Ultra rich Anthony is celebrating his 60th birthday withvhua dysfunctional family and friends when he dies in unfortunate circumstances. The question is.....was it an accident or was he murdered? Until he can discover the truth about his demise, Anthony is destined to stay in the netherworld, unable to progress to the next stage. Only problem is, there are so many people who disliked him and had reason to kill him that there are an awful lot of potential suspects.
Whodunnit? This is the second of Bella's books I've read and although I enjoyed it, I don't think it's as good as her last book.

On the night of his 60th birthday party, Anthony Wistern dies and ends up in purgatory. In order to move to the next stage, he has to watch his family through CCTV until he remembers how he died. In the meantime, his family keeps fighting over money and uncovering his secrets while harboring their own, and a true crime podcaster tries to solve what she is sure was a murder.

I was immediately intrigued by the concept of this book, and, for the best part, it truly lived up to the expectations. The writing was very easy to get into and the story was very well paced, even though it did slump me a bit at times, and I found myself thinking some parts could have been a bit shorter, especially when it came to The Sleuth chapters.

It wasn't as twisty as I would've expected it to be, but the family drama really carried on that aspect and made for an interesting time. The relationships between the characters were particularly interesting to me, and the characters themselves were very fun to follow, in their own awful way.

There were many funny bits, and I overall had a great time reading this, and it was fun to follow along as everything unfolded.

Many thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction & NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

This is one of those books which will sell like hot cakes but is nothing more than OK.

It thinks that it’s cleverer than it is and in trying to do too many things doesn’t really impress in any of them. It’s trying to be funny; it raises a smile once or twice. It’s trying to be satirical; it falls very short. It’s trying to be disruptive in terms of form and genre; it just looks like it’s trying to find the easy way out of narrative problems.

As is always the case in novels like this, it’s all tell and no show. The novel is told from the POV of three characters, each in the first person, which I appreciate is there to frontload the unreliable narrator element but it also means that the reader is treated to endless explanation and interiority which is like trying to force down lumpy gravy whilst someone is shouting in your face.

Possibly the most irritating part of the novel are the intermittent news stories and features that appear. Why do authors do this? They never pass as having been anywhere near a newspaper which is deeply ironic here as Mackie’s father is the former editor of The Guardian and she was formerly a journalist.

If you want to enjoy a story about a dysfunctional family read What A Carve Up! This novel is a pound-shop version of Coe’s masterpiece.

However, whatever I say will make no difference to the sales of this novel.

This is the first book that I have read by Bella Machie, and it has a refreshingly unusual concept.
Ultra wealthy Anthony Wistern, CEO of Wismere Holdings is given a 60th birthday party by his elegant, socialite wife, Olivia. Attended by their children Freddy, Jemima, Lyra, Clara and two hundred of the most elite movers and shakers. The party is swinging, all is going well...........until it isn't, Anthony is dead.
This is where the story becomes interesting, Anthony is stuck in limbo at an in between place, he can't move on until he remembers how he died.
This story is set in the Cotswolds, it is written from three points of view, Anthony, Olivia and a sleuth who lives close by, a sleuth who thinks that Anthony has been murdered, a sleuth who is determined to prove her point.
As the story unfolds it becomes clear just what a dysfunctional family they are, it has dark humour, what will happen to the money ?
The story is a bit slow at times but on the whole quite enjoyable.
Thank you Harper Collins and Net Gallery for this ARC, my review is voluntary.

I really loved this book. I thought having one of the characters in purgatory trying to figure out his own death was such an interesting element to the narrative. I enjoyed how Mackie was able to create characters that you kind of aren't rooting for but there are also moments when you do feel compassion for them (even if it is brief). The Slueth was also a good persepctive to see things from and I thought it was a really great reflection on the way true crime has sort of become a bit too much.

This book made me laugh out loud multiple times and the final twist at the end was a true delight

I should start by saying if you enjoyed How To Kill Your Family then you are definitely going to LOVE this novel.

We follow the story of Anthony Wistern and his family, celebrating his 60th birthday at their country house, with a carefully curated list of guests. Anthony is found dead at the party skewered like a kebab on a pole in the garden lake, what happened, who is to blame?

The story follows Anthony as he goes to a processing centre of limbo (excellent visuals of the beetlejuice waiting room in my head here) where he must work out how he died before his soul can be free.

The story unfurled into a deliciously dark, humourous romp, with family betrayals, politics and secrets all central strong themes. We learn about Anthony's put upon wife Olivia, his four entitled children and their significant others and are joined by an amateur sleuth, a local women with a penchant for true crime and an obsession to get to the bottom of what happened.

Great characters, well paced plot have you spying on the family and trying to work out just what happened....and then the ending....twists galore! Absolutely brilliant.

Thank you to netgalley for allowing me to review this book. I absolutely loved the concept of this book. s such a great concept and grabbed me straight away. I found every character unlikable and uninteresting. There are three points of views, this was interesting and having the added view from outside the family unit was great and a very different style. This gave the plot another element otherwise I would have been bored. I liked the humour and tone of the book but it didn't grab me as much as I would of liked.

I loved How to Kill Your Family, so was very excited for this second book from Bella Mackie. Full review to follow asap!

Brilliant, again.
Another quirky perspective from Bella Mackay that will grip you firmly until the final pages.
It's unusual to read a novel where every single character leaves you either cold, or bubbling with dislike, but in this one, wow, where to start?!
Never have I wished for the serving of just desserts for so many in one story, and those desserts are served so beautifully I could wish it were all true.
Clever, funny, brilliant- what's next, and is it soon, please?

I wasn't overly keen on Bella Mackie's first fiction book - How to Kill Your Family - but the synopsis of this book sounded up my street so I was ready to give Mackie another go!

I really wanted to like this book but unfortunately that wasn't the case.

I just found this book soooo slow - it was probably the slowest mystery/thriller book I have read.
The first 15% of the book was just explaining in multiple ways, from multiple perspectives that there had been a murder. I felt like 'yes, i know... can we get going onto the plot now'

Not only was the pacing incredibly slow, but the characters were not likeable either, so I just didn't care what happened to them. (I think I felt like that with Mackies previous book too!)

I think i'm done with Bella Mackie's fiction now... (Although i still really enjoyed her non fiction book on running)

I really enjoyed this darkly funny, twisty mystery about dysfunctional families, awful rich people, a true crime obsessive and murder. I couldn’t put it down. It’s just brilliant.
The story follows the Wisterns, an extremely wealthy family after the death of Anthony who was found dead at his 60th birthday party. Was it an accident or was he murdered.
I love the authors writing style as she has a brilliant way of bringing the characters to life right off the pages, characters that are mostly unlikeable which I enjoyed. It’s sharp and funny and I loved the chatty, satirical style and the unique plot which is a fun modern take on the afterlife.
It has a few twists to keep you turning the pages and a surprise ending. It’s a brilliant whodunnit.
Definitely recommend this book. It’s well worth a read. I look forward to more from @mackie_bella
With thanks to #NetGallery #HarperCollinsUK @harperfiction for an arc of #WhatAWayToGo in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 12 September 2024.
I will post my review on instagram @allthingsbookswithclaire

What A Way To Go by Bella Mackie
I give this book 4 stars.

Anthony Wistern is wealthy beyond imagination. Fragrant wife, photogenic children, French chateau, Cotswold manor, plethora of mistresses, penchant for cutting moral corners.
Unfortunately for him, he’s also dead. Suddenly poised to inherit his fortune, each member of the family falls under suspicion.
And that’s when everything comes crashing down…

Engaging and entertaining with a unique plot line ,I relished in this romp. I love how the title fits the storyline perfectly!
Told from 3 different perspectives and mixed media:
The Sleuth (an unknown local)
The dad (a clever concept)
Olivia (the glamorous wife)
A super rich family dynamic and dysfunctional, unlikeable characters. Combined with shock revelations, juicy scandal and plethora of antics, equal parts humorous,dark,toxic and deceiving. I loved trying to work out who was telling the truth and what the motives were behind everything! I think this would be even better in audiobook.
With thank to Netgalley, Bella Mackie and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | The Borough Press
for my chance to read and review this book.

Anthony Wistern is celebrating his 60th birthday at a rather ostentatious party arranged by his wife Olivia. He's the CEO of a very successful business and totally minted. Long story short but towards the end of the evening, his dead body is found in the lake.
Obviously fingers point to the obvious beneficiaries of his wealth - wife Olivia, and his four children; Freddie, Jemima, Lyra, and Clara. All of whom react quite differently to the news of his death.
And, as is the norm these days, we also have an internet sleuth, local to the area, with a big interest in true crime.
The story is then told from the perspective of Olivia, the Sleuth, and Anthony himself. Yes, he is still around to narrate the present... I know, but you'll see... We then follow the main characters as they try and work out who killed Anthony, as well as trying to work out who gets what. Which actually turns out not to matter, again, you'll see...
In fact, if I say any more about this book, it'll probably spoil the shocks you'll have finding out things live, as the author intends. Suffice to say that, as with "How to Kill your Family", this book is deliciously bonkers and skirts credibility admirably. It's also devilishly funny, containing some wonderful dark humour.
As well as a tightly plotted narrative which kept me on my toes throughout, this book has a cast of the most brilliant characters. Most are quite horrid, but all whom make for a compelling read. And as for Anthony and his antics prior to his demise... oh my days!
I won't lie, it's not all good. It does get a bit overly long and draggy at times and I was tempted to skip a bit to get to the crux of the matter. But I held on, trusting that the author would eventually deliver and I was rewarded for my endeavours. So yeah, if you do find it dragging, and can carry on, it is worth it.
So now with two winners under her belt, I'm even more excited to see what she will serve up next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I found the book started quite slow and I wasn't really sure it was my vibe but as I got further into it, I really got into the story. I'm a huge fan of multi-POV narratives and I loved this.
I also really liked the concept of Anthony's POV too. I'm not sure what it was that made it miss the mark for a four or five star for me but I just didn't find myself reaching or not being able to put it down. I really wanted to love it and while I did like it and thought it was a good book, it wasn't my favourite.

I love Bella Mackie’s writing. She has an ability to take away the trappings of wealth from the 1% and show them as they really are. Her side-eye sarcasm is clever without being clever-clever which really isn’t easy.
In What a Way to Go we meet the Wistern family just as Anthony has met a very unfortunate end at his own 60th birthday party. Skewered on a spike in the lake of his gorgeous Cotswold estate, it looks like a terrible accident, but some people aren’t convinced. Particularly as everyone soon realises that he was involved in some very dodgy financial dealings indeed.
The story is told from 3 perspectives, Olivia his (not very) grieving widow, The Sleuth, a local keyboard detective who is convinced that Anthony was murdered, and Anthony himself, stuck in a sort of purgatory until he works out how he died.
Olivia and her gaggle of awful children are hilarious - vain, money obsessed and far more concerned about their own welfare than what has happened to their father. Anthony is a truly awful character and I loved his reaction to the horrible halfway house he is in and the growing realisation that nothing in his life was as he believed. The Sleuth sections are a bit weaker - she is there to move the story on and sometimes it shows.
The story rushes on at pace and the last section is brilliant, a highly entertaining book.

I loved this book! I really enjoyed Mackie’s first novel and this was even better. It kept a great pace, and was wickedly funny with characters I just loved to hate!

Anthony Wistern is a wealthy financial mogul. He has a vast artwork collection, multiple large properties, a beautiful family and a long line of mistresses. His life seems perfect. Until, that is, he ends up skewered on a metal pole during his lavish 60th birthday party. The police rule his death as a freak accident, but others aren’t so sure. Anthony was in serious financial trouble and had upset a lot of people throughout his life. Was his death really an accident? Did he do it to himself? Or was he murdered?

This was a very fun read. I think I actually liked it better than How to Kill Your Family, which was also a great book. The characters in this one are all pretty terrible people, but there’s still some element of likeability to them which made them entertaining to read about. Even Anthony had an amusing, if entirely disagreeable, attitude towards life.

The mystery of how Anthony died is genuinely very intriguing. Although the cause of death is plainly obvious, it isn’t revealed until right at the end whether he was killed, offed himself, or had an accident. Right up until the reveal, every option is plausible.

The supernatural element – the story being told from Anthony’s point of view from beyond the grave, in a kind of afterlife waiting room – was unexpected but worked remarkably well within the story. It was fun to be able to see the meta-style comedy of Olivia deliberately doing something, hoping it would make Anthony turn in his grave, and Anthony actually watching and getting angry in the afterlife. Overall, What a Way to Go is a witty and intriguing mystery/drama.

I really struggled with this one, sadly and this is my first NetGalley DNF (at 80% - I will probably come back and finish just find to find out the ending). I think the black humour whodunnit genre mixed with the vilest of characters, makes for an occasionally wickedly funny, but not terribly enjoyable read. The critique of grotesquely rich was well done, but the satire left an unpleasant taste in my mouth. I simply didn’t enjoy reading it and it became a chore. It was at that point that I decided to officially DNF.

It's Anthony Wistern's 60th birthday and his wife, Olivia, has thrown the most lavish birthday party to celebrate and also to show off how disgustingly rich they are. But the party ends in disaster when Anthony is found dead. Anthony is then stuck in the afterlife holding centre until he can figure out how he died. Only then will he be able to move on.

The story is told from three different POVs, the grieving widow, a true crime podcaster and the dead guy from beyond the grave. I love the authors take on the afterlife, it's both original and strangely believable in it's mundaneness.
The characters are all deeply unlikeable and as a family they are most definitely dysfunctional but Mackie writes them in such a way that you love to hate them.

This was my first time reading this author and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this darkly humourous and twisty thriller. This is definitely an author I will read again.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the ARC

Ever since reading How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie a couple of years ago, I’ve been keeping my eyes out for another book by her. So, I was really excited to give her latest release a read. What a Way to Go is a thrilling novel about money, family and unfortunate demises. It is packed full of dark comedy and witty writing. Bella Mackie’s latest novel is certainly not one to miss.

Anthony Wistern is wealthy beyond imagination. He has a large family, a French chateau, a manor, lots of mistresses and so much more. Unfortunately for him, he is also dead. Suddenly poised to inherit his fortune, each member of the family falls under suspicion. But, that is when the lying starts.

This story is told from 3 perspectives. The first is Anthony who is stuck in limbo as he find out the truth about his death and his family. Then, we have Olivia. She is the grieving widow with a troubled relationship with her children. Finally, the Sleuth. A young woman who is fixated on true crime, happens to know the Western family and is determined to uncover the truth behind Anthony’s death.

Each of the perspectives brings something different to the book and keeps you hooked. Anthony is a very flawed character who you instantly despise but can’t help but want to know the truth about his death. The sleuth is such an excellent embodiment of a lot of true crime fanatics who can’t help but get involved in a mystery. Olivia was my favourite of the three main characters. She is vile but you can’t help but be on her side throughout this book. I enjoyed her a lot.

I loved the unique take on a who dunnit story. The mystery of who murdered Anthony hooks you from start to finish. It takes the reader on a thrilling journey full of twists and turns. I was looking for a mystery to get lost in when I started this book and I certainly found it!

Bella Mackie has an easily digestible writing style. Her writing is full of dark comedy and she has an excellent way of bringing characters to life that you can’t help but love to hate. If you were a fan of her first novel, I’m sure you will love this one. I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for another novel by her in the future.

Overall, What a Way to Go is a darkly humorous mystery novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. If you like family drama, mysteries and characters you love to hate, then this book is for you. I would highly recommend giving it a read!