Member Review
Review by
Grace M, Reviewer
Thanks to @Netgalley and @harpercollinsuk for inviting me to review this second novel from Bella Mackie.
I enjoyed How to Kill Your Family but in What a Way to Go, the author has excelled herself with the biting wit she uses on the characters in this novel. Searing and acerbic, this is the story of a rich family affected by the death of their father, Anthony Wistern, who is himself unable to pass until he’s worked out exactly how he died. As he was impaled on a stake in the ornamental lake in the grounds of his house at his 60th birthday party, you’d think that was straight forward. But was it a freak accident, suicide or murder?
It turns out - quelle surprise - that honesty in the pursuit of money hasn’t always been entirely present, Some of his grasping family are involved in his scams too. His wife who has put up with his philandering and general narcissistic behaviour is herself a tad narcissistic and had packed to leave him the next morning, planning her departure with the help of her newly affluent brother. She is a tad lacking a in maternal instincts but to be fair if these were your daughters, so would you. The daughters take self entitlement to a whole new level and the son is written off because he prefers nature to money, sadly he also has few redeeming features.
Into this toxic mix, arrives social media wanna be influencer with a desire to find justice - The Sleuth. Turns out she knows the deceased having worked for him in his local before having to leave under difficult circumstances. The Sleuth is local and determined to be on the case to uncover the truth. She quickly decides he has been murdered and sets out to uncover the murderer - and there’s no shortage of suspects. And no shortage of sensational revelations garnering clicks!
The family has money that talks, so The Sleuth gets her collar felt and when one of her main suspects is murdered, finds herself in the frame for that. But the Wistern family’s secrets are all starting to unravel as the family members themselves unravel at the prospect that may actually end up poor.
In the meantime Anthony can’t quite work out how he died and isn’t too happy having to watch his family from a facility that isn’t quite up to the standards he’s been enjoying in life.
This is actually a decent whodunnit as well as an excellent satire. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely read her next novel, It kept me guessing most of the way through because, let’s face it, any of the characters in the novel could’ve done it and had a motive. Or did he decide to go out in style as the net was closing in on him? Or was it an accident but quite how do you impale yourself by accident?
This novel is a lot of fun, witty and amusing with a definite sense of wanting to know whodunnit. What a Way to Go, is out now!
I enjoyed How to Kill Your Family but in What a Way to Go, the author has excelled herself with the biting wit she uses on the characters in this novel. Searing and acerbic, this is the story of a rich family affected by the death of their father, Anthony Wistern, who is himself unable to pass until he’s worked out exactly how he died. As he was impaled on a stake in the ornamental lake in the grounds of his house at his 60th birthday party, you’d think that was straight forward. But was it a freak accident, suicide or murder?
It turns out - quelle surprise - that honesty in the pursuit of money hasn’t always been entirely present, Some of his grasping family are involved in his scams too. His wife who has put up with his philandering and general narcissistic behaviour is herself a tad narcissistic and had packed to leave him the next morning, planning her departure with the help of her newly affluent brother. She is a tad lacking a in maternal instincts but to be fair if these were your daughters, so would you. The daughters take self entitlement to a whole new level and the son is written off because he prefers nature to money, sadly he also has few redeeming features.
Into this toxic mix, arrives social media wanna be influencer with a desire to find justice - The Sleuth. Turns out she knows the deceased having worked for him in his local before having to leave under difficult circumstances. The Sleuth is local and determined to be on the case to uncover the truth. She quickly decides he has been murdered and sets out to uncover the murderer - and there’s no shortage of suspects. And no shortage of sensational revelations garnering clicks!
The family has money that talks, so The Sleuth gets her collar felt and when one of her main suspects is murdered, finds herself in the frame for that. But the Wistern family’s secrets are all starting to unravel as the family members themselves unravel at the prospect that may actually end up poor.
In the meantime Anthony can’t quite work out how he died and isn’t too happy having to watch his family from a facility that isn’t quite up to the standards he’s been enjoying in life.
This is actually a decent whodunnit as well as an excellent satire. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely read her next novel, It kept me guessing most of the way through because, let’s face it, any of the characters in the novel could’ve done it and had a motive. Or did he decide to go out in style as the net was closing in on him? Or was it an accident but quite how do you impale yourself by accident?
This novel is a lot of fun, witty and amusing with a definite sense of wanting to know whodunnit. What a Way to Go, is out now!
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
