The Death of Mrs. Westaway: A Gothic Tale of Secrets and Lies

There’s been a lot of hype around Ruth Ware and her books lately on the internet, and I am about to add to that chatter because I loved The Death of Mrs. Westaway, I am going to have to read all her other books as well.


About The Death of Mrs. Westaway

The Death of Mrs.Westaway
The Death of Mrs.Westaway

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.

~ Synopsis from goodreads


What I loved

I am so excited! I think I have found another favorite thriller writer. I started and finished this book in the space of a single day. Granted, that day was spent waiting at the hospital for my husband’s surgery to complete. But still! This book competed with and won over a movie, Instagram, work emails, Twitter, and so on. I completely switched off from all digital channels and just focused on this one book. A huge win these days!

This book was all things deliciously dark, gothic, and creepy. It starts slow, but she builds the tension very skillfully, bit by bit, until I couldn’t stop reading.

Most of the time, when I read thrillers, I don’t particularly pay attention to the writing. But Ruth Ware is different. There is a certain literary quality to it that makes this book a notch above the general run-of-the-mill thriller.

Here are some things I noted and appreciated about the book.

Amazing main character

The first thing I appreciated is how well the main character Hal was developed. She initially comes across as cold and callous – using her tarot skills to scam people. But slowly, as her backstory is revealed, we come to understand and sympathize with her.

Superb atmosphere

Trepassen House (where most of the book is set) is formidable and full of secrets. With its iron gates, a yard full of magpies, and many dark, dusty rooms, this building was super-creepy and presided over by the housekeeper from hell. 

The Haunting of Hill House
It made me imagine the house from The Haunting of Hill House

References to old literary/gothic classics

This is actually my favorite part. I loved how Ware took a dash of Rebecca, some Agatha Christie, a little Jane Eyre and remixed it all into this book in its own unique way.


What I didn’t love

I enjoyed the lead-up to the final denouement. But the actual ending itself was a bit flat.

The whole plot resolution revolves around an old photo, which is described in a very confusing way. I needed to read that portion multiple times to understand just what was going on. In the end, I gave up and just accepted the identity and motivations of the villain.

Now, this is a pretty big flaw in a thriller novel. But because I enjoyed all the previous portions so much, I am willing to overlook it.

I am hoping that other Ruth Ware books have better plot resolutions.

Have you read her books? Which ones would you recommend me to read next?

Rating: 4 out of 5.

6 comments

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  1. Jenny @ Reading the End

    Ooh, this is great to hear! I’ve been seeing Ruth Ware’s books around for so long and have been trying to decide if I want to try one. Sounds like I definitely do! This sounds super fun!

  2. shanayatales

    I haven’t yet read Ruth Ware, but was looking to pick up a book by her, and when I read the first half of this post, I was convinced I should pick this up. But the ending is pretty important for me, so I think this might not be the best bet.

    • Nish

      I’ve heard that The Turn of the Key or The Woman in Cabin 10 is better.

      Btw, I thought I was the only person confused by the ending. But there is an entire thread on goodreads spanning multiple pages regarding this issue. So, this might be a bigger problem than I thought. I guess I was in a forgiving mood when I read this book and wrote this review 🙂

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