Ruth Ware writes an eerie, atmospheric and dark twisted murder mystery in the style of the golden age of crime classics with elements of the gothic. 21 year old Harriet 'Hal' Westaway lost her mother in a hit and run car accident, and took up the mantle of becoming a tarot reader at the Brighton Pier. Alone in the world, she is in dire financial straits, owing money to unscrupulous loan sharks, and facing a bleak and unpromising future. Out of the blue, she receives a letter that tells her of an inheritance left to her by grandmother, Hester Mary Westaway, which she knows is an error, as both of her grandparents have been dead for a while. Her predicament and circumstances drive her to fraudulently pursue the inheritance, as she attends the funeral and travels to Cornwall to the huge and dilapidated Trepassen House, surrounded ominously by magpies. It doesn't take her long to become aware that something is terribly wrong. This is a story of a dysfunctional family, sibling conflicts and rivalry, intrigue, legacies and buried secrets from the past.

Placed in the attic room, Hal faces hostility from all quarters, apart from Ezra. The elderly, menacing and strange Mrs Warren, the housekeeper appears to have own secrets as well as knowing secrets of others. Hal embarks on a search for the truth aided by her trusty tarot cards, as she wonders what her mother's involvement with the family is. As the past threatens to reveal itself, Hal has to draw on her inner resources as danger swirls around her. Hal is a flawed character, who you can forgive her deceptions, given the precarious nature of her finances. She is brave and courageous in the face of the dark Trepassen House and all the secrets held within its walls. Ware gives us a well plotted tale with rich evocative descriptions. This is a creepy, absorbing and entertaining read which I thoroughly enjoyed with its echoes of Rebecca, Agatha Christie and more. Many thanks to Random House Vintage for an ARC.

Ever since her mother's sudden death, Hal has been struggling to stay afloat. She owes money to dangerous people, and her work as a fortune teller is not enough. When she receives a letter telling her she’s inherited a substantial bequest from her Cornish grandmother, it seems too good to be true... and indeed it is. Hal's actual grandmother died many years ago, so the letter was sent to the wrong person. And yet she desperately needs the money... Hal decides to use her reading skills to claim the inheritance, but she soon realizes there is something wrong - and dangerous - in the family of the deceased.

I am conflicted about this book. On one hand, I think Ruth Ware's writing has improved (I have already read two of her books). I liked the atmosphere especially, it was very dark and mysterious and some parts were quite creepy. While not exactly an horror novel, it had a strong gothic feeling to it.

As a mystery, however, the book was lacking. I was interested in the story, but there were many slow parts which bored me. The beginning was intriguing, and the final part was good, but the middle felt dragged out. I really enjoyed the reveal, however, which totally surprised me. It was well constructed and the twist, while shocking, was also quite believable.

All in all, an average read, entertaining but not spectacular.

Reminiscent of du Maurier's "Rebecca", Manderley here is Trepassen, with its wrought-iron gate, unkempt gardens and ramshackle quality, it has its own presence as a character. Other similarities to the classic novel do not end there: it is predominantly set in Cornwall, Trepassen is overseen by a cantankerous housekeeper who is loyal to her mistress even after she has passed away and there is also a lake on the premises with a boathouse, in which some of the scenes of drama unfold.
I found this novel superior to Ware's The Woman in Cabin 10, which dragged in places for me. The writing here felt more assured and really drew me in. There are similar circumstances of course with Ware's Cabin 10 in that near the commencement of the novel, the main female character is feeling vulnerable as a result of a house break-in and a subsequent escape from circumstances follows, which we know will inevitably lead to more trouble.
The book is not perfect. The main character Hal takes approximately 50 pages to determine whether or not she should do what the reader knows is inevitable, that is, whether to go to Cornwall. There were also moments when Hal did things that were beyond the reader's belief; one example which doesn't give away any of the major mysteries in the book: I could not understand why this character was willing to give away all her hard-won money one evening, in circumstances where she didn't have enough to pay her electricity bill or her rent. There are other such examples, but I can't give those without giving away the denouement.
In spite of a few flaws, this was an enjoyable page-turner and I look forward to Ware's next book.

I love Ruth Ware. This was an exciting, fun read with all the twists you'd expect. Her narrative style is so engaging and wonderful.

Wow. I really enjoyed this book. It is a really good plot which has been very cleverly put together. When Hal pretends to be somebody else to try and cash in on a will, she has no idea where it will lead. There are a lot of surprises and a lot of twists to the plot. I was totally caught up in this book and read it in one sitting. I wanted to know what the outcome would be. This is definitely a page turner. I would definitely recommend this book and any book by Ruth Ware.

An extremely gripping page turner, I loved the Gothic atmosphere and the nods to Agatha Christie. It had me up reading long after I should have gone to bed and I was more than a little frightened! Yes, it does require some suspension of disbelief but overall I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Stop Press! Lovers of character-driven, atmospheric thrillers with a spooky setting, listen up! You’d better put May and June on your calendars, because this is when Ruth Ware’s latest book The Death of Mrs Westaway will be released, and it’s a pearler! Ever since reading The Woman in Cabin 10 and The Lying Game, Ware has been firmly embedded on my favourite authors list, and I was doing a little happy dance around my house when I received a copy of her new book from Netgalley.

For me, The Death of Mrs Westaway has all the hallmarks of a fantastic read. Ware is a master at characterisations, and has created another charismatic main protagonist and a great cast of supporting characters who immediately drew me into the story. I once followed a thread on a book blogging site discussing whether people could visualise characters’ faces when reading or whether they remained shadowy featureless shapes. For me, this depends very much on the author’s writing skill, and I am happy to say that Ware falls squarely into that category. It’s in the small details, the casual observations, the little quirks that make her characters come to life, and the book played out almost movie-like in my mind, each fictional person as real to me as flesh-and-blood people I have known for years.

Hal, the mousy bespectacled girl who is constantly being underestimated by those who first meet her played a wonderful lead, and I immediately warmed to her. Left destitute, with loan sharks threatening her after the sudden death of her mother, young Hal has her back against the wall and we feel her desperation as she is looking for a way out of her seemingly hopeless situation. When a letter arrives to tell her that she has been named as an heir to part of the late Mrs Westaway’s estate, it offers a perfect way out – even if it means lying about her true identity. Would I consider doing this in her situation? Would you? Don’t you just love an ethical dilemma in a suspense story? To see what Hal decides to do you will have to read it for yourself ....

Aside from the characters, there is Ware’s hallmark claustrophobic setting that characterises all her novels. From the isolated house in the forest in her debut novel In a Dark Dark Wood, to the luxury yacht in The Women in Cabin 10, to the rustic beach house in The Lying Game – I loved them all! In The Death of Mrs Westaway the setting is a spooky, gothic English manor house which has seen better days, and which harbours a dark secret. As the Westaways come together under its crumbling roof, the tension is sure to mount, and there is a constantly growing thread of menace and danger that had me eagerly turning the pages for more. I can see why comparisons with Agatha Christie’s writing have been made, because this is a very character driven novel, relying on the interactions between people and the things left unsaid to create almost unbearable suspense. As with her characters, Ware knows how to introduce small, seemingly innocuous elements into her setting that serve to ratchet up the tension, such as the dilapidated boathouse on a weed-choked lake, the mournful cawing of the magpies and the dark staircase to the small attic room Hal is being put up in during her stay at the house. I also loved the unusual element of Hal’s tarot cards to add to the breadcrumb-like trail of clues left for the reader, which made for a very unique feature in this outstanding novel!


In summary, Ware has done it again and created a cast of vivid characters coming together in an eerie claustrophobic setting where past secrets are bound to raise their ugly heads and family skeletons are aired in her latest tense psychological thriller. The Death of Mrs Westaway is sure to be one of my favourite reads of 2018, and I cannot recommend it highly enough to all lovers of the genre!

Having read all of Ruth Ware's previous novels, I was interested in giving her new one a read. I must admit I struggled with this ( I did with Woman in Cabin 10 as well). I think the main problem for me was I didn't like Hal as a character. The idea that this young woman eked a living out of tarot readings in Brighton didn't ring true at all along with some of the plotting which just didn't make sense.

The premise of it promised alot, Gothic mansion, psychological thriller, however I could not connect with Hal and her trying to con her way into an inheritance.

Great plot, but a little too drawn out in places which stops the tension from building as it should. Have really enjoyed the other books by this author, but this one disappoints slightly. Would have benefited from sharper editing.

This has all the perfect ingredients for a sideshow freak like me – a tarot booth on the seafront pier, a mysterious old house, a room with bars, a case of mistaken identity, curious old photographs and a controversial reading of a Will. Essentially, I was hooked.

From the writer of In a dark dark wood, Cabin 10 and The Lying Game, comes a mystery thriller … I could feel the polar sensations of the tarot booth – the summer season sunshine and the dark side of emptiness and threat. I could sense the desperation of our protagonist Hal (Harriet) drawn to a funeral out of fear and curiosity.

Hal finds much more than the few hundred quid she was hoping for at the funeral, but often when wishes come true it’s a rollercoaster of emotions to deal with, and this is a story to prove that.

Ruth writes in such a way to keep the reader tantalised. There is so much more than a mystery to unravel, and the characterisation is such that the reader shares our protagonist’s fear and anxieties. As ever the author uses a light touch for the most part but as the secrets unravel, the writing becomes intense and leading, visceral description urging the reader onwards to the conclusion. In this tale, the old house in the photograph Trepassen, is a foreboding place, and even when you’re used to doing Tarot readings for punters, you sometimes get it wrong for yourself. Not everything is what it seems …

Highly recommend this read. There is no let up in the talent of this writer. I was pleasantly captivated and compelled again.

Thank you for my ARC.

An intriguing tale of family secrets with gothic overtones reminiscent of Rebecca, but with a fresh spin on a long lost relative appearing at the reading of the will...
Enjoyable page-turner with an original approach to using the tarot as a plot device.

I'm a huge fan of Ruth Ware and when I read the description for this I knew I'd love it. The premise of the story is Hal receives a letter from a solicitor stating she's been left something by her grandmother. However, Hal knows this is most definitely not her grandmother. The story follows her journey to the inheritance. It's gripping, shocking and thrilling and I devoured this in an afternoon. Fantastic book, i'd highly recommend

An outstanding novel about deep, disturbing, egocentric family secrets

Hal – Harriet Westaway - lives and works in Brighton. She is 21 years old, lives alone and has taken over the tarot reading kiosk of her mother on the West Pier after her mother was run over and killed by a car three years previously. Her life is tough, she is lonely and full of grief after the death of her mother. She does not know who her father is and as far as she is aware she does not have any relatives. To make her life even more difficult she is harassed and threatened by a loan shark.

She receives a letter from a solicitor informing her that her grandmother, Mrs Westaway, had passed away at Trepassen House, St Piran and Harriet Westaway are one of the beneficiaries. Harriet was asked to attend the funeral and stay at Trepassen House until the will was read to her and the three Westaway brothers.

Hal jumped at the opportunity to remove herself from the threats of the loan shark and her miserable life, even though she was absolutely sure there must be some mistake. The book unfolds with Hal doubting herself and her integrity but stays with the process because, as the days go by, more and more is revealed to her that is mysterious, puzzling and disturbing. She wants to run away but needs to stay. Her conscience worries her but her need to uncover the truth from the past is more powerful. She stays until she reveals her own truth to her detriment or almost......

Excellent read by an absolutely brilliant author.

BonnieK

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Have read and loved all of Ruth's books and have always thought that they are very Agatha Christie-esque. This book although set in modern day as soon as Hal arrives at her dead grandmother's cornish estate things take a dark turn and intrigue is around every corner. Every new family member Hal meets seems to have their guard up and you spend the book thinking what is their agenda. I did work out the way the story was headed however Ruth masterfully adds in more that I wasn't expecting. An atmospheric read.

Ruth Ware is an accomplished storyteller and her latest book does not disappoint. It’s the story of an impoverished young girl, alone in the world and deep in debt, who is told that she may be the beneficiary of a large estate. Though she is convinced she is not really the grandchild of the deceased, she is desperate enough to go along in the hope of inheriting some small amount.
Events do not go as planned and she finds herself in a terrifying situation. This was a really engaging story that had me hooked from beginning to end. There were so many unexpected twists and turns and the ending was totally unexpected. I loved this book and would highly recommend it.

I really loved this book! Excellent story with brilliant main characters. I would recommend this book.

This was another really good read by this author and certainly doesn't disappoint. Thank you for letting me read an advance copy. I think the plot gradually unfolded and what seemed like a simple case of someone trying to get out of debt led to a rather more intriguing conclusion.

"One for sorrow Two for joy,
Three for a girl
Four for a boy Five for silver six for gold
Seven for a Secret
Never to be told!

On a day that begins like any other, Hal "Harriet" receives a mysterious letter bequeathing her a substantial inheritance from her Grandmother Hester westaway, this could be the answer to all her money problems and get the debt collectors of her back but there is just one big problem Hal is sure that the letter was sent to her by mistake as she doesn't have a grandmother called Hester but Hester's daughter has the same name as her mother and given that she is in debt, has no money and behind on her rent she thinks can she do this can she pretend be be Hester Westaway's Granddaughter can she pull this off fool everyone "if anyone can do it she can" she thinks that her card-reading skills she’s honed as a tarot card reader might help her claim the money.

So she sets off to the funeral as she gets closer her hearts beats faster "is she really going to do this is she going to get away with this" she can still turn back know one will ever know but no " if anyone can do this you can she hears" what starts out as a little con bit of identity fraud to get a bit of cash turns in to something more shocking more deadly then Hal ever expected! soon she finds that the House is full of secrets desperate to come out they are bursting to be released into the open but there is just one problem someone doesn't want the secrets to come out they want them kept locked up never to come out..

but when Hal finds out some shocking secrets about her mother and her connections to The Westaway Family she sets out to find the truth once and for all but with a house full of secrets and with someone wanting to keep the secrets locked up things take a turn for the worse they turn deadly!!

i'm a huge fan of Ruth Ware there is always something creepy and edgy about her books they make the hairs on your arms and the back of your neck stand on end "The Death Of Mrs. Westaway" has the Agatha Christie and then there were none feel about it i do genuinely think they Ruth Ware is The Agatha Christie of our time her story's are just as haunting just as creepy and addictive & as a big fan Of Agatha Christie it is a huge Honour to feel that she has come alive again in the 21st century in the form of the brilliant and fantastic Ruth Ware..

i loved reading "The Death Of Mrs. Westaway" i was hooked from the start i really enjoyed the story the drama and the mix of characters i didn't want to put the book down i had to keep reading to find out what happened next it was always one more page two more wont hurt but that two more turned in to three then half the book and before i knew it i was finished..if i could rate this book 10/10 i would i loved every page! thank you the Publisher and Netgalley for my Copy :)

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Great characters which really brought to life the ups and downs of family life. It was a very intricate story and like a jigsaw puzzle as each piece was revealed. I like books with a conclusion and this was a good one.

This novel 's principle character is Hal whose mother was run down and killed when Hal was barely 18. Forced to fend for herself Hal takes over her Mum's booth on Brighton pier and scrapes a living from giving Tarot card readings. But a debt she has with a dodgy lender puts her future in danger. Whilst despairing what to do next a letter, indicating her entitlement to an inheritance, comes through her letterbox. The only trouble is that Hal quickly realises it's a case of mistaken identity and does not refer to her. But, being so desperate for money, she decides to try and bluff her way to collecting something anyway. Little does she know what a can of worms she's opening. Can she bluff her way to the inheritance? Are the other beneficiaries to be trusted? And what about Mrs Warren, the mysterious housekeeper of the huge house in Cornwall that constitutes the majority of the inheritance? Ruth Ware spins a clever tale with very believable characters. Perhaps this novel lacks the descriptive brilliance of Ruth's novel "The Lying Game" but it is nonetheless a thoroughly enjoyable read with a real twist in the tail!