The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware, 4 Stars

I swear I could follow my four-year old around all day, cleaning up his messes, and the house would somehow still not be clean. Are you feeling me?

But I will say that with the others back in school I am feeling a lot less crazed. And yesterday, I cleaned for an hour and actually got a lot done. Which is confusing to me. Only because my youngest, who is still home, is the one who requires the most attention. So why can’t I get stuff done with my older kids around?

And then it hit me–I can’t get stuff done because literally ever 30 seconds someone is getting in a fight, having their feelings hurt, getting physically hurt or just generally mad at their brother. And they always come and tell me. And it’s not that I don’t care–I really do care, deeply. But come on. It’s like the boy who cried wolf. After the first 60 times it happens a day, I am so over the drama! Please DON’T save the drama for your mama.

I proudly shared my revelation with my husband last night. And he just looked at me and said, “You’re just now realizing this?”

But anyways. I’m over it. I’ll be sane again until Christmas Break when it gets real again. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the endless hours of soccer practice, games, making lunches and helping with homework. It’s busy, but it’s what this is all about.

So on to our review du jour. Because reading can be an excellent escape.

From the Publisher:

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 centre of it.

My Review:

People love their Ruth Ware. I remember the first time I picked up In a Dark, Dark Wood. I heard so many rave reviews. The next Gone Girl or Girl on a Train, because for a couple of years there, that was the most amazing accolade a book could achieve. And I liked it, but it didn’t quite live up to the hype for me. None of this is Ruth’s fault for sure, I’m sure hype is both a blessing and a curse. I just wasn’t quite as enthusiastic as I wanted to be.

But I LOVED The Death of Mrs. Westaway. For me this one lives up to the hype. And ironically, at this point Ruth Ware’s writing has been prolific enough that I don’t think she needs the hype anymore. But this book was the real deal for me.

At first I was concerned because Hal–a scrawny, tattooed, struggling psychic wasn’t quite the type of character I normally identify with. But it didn’t matter because Ware really brought me inside her head and I didn’t have to understand her because I got a front-row seat to her thoughts and biggest fears.

This is one of those books that reminds me of an onion. There are so many layers to pull back and as each is peeled away, there is a whole fresh, untouched layer to enjoy. I loved the premise, the characters, and how each detail and plot point was slowly and deliberately revealed.

If you are a fan of Ruth Ware (and if you LOVED Girl on a Train, lol), pick this one up. Are you skeptical of Ruth Ware? Pick this one up. This is the one to try!

Indiebound