Review: The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

About the Book

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.

Purchase Link

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Death-Mrs-Westaway-Ruth-Ware/dp/1501151835/

Review

The Death of Mrs. Westaway was a long and drawn out mystery; too slow at times. There were areas where I thought the progression of the plot was taking too long and I felt the need to skim read some pages, but I resisted that urge and in the end it was best that I didn't miss a thing. Once the mystery began to unfold, clues were uncovered, and secrets were being discovered. At this point I found it was quite important to pay close attention to detail. There were certain reveals that might be confusing and difficult to keep straight if you don't read each part carefully. The story moved at a quicker pace during the last 25% or so of the book and at that point the thriller aspect finally came into play as well. I enjoyed how the story played out and I was not expecting the outcome or reveal that was presented to us. There were a couple good twists in the plot and the author continually kept me guessing, which is what I was hoping for. Aside from the slow build up, The Death of Mrs. Westaway was a satisfying mystery. If you're a fan of Ms. Ware or suspense reads in general, this is a good weekend read.

-Colleen