Hal is a working girl in a bind. She had to take over her mother’s tarot shop after she lost her to a reckless driver, and while she can usually keep her head above the water weaving stories from the cards, she made the mistake of borrowing money from a loanshark whose punitive interest rates are crushing her. But what’s this in the post, under the letters threatening dismemberment and arson? It’s a letter from a lawyer advising her that she’s mentioned in the will of some ancient society woman. Although certain it’s a mistake, Hal needs money badly, so she uses the last of her reserves for a bus ticket into gentry country. Upon arrival, things get…..weird. The Westaways are a family only slightly more stable than the Ptolemies, with several of their members despising one another. Hal tries to keep her eyes and ears open for stuff she can use to carry off the charade of being some long-lost niece, but is startled to discover a photo of her mother with the family. She is connected to these people, but the whys and hows are a mystery she’ll have to spend the entire novel puzzling through — poking through this dark, depressing house filled with miserable people, going deeper into the rabbit hole until she finds secrets disturbing enough to kill for. This is the first Ruth Ware book I’ve read and not enjoyed: the mystery is fine, but most of the characters are grating and despairing. Probably a better book to read in October than Christmas!