The Death of Mrs Westaway by Ruth Ware

THE DEATH OF MRS WESTAWAY 

Ruth Ware 

I love the cover of this book and I was thrilled to spend an afternoon in the sunshine completely glued to this great thriller. I highly recommend you add it to your summer reading!

The Death of Mrs Westaway starts with Harriet (Hal) Westaway receiving an unexpected letter telling her she's inherited a substantial bequest from her Cornish grandmother. This could not have come at a better time for Hal, who is living alone, struggling to make a living telling fortunes on Brighton Pier and pay back the loan shark whose threats are becoming more aggressive with each day. But Hal knows her grandparents died over twenty years ago and that she is not the person for whom this bequest is meant - this letter has been sent to the wrong person.

Hal is desperate though. She is also clever, confident and willing to take a few risks if it might mean she ends up with some money that will change her fortunes. She spends her days reading tarot cards for people and telling them what they want to hear, she knows how to convince people of a fictional truth and she is also not adverse to deception. She knows she could probably successfully con her way in to getting this money. And once she's made this decision, travelled to Cornwall and introduced herself to the family, there is soon no going back...Even when it suddenly becomes very clear that there is a much darker and more complicated history for Hal to inherit first.

This is such a great premise for the start of a story and I was immediately hooked. Hal is such a likeable character despite her flaws and failings, it is impossible not to connect with her and want to follow her on her journey. Her confidence wavers on her journey to Cornwall which reveals to the reader that she is vulnerable and more fragile than she appears but ultimately I loved her initiative, her insight, her humour and her bravery - particularly when it comes to facing the truth. I was very drawn to her and she is a great protagonist. 

I also loved the settings of both Brighton and Cornwall - both evoked with conviction and authenticity and both used to enhance the drama, tension and suspense. There is nothing more delicious than a house full of secrets and I am an absolute sucker for a story that centres around this sort of set up. The Death of Mrs Westaway seemed to echo elements of Christie, Highsmith and Du Maurier and I loved this. The role of Mrs Warren as the housekeeper was such a reminder of the formidable Mrs Danvers from Rebecca and definitely enhanced the story for me. Ware's understanding of how to raise tension and suspense is impressive and her evocation of a menacing atmosphere is masterful. 

Hal reads tarot cards as her job and these cards were used really effectively throughout the novel. I enjoyed the way the images on the cards and the meanings they represent were used to create tension, threat, drama and suspense but I also liked the way Hal used her experience of tarot reading to help  while she tried to con the family about her identity. Her tarot cards - and her mother's teaching about how to use them - has not only taught her how to earn a living and play a game, but also some life lessons like pausing, taking a breath before answering questions and listening properly to people. I enjoyed the passages when she waits, tries to read the other characters, tries to work out what they know and what she should reveal. This insight about picking up clues from people and watching them closely is used really effectively, not only in helping Hal solve the mystery that surrounds her own parentage and this mysterious bequest, but also in generating tension and atmosphere. The themes of truth, lies, secrets and deception are explored with more depth and complexity because of Hal's character and ability to manipulate others. The tarot readings and the messages from the cards are also used to haunt and gradually add more sense of threat to the pages. They are a dark force and create a delicious sense of foreboding as Hal realises that all she thought she knew, and all she thought she would find in Cornwall, is wrong.

This really is a fabulous, page turning read full of suspense, mystery and tension. It is a complex tale of families and secrets, a spellbinding tale full of twists and revelations. It is perfectly executed and the characters are really well crafted. It's a hugely enjoyable read and Ware is a really great story teller. I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in this story which for me was a one sitting read  -which both disappointed and yet delighted me at the same time! I couldn't put it down but was sad to reach the end! More please, Ms Ware! 

The Death of Mrs Westaway was published by Penguin Random House on 28th June 2018. 

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the novel.