The Death of Mrs. Westaway

3.5/5 stars

Hal receives a letter informing her that she is a beneficiary of her grandmother’s estate. The problem is, her grandparents have been dead for 20 years. She knows what the right thing to do is, but she’s burdened by finances and adulthood. She makes her way to the family mansion and begins to realize something very bizarre is happening. 

This wasn’t my favorite of Ware’s. I had a hard time liking the protagonist and some parts felt a little slow. The creepiness definitely picked up towards the end as more secrets were revealed. This was a story with plot holes and moments when I questioned how any of this was realistic. I was hoping for a very clever, suspenseful story, but really the plot relies on characters not speaking and misinterpreting a lot of information.

Based on the description, I was expecting something much spookier. In a Dark, Dark Wood was, and still is, my favorite of Ware’s. I was ready for something that delivered on the same level. I was left disappointed. Ware, for the most part, kept me interested, but I found myself hoping for more.