A darkly humorous thriller that is highly entertaining. What a Way to Go keeps you guessing as to why the rich patriarch Anthony Wistern has been murdered at his own lavish 60th birthday bash. We are given the perspective of Anthony himself, his Widow Olivia and a keen sleuth. The Wisterns are extremely wealthy and highly disagreeable. Their questionable characters are exposed and mocked throughout. The tone is scathing, frivolous and suspenseful, and is perfectly captured in audiobook format by the narrators Kimberley Capero, Gabrielle Glaister and Colin Mace. You should read/ listen to this if you love books like Death of a Bookseller, How to Kill Men and Get Away with it and How to Kill Your Family. #whatawaytogo #bellamackie #darkhumour #audiobook #netgalley

Wealthy financier Anthony Wistern is found dead in the lake at his exclusive property during the lavish birthday party is wife Olivia is hosting. The manner of his death is suspicious. As the police and a local amateur detective investigate the list of suspects keeps increasing.

What A Way To Go by Bella Mackie is deliciously devious. If you enjoyed the author's debut novel, How To Kill Your Family, then you have an idea of the satirical style to expect but this time around it is raised a notch as fun is poked at the wealthy.

Based around the possible murder of Anthony Wsitern, the story is told from three different points of view, Olivia, his widow, Jade, a YouTube detective, and Anthony himself. The three different narrators, Kimberley Capero, Gabrielle Glaister and Colin Mace each voice their respective characters perfectly. Using three very distinct voices means that it is easy for the listener to follow the storyline as it jumps between the different characters.

Olivia Wistern is the ultimate snob. She's not upset at all by her husband's death. We quickly learn that as far as she's concerned image is everything. Thanks to the brilliant narration of Gabrielle Glaister Olivia comes across as cold and calculating, with little affection for her four adult children. The children are spoilt as a result of their upbringing and seem to expect their parents to maintain the lifestyle in which they were raised.

The amateur detective, Jade Evans, has a bit of a grudge against Anthony Wistern and this amplifies her delusion. She feels that because she is investigating a possible murder she can say what she wants, challenge anyone and access anywhere.

The final part of the trio is Anthony Wistern. The author has placed his "soul" in limbo, you can only move on to the "next place" once you figure out how you died. Being in limbo means that Anthony can see how his family behaves following his death, but he can't interact with them in any way. Pompous beyond belief and refusing to accept any responsibility for the way he lived means that Anthony is stuck in limbo for far longer than anyone else ever has been.

As the story jumps between the three main characters we get a real sense of how self-centered, spoilt and greedy everyone is as the author pokes fun at the lifestyle of the wealthy. There are lots of twists along the way to keep you listening, I was quite upset when this irreverent tale ended.

𝟑 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 .𐦍༘⋆
Such an intriguing idea and plot, it literally caught my eye on netgalley so quickly, that and it being a Bella Mackie book.
The book was a bit too slow for me personally. The story itself was really good and intriguing but the writing pace definitely fell off a bit for me. Luckily I had the audiobook to help me along with the pacing, But if I had the book alone I definitely know it would have taken me even longer to pull through it. That being said Kimberley Capero; Gabrielle Glaister & Colin Mace did an amazing job at narrating this book! I loved how into the characters they were and how they brought them all to life.

In true Bella Mackie fashion, all the characters are a perfect mix between being super interesting and weirdly quirky at the same time. I genuinely enjoy diving into her characters with each of her books that I read.

Really great ideas but not executed in the best way, found this novel to be very slow paced. Enjoyed the deep-dive into the characters but found the ending to be lacking closure. Enjoyed the narration.

What A Way to Go by Bella Mackie is an entertaining, satirical whodunnit that I enjoyed through its audiobook version. The story is told from multiple perspectives, including a true crime podcast and even from beyond the grave, which added a unique and humorous twist to the narrative. The narrators did an excellent job of capturing the personalities of the characters, making the dysfunctional family dynamics even more engaging.
The characters were all pretty unlikeable, but that actually worked in favor of the story. I found myself enjoying their flaws and rooting for the chaos they created. While some of the plot twists were predictable, others were surprising, keeping me hooked throughout.
Though I didn’t love the ending, the overall experience was fun and fast-paced. It reminded me of Succession with its wealthy, egocentric family drama. A solid, entertaining listen that fans of thrillers with a comedic twist will appreciate.

Very grateful to the publisher for my copy, opinions are my own

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!

Having enjoyed the author's debut, I was eagerly anticipating this latest release, and it didn’t disappoint. Told from multiple perspectives, including a cleverly incorporated true crime podcast on social media, the narrative is rich and varied. One aspect I really liked was the beyond-the-grave perspective, which added a humorous twist and was incredibly well done.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on the audiobook version, which really brought the story to life. With such a range of characters and points of view, the narrators captured the satirical elements perfectly, making the family drama even more compelling - and there truly was no shortage of drama!

None of the characters were particularly likeable, yet this worked brilliantly. In fact, I found myself almost rooting for them to mess things up, which added a unique dynamic to the story. While some twists were predictable, others took me by surprise, but this didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment.

In short, this is a classic whodunnit with a humorous twist. It’s well-paced, with an intriguing premise that keeps you engaged. I’d definitely recommend it and look forward to seeing what the author does next.

Very much the dysfunctional family! Very much reminds me of succession.

A comedy who dunnit in a nutshell!

I wanted this to be as good as her other book but it didn't quite get there unfortunately, it was an easy holiday read.

The ending was a little disappointing in my opinion but I enjoyed the book

3.75 stars

A well to do family are showing the world just how filthy rich they are at the patriarch’s birthday bash but things don’t go according to the well oiled plan and he ends up dead in their lake. But it transpires a dead body isn’t all they have to deal with as the skeletons start tumbling out of that cupboard.
This book is a glorious tale of schadenfreude with a cast of materialistic, egocentric characters all vying for daddy or should that be mummy’s money? Told from multiple perspectives including via social media in the form of a true crime detective’s podcast and even more deliciously from beyond the grave. I listened to audio version which brought the perspectives to life brilliantly. Sometimes in life you just want to see the characters you love to hate get their comeuppance and this book ticks that box repeatedly. Yes I guessed where the money had gone early on, but that just adds to the satisfaction of knowing something these reprobates don’t!
A solid 5 stars - even better than her first novel - I cannot wait to get my hands on the next Bella Mackie novel.

This was a really fun classic whodunnit and I did enjoy it. I don’t think I have ever read a book where not one character was likeable but it still worked in this case.
I was a bit confused at first about the very fantastical element in here because that was not really indicated and it took me out of the story at first. Once I got used to it though it was a fun addition to the story. I was not the biggest fan of the ending but overall had a good time with this.

I’ve never read a book with this concept before, and really enjoyed it. It was well thought out, none of the characters are very likeable but you still want to know what happens to them. I listened to the audio version, it was easy to listen to, well paced and the narrators were all very fitting for the characters.

Overall, it’s a well paced, well thought out story that will have you hooked from the very start. It’s not often you come across new concepts as a frequent reader, so this actually felt really refreshing.

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!

I was immersed immediately in this title. Refreshingly different. Opening at the 60th birthday party for Antony Wistern. The Wistern family are hideously rich and hideous people, Olivia Wistern is renowned for her lavish parties, how inconvenient then that her husband should die in a completely embarrassing fashion and ruin her efforts.

The novel is absolutely dripping with acerbic wit. I snorted in a most unbecoming fashion several times. Each character is wholly unlikeable and the writing is fantastic, written from 3 pov Antony himself who is stuck in the afterlife holding centre. Olivia coming to terms with widowhood and the demands of their children, whilst trying to maintain her image. The sleuth an online True Crime enthusiast who sees her opportunity of fame if she can only prove that Antony was murdered.

The holding centre chapters were absolutely my favourite, a novel idea and hilariously funny.

Hugely entertaining! Narrated brilliantly.

Thank you to Harper Collins U.K. audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this ELC.

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.

When someone dies, it is usually considered a tragedy. But, when Anthony Wistern dies (in a fairly spectacular way, it must be admitted), it is more of a cause for celebration. Of course, his family cannot admit this but finally, they can access his money. And then the fun really starts...
What A Way To Go is one of the more unusual novels that I have read in recent years as we have one deceased protagonist who is investigating his own death, a living investigator and an angry family!
I listened to the audiobook and read the digital version of What A Way To Go and both are equally brilliant. The three narrators, Kimberley Capero; Gabrielle Glaister; Colin Mace give life to each of the characters. I can really imagine Anthony and his reactions to each situation. With a wry commentary on life and excess, this is a whip smart and funny novel. I absolutely recommend that you read it - you won't regret it!

I was intrigued at first by this tale of a rich family where the patriarch, Antony, had been murdered during a family party by being impaled on a spike in the lake. There's not much love lost within the family, his wife Olivia was planning to leave, having had enough of all his dalliances and his children are forever waiting with their hands open, money being the only language they understand.

The split POV's is interesting with the exception of The Sleuth, a blogger determined to find out who murdered Anthony. She grated a little. I enjoyed the chapters from Anthony stuck in limbo in the afterlife, however I didn't really care about the mystery.

Most of the characters were horrible, shallow, spiteful people but for a whodunnit, it wasn't bad at all but there were no big shocks.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

What A Way To Go is a witty, light-hearted mystery told from three points of view. The characters are very different and would have been easy to tell apart even with a single narrator but it made it much more enjoyable to have three brilliant voice actors read the separate storylines.

The personalities of the characters were really brought to life by each actor and helped me stay invested as a listener.

Mackie's dark humour helps shine a light on the social commentary provided within the story and I can only imagine that this book would work excellently as a TV series or movie.

When a sinfully wealthy financial scion allegedly dies in a freak "accident" at his lavish 60th birthday party celebration, the suspect list is sky-high.

This satirical tale about a dysfunctional family with four inheritance-obsessed children did not disappoint.

The book unfolds from three POVs:
* The deceased financial scion (commenting from his temporary "resting spot" in his afterlife)
* The financial scion's widow
* A social-media-obsessed "Sleuth".

I am a Bella Mackie fan and I especially enjoyed the author's dark humor and wit in addition to the book's scathing social commentary.

WHY NOT 5 STARS?
Although the book was entertaining and engaging, the book was waaay too long and frequently dragged.

This 12-hour audiobook easily could have been an 8-hour book. (Where was Bella's editor????)

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kimberley Capero, Gabrielle Glaister, and Colin Mace.

Full-cast narrations are always a treat and all narrators did a superb job with the narration.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

I’m giving this 5* because the quality of the audio was incredible. The book was good but the audio was everything! I just felt that the voice actors were perfect for their roles and I really enjoyed listening.

Absolutely adored How to Kill Your Family and have been eagarly awaiting this one, I was soooooo happy to grab a copy on NetGalley, especially the audio. And I’m defo not disappointed. I proper love the plot, and the narrators do the book total justice, adore the cover. Great premise, mint writing, epic plot, wanna give 10 stars! LOVE LOVE LOVE! Need more from Bella Mackie! Please type faster lol. Have chatt ed to the lasses in book club and all feel the same, love it!