The Death of Mrs. Westaway

I initially picked up this book because a booktuber I really like to watch mentioned it and said that it was a great mystery with twists and turns at every corner and boy, was she right! I read Ruth Ware's, The Woman in Cabin 10 and was kind of disappointed especially after all the hype and the expectations that I would love it. Well, this one didn't disappoint! Ruth Ware definitely deserves all the recognition she has gotten and can masterfully weave a twisty and very horrifying mystery masterpiece so I will definitely be reading more of her books in the future. The Death of Mrs. Westaway is about a girl named Maggie who receives a letter, naming her a beneficiary in Mrs. Westaway's will and even though she suspects that it might just all be a huge mistake, money issues force her to make the trip in hopes of being able to claim some kind of monetary payout. It's about how she stumbles upon a lot more than she ever imagined or bargained for.

First of, this book is probably one of the best mysteries I have ever read in my life so far. The plot is intricate and nothing like I have ever encountered before. The pacing is also pretty even all throughout the book and you get a little more reveal all throughout. I dislike books that reveal all their secrets at the very end and seem hurried to close but this one didn't do that. I think that's part of the reason I couldn't stop reading it and literally couldn't put it down for the life of me. If I wasn't a stay-at-home-mom of two, I would have read this in one sitting without a doubt.

Secondly, the character development is superb. I really got a sense of who the main heroine, Hal, is and I related to her in numerous ways. There was a very strong sense of humanity in her and she couldn't have easily been a real life person, struggling to make her life in this world and life. I loved that she was the underdog and there were almost more faults to her than attributes, yet she still persevered and held her own until the very end. The other characters were more unremarkable to me but Hal definitely stuck with me.

Further on, the writing style of Ruth Ware is one I have really learned to love. It's superb for these mystery style novels and helps the story flow at the perfect pace and it almost seems as though the pages just kind of turn themselves and before I know it I am done with the whole novel. I will definitely be reading all her other works and am very glad that she has a bunch.

In conclusion, The Death of Mrs. Westaway is a mystery novel that stands out amongst the other ones in the genre. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good page-turning mystery, with endless twists and turns that you will probably not see coming. I wasn't sure about Ruth Ware as an author before but now I can honestly say that I am a huge fan after this book. I hope she keeps writing stories as intricate and uniquely profound as this one because I am completely in awe!