The Death of Mrs. Westaway

*Photograph is a screenshot from my Audible app*

Title: The Death of Mrs. Westaway

Author: Ruth Ware

Genre: Mystery/Psychological Thriller

Published: 2018

Obtained: Audible/Amazon

Hal Westaway is a broken shell of a young woman trying to make ends meet by reading tarot cards on a pier in Brighton. Running from loan sharks and trying to earn enough money for bare essentials, a mysterious letter naming her as a beneficiary to a strange, now-deceased, woman seems like a miraculous answer to Hal’s problems. Hal knows this must be an error, but if she plays her cards right she may just be able to hoodwink this wealthy family into a small inheritance—solving all of her troubles. But, as Hal begins to play this game of cat and mouse, it becomes muddled and complex; soon she begins to wonder if she is the cunning player or if she is the one being lured into this dark, confusing scheme.

This was my second novel by Ruth Ware and I found it so much more satisfying than The Woman in Cabin 10. With a gradual start, Ware brings the reader in to Hal’s hard life. Immediately, I was drawn to her character. Hal is small and described by Ware as mouse-like, but it soon becomes apparent that her insides do not fit that description. She is intelligent, vulnerable and strong. I could sympathize and empathize with her choices—a desperate and isolated young woman who makes a choice to take a risk (and take advantage) of a family so wealthy that they surely will not miss a couple hundred pounds—money that could surely save Hal’s life. But, from the moment she enters Trepassen House, something is amiss. The feel of the story shifts into coldness that matches the description of the dark, lonely house.

Hal begins to discover that while she may not be the missing granddaughter the family assumes she is, she definitely has connections to the family and the house. With unfolding clues and questions, Hal slowly begins to piece together the story of her past—of her mother’s past. However, digging for answers does not come free of consequences. And that is what I love about this book—while a slow build, the tension is consistently leaping off the page. It takes solid, fantastic writing to keep that tension building when nothing much is physically happening. Ware’s characters are well developed, distinct and written with vivid imagery. While I had my suspicions early on (which happened to be right), I didn’t lose interest, but rather felt the urge to continue on to see if I was accurate.

The entire novel is wittily crafted. Ware manages to keep the reader in wonderment and suspense throughout the pages. There was something about this book that was so unlike some of the mystery novels I have read as of late…something that goes beyond just being creepy. Hal is placed in an attic room (that only locks from the outside) in this dark, grim house that seems to be hiding countless secrets within it’s dingy, cold walls. Not only does the house seem unwelcoming, but a majority of the characters are, as well. From the housekeeper to her “uncles”, Hal feels a sense of foreboding in the reception of her new “family”. Pretty soon, Hal begins to question her own past. With her mother dead and no history of a father, she begins to wonder how her mother was involved with this dreary place and the people who inhabited it. Yet, with the growing strain and conflict from her scheme and the truths she is learning, Hal struggles to unearth anymore information regarding the truth of her past.

The setting is vivid and easy to imagine, though you may not always enjoy the creepiness of it. The plot is well-developed with conflict that compounds at a solid pace until the end when Ware reveals the mystery and unanswered questions. Furthermore, the character development was extremely satisfactory. Where I complained of the characters in The Woman in Cabin 10, I did not have the complaint with this novel. Hal is intriguing as the main character for she presents like a meek and mild mouse, but her true-inner self is so much more that that. I felt like she was relatable, even if her situation and intentions were not. In other words, I could empathize with her throughout the story, which made me like her as a character. Mrs. Warren was so irritating in a love-to-hate-her kind of way, which also kept me turning the pages to see what she was up to next. The brothers were distinct and written in such a way that they didn’t run together, as I felt some characters did with The Woman in Cabin 10.

My criticism lies in small areas. As I mentioned before, one of the big plot twists was a tad predictable from the start. However, the other twists were not so obvious, which helped balance the plot for me as a reader. I don’t know if my other thought is really a criticism because I’ve been flip-flopping on the idea since I finished the book. There is a thin line between giving too many clues and not enough in a book—particularly with mysteries. Initially, I thought the true villain was a bit illogical due to the fact that I didn’t feel there was any build up to this individual being the culprit. But, after reading back through various passages, I can see where Ware was dropping subtle hints about this person’s demeanor…scenes where she aimed to reveal this character’s raw emotion. I began to reread parts of the novel where this character’s reactions could have been just enough foreshadowing without being obvious. I’ll leave it at that; although, I’m curious to know what other people thought about this big reveal. If you have thoughts on this, please reach out or comment, as I enjoy hearing perspectives other than my own!

Overall, I loved this book. While there were parts that made me want to shout at the author to move it along, they were far and few between. I tend to be drawn to books, as I’ve said before, that have strong character development. This novel met those standards; while I was aching to see some action and get some answers, I also enjoyed those passages where I could see the dots connecting in Hal’s mind. I gave the story a 4.5/5 stars due to the enigmatic story, the memorable characters and the wonderfully written prose. I also suggest a Syrah or Shiraz for this read—a dark red with sweet, fruity undertones mixed with a hint of chocolate. The dark grapes pair well with the anguished, cryptic characters and alluring story. I sipped on Peter Lehmann The Barossan Shiraz 2015 while reading The Death of Mrs. Westaway. The hint of sweetness (both fruity and chocolate-y) matches the love that Hal has for her mother and the sweet innocence with which she longs for a family; the high alcohol content helped me digest the darker passages in this book.