Book Review: The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

Title: The Death of Mrs. Westaway
Author: Ruth Ware
Series: None
Published: May 2018
Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press
Pages: 368
From: Wal-Mart
Rating: 9/10

The Death of Mrs. Westaway is not Ruth Ware’s first novel, but it is my favorite that the author has written so far. The book, about a young woman who receives a letter claiming she has an inheritance waiting for her, though she doesn’t know the family claiming to give her this money. Instead of saying she is not the correct woman, she takes advantage and meets the family in order to claim a wealth she is desperately in need of, but things take a dark turn during the meeting.

I read the majority of this book during third shift at my second job, and let me tell you, reading a book concerning creepy men, fortune telling, and murder between midnight and 8 a.m. in the middle of a dispatch center and jail is probably the worst decision ever. But, it was so worth it.

Ruth Ware has this knack for writing disconcerting character qualities within her novels. Each mystery book she’s ever published has those several characters who make you take a second look at what they are saying or doing, and why. And she managed just that with several characters in this novel, which made me question quite a lot about the plot.

I did, however, really wonder the most about Mrs. Westaway; namely, who she was deep down, why she acted as she did, what made her do what she did when she requested the main character to receive her inheritance. These questions remain still, and while I am of the mind that it is sometimes better to not know absolutely everything concerning a story’s characters and plot, I just wish this specific character was fleshed out even the tiniest bit more so we could really glean the reasons behind her actions.

Despite that small thing, I loved this book. It was such a great standalone novel with interesting plot points and character aspects. I can’t wait to keep reading the books Ruth Ware publishes next!

To check out another review, see meltotheany’s review here! And you can find any books by Ruth Ware online or in stores like Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Book Depository.