If dark humour, twisty plot lines and a ton of 'No way! Really?!" moments are your thing, then you'll enjoy this romp through the afterlife!

Told from multiple perspectives, including the murder victim from beyond the grave, it's essentially a whodunnit murder mystery. Anthony Wistern, a wealthy businessman meets an untimely end at his own birthday party and must discover what happened in the last moments of his life in order to move on from the big old waiting room in the sky to his designated afterlife.

It has to be said that there isn't a single likeable character in the entire book - including our murder victim. Pompous, entitled and arrogant to the core, there's not a whole lot of sympathy to be had for either Anthony or the family he's left behind. It's something that would usually put me off a book but to be honest it just added to the sheer sense of bonkers mayhem in the book - that need to turn the page and find out what unforeseen plot-twist I'd be hit with next.

A great, entertaining read that will keep any reader gripped from start to finish!

This was twisty, fun and not at all what I expected to read.
I enjoyed the 3 different POVs and it was such a different take on reading through a murder mystery. I was engaged and guessing who it could be all the way through until the end.
I feel like I could maybe have enjoyed a bit more background on 'The Sleuth' but otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed.
Definitely a fair few characters to get to grips with though with lots going on, so really need to pay attention as you read.
Overall a fun read and I hope to read more from this author!
Favourite Quote - Ego gets in the way of most men seeing what's in front of them.
Favourite Character - Olivia

Best word to describe What a Way to Go by Bell Mackie - ABSOLUTE SCREAM. Yes, I realise these are two words actually, but the rules are to be broken. At least according to certain Andrew Wistern, a man who is wealthy, bored and so absolutely dead. But how did he die and how will his POOR family cope when his dirty secrets start coming to light? Not very well, as it seems, especially as not only they have to endure a fall out of grace, loss of the fortune and their position in the society, but they will also have to put up with the unwanted attention brought on them by a local true crime enthusiast who is convinced that Anthony was murdered.

I did not exaggerate that the book was a scream - I was thoroughly entertained by the plot, the ridiculous characters and the idea that after you die you go to the processing centre where you have to stay until you figure out how you died. Bella Mackie did it again - she created a cast of characters so utterly repulsive, and corrupt they are actually ridiculously entertaining. Three characters are given the voice - Anthony, trying to piece together his last moments leading to his death, determined to win for the last time, his wife Olivia, whom he vastly underestimates, and the Sleuth, a young woman desperate to make a break in a competitive world of true crime enthusiasts with a story that lands almost at her feet.

Read this book if you like subversive characters, entertaining plot and surprises, and men who are dead and unable to do what they want. You will not regret it.

What A Way To Go by Bella Mackie is a witty, darkly humorous, and deeply introspective novel that explores themes of grief, mental health, and personal reinvention. Mackie's sharp and engaging prose brings the protagonist's emotional struggles to life as she navigates the complexities of dealing with loss while trying to piece together a meaningful existence. The novel blends humor with vulnerability, offering a refreshing and honest portrayal of how messy, unpredictable, and even absurd life can be during times of emotional upheaval. With its relatable characters and thoughtful exploration of the human condition, What A Way To Go is both an entertaining and poignant read, resonating with anyone who has ever faced the challenge of rebuilding after hardship.

Hugely enjoyable murder mystery narrated from beyond the grave!

4.5 stars

Loved Mackie's first (a good Kind Hearts and Coronets story) and was keen to try her next. I don't read many stories of murder, so they need to have a good 'hook' for me, and this definitely did.

Rich man dies at his own opulent 60th birthday party, impaled (as per the cover) in what could have been an accident but which the media and certain family members start calling as murder.

But who would ever want to kill off a privileged, predatory, pompous shady businessma...?

Narrated briliantly by three voices - it's the dead man, Anthony Wistern who takes on a lot of the work, not only watching his family squabble over their inheritances but also showing readers around the rather drab afterlife he's found himself in (no Beetlejuice-like gothic or cherubic angels and harps here) - it's grey, dull and formal.

Another voice is Anthony's wife Olivia, clearly cold and calculating from the first as she reacts to her dearly beloved's demise... but that doesn't necessarily mean she's caused it. We watch both marital parties observe proceedings and build a picture of their family and married life and just how wealth and status really do play out.

The third narrator, known to readers as The Sleuth, lives near the Wistern's grand home where he died, and while caring for a disabled parent, spends most of their time as an amateur detective on forums trying to solve crimes alongside other obsessives. Their role in the Wistern's lives becomes clearer as the story progresses, and their role in the investigation also increases and furthers proceedings nicely.

With lots of twists and turns, it's a rollicking good murder mystery, with lots of unlikeable characters (the Wistern children are a pretty detestable bunch on the whole), a fab look at a drab afterlife, and a satisfying story that has a unique slant to the usual genre offerings.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

Anthony Wistern is an obnoxious businesman who is wealthy beyond belief but isn't very likable. He has four spoilt children and an entitled wife who are all out for what they can get. His wife loves to show off her wealth and is throwing a lavish party for his 60th birthday with no expenses spared. Lights in the garden and an impressive ball water feature in their lake.
Late in the evening Anthony's body is discovered impaled on a spike that is holding the ball in place in their lake. The police are called and it is surmised that this is a tragic accident.
However, an online sleuth suspects that he was murdered and aims to find out who killed him.
This was a fun read and the story is told from the perspectives of 3 individuals; Anthony himself, his money grabbing wife, and the online Sleuth.
Anthony's version is told after his death, when he finds himself in the afterlife with the capabilities to view the events below and he soon sees that his family aren't exactly heartbroken at his demise.
I loved this book and will be on the look out for more from Bella Mackie.

Bella Mackie never disappoints. Another great novel, it's comic and engaging and a brilliant exploration of relationships. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

I really enjoyed this book. It is well written and well developed. I enjoyed the afterlife element and the mechanics of moving on from the in-between. I liked that the main couples relationship was explored. Would recommend. This is the second book I've read by this author. Both were engaging with elements of comic relief that I liked.

I really enjoyed this Arc by Bella Mackie. Her writing style is clever, funny and really easy to read!

I was worried i wouldn’t enjoy this as much as some of her other books but i was wrong!

Highly recommend and loved the super natural element!

Bella Mackies writing is engaging, to the point and immensely enjoyable. This novel takes you to unexpected places.

The second book from Bella Mackie is good but not great. The characters frustrated me and I wasn’t glued to this novel in the same way as when reading her first release. Still, a fun read with darkly comic twists - it’s a recommend.

In 'What A Way To Go', Bella Mackie has succeeded in doing something few writers do successfully: creating a thoroughly enjoyable novel despite not having a single really likeable character. Events are recounted from the perspectives of several different characters — including dead ones and a true crime podcaster, The Sleuth.

The story revolves around the death of Anthony Wistern, an English, deeply obnoxious Elon Musk-type (if you'll excuse the tautology). The Sleuth is set on persuading her audience that Anthony was murdered and on solving the murder. Anthony's dysfunctional family - his adult children and his almost-as-awful wife - is set on rocking the boat as little as possible, at least until they all get their grubby little fists onto the fortune they expect to inherit.

What A Way To Go is a thoroughly enjoyable romp, allowing the reader to indulge in a bit of how-the-1%-live voyeurism. It's well written, with sharp dialogue and tight plotting.

My thanks to the publisher, the author and Netgalley for giving me a free copy of this book. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.

3.5*

#WhatAWayToGo #NetGalley #bookreview #bellamackie

A biting satire taking pot shots at the rich who care for nothing except the accumulation of wealth. Anthony, an obnoxious millionaire, dies in mysterious circumstances at his lavish 60th birthday party. A tragic accident or murder? His wife and children are more concerned with the inheritance. A great read with plenty of humour, nicely plotted and plenty of twists.

I liked it how it was told from 3 different points of view, from very different characters. This made it more interesting.
I liked that you weren't really left with questions at the end, it tied it up quite nicely.
I thought the premise was interesting and it was an enjoyable read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I could not put this down! Bella Mackie has a way to rope you in with her writing and I eat it up every single time. Antony ends up dead at his 60th birthday party, and he is taken to the "lobby" for the afterlife, where he won't be able to move on until he remembers how he dies. He can follow what's happening with his family to help jog his memory, however all is not what it seems in the land of the living. Everyone is convisted his wife Olivia killed him, but it's never that simple is it?
Loved it! If you're looking for a "who done it" with humour and twists, this is the book for you.

I thoroughly enjoyed this rather delightful and unusual murder mystery, with its rich, highly dysfunctional family at the centre orbited by an array of supplementary characters.

The story is told from three points of view - narcissistic Anthony who is (or was) a very rich banker / financier with extremely dubious morals and a risk-taking attitude. Olivia - his 'clotheshorse' of a wife who is glamorous but vain, vacuous and will allow nothing to impede her social standing. Finally Jade Evans, a local girl and social media crime buff, who strikes it lucky when Anthony - someone she vaguely knows from the village pub- is killed.

Anthony, having recently died, is stuck in the South Gloucestershire Processing Centre (purgatory) until he can remember the exact circumstances of his death. He is able to view and hear the living through a set of monitor screens, resulting in some hilarious revelations as his awful family vie for position and a slice of the supposed fortune.

The book has some very dark humour and is witty and fun, while dealing with the subject of death, theft, fraud and deception. It certainly had some laugh-out-loud moments for me and I guessed the ending only slightly before the big reveal.

I actually listened to the audiobook version of this, it was a pleasant enough listen, but I found the story, although quite original, was a bit slow and lacked some humph and I think that if I had been reading this I probably wouldn’t have been able to continue.

what a ride! Brilliant story telling, flashing from the after life to the after math of the death of Anthony, a prominent and successful business man.

It was just so clever, narrated in parts by Anthony himself as he struggles to remember how he came to his untimely end, but isn't allowed to travel onto his final resting place until he does.

It's also told from the POV of an online amateur sleuth who is determined to get to the bottom of the suspicious death.

So original, very witty and fast paced, it's another brilliant story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was so entertained by Bella Mackie's debut novel and her writing is so easy to get drawn into. The three narrators' voice sometimes blurred into one for me, but the short chapters absolutely propelled me through the drama regardless. I really enjoyed the Youtuber's subscribers going up each time she unveiled something, and I enjoyed her sections most of all, though not quite as much as the protagonist of Mackie's debut. The slightly Good Place-y purgatory administration office being the vehicle for the deceased's voice was a bit wacky, but I was more than happy to go with it!

I was excited to read this, as it’s an interesting premise: billionaire Anthony Wistern dies at his lavish 60th birthday party and ends up in limbo, where he needs to remember his death in order to move on.
His family are loathsome and he watches from limbo as they use his death to improve their lot in life, either by trying to gain access to wealth, or, use the attention to improve their social media standing.

It started well, then I just got frustrated with the irritating characters and then, I lost interest. I completed the read, but, for me, it was an ok read overall. Some good bits, but, mainly not enough to maintain my interest.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the opportunity to preview, just, not for me.