Hal earns her living reading tarot cards on Brighton pier. She doesn’t believe the cards, instead she reads people and tells them what they want to hear. And she’s good at it. So, when a crisp solicitor’s letter arrives for Harriet Westaway, saying she has been left a bequest by her grandmother (a case of mistaken identity) Hal wonders could she pull it off and pretend to be this other Harriet? After all, it’ll probably only be a couple of hundred quid, and Hal’s desperate for cash.
She sets off to Cornwall to chance her luck, to the mysterious dark and brooding house, Trepassen. Of course, all is not as it seems, and Hal quickly realises she’s in too deep for her own good. It is down to Ruth Ware’s skill that we are firmly on Hal’s side, even when we know she is telling a pack of lies to a bereaved family. After all, she’s been dealt a tough hand in life, and there are bad people after her. Twisty, and engrossing, it almost has the feel of a country house mystery, but darker, and the house setting is positively gothic, complete with Mrs-Danvers-style housekeeper. Can’t say much more without spoilers. Put it on your noir thriller must-read list.
