. Hal finds herself in a strange bedroom on the top floor, at the top of a flight of stairs hidden within the walls, and behind a door that locks from the outside. Ware, proving that her ability to frighten and unsettle is as well-developed as her ability to keep us on the edge of our seat, gives our imagination the slightest nudge, and leaves us to fear the worst as Hal begins to feel less and less welcome in this massive house.

Characterisation is key in this tightly-plotted novel, but Ware also makes good use of the remote location and inclement weather to ensure maximum tension. This is not your average fast-paced psychological thriller, but an altogether more sedate affair that cements Ruth Ware’s reputation as a modern-day Agatha Christie. We’re carried along by our desire to find out whether Hal can achieve what she set out to do and find ourselves playing detective, as we try to pre-empt the next twist, or try to beat Hal to the truth behind her inclusion in Mrs Westaway’s will. As the book approaches its climax, Ware ratchets up the tension, ensuring that no-one will put Mrs Westaway down for the last fifty or sixty pages, even if it means missing the bus stop.

My wife has been telling me for ages how good Ruth Ware’s books are, but The Death of Mrs Westaway is the first of her books that I have read. As the author herself says, it’s a very different book from her previous three. I’m here to tell you that it’s an unmissable novel, which doesn’t make it that different from her previous runaway successes. Dark and enticing, it is a wonderful examination of family as seen through the eyes of a cynical young lady for whom family is a foreign country. It may be my first experience of Ruth Ware’s work, but it certainly won’t be my last. I can’t recommend The Death of Mrs Westaway highly enough.

Another addictive Ruth Ware, this time with a spookier and more Gothic edge. I adored ‘The Death of Mrs Westaway’ and will always read anything Ruth Ware comes out with!

I always enjoy Ruth Ware's books and this didn't disappoint. This has a great storyline as always and i couldn't put it down.

OMGTHIS BOOK IS ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT! There, that got your attention didnt it!? I have read all of Ruth Wares books now and enjoyed them all but this book is definitely my favourite so far!

Hal is a struggling young women trying to make ends meet after her mum had died in a hit and run accident, only leaving her with the opportunity to continue making a living from tarot card readings on the pier. She had fallen into debt, with no option other than borrowing from a money leader with no hope of ever repaying the loan because of ridiculously high interest rates. So when she receives a letter telling her that she has been named as a benefactor in her grandmother’s will, a grandmother so knew nothing about, then she decides that it must be a mistake but one that she must grab with both hands. Perhaps there could be enough money to clear this debt once and for all!

Ruth Ware has created a stifling environment, with a Gothic feel to it. There is a claustrophobic and unsettling feel about it that will chill the reader to the bone. There are characters galore, and each one could be a suspect ... that's if there really was a murder.

Drama, suspense and a definite creepiness; The Death of Mrs Westaway is a top quality mystery story penned by a very clever author.

I haven't read a Ruth Ware book before and was totally smitten by her writing skill. Her characters are well developed and she articulately sets a scene with powerful description. She injects suspense, atmosphere and a fascinating compulsion in her prose. I was glued to this from start to finish. There's a charming aura of old-fashionedness in her writing. It's not glaringly obvious, but every now and then, you find yourself thinking, oooh!, there it is again.

There's a little complexity about the plot, not simplified by two characters having very similar names, but keep your wits about you and it's all fine!

Tarot reader, Hal, receives a letter informing her she been bequeathed an inheritance from her recently deceased grandmother. But she knows full well that the wrong Hal has received the letter. Her deceased mother's parents have long been dead…and they certainly didn't have any assets worth bequeathing. But…what if…what if she goes along with it? She has some serious financial woes, and this might just be the answer to her problems. However, no sooner has she arrived at her 'grandmother's' funeral, than she realises the house harbours some appalling secrets and perhaps her financial situation is better solved another way, however desperate and serious it is.

There's almost a Hitchcock-like atmosphere about this book: think lots of magpies, bleak, dark architecture, fog, rain, cold, frost…and bolts on the outside of bedroom doors…and you'll get the picture. Oh, and a totally dysfunctional family.

I'm definitely going to read more by this author.

This was my first book by this author, and I can positively say that I really enjoyed reading this one. Its captivating. For sure I will be checking other books written by this author.

Wow, what a gripping read by a very talented author! I loved every minute of this book, and really can't wait to lay my hands on the next one. Well done!

When I first read the synopsis I was fully prepared to dislike the protagonist, a fraudster basically, but the sensitive handling of the characterisation surprised me, and I actually found Hal to be a sympathetic character. This is a very gothic book in atmosphere, a will, mistaken identity and a creepy old mansion house. It's a slow burner at first, but stick with it, it's worth it.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance ARC copy of this book.

Intriguing story with an atmospheric setting and appealing main character - one to sink into, thoroughly recommended.

Having read Ruth Ware's The Woman in Cabin 10 and loved it. I was excited to receive an advanced review copy of this.

Again, it doesn't disappoint in terms of Ruth Ware's incredibly engaging writing, character development and plot twists. However, and maybe because I had read one of her previous books and was more alert to twists and was trying to guess the twists, I found this much more predictable. There are two main issues Hal deals with to do with her parentage and I could see them both coming long before they arose.

The character of Hal also kept obsessing over her so called deception even when it was clear that things were not as simple as she has first believed and technically she was no longer deceiving anyone.

Those issues aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this and will be reading all of Ruth Ware's books as I've now enjoyed two and find the quality of writing to be higher than your average thriller/mystery.

Thanks to Random House, the author and Netgalley for the review copy.

I’ve enjoyed previous books of Ruth Ware’s - I think she has an amazing gift for settings. Her settings aren’t just places - they’re the metaphorical heart of the story. For example, In a Dark, Dark Wood with its huge glass-box house in the woods, everything playing out like a stage set or a huge dollhouse. The Woman in Cabin 10, with its vast ship full of secret below-the-water rooms. The Lying Game, with its house slowly sinking into the marsh. They’re all great, and I wish I’d thought of them first!

Similarly here, the settings are so perfect. The flat at the beginning, so poky and damp. Then the huge house, very Agatha Christie-esque. I didn’t really get into the story or characters, but that’s maybe just because I have an aversion to stories about posh people and their lives - I don’t know why! Even though this one wasn’t for me, I’ll read Ruth Ware’s next.

Loved this book
You weren’t always sure where it was going to go
A twist on your normal murder story telling

This is the third Ruth Ware novel I have read and I think it's her best yet.

From the description I was expecting Harriet to be a real piece of work as she owes money to loan sharks and sets off to deceive a family to inherit a bequest. I was so surprised to find the character to be the complete opposite of what I had imagined and enjoyed her role so much. I also enjoyed the tarot card aspect of the book - which surprised me. It was well written about throughout and was a nice twist to the plot.

I thought that the book built a gripping suspense that was always just bubbling under the surface of the normal day to day activities. I also felt I should be able to work out how the mistake of Harriet getting the letter about the inheritance occurred - teasingly it just kept out of my grasp.

I couldn't wait to get back to this book and in the end I invested a few hours to finish it in one sitting as I just needed to know what was going to happen. I certainly didn't expect the ending which was real nail biting stuff.

If I have one problem with the book it is the nickname of Harriet being Hal - couldn't get used to it and kept thinking of the AI in the film 2001.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC to review.

Thanks to netgalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review

Hal is a girl down on her luck when she receives a letter which will change her life

Hal sets off on a journey to meet her extended family whom she has never met before

Her grandmother has died and this book centres around the Will and a family full of secrets and deceptions. It’s quite creepy as there are characters that you just can’t trust

Even though I enjoyed this book it is not Ruth Ware’s best however it’s great to curl up with on a cold rainy day

The Death of Mrs.Westaway

Get out while you still can. Ruth Ware has created a thrilling house with even darker secrets. The Death of Mrs. Westaway begins with Hal and a mysterious inheritance to someone she has never heard of. Pretending all is well, she returns to the estate and realised that this is more than she bargained for.

The pace in this novel is well thought out. It begins rather fast paced, with the introduction to Hal and her need to escape. After the first meeting with the lawyer Mr.Treswick, the novel seemed to slow a little. However this allows the reader to come to terms with what is happening and to explore the grounds and the rest of the characters with Hal. From this point on, the pace continues to build, leaving the reader with sleepless nights of reading.

The plot itself plays to Ware’s strengths as her style cannot be unacknowledged in the plot. Ware’s writing style tends to be located in a location that holds memories and secrets that are carefully revealed one by one. The Death of Mrs.Westaway tends to be the most focused towards a mystery novel, with Hal and the reader being the detective. With this being said, this mystery brings the traditional victorian mystery into the contemporary here and now. Therefore do not expect a predictable read with this book. Whilst you are reading one part, Ware is tweaking with something else in the background.

There is some very significant influences to this novel that are very hard to ignore. The past location of Ezra and the estate itself, are strong influences of Daphne Du Maurie’s Rebecca. Throughout the novel the similarities are uncanny. However Ruth Ware makes sure that you don’t read the same novel twice.

Furthermore superstition also plays a key part in the novel, from tarot cards to magpies that swarm the grounds. This could challenge the reader’s beliefs of what is believed and what is fact. It is this concept that is consistently returned to when trying to uncover the secrets throughout the novel. What are the facts and what is it that you want to believe?

The Death of Mrs.Westaway is a perfect choice for readers who loved Rebecca or are curious about superstition. However if you enjoy a good mystery but would wish they kept you guessing, then again, you’re looking at your next read.

If you are still not entranced by this novel then, through the words of Mrs.Warren Get out while you still can.

Although we already know what you are going to read next, don’t we?

Hal is a struggling young women trying to make ends meet after her mum had died in a hit and run accident, only leaving her with the opportunity to continue making a living from tarot card readings on the pier. She had fallen into debt, with no option other than borrowing from a money leader with no hope of ever repaying the loan because of ridiculously high interest rates. So when she receives a letter telling her that she has been named as a benefactor in her grandmother’s will, a grandmother so knew nothing about, then she decides that it must be a mistake but one that she must grab with both hands. Perhaps there could be enough money to clear this debt once and for all!
This is my first Ruth Ware novel and it was fabulous. I liked Hal straight away, independent and compassionate. As she dealt with the general public through her work, I thought that she would hold her own pretty well with her new relatives, that she had been summoned to meet up with at the departed Mrs. Westaway’s house. Well house I say loosely as it was more a mansion, albeit run down and need of substantial repair. Hal was to meet her uncles and extended family who welcomed her with open arms convinced she was the daughter of their sister that ran away years before. The housekeeper, Mrs Warren, was another matter entirely, she came with a warning to Hal!
This story moves from one of mystery to one of a more sinister and deadly nature as secrets from the past are woken up as Hal begins to delve into family history. A proper whodunit and who could do it again mystery. A brilliant dark and compelling read!
I wish to thank NetGalley for an e-copy of this book, which I have reviewed honestly.

The storyline was intriguing: our protagonist, Hal receives a letter, tempting her with the promise of an inheritance she knows isn’t hers. It's a good read (although I guessed the plot too early), with enough twists and turns to keep those pages turning.

A good page turner, but a bit far-fetched at times! But overall a well-written and very readable thriller.