After the death of her mother two years ago, Hal is barely able to survive. She has creditors breathing down her neck (literally). When she gets a mysterious letter saying that her grandmother has left her some sort of inheritance, she is understandably intrigued, as well as confused. Hal knows of no grandmother, and given the information in the letter, she is fairly certain that they have got the wrong person.
She's desperate enough to see how things play out, so she attends the funeral, meets her supposed uncles and cousins, and tries to play the part of the long-lost granddaughter. As the situation unfolds, Hal becomes more baffled, but wary. It seems her mother did have a connection to this family. As she begins to feel a sense of belonging, she also feels a profound sense of guilt.
As a reader, I knew Hal didn't have the whole story -- but I didn't know what that story was until the end. You know there is going to be a twist, but it isn't clear what direction things will go. As I said, the plot meanders, but the background information serves to intensify feelings, and I found myself just getting more and more involved in the story.
I loved The Death of Mrs. Westaway, and I'm glad I listened to it. I think if I had read it, I might have been tempted to skim ahead to discover the conclusion. Imogen Church, the narrator, did a wonderful job. The voices were distinctive but not over the top.
The Death of Mrs. Westaway is plenty popular without my recommendation (I waited a loooong time for this one to be available), but I will still give my enthusiastic thumbs up. If you love those twisted family mysteries, you should try The Death of Mrs. Westaway.
Published by Gallery/Scout, 2018, Simon & Schuster audio
Audiobook obtained from the library
368 pages
Rating: 4.5/5
This sounds intriguing and, you're right, I'll be one of those people who will want to skip bits so that's a good warning to me.
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