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A review by kalventure
The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This book was somehow both what I expected and not at all what I thought it would be. I've heard a lot of fantastic things about Ruth Ware and being a fan of Agatha Christie I figured this book would be a fun one. Not saying that it wasn't, but I think my own impressions and expectations of what this book would be hampered my reading experience a bit.
What this book isn't: a locked room mystery or who-dun-it
What this book is: a mysterious past and family history uncovered piece by piece, with a tiny bit of thriller elements near the end
I don't know, maybe Knives Out just kind of lives in my head rent-free and the plot setup led my brain to make certain assumptions. In terms of what the book is: I enjoyed the mystery and how it unfolded, but I won't say more about that for obvious reasons.
Having personally grown up without a lot of money and experiencing my own periods of poverty, I relate a lot to Hal and her situation -- particularly to the intense guilt one feels for a small "splurge" like picking up fish & chips for your one meal of the day. The poverty representation, as well as the juxtaposition with her "family's" life of luxury, is well done without feeling like it is a main focus.
I found the narrative a little repetitious at times in the way that anxious thoughts spin around in our heads sometimes; it was a little off-putting to me because of the third-person perspective. This lead to a bit of an uneven reading experience for me where I would skim until things felt like they were progressing again.
Overall this was an enjoyable mystery to cozy up under a blanket and read over the course of a couple rainy days. I am looking forward to picking up The Woman in Cabin 10 at some point now that I've experienced Ware's writing style.
What this book isn't: a locked room mystery or who-dun-it
What this book is: a mysterious past and family history uncovered piece by piece, with a tiny bit of thriller elements near the end
I don't know, maybe Knives Out just kind of lives in my head rent-free and the plot setup led my brain to make certain assumptions. In terms of what the book is: I enjoyed the mystery and how it unfolded, but I won't say more about that for obvious reasons.
Having personally grown up without a lot of money and experiencing my own periods of poverty, I relate a lot to Hal and her situation -- particularly to the intense guilt one feels for a small "splurge" like picking up fish & chips for your one meal of the day. The poverty representation, as well as the juxtaposition with her "family's" life of luxury, is well done without feeling like it is a main focus.
I found the narrative a little repetitious at times in the way that anxious thoughts spin around in our heads sometimes; it was a little off-putting to me because of the third-person perspective. This lead to a bit of an uneven reading experience for me where I would skim until things felt like they were progressing again.
Overall this was an enjoyable mystery to cozy up under a blanket and read over the course of a couple rainy days. I am looking forward to picking up The Woman in Cabin 10 at some point now that I've experienced Ware's writing style.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol
Driving under the influence