This is the second book I've read from Ruth Ware, the other being In A Dark, Dark Wood. And while I liked this book better and thought this story was executed well, there were still things about it I thought could've been better.

I liked the creepy atmosphere Ruth Ware is able to evoke. I think that's probably her greatest strength. The way she creates a sense of unease through setting is really compelling, and the gothic house and estate in TDOMW is no exception.

I really liked the premise of the story as well. This is another area where I think Ruth Ware excels. Even if the execution is lacking as far as the climax goes, I like her story ideas.

I want to also mention that I listened to the audiobook for this and the voice actor is outstanding. She gave each character a unique voice, including the male characters, which isn't always the case. I would know which character was speaking even without context. She also did a wonderful job in the actual narration and delivering lines with emotion. She was fantastic. If I was rating this book for the audiobook alone, it would get five stars. I would definitely encourage anyone thinking of picking this book up to check out the audiobook.

Now on to the things I think could've been better. First of all, I think there was an issue with pacing. I understand that this is meant to be a slow-moving narrative, and when it's done properly it can add to the creepy, foreboding atmosphere. But the beginning of this book is slow and boring. It's a lot of Hal bemoaning her station in life and feeling conflicted about deceiving the Westaways. It isn't until we actually get to Trepassen (sp? I don't know how to spell its name, since I listened to this on audio) and meet the rest of the characters that things really start moving.
Even after that though, there are sections that drag, where it seems like she should be putting pieces together but she's really not. It's not even like there are a bunch of red herrings. Again, it's mostly just the reader stuck in Hal's head while conveniently stumbles across evidence but doesn't actually take the steps necessary to put the pieces together.

The other main issue is that I didn't find the reveals to be at all shocking. I can't say that I knew exactly what was going to happen, but there were a couple of theories I had very early on that were variations on one another, and the actual ending matched up pretty well with those theories. It wasn't at all shocking. It made sense. The only real surprise was that it took Hal so long to figure it all out.

I enjoyed the experience with this book, even if it didn't end up being exactly what I wanted. I do think it's the strongest of her books and I do look forward to seeing what she comes out with next.