The Death of Mrs. Westaway

The Death of Mrs. Westaway is a suspenseful thriller. The thriller genre is a popular and varied type of fiction with many styles and subgenres. Typically, thrillers use similar moods and elicit anticipation and anxiety from the reader. Mysteries are also central to the thriller genre, as the characters work to uncover the truth at the heart of the plot. This quest for truth may involve distractions, lies, misunderstandings, twists, and shocks for the readers and the protagonist.

The Death of Mrs. Westaway involves several such key mysteries. Hal is immediately drawn into the Westaway family by a mysterious letter and the prospect of an inheritance that might not be legally hers. She enters a situation where everyone appears to be lying, while also telling lies of her own. The truth is a malleable concept in the novel, as all characters are only selectively honest. Hal’s lies are morally complicated; she is ultimately forced into her fraud by her dire financial circumstances, while her nagging guilt helps to ensure that she remains a sympathetic protagonist despite her dishonesty.

The reader observes the novel’s mysteries through Hal’s eyes. As Hal untangles the truth about her past, her parentage, and her inheritance, the audience learns alongside her. On occasion, she makes faulty assumptions or is told lies. For instance, she believes that Edward or Abel may be her father at certain points, while also entertaining and then dismissing the notion of Ezra’s paternity. The process of uncovering a central truth distinguishes The Death of Mrs. Westaway as a thriller. When Hal finally uncovers the truth about Ezra, he immediately tries to kill her. The truth becomes a dangerous reality, and the novel builds to a climax as the consequences of Hal’s desire for knowledge becomes a desperate race across the grounds to escape a murderer.