The Life & Times of a Book Addict: The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

Monday, June 4, 2018

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

Publication: May 29, 2018

Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press

Source: Publisher

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 highly anticipated fourth novel.

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.

Harriet Westaway (aka Hal)21 year old is a down on her luck tarot card reader living in London. After her mom died several years ago, things haven’t gone quite right for her. She lives in a tiny top flat and runs a booth on the pier where she reads palms and tarot cards. But she barely makes enough money to support herself. Worse yet, she has final bill notices coming in the mail and loan sharks paying her visits. Hal is the feeling pressure from all sides. All she needs is one break. She thinks she may have found it when a mysterious letter arrives from a solicitor stating that she could be heir to a fortune. Hal thinks there is a mix-up and they have the wrong person, but if anyone deserves this, it’s her. Right? Besides, what harm could it do?

Hal eventually makes her way to the imposing Trepassen house where she meets the family she pretends to be related to. Things seem to be going according to plan until Hal finds out that she is inheriting more than she bargained for. Now duping her new “family” just became a little bit harder and Hal’s conscience may get the best of her.

I enjoyed reading The Death of Mrs. Westaway. It was a fairly easy read. I loved the setting of this book. It was very atmospheric and intriguing. The story is told from Hal’s point of view for the most part. There are flashbacks sprinkled throughout the book, told from the POV of someone else. The flashbacks gave me a slight “Flowers in the Attic” vibe. I remember reading In a Dark, Dark Wood almost three years ago by the same author. That one I liked, but I would have to say for now, this one is my favorite between the two. Ruth Ware is great with words and knows a thing or two about how to set a proper tone for her books. I look forward to reading whatever she writes next.