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What a Way to Go
One wealth-obsessed man – who is also dead.
One status-obsessed woman – who is the perfect accessory.
Their four inheritance-obsessed children – each with a killer instinct.
And a murder-obsessed outsider looking to expose them all…
Bella Mackie is back with a brilliantly funny and twisty mystery about dysfunctional families, awful rich people and true crime obsessives… and a murder or two, of course.
One status-obsessed woman – who is the perfect accessory.
Their four inheritance-obsessed children – each with a killer instinct.
And a murder-obsessed outsider looking to expose them all…
Bella Mackie is back with a brilliantly funny and twisty mystery about dysfunctional families, awful rich people and true crime obsessives… and a murder or two, of course.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 12, 2024
About the author
Bella Mackie
16 books873 followersVogue columnist. Author of best-selling novel “How to Kill Your Family."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 215 reviews
August 11, 2024
2.5/5
I’ve recently gotten into thrillers, so when I saw this one available on NetGalley, I run to request it. The idea for the story was brilliant, which is why I decided to read it, but unfortunately, after about twenty/thirty percent of the book, my interest completely faded. I’m not sure why, but I just couldn’t get into the story. Sadly, I ended up finishing it mainly because it was an arc.
*Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!*
I’ve recently gotten into thrillers, so when I saw this one available on NetGalley, I run to request it. The idea for the story was brilliant, which is why I decided to read it, but unfortunately, after about twenty/thirty percent of the book, my interest completely faded. I’m not sure why, but I just couldn’t get into the story. Sadly, I ended up finishing it mainly because it was an arc.
*Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!*
September 13, 2024
Release Date: 12th September 2024
A great premise, with characters you may love and definitely others you'll love to hate.
The story is told from 3 different perspectives Anthony and Olivia Wistern and the Sleuth.
Anthony Wistern, CEO of Wismere Holdings, an influential financial wizard is celebrating his 60th birthday which his wife Olivia has thrown an amazing party of who's who and the rich. However, things take a turn and Anthony end up dead. Anthony can't move on from limbo until he's remembered his death, so is keeping an eye on his family to try to gather clues.
Then we have Olivia the ice queen scorned wife, who has been left penniless by her careless husband with her ungrateful, greedy children.
And finally the Sleuth, who is a big true crime fan, who thinks Anthony has been murdered and becomes obsessed with trying to unmask his killer.
This is a slow paced, dark humour book, with plenty of intrigue and characters who all seem capable of heinous crimes, with a wonderful bluntness and family dynamic being played out, but are any of them capable of murder?
An enjoyable read, with plenty of wit and sometimes a little charm, great if you like rich, smug and arrogant characters and their downfall.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
Reviews also published on:
Instagram || Threads || Coffee and Kindle Blog || The StoryGraph || Amazon
Happy to make friends on all socials
A great premise, with characters you may love and definitely others you'll love to hate.
The story is told from 3 different perspectives Anthony and Olivia Wistern and the Sleuth.
Anthony Wistern, CEO of Wismere Holdings, an influential financial wizard is celebrating his 60th birthday which his wife Olivia has thrown an amazing party of who's who and the rich. However, things take a turn and Anthony end up dead. Anthony can't move on from limbo until he's remembered his death, so is keeping an eye on his family to try to gather clues.
Then we have Olivia the ice queen scorned wife, who has been left penniless by her careless husband with her ungrateful, greedy children.
And finally the Sleuth, who is a big true crime fan, who thinks Anthony has been murdered and becomes obsessed with trying to unmask his killer.
This is a slow paced, dark humour book, with plenty of intrigue and characters who all seem capable of heinous crimes, with a wonderful bluntness and family dynamic being played out, but are any of them capable of murder?
An enjoyable read, with plenty of wit and sometimes a little charm, great if you like rich, smug and arrogant characters and their downfall.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
Reviews also published on:
Instagram || Threads || Coffee and Kindle Blog || The StoryGraph || Amazon
Happy to make friends on all socials
June 22, 2024
Well, it certainly is.
Allow me to introduce you to Anthony Wistern, CEO of Wismere Holdings, an influential financial wizard. Perhaps. It’s his 60th birthday and his wife Olivia has gone all out with lavish celebrations at their Cotswolds home, one of several. However, something goes terribly wrong and Anthony is dead.
What of Olivia? She’s ice cold, doesn’t believe in unnecessary emotions, so will she be a grieving widow??? Similarly, how will their four children- Freddy, Jemima, Lyra and Clara - react to their father’s unfortunate demise?
Finally, there’s The Sleuth who is a mere three miles away when the incident happened. Maybe this will be their big break?
It’s told from three perspectives, Anthony, Olivia and The Sleuth so sit back and let the shenanigans commence.
This is darkly funny, witty and creative slow burner character driven mystery/psychological thriller. What a family- toxic much? I’ll say, in spades. The dynamics are horribly fascinating, they really are all quite ghastly but it’s delicious in its awfulness! Selfish, avaricious and all the rest of it. What about the patriarch? I’ll leave this joy to future readers to discover his personality and morals. If he has any. The Sleuth is entertaining, the approach taken here is current and adds to the puzzling mystery.
Although this family are not great examples of humanity they do make for some excellent and vivid scenes - the scope is endless! Some scenes are surreal, some are of the entertaining Fred Karno circus variety and others are just dark and they certainly give us a feast of lies. There are numerous twists as it makes its way to a surprising ending. Well played.
If you like Succession then you’ll probably relish meeting the Wisterns.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to the publisher for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Allow me to introduce you to Anthony Wistern, CEO of Wismere Holdings, an influential financial wizard. Perhaps. It’s his 60th birthday and his wife Olivia has gone all out with lavish celebrations at their Cotswolds home, one of several. However, something goes terribly wrong and Anthony is dead.
What of Olivia? She’s ice cold, doesn’t believe in unnecessary emotions, so will she be a grieving widow??? Similarly, how will their four children- Freddy, Jemima, Lyra and Clara - react to their father’s unfortunate demise?
Finally, there’s The Sleuth who is a mere three miles away when the incident happened. Maybe this will be their big break?
It’s told from three perspectives, Anthony, Olivia and The Sleuth so sit back and let the shenanigans commence.
This is darkly funny, witty and creative slow burner character driven mystery/psychological thriller. What a family- toxic much? I’ll say, in spades. The dynamics are horribly fascinating, they really are all quite ghastly but it’s delicious in its awfulness! Selfish, avaricious and all the rest of it. What about the patriarch? I’ll leave this joy to future readers to discover his personality and morals. If he has any. The Sleuth is entertaining, the approach taken here is current and adds to the puzzling mystery.
Although this family are not great examples of humanity they do make for some excellent and vivid scenes - the scope is endless! Some scenes are surreal, some are of the entertaining Fred Karno circus variety and others are just dark and they certainly give us a feast of lies. There are numerous twists as it makes its way to a surprising ending. Well played.
If you like Succession then you’ll probably relish meeting the Wisterns.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to the publisher for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
September 25, 2024
A slower paced thriller with bags of dark humour, loved Bella’s writing style and didn’t want it to end!
August 20, 2024
4.5/5
Thank you Harper Collins, Harper Fiction and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this ebook!
The author of the sensational How to Ki”” Your Family is back with a new standalone book.
Anthony Wistern is wealthy beyond imagination but has been known to cut corners in business. He has everything from a beautiful family, a French chateau and Cotswold manor and a long line of mistresses. Unfortunately for him, he is dead and before he can pass over to the next life, he has to work out how he died. Watching his family from above, every member if the family has reason to want him dead
I was worried after the popularity of her previous book that this might not cut it, but I actually thought that this book was even better!
I’m not a big supernatural lover but I thought the ghost element worked really well. All the characters are unlikable but that is the whole point of the story. I laughed a lot while reading this and it’s such a good light reading option!
Thank you Harper Collins, Harper Fiction and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this ebook!
The author of the sensational How to Ki”” Your Family is back with a new standalone book.
Anthony Wistern is wealthy beyond imagination but has been known to cut corners in business. He has everything from a beautiful family, a French chateau and Cotswold manor and a long line of mistresses. Unfortunately for him, he is dead and before he can pass over to the next life, he has to work out how he died. Watching his family from above, every member if the family has reason to want him dead
I was worried after the popularity of her previous book that this might not cut it, but I actually thought that this book was even better!
I’m not a big supernatural lover but I thought the ghost element worked really well. All the characters are unlikable but that is the whole point of the story. I laughed a lot while reading this and it’s such a good light reading option!
August 10, 2024
I really enjoyed this book, and sped through it. It follows the Wisterns, an insanely wealthy family, after the death of their father. Was he murderered? And, more importantly, what about all of his money?
Bella Mackie’s writing style is smooth, funny and easily digestible, and she has a fantastic way of bringing characters to life that you love to hate. The POV from beyond the grave could have been corny, but actually worked well for this story, and the multiple POVs come together in a satisfying ending. Fans of her first book will certainly enjoy this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!
Bella Mackie’s writing style is smooth, funny and easily digestible, and she has a fantastic way of bringing characters to life that you love to hate. The POV from beyond the grave could have been corny, but actually worked well for this story, and the multiple POVs come together in a satisfying ending. Fans of her first book will certainly enjoy this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!
September 23, 2024
When a sinfully wealthy financial scion allegedly dies in a freak "accident" at his lavish 60th birthday party celebration, the suspect list is sky-high.
This satirical tale about a dysfunctional family with four inheritance-obsessed children did not disappoint.
The book unfolds from three POVs:
* The deceased financial scion, commenting from his temporary "resting spot" in his afterlife
* The financial scion's widow
* A social-media-obsessed "Sleuth".
I am a Bella Mackie fan and I especially enjoyed the author's dark humor and wit in addition to the book's scathing social commentary.
WHY NOT 5 STARS?
Although the book was entertaining and engaging, the book was waaay too long and frequently dragged.
This 12-hour audiobook easily could have been an 8-hour book. (Where was Bella's editor????)
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kimberley Capero, Gabrielle Glaister, and Colin Mace.
Full-cast narrations are always a treat and all narrators did a superb job with the narration.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars, rounded up.
September 16, 2024
3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
While there’s nothing special with the writing, the storyline kept me guessing how the mmc died.
I found the 3 different narrators for the 3 different povs rather entertaining 🥳
While there’s nothing special with the writing, the storyline kept me guessing how the mmc died.
I found the 3 different narrators for the 3 different povs rather entertaining 🥳
September 14, 2024
Actual rating 4.5.
Finally read my first Bella Mackie after being one of the last people on the planet who hasn’t read How To Kill Your Family! And obviously now I desperately want to because this was so much FUN!
First of all, the audio is fantastic - I’m sure the great comedic timing of the narrators made it even better, and is why I started and finished it same day. But it’s just a fab story full of sickeningly wealthy characters you’ll love to hate, which rather takes the edge off their deaths 😂 The “ghost” hanging around trying to work out their own cause of death reminded me of one of my favs, Over My Dead Body, so if you enjoy this then check that one out too!
I’m truly loving these comedy crime novels lately, and this is a perfect example of why - it’s clever, laugh out loud funny, shocking, and a great satire about wealth and privilege. Not to mention the mystery that truly had me guessing right until the final reveal 👀 Would absolutely recommend this one, and now I need to read my copy of HTKYF asap!
Finally read my first Bella Mackie after being one of the last people on the planet who hasn’t read How To Kill Your Family! And obviously now I desperately want to because this was so much FUN!
First of all, the audio is fantastic - I’m sure the great comedic timing of the narrators made it even better, and is why I started and finished it same day. But it’s just a fab story full of sickeningly wealthy characters you’ll love to hate, which rather takes the edge off their deaths 😂 The “ghost” hanging around trying to work out their own cause of death reminded me of one of my favs, Over My Dead Body, so if you enjoy this then check that one out too!
I’m truly loving these comedy crime novels lately, and this is a perfect example of why - it’s clever, laugh out loud funny, shocking, and a great satire about wealth and privilege. Not to mention the mystery that truly had me guessing right until the final reveal 👀 Would absolutely recommend this one, and now I need to read my copy of HTKYF asap!
September 28, 2024
I support women’s rights but most importantly i support women’s wrongs
August 7, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed Bella Mackie’s book How To Kill Your Family and was really excited to see she has a new book coming out in September this year.
This is a darkly funny story about one of the MOST toxic and dysfunctional families EVER. Anthony Wistern is an influential, rich and adored financial guru. Married to the beautiful socialite Olivia they have four grown up children, several homes and a luxurious and enviable lifestyle.
It’s at his lavish 60th birthday celebrations with 200 of their closest friends in their Cotswold home that a freak and tragic accident leaves Anthony dead but that, believe it or not, is actually the beginning of his troubles.
Stuck in an afterlife holding centre, Anthony can’t go to his final resting place until he remembers exactly how he died and to do that he gets to watch his grieving family cope with his premature death and mourn his loss. Except, if you’ve read Bella Mackie’s books before you will know that isn’t exactly what happens especially if you are part of the Wistern family.
This story has 3 main narrators. We have Anthony, stuck in limbo having to face the truth about his death and his family. Olivia, the grieving widow who has a very troubled and uncomfortable relationship with her four children and finally, The Sleuth, a young woman fixated on true crime who happens to know the Wistern family and is determined to uncover the truth behind Anthony’s death.
Having read and ADORED Maz Evans’ Over My Dead Body in 2023, I was familiar with the “stuck in limbo” death scenario, and I did find myself comparing the books which was a shame, but I still enjoyed What A Way To Go however this was down to the absolutely awful characters involved rather than the humour.
This is the literary version of TV’s Succession and Dynasty and was full of twists and unexpected turns.
This is a darkly funny story about one of the MOST toxic and dysfunctional families EVER. Anthony Wistern is an influential, rich and adored financial guru. Married to the beautiful socialite Olivia they have four grown up children, several homes and a luxurious and enviable lifestyle.
It’s at his lavish 60th birthday celebrations with 200 of their closest friends in their Cotswold home that a freak and tragic accident leaves Anthony dead but that, believe it or not, is actually the beginning of his troubles.
Stuck in an afterlife holding centre, Anthony can’t go to his final resting place until he remembers exactly how he died and to do that he gets to watch his grieving family cope with his premature death and mourn his loss. Except, if you’ve read Bella Mackie’s books before you will know that isn’t exactly what happens especially if you are part of the Wistern family.
This story has 3 main narrators. We have Anthony, stuck in limbo having to face the truth about his death and his family. Olivia, the grieving widow who has a very troubled and uncomfortable relationship with her four children and finally, The Sleuth, a young woman fixated on true crime who happens to know the Wistern family and is determined to uncover the truth behind Anthony’s death.
Having read and ADORED Maz Evans’ Over My Dead Body in 2023, I was familiar with the “stuck in limbo” death scenario, and I did find myself comparing the books which was a shame, but I still enjoyed What A Way To Go however this was down to the absolutely awful characters involved rather than the humour.
This is the literary version of TV’s Succession and Dynasty and was full of twists and unexpected turns.
July 18, 2024
Bella Mackie, the darkly witty wordsmith, is back with her latest novel, “What a Way to Go,” published by Harper Collins UK. Fans of her previous work, the wickedly delightful “How to Kill Your Family,” will find themselves once again drawn into a web of sharp humour and dark intrigue.
The story centers around Anthony Wistern, a loathsome rich man whose influence is matched only by his repulsiveness. As fate would have it, Anthony meets his end in the most inconvenient fashion—right in the middle of his own 60th birthday party, thrown by his beleaguered wife, Olivia, at their posh Cotswolds retreat. The timing, of course, is quintessentially Anthony: always stealing the spotlight, even in death.
From this point, Mackie spins a tale of familial dysfunction and dark humour that is as biting as it is entertaining. Anthony’s grown-up children—Freddy, Jemima, Lyra, and Clara—are scarcely mourning their father’s demise. Instead, their attention swiftly shifts to the potential inheritance, revealing their true, self-serving natures. It’s a testament to Mackie’s skill that despite their awfulness, each character remains compelling, their flaws laid bare with a kind of morbid fascination.
In an intriguing narrative twist, Mackie allows Anthony himself to provide commentary from beyond the grave. Temporarily residing in a ‘half-way house’, the spectral narrator adds a unique layer to the unfolding drama. This clever device not only gives voice to the deceased but also offers a scathingly honest perspective on the events and characters, further enriching the darkly comedic tone of the novel. You’d assume that he’d follow the fate of Scrooge and find redemption in seeing others’ reaction to his death, but Anthony Wistern is far too pompous and self-important to conform to expectations, and his ability to justify every one of his previous actions, whilst criticising others, is fascinating.
Adding to the mix is an ‘armchair detective’ known simply as The Sleuth, an internet sensation who thrusts the Wistern family into the harsh glare of public scrutiny. Her relentless pursuit of the truth—and her own online notoriety—brings additional chaos to the already tumultuous proceedings. The Sleuth’s meddling serves as both a catalyst for the revelation of family secrets and a satirical nod to our culture’s obsession with true crime and internet fame.
While “What a Way to Go” may not reach the elaborate heights of “How to Kill Your Family,” it stands firmly on its own as an original and engaging read. Mackie’s knack for character-driven storytelling, laced with her signature black humour, ensures that readers will be thoroughly entertained from start to finish.
“What a Way to Go” is a delectable blend of wit, dark humour, and biting social commentary. Bella Mackie has once again proven her prowess in crafting stories that are as thought-provoking as they are laugh-out-loud funny. For those who enjoy their humour with a dark edge and their characters delightfully detestable, this novel is an absolute must-read.
The story centers around Anthony Wistern, a loathsome rich man whose influence is matched only by his repulsiveness. As fate would have it, Anthony meets his end in the most inconvenient fashion—right in the middle of his own 60th birthday party, thrown by his beleaguered wife, Olivia, at their posh Cotswolds retreat. The timing, of course, is quintessentially Anthony: always stealing the spotlight, even in death.
From this point, Mackie spins a tale of familial dysfunction and dark humour that is as biting as it is entertaining. Anthony’s grown-up children—Freddy, Jemima, Lyra, and Clara—are scarcely mourning their father’s demise. Instead, their attention swiftly shifts to the potential inheritance, revealing their true, self-serving natures. It’s a testament to Mackie’s skill that despite their awfulness, each character remains compelling, their flaws laid bare with a kind of morbid fascination.
In an intriguing narrative twist, Mackie allows Anthony himself to provide commentary from beyond the grave. Temporarily residing in a ‘half-way house’, the spectral narrator adds a unique layer to the unfolding drama. This clever device not only gives voice to the deceased but also offers a scathingly honest perspective on the events and characters, further enriching the darkly comedic tone of the novel. You’d assume that he’d follow the fate of Scrooge and find redemption in seeing others’ reaction to his death, but Anthony Wistern is far too pompous and self-important to conform to expectations, and his ability to justify every one of his previous actions, whilst criticising others, is fascinating.
Adding to the mix is an ‘armchair detective’ known simply as The Sleuth, an internet sensation who thrusts the Wistern family into the harsh glare of public scrutiny. Her relentless pursuit of the truth—and her own online notoriety—brings additional chaos to the already tumultuous proceedings. The Sleuth’s meddling serves as both a catalyst for the revelation of family secrets and a satirical nod to our culture’s obsession with true crime and internet fame.
While “What a Way to Go” may not reach the elaborate heights of “How to Kill Your Family,” it stands firmly on its own as an original and engaging read. Mackie’s knack for character-driven storytelling, laced with her signature black humour, ensures that readers will be thoroughly entertained from start to finish.
“What a Way to Go” is a delectable blend of wit, dark humour, and biting social commentary. Bella Mackie has once again proven her prowess in crafting stories that are as thought-provoking as they are laugh-out-loud funny. For those who enjoy their humour with a dark edge and their characters delightfully detestable, this novel is an absolute must-read.
August 5, 2024
Meet the Wisterns, dysfunctional family extraordinaire. There's Anthony, financial wizard and CEO of Wismere Investments, his ice-queen wife Olivia, and their four grown up children, Jemima, Fred, Lyra and Clara. To the outside world they appear to have it all; money, status and good looks. Nothing could be further from the truth.
What A Way To Go centres around Anthony's unfortunate demise on his 60th birthday, for which his wife Olivia has thrown an elaborate party.
His death is eventually ruled as accidental, but not everyone is satisfied with the ruling. Enter the self named "The Sleuth", a True Crime fanatic who believes Anthony was murdered, and embarks on an amateur investigation of their own, posting live recordings of their progress on YouTube.
The story is told from three POV'S: Olivia, The Sleuth, and Anthony. That's right folks, Anthony still has his say. Following his demise he finds himself in Death's departure lounge, watching over his family as he tries to remember how he died.
I really enjoyed this book. It was so well written everyone was a suspect, and I had a lot of fun trying to work out who killed Anthony. The big reveal, when it came, took me by surprise.
I loved the dark humour, and the characters, even though they didn't have a single redeeming quality between them.
What A Way To Go is a head scratcher of a whodunnit.
Thanks to HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What A Way To Go centres around Anthony's unfortunate demise on his 60th birthday, for which his wife Olivia has thrown an elaborate party.
His death is eventually ruled as accidental, but not everyone is satisfied with the ruling. Enter the self named "The Sleuth", a True Crime fanatic who believes Anthony was murdered, and embarks on an amateur investigation of their own, posting live recordings of their progress on YouTube.
The story is told from three POV'S: Olivia, The Sleuth, and Anthony. That's right folks, Anthony still has his say. Following his demise he finds himself in Death's departure lounge, watching over his family as he tries to remember how he died.
I really enjoyed this book. It was so well written everyone was a suspect, and I had a lot of fun trying to work out who killed Anthony. The big reveal, when it came, took me by surprise.
I loved the dark humour, and the characters, even though they didn't have a single redeeming quality between them.
What A Way To Go is a head scratcher of a whodunnit.
Thanks to HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 23, 2024
What A Way To Go / Bella Mackie
⭐️⭐️
~ Everything is content even when it is not relevant. I don’t mush like this side of it but it helps drive attention. And attention helps achieve justice. A small evil for a freedom greater good, that’s what I tell myself… ~
The concept was there, the blurb had me sold but the execution just didn’t cut it.
After How I Killed My Family, I wanted to give Bella Mackie another try. I enjoyed HIKMF, but the ending was a damp squib so I after seeing this everywhere I said right. Second chance saloon.
The characters were insufferable. Rich people doing bad things can be done well, but none of these had any redemption. Like, I can suspend disbelief enough, but this just didn’t do anything.
There were only 2 shining lights in this. I loved The Sleuth’s chapters, they just worked for the whole thing. And the second, I just thought Clara was so on point for it all.
Olivia and Anthony, y’all deserve each other. I suppose Anthony’s role in this all was an interesting take in death. Grand as it was, how he ended was just anticlimactic.
So yeah, interesting concept but bad execution.
Audiobook Length: 11hrs, 51mins
Narrator: Colin Mace, Gabrielle Glaister, & Kimberley Capero
🎧 Listened to on @borrowbox through @kilkennylibrary and @librariesireland 🎧
Read: 16/09/24 - 21/09/24
Release Date: 12/09/24
⭐️⭐️
~ Everything is content even when it is not relevant. I don’t mush like this side of it but it helps drive attention. And attention helps achieve justice. A small evil for a freedom greater good, that’s what I tell myself… ~
The concept was there, the blurb had me sold but the execution just didn’t cut it.
After How I Killed My Family, I wanted to give Bella Mackie another try. I enjoyed HIKMF, but the ending was a damp squib so I after seeing this everywhere I said right. Second chance saloon.
The characters were insufferable. Rich people doing bad things can be done well, but none of these had any redemption. Like, I can suspend disbelief enough, but this just didn’t do anything.
There were only 2 shining lights in this. I loved The Sleuth’s chapters, they just worked for the whole thing. And the second, I just thought Clara was so on point for it all.
Olivia and Anthony, y’all deserve each other. I suppose Anthony’s role in this all was an interesting take in death. Grand as it was, how he ended was just anticlimactic.
So yeah, interesting concept but bad execution.
Audiobook Length: 11hrs, 51mins
Narrator: Colin Mace, Gabrielle Glaister, & Kimberley Capero
🎧 Listened to on @borrowbox through @kilkennylibrary and @librariesireland 🎧
Read: 16/09/24 - 21/09/24
Release Date: 12/09/24
September 15, 2024
This kept me guessing the whole time, and I didn't predict the plot twist until the end. It took a little time to get into multiple POVs, however, each character would always hint at something that no one else knew and every character was always scheming against each other so it made you want to keep reading.
The book starts with Anthony's death right away, and we're left to wonder if it was an accident or murder. We follow his wife and four children and see the effect of his death on their lives and reputation as part of London's high society when secrets start to be revealed. The Wistern family does not seem like a family you would want to be a part of, as they are all obsessed with money and appearances. There's also a girl, who goes by ''the sleuth,'' who is obsessed with the idea that Anthony was murdered and starts to create an online following sharing her conspiracies.
Overall, I did enjoy this and I don't read many murder mysteries/ thrillers so it was a nice change!
Special thanks to netgalley for providing me with a free electronic copy in exchange for an honest review!
The book starts with Anthony's death right away, and we're left to wonder if it was an accident or murder. We follow his wife and four children and see the effect of his death on their lives and reputation as part of London's high society when secrets start to be revealed. The Wistern family does not seem like a family you would want to be a part of, as they are all obsessed with money and appearances. There's also a girl, who goes by ''the sleuth,'' who is obsessed with the idea that Anthony was murdered and starts to create an online following sharing her conspiracies.
Overall, I did enjoy this and I don't read many murder mysteries/ thrillers so it was a nice change!
Special thanks to netgalley for providing me with a free electronic copy in exchange for an honest review!
September 19, 2024
This was one book that tested my patience a lot and I would have given it up if it wasn't an ARC. I was really excited to read the book initially because the author's previous work How to Kill Your Family was popular on bookstagram and I had missed reading it.
Anthony Wistern gets killed by being impaled on a spike on his grand 60th birthday party, organized by his wife, Olivia. It turns out that Anthony was highly successful and owned an investment company but there were quite a few people who hated him enough to want him dead, including his own children and wife. Few chapters are narrated by Anthony himself, where he is in a limbo-like state waiting for the memory of his last few hours on earth to return to him and find out how he was killed. Without this knowledge he cannot move on to the next phase of death.
The book was quite enjoyable in the beginning, but I really hated all the characters including the one called Slueth, who desperately wants to believe that Anthony was murdered and wants to investigate this crime. I didn't really get why this character's name wasn't revealed until the very end, especially when there was no angle to it. In brief, I did not enjoy reading this book and it put me into a book slump for the entire month of August.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy of the book.
Anthony Wistern gets killed by being impaled on a spike on his grand 60th birthday party, organized by his wife, Olivia. It turns out that Anthony was highly successful and owned an investment company but there were quite a few people who hated him enough to want him dead, including his own children and wife. Few chapters are narrated by Anthony himself, where he is in a limbo-like state waiting for the memory of his last few hours on earth to return to him and find out how he was killed. Without this knowledge he cannot move on to the next phase of death.
The book was quite enjoyable in the beginning, but I really hated all the characters including the one called Slueth, who desperately wants to believe that Anthony was murdered and wants to investigate this crime. I didn't really get why this character's name wasn't revealed until the very end, especially when there was no angle to it. In brief, I did not enjoy reading this book and it put me into a book slump for the entire month of August.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy of the book.
August 24, 2024
I really enjoyed Bella Mackie’s novel “How to kill your family” so jumped at the chance to read an ARC of her most recent offering.
The 4 star rating is because it took me a little while to get into this one but I’m glad I stuck with it. The rewards come much later…
I appreciate a multiple narrator approach and this book features three: the victim from beyond the grave, the wife (neither of them are likeable), and a true crime sleuth. I would have liked to have explored the POVs of some of the children and potentially the married-ins as well.
Mackie has a skill for creating characters I dislike whilst still keeping me invested in the whodunnit plot. “What a way to go” is dark, funny, readable and not too taxing. What I’d call a perfect-autumn-Sunday read.
The 4 star rating is because it took me a little while to get into this one but I’m glad I stuck with it. The rewards come much later…
I appreciate a multiple narrator approach and this book features three: the victim from beyond the grave, the wife (neither of them are likeable), and a true crime sleuth. I would have liked to have explored the POVs of some of the children and potentially the married-ins as well.
Mackie has a skill for creating characters I dislike whilst still keeping me invested in the whodunnit plot. “What a way to go” is dark, funny, readable and not too taxing. What I’d call a perfect-autumn-Sunday read.
September 29, 2024
2.5 stars!
I really wanted to love this more than I did.
One status-obsessed woman – who is the perfect accessory.
Their four inheritance-obsessed children – each with a killer instinct.
And a murder-obsessed outsider looking to expose them all…"
My Thoughts:
- I love Bella's writing and how she creates characters, in this instance very dislikeable.
- I was gripped by at least the first half - the annoyingly rich and priviledged characters, one of who is dead & the mystery around their death
- The sleuth's pov/chapters where my fave as enjoyed the whole commentary around internet sleuths and our obsessions with true crime
- But by the second half/third of the book my interest waned and I started to care less about the whodunnit which I was gutted about
- Fun concept, dislikeable characters that were fun to read until I got disinterested, so i think the execution for me just didn't live up to what I expected.
I really wanted to love this more than I did.
One status-obsessed woman – who is the perfect accessory.
Their four inheritance-obsessed children – each with a killer instinct.
And a murder-obsessed outsider looking to expose them all…"
My Thoughts:
- I love Bella's writing and how she creates characters, in this instance very dislikeable.
- I was gripped by at least the first half - the annoyingly rich and priviledged characters, one of who is dead & the mystery around their death
- The sleuth's pov/chapters where my fave as enjoyed the whole commentary around internet sleuths and our obsessions with true crime
- But by the second half/third of the book my interest waned and I started to care less about the whodunnit which I was gutted about
- Fun concept, dislikeable characters that were fun to read until I got disinterested, so i think the execution for me just didn't live up to what I expected.
August 12, 2024
I really enjoyed the premise of this book and as much as i wanted to enjoy the actual plot i felt too many twists and not enough into the end or even a link into another book. The writing style is fantastic and the author really can keep you interested and did enjoy their last book. I hope maybe a reread when released might give me another chance to see if it hits different.
September 10, 2024
What A Way To Go is such a great concept and grabbed me straight away. The party and the drama felt very Saltburn. Then there’s the gruesome death. Loved that! Saying this the story is very much character driven, but I found every character unlikable and toxic. There are three points of views, this was interesting and having the added view from outside the family unit was really beneficial. This gave the plot another element otherwise I would have been bored. The psychological mystery did fall into the background for the characterisation and I didn’t feel as gripped by the story as I hoped. I liked the humour and tone of the book and think many people will enjoy it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.
July 19, 2024
3.5 ⭐
What a thoroughly unlikeable family. Each and every single one of them.
I could have happily pushed them all into a lake.
Unlikeable, but honestly such good fun.
A very enjoyable read,.
Genuine funny moments, and a surprise or two on the way.
I liked thr bits from Anthony's pov, that just added a little extra something.
Very good.
What a thoroughly unlikeable family. Each and every single one of them.
I could have happily pushed them all into a lake.
Unlikeable, but honestly such good fun.
A very enjoyable read,.
Genuine funny moments, and a surprise or two on the way.
I liked thr bits from Anthony's pov, that just added a little extra something.
Very good.
September 8, 2024
I really liked how different this book was as a concept, I thought the whole ‘afterlife’ gave a really different lens to the story and just a whole different connection to the characters inner thoughts and reflections, it felt really different to anything I have read before and I really liked that as I think that can be quite hard to come by when you read a lot
I thought the writing was well paced and there was a lot of variety between the perspectives meaning it moved along pretty fast. I did at times find the Sleuth chapters a bit on the long side but I’m not sure if it’s maybe because I just love family dynamics and wanted to get back into that. I did find this book very different but I wouldn’t say it was twisty or as gripping as maybe as I’d like for this genre.
The characters in this one were flawed to say the very least but it definitely made for some very interesting moments. I think that Liv was actually my favourite character, I mean, I definitely wouldn’t want her as a mother but some of her one liners were *chef’s kiss* and really made me laugh.
I absolutely love a family saga so the aspects of the family drama was definitely my favourite part of this book in terms of the actual story. I thought the relationships between the sisters/parents was very interesting- drama that happens to be rich people drama is just my favourite reading experience- if anything I’d have maybe wanted more of this (but again that’s a personal love for that kind of thing)
There was quite a few funny one liners throughout that were so candidly relatable (and somewhat savage) and I do really enjoy that about the authors writing style.
I do think there was almost too much going on to really get to know the characters on a deeper level, I would have liked to have had less siblings maybe? Or spent more time with them in that dynamic as I think it almost got lost alongside the mystery at times.
Although I understood why the Sleuth chapters were there and the integral role those chapters played in the overall story and the unravelling of the actual murder, I didn’t find them particularly compelling and if anything I found the almost broke the pace a little for me. I found myself reading them wishing I was back with Anthony or Liv. This book was definitely easy to read and enjoyable however I wouldn’t say I was particularly compelled to turn the page or didn’t find myself thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it.
I would definitely recommend this book to someone who reads this genre, it almost feels like a fail safe book recommendation for me- one that you could recommend to most people without taking into consideration their specific preferences or the amount that they read.
One quote that definitely made me laugh was “Liv could carry a grudge against and inanimate object if she felt it has wronged her” such a mood
I thought the writing was well paced and there was a lot of variety between the perspectives meaning it moved along pretty fast. I did at times find the Sleuth chapters a bit on the long side but I’m not sure if it’s maybe because I just love family dynamics and wanted to get back into that. I did find this book very different but I wouldn’t say it was twisty or as gripping as maybe as I’d like for this genre.
The characters in this one were flawed to say the very least but it definitely made for some very interesting moments. I think that Liv was actually my favourite character, I mean, I definitely wouldn’t want her as a mother but some of her one liners were *chef’s kiss* and really made me laugh.
I absolutely love a family saga so the aspects of the family drama was definitely my favourite part of this book in terms of the actual story. I thought the relationships between the sisters/parents was very interesting- drama that happens to be rich people drama is just my favourite reading experience- if anything I’d have maybe wanted more of this (but again that’s a personal love for that kind of thing)
There was quite a few funny one liners throughout that were so candidly relatable (and somewhat savage) and I do really enjoy that about the authors writing style.
I do think there was almost too much going on to really get to know the characters on a deeper level, I would have liked to have had less siblings maybe? Or spent more time with them in that dynamic as I think it almost got lost alongside the mystery at times.
Although I understood why the Sleuth chapters were there and the integral role those chapters played in the overall story and the unravelling of the actual murder, I didn’t find them particularly compelling and if anything I found the almost broke the pace a little for me. I found myself reading them wishing I was back with Anthony or Liv. This book was definitely easy to read and enjoyable however I wouldn’t say I was particularly compelled to turn the page or didn’t find myself thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it.
I would definitely recommend this book to someone who reads this genre, it almost feels like a fail safe book recommendation for me- one that you could recommend to most people without taking into consideration their specific preferences or the amount that they read.
One quote that definitely made me laugh was “Liv could carry a grudge against and inanimate object if she felt it has wronged her” such a mood
September 17, 2024
#Gifted
I had to make use of the sunshine we’re having to get a shot of this conversely dark book!
Having recently read and enjoyed Bella Mackie’s How To Kill Your Family, I was delighted to receive an early copy of #WhatAWayToGo.
Told from three different perspectives, this is a murder mystery with a twist; the victim is also trying to solve the case, from the afterlife.
Anthony Wistern; wealthy, influential, hugely successful, and let’s face it, an utter horror of a human being, is celebrating his 60th birthday at a lavish party organised by his wife (also terrible), and kids (equally awful) when the man himself is found dead under bizarre circumstances. Anthony later finds himself in a sort of limbo; he can’t move on to the “next stage” until he remembers accurately how he died. He can watch his loved ones for clues, which he diligently does but soon finds that actually plenty of people had very good reasons to want him dead.
Meanwhile, a local armchair detective, nicknamed (by herself) “the sleuth”, sets out to solve the case while also drastically increasing her follower count on tik tok. She quickly becomes a little over-invested as she discovers True Crime is much trickier when you’re actually living it and not just listening to a podcast.
Lastly, we also hear from Anthony’s long-suffering wife Olivia, regularly dismissed by her ungrateful children, cheated on by an uncaring husband, and now the prime suspect in his death. She’s no Angel, but is she a murderer?
I enjoyed this book so much, more than How To Kill Your Family, I think. I love a good Murder mystery and this one kept me guessing. Pretty much all of the characters are unlikeable, but that actually works well here; it feels almost tongue in cheek sometimes. Plenty of dark humour and you’re given permission not to empathise with anyone in the book and just enjoy the journey.
This is a fun, clever, and dark read, that felt utterly unique to me. I think it’ll be perfect for snuggling up with over Autumn.
With many thanks to Harper Collins for my early copy, all opinions are my own, as always. Available to buy now!
I had to make use of the sunshine we’re having to get a shot of this conversely dark book!
Having recently read and enjoyed Bella Mackie’s How To Kill Your Family, I was delighted to receive an early copy of #WhatAWayToGo.
Told from three different perspectives, this is a murder mystery with a twist; the victim is also trying to solve the case, from the afterlife.
Anthony Wistern; wealthy, influential, hugely successful, and let’s face it, an utter horror of a human being, is celebrating his 60th birthday at a lavish party organised by his wife (also terrible), and kids (equally awful) when the man himself is found dead under bizarre circumstances. Anthony later finds himself in a sort of limbo; he can’t move on to the “next stage” until he remembers accurately how he died. He can watch his loved ones for clues, which he diligently does but soon finds that actually plenty of people had very good reasons to want him dead.
Meanwhile, a local armchair detective, nicknamed (by herself) “the sleuth”, sets out to solve the case while also drastically increasing her follower count on tik tok. She quickly becomes a little over-invested as she discovers True Crime is much trickier when you’re actually living it and not just listening to a podcast.
Lastly, we also hear from Anthony’s long-suffering wife Olivia, regularly dismissed by her ungrateful children, cheated on by an uncaring husband, and now the prime suspect in his death. She’s no Angel, but is she a murderer?
I enjoyed this book so much, more than How To Kill Your Family, I think. I love a good Murder mystery and this one kept me guessing. Pretty much all of the characters are unlikeable, but that actually works well here; it feels almost tongue in cheek sometimes. Plenty of dark humour and you’re given permission not to empathise with anyone in the book and just enjoy the journey.
This is a fun, clever, and dark read, that felt utterly unique to me. I think it’ll be perfect for snuggling up with over Autumn.
With many thanks to Harper Collins for my early copy, all opinions are my own, as always. Available to buy now!
September 8, 2024
When Anthony Wistern, financier and CEO, dies at his 60th birthday party, he ends up in purgatory. Forced to watch his family through CCTV until he remembers how he died, he is unable to move on to “the next stage” until he works it out. His adultery and misdeeds are all uncovered whilst his family argue over the money, his wife has her own secrets and they’re just a truly awful bunch of people to boot. They’re part of the 1% and none of them seem to have any idea that they’re horrible at all.
On the other side of the story is The Sleuth, a podcaster who starts to try and solve what she is sure is a murder and acts as a fab plot device to move the story on without spending too much time with the entitled Wisterns. She’s got her own issues, with a sick mum and a need to solve something after the mystery of her dad’s death is unsolved in her eyes.
It’s a slow burn mystery rather than a pacy thriller, with lots of satire and dark humour thrown in for good measure. You really want both Anthony and The Sleuth to work it out and yet enjoy his discomfort in not being able to. I also enjoyed how whiny they all are about how it’s all terrible while eating at the finest restaurants and living in their country house to escape the London one. It’s a reflection of how you expect anyone you’d ever meet with more money than sense to behave! The ending is just chefs kiss perfect and left me smiling too.
I flitted between the arc ebook and audiobook, and the audiobook in particular really brought the personalities to life. Definitely worth a listen to if you like an audiobook.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for a free arc and audiobook in return for an honest review. 4.5/5
On the other side of the story is The Sleuth, a podcaster who starts to try and solve what she is sure is a murder and acts as a fab plot device to move the story on without spending too much time with the entitled Wisterns. She’s got her own issues, with a sick mum and a need to solve something after the mystery of her dad’s death is unsolved in her eyes.
It’s a slow burn mystery rather than a pacy thriller, with lots of satire and dark humour thrown in for good measure. You really want both Anthony and The Sleuth to work it out and yet enjoy his discomfort in not being able to. I also enjoyed how whiny they all are about how it’s all terrible while eating at the finest restaurants and living in their country house to escape the London one. It’s a reflection of how you expect anyone you’d ever meet with more money than sense to behave! The ending is just chefs kiss perfect and left me smiling too.
I flitted between the arc ebook and audiobook, and the audiobook in particular really brought the personalities to life. Definitely worth a listen to if you like an audiobook.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for a free arc and audiobook in return for an honest review. 4.5/5
September 10, 2024
Anthony Wistern is a wealthy financial mogul. He has a vast artwork collection, multiple large properties, a beautiful family and a long line of mistresses. His life seems perfect. Until, that is, he ends up skewered on a metal pole during his lavish 60th birthday party. The police rule his death as a freak accident, but others aren’t so sure. Anthony was in serious financial trouble and had upset a lot of people throughout his life. Was his death really an accident? Did he do it to himself? Or was he murdered?
This was a very fun read. I think I actually liked it better than How to Kill Your Family, which was also a great book. The characters in this one are all pretty terrible people, but there’s still some element of likeability to them which made them entertaining to read about. Even Anthony had an amusing, if entirely disagreeable, attitude towards life.
The mystery of how Anthony died is genuinely very intriguing. Although the cause of death is plainly obvious, it isn’t revealed until right at the end whether he was killed, offed himself, or had an accident. Right up until the reveal, every option is plausible.
The supernatural element – the story being told from Anthony’s point of view from beyond the grave, in a kind of afterlife waiting room – was unexpected but worked remarkably well within the story. It was fun to be able to see the meta-style comedy of Olivia deliberately doing something, hoping it would make Anthony turn in his grave, and Anthony actually watching and getting angry in the afterlife. Overall, What a Way to Go is a witty and intriguing mystery/drama.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This was a very fun read. I think I actually liked it better than How to Kill Your Family, which was also a great book. The characters in this one are all pretty terrible people, but there’s still some element of likeability to them which made them entertaining to read about. Even Anthony had an amusing, if entirely disagreeable, attitude towards life.
The mystery of how Anthony died is genuinely very intriguing. Although the cause of death is plainly obvious, it isn’t revealed until right at the end whether he was killed, offed himself, or had an accident. Right up until the reveal, every option is plausible.
The supernatural element – the story being told from Anthony’s point of view from beyond the grave, in a kind of afterlife waiting room – was unexpected but worked remarkably well within the story. It was fun to be able to see the meta-style comedy of Olivia deliberately doing something, hoping it would make Anthony turn in his grave, and Anthony actually watching and getting angry in the afterlife. Overall, What a Way to Go is a witty and intriguing mystery/drama.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 26, 2024
4 ⭐️
Thank you to Harper Collins UK and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Bella Mackie’s new book, What a Way To Go (I love this title), is a dark comedy/thriller about family, money and unfortunate demises. This is perfect for fans of ‘Knives Out’.
Anthony, an ultra-wealthy businessman, is found dead at his 60th birthday party. The suspects? Well, no-one (according to the police), but his socialite wife, Olivia, and his four adult (or nearly adult) children look increasingly suspicious.
The book is narrated from three POVs: Anthony himself (in the depressingly mundane afterlife), Olivia and an online sleuth.
I initially struggled to get into the book, as I couldn’t easily distinguish between Anthony’s children’s characters - especially the women - although by the halfway point, I was fully immersed.
I really enjoyed Anthony’s narration from the afterlife, and the concept of the afterlife in general. I also enjoyed the online sleuth’s ‘blog’ and the increasing lengths that she went to in order to get more views.
The ending was a bit disappointing for me, although there were some events along the way that I found very satisfying.
I’m also not normally the grammar police, but I really struggled with the author’s allergy to semicolons. Some of the sentences felt a bit laborious to read. That being said, the dark, comedic writing was very well done.
Thank you to Harper Collins UK and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Bella Mackie’s new book, What a Way To Go (I love this title), is a dark comedy/thriller about family, money and unfortunate demises. This is perfect for fans of ‘Knives Out’.
Anthony, an ultra-wealthy businessman, is found dead at his 60th birthday party. The suspects? Well, no-one (according to the police), but his socialite wife, Olivia, and his four adult (or nearly adult) children look increasingly suspicious.
The book is narrated from three POVs: Anthony himself (in the depressingly mundane afterlife), Olivia and an online sleuth.
I initially struggled to get into the book, as I couldn’t easily distinguish between Anthony’s children’s characters - especially the women - although by the halfway point, I was fully immersed.
I really enjoyed Anthony’s narration from the afterlife, and the concept of the afterlife in general. I also enjoyed the online sleuth’s ‘blog’ and the increasing lengths that she went to in order to get more views.
The ending was a bit disappointing for me, although there were some events along the way that I found very satisfying.
I’m also not normally the grammar police, but I really struggled with the author’s allergy to semicolons. Some of the sentences felt a bit laborious to read. That being said, the dark, comedic writing was very well done.
September 10, 2024
We follow the story of Anthony Wistern- a very wealthy man, a beautiful house in the Cotswolds, married to Olivia and father to 4: Fred, Jemima, Lyra and Clara.
Unfortunately, Anthony is dead… he was found dead amongst his extravagant 60th birthday celebrations.
Was it accidental or was it murder 🤔 with an inheritance up for grabs, each family member has motive….
The story was told from three pov, Anthony’s, Olivia’s and ‘The Sleuth’s’. It was interesting to see from each of their pov- The Sleuth was convinced Anthony had been murdered, Anthony was trying to work out how he had died, and Olivia was from her pov of now.
I enjoyed all the sarcasm and humour both Olivia and Anthony gave off. Their relationship with each other and their children was interesting…and there were several motives there….
I thoroughly enjoyed the whodunnit vibe throughout the book, as we learnt a little more about each character it was interesting to see how the story unfolded.
There were several laugh out loud moments for me- 1. the mention of Jeremy Clarkson’s farm and 2. hessian and wooden beads 😂
Thank you to Boroughpress for gifting me a finished copy. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ahead of its release. These are my own opinions of the book.
Unfortunately, Anthony is dead… he was found dead amongst his extravagant 60th birthday celebrations.
Was it accidental or was it murder 🤔 with an inheritance up for grabs, each family member has motive….
The story was told from three pov, Anthony’s, Olivia’s and ‘The Sleuth’s’. It was interesting to see from each of their pov- The Sleuth was convinced Anthony had been murdered, Anthony was trying to work out how he had died, and Olivia was from her pov of now.
I enjoyed all the sarcasm and humour both Olivia and Anthony gave off. Their relationship with each other and their children was interesting…and there were several motives there….
I thoroughly enjoyed the whodunnit vibe throughout the book, as we learnt a little more about each character it was interesting to see how the story unfolded.
There were several laugh out loud moments for me- 1. the mention of Jeremy Clarkson’s farm and 2. hessian and wooden beads 😂
Thank you to Boroughpress for gifting me a finished copy. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ahead of its release. These are my own opinions of the book.
September 22, 2024
3 / 5 ⭐️
the concept of this book really intrigued me but i ended up finding it quite slow paced!
i liked bella’s writing style approaching this as a satire with some witty moments and dark humour but the overall plot lacked a bit for me.
i felt that the structure of the plot was there but it was just missing something, i felt it could have been a bit more dramatised in places and some more small hints sprinkled in to make it more intriguing and really gain the readers attention.
the mystery of anthony’s murder definitely took a backseat with the book being quite character driven so if you like that mixed in with a mystery / thriller you will definitely like this book.
however, i thought that the different povs made the story more interesting and to get more of an insight into the different narratives and i loved the idea of the processing centre, that was definitely a fun addition to the story!
🥂💍💭
the concept of this book really intrigued me but i ended up finding it quite slow paced!
i liked bella’s writing style approaching this as a satire with some witty moments and dark humour but the overall plot lacked a bit for me.
i felt that the structure of the plot was there but it was just missing something, i felt it could have been a bit more dramatised in places and some more small hints sprinkled in to make it more intriguing and really gain the readers attention.
the mystery of anthony’s murder definitely took a backseat with the book being quite character driven so if you like that mixed in with a mystery / thriller you will definitely like this book.
however, i thought that the different povs made the story more interesting and to get more of an insight into the different narratives and i loved the idea of the processing centre, that was definitely a fun addition to the story!
🥂💍💭
September 10, 2024
What A Way To Go
Bella Mackie
‘Life is a funny succession of swings and roundabouts.’
This falls flat to me. This story is told from three different perspectives, Anthony, Olivia and the Sleuth. The concept is great fun, after life’s waiting room where you solve your own death to proceed but the story and characters just didn’t gel for me.
‘Had my own progeny conspired to off me for their inheritance? I can’t lie, it’s something I’ve had uncomfortable thoughts about before. When you’ve got a lot to lose, your trust in people diminishes, family members aren’t exempt from that.’
The book is full of dark humour, some intrigue and characters who seem capable of despicable acts but are mostly just rich, smug and arrogant characters. There was definite times you warmed to the characters but for the most part, I wasn’t at all invested.
“Now you’re dead, I’m going to be your new favourite person.”
This comes from the author of How To Kill Your Family and I’m sure plenty of fans of that will be jumping for this book on 2nd October 2024.
“You can sit here and destroy his character all you want but you will not speak a word of this outside of these walls. Our reputation is all we have in life. At this moment, ours is in tatters, but memories are short, and one day, this horrible month, this mensis horribilis, will be a brief blip - if we handle ourselves with dignity.”
Massive thank you to @harpercollinsaustralia @harpercollinsuk @netgalley and @harperfiction for this ARC.
‘You might waterboard a woman for her secrets to no avail, but tell her to cheer up and you’ll meet a banshee.’
“Just look at her. The woman doesn’t really have an identity without him. He sort of designed it that way, right?”
Bella Mackie
‘Life is a funny succession of swings and roundabouts.’
This falls flat to me. This story is told from three different perspectives, Anthony, Olivia and the Sleuth. The concept is great fun, after life’s waiting room where you solve your own death to proceed but the story and characters just didn’t gel for me.
‘Had my own progeny conspired to off me for their inheritance? I can’t lie, it’s something I’ve had uncomfortable thoughts about before. When you’ve got a lot to lose, your trust in people diminishes, family members aren’t exempt from that.’
The book is full of dark humour, some intrigue and characters who seem capable of despicable acts but are mostly just rich, smug and arrogant characters. There was definite times you warmed to the characters but for the most part, I wasn’t at all invested.
“Now you’re dead, I’m going to be your new favourite person.”
This comes from the author of How To Kill Your Family and I’m sure plenty of fans of that will be jumping for this book on 2nd October 2024.
“You can sit here and destroy his character all you want but you will not speak a word of this outside of these walls. Our reputation is all we have in life. At this moment, ours is in tatters, but memories are short, and one day, this horrible month, this mensis horribilis, will be a brief blip - if we handle ourselves with dignity.”
Massive thank you to @harpercollinsaustralia @harpercollinsuk @netgalley and @harperfiction for this ARC.
‘You might waterboard a woman for her secrets to no avail, but tell her to cheer up and you’ll meet a banshee.’
“Just look at her. The woman doesn’t really have an identity without him. He sort of designed it that way, right?”
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