The Death of Mrs Westaway: A modern-day murder mystery from The Sunday Times Bestseller

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Christie, Agatha (31 October 2017). Murder on the Orient Express: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Reprinted.). William Morrow. ISBN 9780062693662.

stars, rounded up. Read with the Traveling Friends group, this made for a fun discussion as we tried to piece together the clues and solve the mystery. And I thought—This is it. This is what I have been waiting all my life to feel, this is what those girls at school used to talk about, this is what the songs mean, and the poems were written for. This is it. He is it.

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And what a twisty, fantastic story it was! An old crumbling estate, a malevolent housekeeper, a dysfunctional family, long-held family secrets, missing people…. all elements that I love in a tale that oozes a menacing gothic atmosphere. I truly enjoyed this book, but I don’t understand the hype. Like every novel, it comes with its flaws as well as its strengths, but when I finished the book, I can’t tell if the strengths outweigh the weaknesses. Perhaps I needed to just not question it, but isn’t that the point of a thriller novel?

In a Dark, Dark Wood Setting." Book Rags, www.bookrags.com/studyguide-in-a-dark-dark-wood/settings.html#gsc.tab=0. Accessed 8 Nov. 2017. When Hal receives the letter informing her of her inheritance, she isn’t sure what to do. What would you have done in Hal’s position? One day, when she is at her lowest, a letter arrives announcing that her Grandmother, Hester Westaway, has passed and Hal is a named as a Beneficiary in her will.

THE DEATH OF MRS WESTAWAY

But immediately, I can tell I'm not a fan of the way Hal's character is written. She comes across as confused, slow-witted, and completely unable to speak clearly. Her conversations are full of hemming and hawing, stammering, and waffling. For example, here is a conversation from her side: The purpose of our Book Club Guides is to recommend books for your book club and provide guidance for discussion. This book guide focuses on Ware’s 2018 novel The Death of Mrs. Westaway . Ware wraps her story in the gloom and doom of the Trepassen estate. Hal's struggle with her conscience vs. the truth is woven throughout. Ware also complicates the storyline with diary entries from 1994 that will reach into the present. There's a bevy of characters here that emphasize the fact that not all these fish wish for Hal to be swimming in their pond. McNary, Dave (16 March 2017). "Ruth Ware's 'The Woman in Cabin 10' Adaptation in the Works at CBS Films". Variety . Retrieved 20 November 2017. There's just one problem - Hal's real grandparents died more than twenty years ago. The letter has been sent to the wrong person. But Hal knows that the cold-reading techniques she’s honed as a seaside fortune teller could help her con her way to getting the money. If anyone has the skills to turn up at a stranger's funeral and claim a bequest they’re not entitled to, it’s her.

One of my least favorite points of Ware’s novel is how a complex case of incest is one of the novel’s crucial turning points. I still don’t completely understand this dysfunctional family, let alone who’s related versus who is in love (or both, considering cousins/lovers Maggie and Ezra), which, by the way, seemed to come out of nowhere. The Death of Mrs. Westaway starts off with Hal, a young fortuneteller who is in desperate need of money. When she is invited to a distant relative’s funeral, Hal spends practically all of her money traveling to the funeral in hopes of gaining a bit of inheritance. Ruth Ware was born in 1977 and grew up in Lewes. She studied English at Manchester University, where she developed a fascination with Old English and Middle English texts.Ruth Ware does a great job of creating an engaging and intriguing story, and this story had all the elements to make it an interesting story for us all. We loved the gothic feel, the old mysterious mansions with creepy rooms that hold secrets, a shady family with an inheritance and one of our favorite characters an angry and unfriendly housekeeper. Lots of creepy good to this story. Andreeva, Nellie (6 June 2023). "Ruth Ware's Novel 'Zero Days' Acquired By Universal International Studios For Series Development". Deadline . Retrieved 20 June 2023.