Although I really enjoyed Ruth Ware’s debut novel, “In a Dark, Dark Wood,” my reading commitments meant that I have not read any further books by her until this, her latest. However, having enjoyed this so much, I really need to go back and read her other books.

Harriet (Hal) Westaway is a young woman, who lives in Brighton. After the death of her mother in a hit and run incident, she was forced to drop out from college and take up her mother’s job, as a tarot reader on the pier. She just about scrapes a living and has managed to keep the small flat she lived in with her mother, but, when bills mounted, what seemed like to the answer to a prayer turned ugly and she is now in danger from debt collectors.

While Hal is debating what to do about the unpleasant notes, and threatening visits, she receives a strange letter from a solicitor, informing her that she is a beneficiary in her grandmother’s will. Scared of staying at home, but certain that the letter was a mistake, Hal sets out for the country estate of Trepassen House. She hopes that she can pretend to be a member of the family and, possibly, get a financial bequest from the will, to help pay off her debts, and vanish before she is found out as an imposter. However, things turn out to be far more complicated than she expected.

This is a wonderfully creepy novel, complete with a Mrs Danvers like housekeeper, an array of Westaway relatives, dark family secrets, a glorious Gothic estate and rooms with bars on the windows and bolts on the outside of the doors… Can Hal manage to keep up the deception, or is she, indeed, linked to the inhabitants of Trepassen House by more than just her name? I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

The Death of Mrs Westaway had me hooked from start to finish. The dark mystery of it, the suspense and the creepy old house sucked me right in. Lots of twists that all fall into place nicely. I loved The Woman In Cabin 10 (still to read In A Dark, Dark Wood, which I now can't wait to read) and this was another great book by Ruth Ware.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in two days. I had to keep putting it down though as I wanted to savour it and enjoy reading it in the sunshine, I didn’t want it to end. The creepy old house in Cornwall, the situations the main character got herself into and all the secrets and lies, past and present, made for an excellent read.I would recommend this for a holiday read when you have nothing else to do but enjoy this book.

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows Harriet Westaway, who receives an unexpected letter telling her she's inherited a substantial bequest from her Cornish grandmother, it seems like the answer to her prayers. She owes money to a loan shark and the threats are getting increasingly aggressive: she needs to get her hands on some cash first.
There's just one problem - Hal's real grandparents died more then twenty years ago. The letter has been sent to the wrong person. But Hal knows that the cold-reading techniques she's honed as a seaside fortune teller could help her con her way into getting the money. If anyone has the skills to turn up at a stranger's funeral and claim a bequest they're not entitled to, it's her.
Hal makes a choice that will change her life for ever. But once she embarks on her deception, there is no going back. She must keep going or risk losing everything.....

Wow what a read! Definitely Ruth Ware's best book so far! The whole plot was intriguing right from the very start, and got darker and creepier the more I read. There were so many parts of the book that literally sent chills down my spine and made my heart race. The whole book was a thrilling page-turner that had me hooked from start to finish!
I loved the main character Hal! She was such a great character that was extremely well written! I'm not a very superstitious person but I throughly enjoyed reading around all the tarot card descriptions and Hal's views on tarot reading and what they meant to her. Brilliant!

Overall, a very cleverly-written hard-to-put-down thrilling book that I highly recommend!!

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
I loved Ruth Ware’s previous book, The lying Game, so had high expectations for this. But unfortunately it did not meet these. Whilst it was well written and fairly intriguing, it was quite slow and lacked impetus and impact.
3.5 stars

I was intrigued to read Ruth Ware’s latest having enjoyed her other books but soon realised this was very different....in a good way...and it took me to the most unexpected of places!

It was a true reading experience that made me shiver despite reading it in the midday sun. It starts off as a story of a girl struggling with life, working as a tarot card reader on Brighton Pier and then....well it takes a remarkable twist the thrill of which lasts throughout the novel

It’s those tarot cards you see - the cards which lead Hal, guide her and warn her of things to come....When she gets a letter saying she’s been left an inheritance from her grandmother who lives in a grand gothic mansion....the cards come in very handy indeed. This was a narrative thread which made em shiver as I read. Very effective and perfect for this gothic twisty tale!

The novel over all has a golden age crime feel to it but also one of Rebecca and indeed the main servant of the house is often called Mrs Danvers. There’s mentions of Jane Eyre (Hal goes to stay in the attic room), sibling rivalry, a dysfunctional family in a grand old house with secrets of inheritance and more to come flooding out.

Trepassen House where the novel is set is fictional but even the name - Trespass - conjures up very real images and emotions.

Step inside...if you dare.
Highly recommended

I'm not sure why, but this entire novel just felt a bit anti-climatic. It starts with good intentions, but so many elements of the plot fold together, and few actually get paid off, until you're left with a bit of a mess of a thriller. Undeniably, there is an homage to Agatha Christie in amongst these pages- the secluded house, the hazy mysteries of the past coming back to haunt the present, the fractured family- but it doesn't have the same satisfaction that a Christie mystery does. Some have said this is Ware's best book so far, but I beg to differ. At times, the novel felt lacking and more often than not, played on cliché and weird plot lines to make things seem more confusing. Nothing truly significant happens until the last 20% of the book, which doesn't exactly make for a gripping read. Even then, the twist that is chosen isn't exactly one that seems clever, just a little out of left field. The writing was good and I'm sure many others would enjoy this type of quick, by the numbers thriller, but sadly, this one didn't really hit the spot for me.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one as I didn’t enjoy Ruth’s previous novel. I’m happy to say this was a good solid tale and I enjoyed it overall. I still think it lacks something of the author’s first two novels however, both of which I loved.

As an inquisitive reader I did not want to put this book down as I needed to know why the grandmother made the will. The story was well paced and the information was fed to the reader in a perfect way. I made my mind up about Hal’s father and mother fairly early on but despite this I was not able to calculate the depth of the story. At the end I silently asked myself what would I have done had I received that letter?
I loved the intrigue throughout and the family discord that appeared to be neatly wrapped up n the ending.. the characters were complex but the descriptions given by Ruth brought them to life and the whole situation felt very real.

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! I love Ruth Ware’s books! There hasn’t been one I haven’t enjoyed, and this one is no exception. Gripping, questioning, suspenseful, and beautifully written, I found myself easily dragged into the story and consumed by its intricacies. Her writing style is so easy to read, it flows like liquid gold through my mind as I flip page after page.

I found myself thinking I’d figured it out but then questioning again and again what I thought I knew. And what an ending.

Fabulous read! 5 stars!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this new offering from Ruth Ware. Highly atmospheric, with plenty of twists and turns. Had me totally hooked throughout. Highly recommend.

Hal is really up against it; her mother has died and she has the debt collectors threatening her with violence. A letter invites her to come to a funeral in Cornwall of an unknown relative. She decides to go along and see if there is any chance of some inheritance.

Well things aren't quite as she would have wanted in deep, dark Cornwall. This book is a bit of a mixture of Mary Wesley with the Cornish family, Kate Morton with the hidden secret and Agatha Christie for the whodunnit.

There is a fair amount of to-ing and fro-ing before the ending comes punching it's way to climax. Some of the family set up and treatment of the 'poor orphan cousin' seemed more suited to 1895 than 1995, and I have not seen a bitter, scheming housekeeper for a long while - but hey, it is an enjoyable thriller so why be picky?

Well-written thriller that slowly turns up the pressure until you fear for the protagonist's safety. I enjoyed the descriptions of Brighton and tarot readings. All the clues to the mystery are laid out and I was able to deduce the culprit and some of the twists although motive was tricky. I think this would make a good mystery series as the protagonist, Hal, has a lot of potential and would make a charming sleuth.

Thank you Netgalley..

Hal receives a mysterious letter bequeathing her a substantial inheritance. Realizing 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.

Well, I liked the book but I didn't love it. I love Ruth Ware's previous books and was expecting for the same but I didn't.

It was easy reading but not my favourite

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2335337973

Hal (Harriet) is a sad young woman who reads Tarot cards in a booth on Brighton Pier. Things are becoming desperate for Hal. She is trying to make ends meet but tarot pays so little. She is barely able to pay her rent and is in deep trouble with a violent loan shark. Then out of the blue Hal receives a letter informing her that she has received a legacy in her late grandmother's will. Though the details don't seem to add up Hal dares to believe that the legacy may mean an end to her problems. In fact they are only just beginning.

I enjoyed this book with it's gloomy Gothic mansion setting and family secrets so dark that they may be worth killing for. But the story is a little predictable, even though there are a few red herrings thrown in, and it does lag pace for a while in the middle pages. Overall though it is an entertaining read with a very atmospheric setting and a fantastic main character.

The Death of Mrs Westaway by Ruth Ware was so good that I could no put it down and read it in one day. Hal who is living hand to mouth and has no family receives a letter telling her that her grandmother has died. The lawyer has enclosed the details of the funeral arrangements and the reading of the will. Hal does not believe that the letter has been sent to the right person but decides to go anyway as this may be a way out of her financial situation. This book is very creepy and parts sent shivers down my spine as Hal tries to work out what her relationship to this family really is.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House UK, Vintage Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Death of Mrs Westaway is a page turner and it had me hooked right away. Fabulously well written creepy story, wonderfully atmospheric with a gripping narrative. This is one of those books that kept me reading into the early hours as I was so involved with the story.
Ruth Ware is a magnificent story teller, the whole story is perfectly paced and the atmosphere the author creates is exceptional, it’s absolutely impossible to tear yourself away.
I love all of Ruth Ware's books, but this one, in my opinion, is her best yet. Stands out from the crowd of psychological thrillers, highly recommended.

I’ve enjoyed previous books by this author but not so much this one . I didn’t particularly like any of the characters and found it at times dreary.
Glad I had the opportunity to read it though!

Harriet Westaway, called Hal, is broke, totally broke. When she receives a letter stating that her grandmother has died and she is to inherit a substantial sum, this seems to be the solution to all her problems. Yet: the dead woman simply cannot be her grandmother. They share the same last name, but all the dates on the birth certificates show that there must have been a mistake. Nevertheless, she travels to Cornwall to the funeral where she meets “her family”: Harding, Abel and Ezra – presumably her mother Maud’s brothers. Before Maud died three years ago, she never spoke of neither her family nor Hal’s father, she and her mother were all family she had and now, she got three uncles and their families. Hal feels uncomfortable betraying them, even though they apparently do much better in life than she herself and they easily could do without a couple of pounds. But more than the nagging bad conscience she senses that the old mansion, Trepassen, she is staying at has some secrets to hide – especially the deceased Mrs Westaway’s servant Mrs Warren seems to know something she does not want to share – and she recognises Hal. How could that be?

I have read several of Ruth Ware’s novels and I like that she always finds a completely new story and that you are not reminded of any former books – a problem of so many authors who seem to write the same novel over and over again. Even though Ware has become famous for her psychological thrillers, I wouldn’t classify “The Death of Mrs Westaway” as one, for me it is rather a suspenseful family drama without the big thrill but a lot of secrets and mysteries.

What I liked especially was the setting of the old house in which all the secrets have lain buried for two decades. The floor boards creak when you walk on them, there is an old study with masses of books and you can hear the wind howl. Plus, the secretive family who is not very open and welcoming to the stranger and who surely does not want any old stories to be uncovered.

For her protagonist, Ruth Ware has chosen a very unique character. A young orphaned woman is not that rare in those kinds of novels, however, Hal is a tarot reader and has a special capacity of reading people – in order to tell them what they want to hear. She herself does not believe in the cards as fortune-tellers, they are much more providing guidance and concentration at the facts at hand.

The story itself is captivating immediately since you anxiously wait until Hal’s deliberate deception is revealed and she is thrown-out. Then you realise that things might be a bit more complicated and the further you get, the more pieces of the puzzle appear leading to a new picture.

There are many small aspects which make the novel absolutely outstanding, first of all the title which seems so simple since you know right from the start that a certain Mrs Westaway has died. Yet, at the end, there is much more to this than you might have guessed at first. Second, Harriet has a tattoo of a magpie, a reference to her mother and closely linked to Trepassen – which is a corruption of the Cornish word for magpie farm. She calls herself “Hal” which is also the name of the goddess of death in Norse mythology and whom the magpies served.

All in all, a captivating read in which it is worth looking at the details.

A mystery with no domestic violence, no child abuse, no graphic violence, sexual assault, no wives looking out of the window! Finally, a thriller that doesn't make you feel bad with the content.
I loved Ruth Ware's new book to bits. It was very atmospheric, that you feel in the middle of the setting. She engaged me from the beginning till the end. It was not only the mystery I was following, but I was enjoying her beautiful writing as well.
I also liked the fact that it was also a feminist book with many strong women characters in it, our protagonist being one of them. The book hooks you from the beginning and gives you tips all through the way and you wreck your brain to find out the mystery. It’s very cleverly set up and there are no loose ends. So, she tied up everything well in the end.
I really can’t fault this book, I enjoyed it a lot. It’s definitely one of my favourite thriller recommendations of the year.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for providing me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.