Summary: When Harriet Westaway receives an unexpected letter telling her she’s inherited a substantial bequest from her Cornish grandmother, it seems like the answer to her prayers. She owes money to a loan shark and the threats are getting increasingly aggressive: she needs to get her hands on some cash fast.
There’s just one problem — Hal’s real grandparents died more than twenty years ago. The letter has been sent to the wrong person. But Hal knows that the cold-reading techniques she’s honed as a seaside fortune teller could help her con her way to getting the money. If anyone has the skills to turn up at a stranger’s funeral and claim a bequest they’re not entitled to, it’s her.
Hal makes a choice that will change her life for ever. But once she embarks on her deception, there is no going back. She must keep going or risk losing everything, even her life …
Genre(s): Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Representation: main character living in poverty, gay secondary character, implied-bisexual minor character
Content warnings: attempted murder, mentions of infidelity, mild violence
Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press
Release date: June 28, 2018
Book links*: Goodreads | Book Depository | IndieBound
*These include affiliate links, which means that if you click through and buy a book I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. [Full disclaimers here.]
I had high hopes going into this, because the beginning was lovely: the tranquil scenery, Hal’s quiet desperation, our literal voice from the past slowly leading us to the secrets of the Westaway family. But somewhere along the way I started to lose investment in the story, because it was unfurling so. freaking. slowly. I couldn’t remember which of the Westaway brothers was which, which parts of Hal’s “story” were true and which were lies, and sometimes I even forgot what all the fuss was about. So it didn’t feel like a mystery — especially since Hal seems to spend her time philosophizing on the nature of humanity (as observed in tarot sessions and as explained by her mother) and the ethics of her situation, just hoping the truth will fall into her lap if she does a minimal amount of poking around and ignoring warning signs.
The reveal made sense but somehow still didn’t feel natural; Hal went from total ignorance to suddenly knowing exactly where to look to find each subsequent puzzle piece, which I found hard to believe. I will say that technically I guessed the truth as one of my throwaway theories, just because I suspect everything and everyone when I’m reading mysteries/thrillers, and I have never been less satisfied to have “called” it.
I found the climax and ending a little on the cheesy side, and I was surprised at how ambiguous the definition of family becomes, in comparison to Hal’s never-questioned beliefs about fortune/free choice, need and privilege, etc. — all of which is discussed pretty bluntly, as mentioned previously. I’m also bothered by a certain throwaway line and red herring that carries a whiff of biphobia; it’s a somewhat minor thing, but every detail matters when I’ve placed a book on the borderline of two ratings.
Nine Tale Vixen 
Ugh, I hate when books are so slow…especially when the premise sounds so interesting! And oof, bi antagonism isn’t my cup of tea. Hopefully your next read is better!
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thanks Kaitlyn! 💕
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Heey I have this book! Not gonna lie… mainly because it was a ruth ware book and it was on sale aherm
However, the way you describe it, looks like the same « process » of writting like in a dark dark wood was, and in the end I ended up liking it so hopefully I wouldn’t be too much messed up when I do get to read it !
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I’ve heard a lot of good things about Ruth Ware’s other books, so I may give them a try! I hope you enjoy this one when you get to it 💕
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Oh I’ve had this one on my wish list for ages!
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I hope you get a chance to read it soon! and that you like it even more than I did 😉
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Aww thanks, Isabelle! ☺️
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I have to read it but not now I don’t love slow books 🤗
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it’s still a decent read, but absolutely helps if you’re in the right mood for it!
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I really feel like the pacing is everything to me when reading a mystery novel and if it’s that slow and not giving me a mystery feel, it’s frustrating. I hope your next read is amazing!
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yes, the atmosphere of a book, especially if it’s a mystery, makes a huge difference. and thank you! 💕
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Oh it’s a bummer the pacing wasn’t so good. That’s one of the more important parts in mysteries. I have this on my TBR and I think I’ll read it one day, but now I’m not in a rush to do so.
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yup, it’s still a decent read but not the best
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Oh, boo, I was hoping this would be a good one from the sounds of this one. I hate slow books, so I’m going to have to pass on this one because I would DNF after so long. 😭
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oof yeah, this one definitely requires quite a bit of extra patience to get through. hopefully you’ll find something more exciting to fill the space!
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Brilliant review! While I have yet to read this book, I often find that Ruth Ware’s writing has pros and cons. I thought that another novel of hers, the Lying Game, was super slow too! ): Anyways, I hope your next read is more exciting than this one!
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thank you! 💕 if it’s a consistent trait with her writing, I may take a pass on her other books – though it seems fair to try at least one more before I give up haha.
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Oh, for sure! The Woman in Cabin Ten is pretty fast paced and captivating (it’s definitely one of Ruth Ware’s better works), so I recommend that! ❤
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I’ll add it to my list! thanks for the rec 😊
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Great review, and while this seems to be an unpopular opinion I honestly have seen a few others have similar thoughts on this book. I am sorry it wasn’t as good as you hoped and that investment dwindled. I’ve heard Woman in Cabin 10 is better, but while I own it I haven’t read it for myself yet.
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thanks Kal! that’s definitely reassuring to hear since so many people loved this book, and I’ve added Woman in Cabin 10 to my TBR 📚
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Aww, it sounds like this one started out so promising but then by the end of it wasn’t as wonderful as you hoped. If it is so slow I don’t think I’ll like it because I will probably get frustrated somewhere along the way! But to be honest I don’t mind cheesy endings too much, so I think I would survive the end. I just don’t think I could make it through the middle!
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the middle really is the struggle – not just for this book but in general 😅 I do think cheesy endings definitely have a place, just depends on whether they fit the tone and give due weight to the rest of the story, haha.
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