What a Way to Go

A wealthy ghost, his beleaguered wife, and an internet detective narrate this sharp satirical mystery from Mackie (How to Kill Your Family). After hedge fund CEO Anthony Wistern is impaled by a spear-like decoration at his lavish 60th birthday party, he becomes trapped in a bureaucratic purgatory until he can recall the exact details of his death. Refusing to linger long in a place with low thread count sheets and monochromatic clothing, Anthony starts observing his family and friends for clues. At first, their indifference hurts; his wife, Olivia, can’t even be bothered to pretend she’s in mourning. Then it becomes a logistical problem: if everyone hated Anthony, anyone might have killed him, and he could be stuck in purgatory for eternity. All appears hopeless until an anonymous, true crime-obsessed internet sleuth in the Cotswolds takes up Anthony’s case, unconvinced by the official narrative that his death was an accident. Filled with bitter laughs and nasty characters, this stinging send-up of the ultra-wealthy might grate on some, but Mackie has obvious fun doling out her characters’ just deserts. The story’s whodunit plot, too, is sufficiently twisty and designed with care. It’s a strong sophomore effort that will please fans of Mackie’s debut. (Oct.)