Objectively, this is a great whodunnit, with a satirical and modern take.
The wit stood out for me.
As for the characters, I kept wondering if we needed different POVs since their voices were not distinctive and distinguishable enough for me.
A third person POV and all characters fleshed out a bit more would have been a 5 star read in my very subjective opinion/taste.
Yet, considering the target audiences, I think my 3.5 stars deserve being rounded up to 4.
Certainly entertaining and despite aspects of the premise being before explored territory, the nuances make it fresh.
I quite like Mackie’s prose too.

Having enjoyed Bella Mackie's prior novel ‘How To Kill Your Family,’ I looked forward to her next novel. This isn’t as good as the original, but it is still a good read, if you can deal with the murdered victim telling his story from his new home that might be in heaven. The format used to tell the story, from three different points of view is interesting and carefully planned. The guy who died tells you his version of what happened, as he watches a screen in a holding room so he can see his family and friends at his 60th birthday party, where he was murdered. He’s forgotten how he died so also needs to find out what happened. His wife, Olivia, know a lot about his unsavoury side of life and gives her thoughts in version number 2. Finally, the local sleuth is also on hand to bring all the facts together. This is very different from her first book, but the high rate of sarcasm remains, and makes enjoyable fun reading.

It took me two months to read this book, which I think says a lot – I had high expectations after How To Kill Your Family (which I loved), but I really struggled with this one. I didn’t feel enthused about the world of the Wisterns, so I kept putting it off and it took a really determined effort to finish the book in the end.

The story focuses on the death of Anthony Wistern, a wealthy businessman, who is found dead at his 60th birthday party. His deeply unlikeable family squabble over the family assets, and the story is told via three voices: Anthony himself, who is in a holding facility trying to discover how he died, his wife Olivia and a true crime obsessive who lives nearby and is labelled ‘The Sleuth’.

Despite having three voices in the book, the tone is very similar – I didn’t feel like any of them had a distinctive style. Anthony and his wife were both equally acerbic and droll, and The Sleuth didn’t bring anything unique to the telling of the story. The children were introduced together without any real features or traits to set them apart, so just merged into one. The problem with having unlikeable characters is that there’s no-one to root for – it can’t just be a social commentary on the excesses of modern life. There needs to be someone who you find funny or hard done by to guide you through the privilege.

One thing I found especially irritating was the way that lines of dialogue were attributed to people via the phrase ‘that was so-and-so speaking’, as Anthony watched over them. Being an observer to the events in the living world meant there was a real disconnect between what was happening and the actual experience.

A lot of the observations were rather glib – almost as if the references to the class system had been crowbarred in. It gets pretty excruciating during a magazine extract where there’s lots of bracketed text describing other articles in the issue.

The pacing is also off – nothing happened until the final quarter of the book, other than a lot of talking. The ending is deeply underwhelming. I was hoping for a clever twist, as per How To Kill Your Family, but there was nothing.

All in all, I was relieved to get to the end of this one. It’s a good concept, but I think it would have benefited from a bit more editing.

I really loved Bella's first novel, and when I read the blurb for this one, I could sense another belter!
While it wasn't quite on a par with her first, I enjoyed it never the less. The action starts straight off and although the pace felt a little slow at times, I still really enjoyed it. Looming forward to more from Bella in the future.

I read Bella's first book and really enjoyed it so was excited to get a chance to read her latest offering.
I liked the style of swapping between characters perspectives and the idea of Anthony watching his family from the "waiting place"
It kept me guessing until the end, definitely worth a read.

A really fun read with an extremely original plot. A wonderful blend of comedy and darkness! I genuinely laughed out loud in several parts. Only wish it was twice as long so I could follow these despicably hilarious characters around more.

This was my first Bella Mackie novel and I was so smug that I was given the opportunity to read this earlier than I’d anticipated!

I’m a Romance reader by nature so this was a slight departure for me but after reading the blurb I was truly enticed. I cannot stress how much I enjoyed this. I loved the change of narration and felt it really added to the mystery and even the comedy. So often I find multiple POV’s blend together in one bland tone and there’s no joy in it, but Bella has done a brilliant job of giving each perspective its own voice and style, and it really kept me intrigued and amused throughout, and I’m easily distracted and dissuaded.

I’m such a fan of the dark humour, the disdain for the rich and the way that Bella writes so concisely. There’s no fluff, so to speak. And I really enjoyed reading something that stood out from the crowd in terms of style and plot. I can see this being a lot of peoples top read of 2024, and it’s genuinely so well deserved! I’m off to buy Bella’s other books now!!

sadly this book was just not for me. i wasn’t the hugest fan of how to kill your family either, so if you enjoyed that book, don’t let this review put you off! mackie’s writing just doesn’t work for me. i felt as though there was no real sense of individuality between her characters and they all pretty much shared one voice. if you liked how to kill your family then try this one !

Bella Mackies new novel certainly doesn’t disappoint. The perfect funny yet chilling whodunnit.

Anthony Wistern is a wealthy business man who meets an untimely sticky end.

Between his unsatisfied wife, spoilt children and awkward son in law the list of potential suspects is long.

Watching from screens ‘above’ will Anthony even get to the bottom of his untimely demise?

Loved this unique novel and Bella Mackies writing style has a way of speaking directly to the reader. Love the chatty, satirical style

This book started off so wonderfully. It has such a good set up, you’re introduced to the family in such a natural way it felt like reading the opening scene of a movie.

I also was a big fan of the humour and cynicism that creeps in here. It’s a really clever way to balance the dark storyline and offers some comic relief.

This was a mystery book with a modern twist which I also appreciated. I liked that one of the POVs was a Reddit-esque forum - it was such an interesting way to add an outsider perspective in a modern and relatable way.

My favourite POV has to be Anthony’s. SUCH a creative way to tell a story, I’ve never seen something quite like it. At times, it did feel like his POV did lose its essence a little where he’d think things that didn’t quite sense (I couldn’t tell if him saying he should make the wine cellar more secure so his daughter couldn’t drink his expensive wine was an ironic comment or a slip of character).

Anthony’s complexity of character was really interesting to read and helped naturally weave in the themes of morality, family and justice. I have to say though he wasn’t a very likeable character to be so heavily involved in the narrative of the story (I feel the same way about Olivia).

Speaking of Olivia, I liked how much the theme of class was explored through her perspective. The irony of what she’d say was pretty humourous (‘to dazzle was my only option’)

I found the pace of this book far too slow and it didn’t really compare to Bella’s first book so it gets a high 2 star (2.5 if I could score it that) from me.

I haven't yet read "how to kill your family" but needless to say I will be reading that next. I struggled to stop reading "What a way to go". I was constantly thinking that I knew what had happened only to find that I was ever so wrong.

The writing of this novel is engaging and funny and I end up routing for a character that I feel I should despise.

3.75 🌟
I had high expectations of this book and whilst it didn't exactly let me down, it didn't fully live up to them!

It slams you straight into the action, and technically the afterlife almost straight away. It's reasonably paced but at times I found it trailing a little and I considered giving up. However, the varying chapters from different points of view/different characters did help me to stay focused for longer as I wanted to see all the different main players of the story and how it tied together.

I have to say, the main aspect that you're trying to work out the entire novel, alongside the main character, I really did not work out at all. I had vague guesses that were constantly changing so fair play, those twists had me guessing the entire time.

A good whodunnit style book with a sleuth and a power and money hungry family at each other's throats.

"A party to celebrate my sixtieth birthday, designed to show off my status, my success and my power. What a night to kick the bucket. Still, if the status, success and power were about to be ripped away, perhaps it was another streak of luck for me. Or, knowing how any people in attendance vehemently hated my guts, maybe I was murdered. Now that would be exciting."

The second novel (after the excellent How To Kill Your Family) from this journalist and author sees an unpleasant and wealthy financier's death under the spotlight from his widow, a true crime enthusiast and online investigator and from the man himself, looking down from a distinctly beige purgatory. Whilst not one of the characters (a cast of disgustingly wealthy, privileged and selfish family members) are likeable, the author's witty and ascerbic observations about their lives makes this very readable. With three protagonists, this unusual mystery progresses as the characters chase the money and make utter fools of themselves. Thought-provoking social commentary and dark humour make for an entertaining whodunit.

I absolutely LOVED this book. I read it in a day and couldn’t put it down.
I really enjoyed the multiple points of view. Mackie’s writing is engaging and darkly funny. I couldn’t work out the ending but it was perfect:
Five stars.

I really wanted to love this as much as the first one I read by her but I just didn't. I found myself just wanting to get to the end, I didn't like the characters and just found it a bit boring. The ending wasn't great, maybe it just wasn't my thing. Would still read more by bella in the future. Thanks

Bella Mackie is back and I for one am very much looking forward to this hitting the market!

Filled with her trademark wit and satirical style, What A Way To Go looks at the wealthy and influential Wistern family in the wake of the death of its patriarch, Anthony. Told through multiple people's POV (including an entertaining beyond-the-grave perspective from Anthony), this is a fairly slow-paced whodunnit which spends a lot of time immersing readers in the affluent world of its characters.

I really really wanted to love this (I loved How To Kill Your Family) but I confess I found the pacing a little strange and it only seemed like a third of the book was actually concerned with solving the crime. It was good fun, but Mackie's debut had set the bar so high.

Thank you to Netgallery for this ARC

This was a classic example of a great who-done-it , where you end up questioning everyone. Bella Mackie's follow-up book after her debut novel 'How to kill your family and get away with it'
This story follows the death of millionaire businessman, Anthony Westin, who died suspiciously at his lavish 60th birthday party at his country home. Leaving behind his wife Olivia and his four children, who are more interested in their inheritance then his passing.

Told from multiple point of views. Anthony Westin , who waiting for his final judgment in limo and watching over his family in the afterlife having forgotten his last moments. Olivia Westin, his dutiful wife of the past 30 years , who has her own secrets and is dealing with the blow out of his death and their four children. Then finally , The Sleuth , an online murder investigator who lives near the Westins country home , who believes Anthony was murdered and is determined will get to the end of it.

This story has so many twists and turns , following this disgusting rich and complicated family but was so much fun to read.

The story begins when the financial influence Anthony Wistern is found dead at his own 60th birthday celebration. And what a way to go it was… but when neither his wife nor his four grown children seem overly mournful, suspicions begin to arise over the circumstances of his death.

Told from the pov of Anthony himself as he resides in a half-way house beyond the grave, his wife, and an internet ‘sleuth’ / detective, the reader is forced on a journey to discover more and uncover the truth alongside them.

The way that Mackie sprinkles information and plot twists throughout the story in a way that is palatable, understated and very often humour filled is a talent. Despite there being so many names, reputations and locations, the three person pov makes this entertaining and allows the reader to understand the characters on a deeper level as they explore their unique perspectives.

While I grew to understand more about these characters, I didn’t grow to love them - and that’s kind of the point. The more you learn about them the more you realise how strained and complicated this family is, and as a result accusations start flying to all directions as a reader!

Mackie did an incredible job of creating truly unlikable characters, a story built on dark humour and wit and a thought provoking social commentary. While the pacing was relatively slow, it allowed the reader to go on a journey alongside the family building suspense and confusion throughout.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the eARC and allowing me to provide an honest review of ‘What a Way to Go’.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6706467900

Anyone who liked How to Kill Your Family will enjoy this one. A murder mystery, lots of dislikeable rich people, lots of black humour - it all feels very similar. I enjoyed it and breezed through it in a couple of days, but next time I'd like to see something a bit different. My favourite book of hers is still Jog On, which felt much more from the heart.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

An interesting take on the afterlife for a mystery novel with 3 different POVs. I enjoyed this tale of rich amoral (and immoral) people trying to get one over each other. It wasn't fast paced until the resolution to the mystery and I felt a little disappointed as that part sped past (i felt similar when reading How to Kill your Family), but overall it was a fun read.