This is the highly-awaited second novel from the author of How To Kill Your Family and it delivered! Quite a refreshing novel considering years of the general public obsessing over serial killers and unsolved cases led to the true-crime industry exploding - this offers a nuance that is much needed while being a fun pacy read.

Absolutely brilliant, loved it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending.

Another amazing book from Mackie! This made me laugh a lot and I always love a whodunit! I think Mackie is on my instant buy list!

What can I say? Bella Mackie, you've done it again. This is a fantastically funny crime drama. As someone who absolutely adored her previous novel 'How To Kill Your Family' this was a perfect second read. Anthony Wistern celebrates his 60th birthday... by dying. Anthony is a rich busissman who isn't a fan of playing by the rules, he's got a family and a few mistresses but when he dies, his family aren't exactly heartbroken. To get to where he needs to go, Anthony has to discover who is responsible for his death.. and if it's down to his family who believe they will inherhit his fortune.

This book is really cleverly written and the reader must also work out who is the culrpit. So who did it? Read to find out more..!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book starts with the death of a man and takes you on a journey to discover his cause of death. The synopsis does not give much away and I was surprised by an element of this book. Bella Mackie is the queen of creating characters that you love to hate. This is another fun read.

I wanted to love this as much as I loved How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie (a 5 star read for me) but it didn't hit the same. I think What a Way to Go is missing a lot of the humour I wanted to see again, and I actively disliked all of the characters. It felt as though Mackie was trying to present all of the worst stereotypes related to wealthy people across the Wistern family and was definitely succeeding, but unfortunately in a way that made them all annoying and obnoxious and made them difficult to read. I have to say I started with the ebook and found it really tough to get into but picking up the audiobook instead got me through this much quicker and did make it less dry.

There were parts of the book I enjoyed. I found the mystery surrounding Anthony's death interesting and I was a little curious to see how it would play out with his family in the end (especially if one of them was the murderer). With the hunt for the (possible) murderer it did intrigue me a little to see what was going to happen next and to find out a motive, and there were also some plot twists in there. The sort of fantasy element brought into the story with Anthony narrating from a post-death kind of halfway house didn't quite gel with the story, but I did enjoy seeing his reactions to things at times despite this. I had higher hopes for this book and I think if the true crime obsessed character wasn't so uncomfortable to read, and had been portrayed a little differently, then I might have warmed more to the story and accepted how despicable the Wisterns were but it wasn't to be!

Omg what a book. I have enjoyed several so far, but I was losing that spark of picking them up. Well, this has had me hooked from the first page! Not many have done that, and I devoured it in one day, slightly through the night but I couldn't put it down.
It was really well put together, I loved seeing it from the dead person's point of view too, totally up my street this.
Bella will be a go to author for me.

Thank you to the author, publishers and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed How to Kill Your Family so was looking forward to Bellas second novel and it did not disappoint. Controversially I may prefer it to her debut novel!

As with How To Kill Your Family all the main characters in this book are just awful. The kind of people you know exsist and hope never have the displeasure of meeting. An ongoing talent of Bellas

The story is told in multiple POVs. Anthony, the recently deceased, Olivia his wife and the third character referred to as The Sleuth.

The pacing is quick because of the multiple POVs and you are constantly guessing what twist is going to be thrown. Anthony is what you'd expect from someone who swindled loads of people of their money. He is also stuck in a "processing centre" until he can figure out how he died. Meanwhile his wife Olivia is dealing with the aftermath of his death and the fall from grace for her in society. Then there is the Sleuth who believes they have won the lottery with Anthony dying in their village as they begin their investigation and see the subscribers roll in.

The book is a good look at greed of some of the super rich and how 'normal' folk can become obsessed with true crime/conspiracy theories.

I won't say much more as it be spoilers but I did enjoy the novel overall and I liked how it ended. I did not expect the last few twists. I'd recommend for fans of Bellas Mackies first novel and for those who would like a fast paced who dunnit.

Hugely entertaining, fast paced read. All the character points of view had their own humor whilst maintaining the individual characters of each person, they are all hugely unlikeable if course but that’s completely part of the fun, and makes it all the more satisfying when the mystery is solved. Bella Mackie’s previous title was a huge hit so of course presents a challenge for this one to maintain those standards but it absolutely did. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good, laugh out loud, cozy read now blanket season is drawing in!

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!

Synopsis:

"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…"

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.

Loved her first book and loved this one just as much.

I found myself reading and not able to put it down. It's so good.

From the moment I dove into Bella Mackie’s “What A Way To Go”, I was utterly captivated. The premise opens boldly at Anthony Wistern's extravagant 60th birthday party, only to take a wild turn with his untimely—and embarrassingly dramatic—death. Immediately, I was drawn into the chaotic world of the Wistern family: grotesquely wealthy, richly flawed, and utterly entertaining. Each character is a masterclass in the art of being unlikeable, and I found myself marvelling at their many moral failings while chuckling at their absurdity.
This novel stands out because of Mackie's acerbic wit and dark humour pervading every page, and I had to stifle snorts of laughter more than once during my read. The story oscillates between the perspectives of three characters: Anthony, who is attempting to navigate his afterlife and unravel the mystery of his death; Olivia, his glamorous widow grappling with her new reality and clinging to her status; and a true crime YouTuber who sees Anthony’s death as her golden ticket to fame. The multi-POV storytelling is both clever and immersive, allowing the plot to unfold in a way that kept me on the edge of my seat while simultaneously howling with laughter.
I chose to listen to the audiobook, narrated by Kimberley Capero, Gabrielle Glaister, and Colin Mace, and let me tell you, this was the cherry on top of an already delicious sundae. Each narrator brought their character to life in a way that was simply delightful. The distinction between perspectives was clear, making it easy to keep track of who was who, even amidst the chaos of the plot. Their performances added an extra layer of enjoyment, drawing me deeper into the quirks and follies of the Wistern family.
One of my absolute favourite segments was the "holding centre" chapters, where Anthony is stuck in a limbo of sorts, observing the fallout of his death. These moments are both hilarious and poignant—Mackie has a knack for blending laugh-out-loud humour with razor-sharp social commentary. It's a brilliant satire of wealth, privilege, and the absurdities of family life, all while delivering a mystery that slowly crawls towards its thrilling conclusion.
Mackie does an exceptional job of crafting a story that feels light-hearted yet carries a weighty critique of the world she depicts. The characters’ flaws, motivations, and interactions are uncannily relatable as much as they are outrageous, making this narrative both a guilty pleasure and a thought-provoking listen.
If you’re looking for a novel that is refreshingly different, charmingly witty and serves up a perfect blend of humour and mystery, “What A Way To Go” is a must-read (or must-listen). I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish, and I can’t recommend it enough. Bella Mackie has truly created a winner here, and I can't wait to see what she conjures up next!

Anthony Wistern has it all a beautiful wife, three beautiful children, a beautiful house, mistress and bank balance what more could a man want? He’s living his best life until he’s impaled on a light fixture in the midst of his sixtieth birthday party but did he fall or was he pushed. Anthony is sent to a utilitarian limbo where he must watch his family and work out how he died so that he can move on to wherever it is he’s moving on to. This was fine for what it was. There were no likeable characters at all which I don’t have a problem with but they weren’t displayable enough that I loved to hate them either. The narrative was also limited in that we only got a few perspectives and all of them were restricted in some way so we never really got any meat to characters either telling the story or creating the story. It was all a bit flat and I wasn’t invested in any particular character enough to want them to come out on top. It was fine, quite enjoyable but ultimately quite shallow.

Really didn’t think Bella Mackie could top How to kill your family but they definitely have with this.

This is a witty, darkly humorous mystery in which Anthony Wistern finds himself in the afterlife trying to figure out how he died. Anthony watches his family from afar as they deal with the aftermath of his death. He also becomes intrigued by an overly enthusiastic crime YouTuber who is convinced he was murdered.

The story is told from 3 points of view and this allows the story to slowly unravel and provides us with a fantastically enjoyable conclusion.

I both read and listened to this and although I loved the book I was enthralled by the audiobook. The 3 narrators fully became the characters and I couldn’t tear myself away from listening to them.

This was a fun and quick book to read. I enjoyed the characters, seeing it from the wife, husband and sleuths point of view. Unusual to hear from some one who is dead too! I thought I'd figured out why Anthony died but got it wrong, was fun to find out why though!

I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

2.5/3

I wish I liked this more than I did, as I really enjoyed How to Kill Your Family!

Unfortunately, most of this book was about rich people whinging, entitlement and then one “poor mentally ill local”. Maybe I just don’t enjoy reading about the incredibly rich but the actual mystery wasn’t satisfying in the slightest and was quite guessable, and the “funny” moments that there were meant to be throughout just weren’t.

My first audio book and what a treat it was, the gossipy insights into the life and death of megarich Anthony Wistern, who is found impaled on a spike at his 60th birthday party, surrounded by the richest and most influential people around.

Anthony finds himself housed in the afterlife in the South Gloucestershire processing centre, where he can face the truth about his own death before moving to the next stage of the afterlife. Whilst he's there, he can watch his family - wife Olivia, and 4 adult children Jemima, Freddy, Lyra and Clara - going about their lives. Olivia has enjoyed her luxury life style but was planning to leave Anthony the day after the party - but everything has changed in a flash.

In the meantime, a true crime aficionado known as 'the Sleuth' thinks there's more to Anthony's death than meets the eye - and despite the post mortem results of accidental death, she thinks that he has been murdered - but by who?

The story is told from Anthony, Olivia and the Sleuth's perspectives- the differing perspectives and voices coming together to build a hugely entertaining story of mega wealthy people who still aren't happy with their lives. There are so many stand out characters, Anthony's four children are all very different from one another but are all selfish and self-motivated. Olivia's upper-class attitude seeps through everything she says and does- and Anthony himself still can't see what he's done so wrong in his life.

I enjoyed this book but wasn't totally gripped by it. I loved the premise and having multiple pov always makes for a good read. The characters were well developed and mostly quite horrid people! A fun read.

I enjoyed Bella’s previous books so was looking forward to this
It did not disappoint

A fun light hearted book about murder (does that sentence even make sense?)
A great easy read