Review: The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware (May 29, 2018 / Gallery)

**I received a free copy of this release in exchange for an honest review. I received no additional compensation**

Summary: 
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.

My Review:

This is the first book by Ruth Ware I have read because the others were just so hyped. It usually takes me quite a while to come around to book that everyone RAVES about because I usually read them and think "That was good but not THAT good" and then I think "maybe people liked it because they don't read as much as me" and then I think "well that's a bit snobbish, Rhiannon" and then I get on a spiral of thinking about how there are just so many mediocre thrillers being produced in the hopes of another Gone Girl (but I'm not alone here, check out Sarah's thoughts on the matter) that I become mentally exhausted and decide to just move on. As for The Death of Mrs. Westaway, I read the summary and thought the concept of a tarot card reader sounded fabulous (even though I didn't really love The Immortalists which everyone loved, *see above rant*). Reading, The Death of Mrs. Westaway, I was skeptical with every page. Would I figure it out right away and be dragged along on a not so surprising journey? Would it be full of cheesy clichés about magic? Would I have to give a bad review of one the most highly praised modern thriller writers? Guess what? None of the above! The storyline twists so slightly here and there that you catch a little undercurrent but you can't put your finger on the problem, let alone solve it. The main protagonist is smart and perceptive and the gothic setting is deliciously spot on. In short... I LOVED IT!