After hitting it big with The Woman in Cabin 10, Ruth Ware returns with another summer thriller sure to be a hit. Rowan Caine is ecstatic to receive a high paying live-in nanny position at a remote, but high tech, Scotland estate. However, she never expected to end up in prison for the murder of one of the children. Written in the form of a letter to her lawyer, The Turn of the Key slowly unravels what happened to Rowan - her own secrets as well as those of the family who employers her, of the handsome gardener she feels drawn to, and even of the house itself. A fun read perfect for the last days of summer, or to cuddle up with this fall. The Turn of the Key will scare you just enough to keep you engaged without making you too terrified to sleep at night.

A solid 3/5 stars. The dark and mysterious atmosphere took center stage here. Ware did a good job putting a twist on the classic Gothic novel, particularly in regard to the house. I loved that she took an old haunted house with a disturbing past and combined it with malfunctioning and unreliable smart house technology. It was an excellent way to ratchet up the tension at key points throughout the novel. I also appreciated the fact that the entire story was told from Rowan/Rachel's point of view, in the form of a letter to a potential barrister. The unreliable narrator has become an overused literary device in recent years, but here it works well. What didn't work quite as well was the revelation that Maddie had used the hidden attic as her playroom to essentially torture Rowan and drive her insane. It was beyond the bounds of belief that an eight-year-old would be devious enough to plan and implement the things she did. It made far more sense that Rhiannon, who witnessed her father seduce or attempt to seduce the many nannies before Rowan, would have such an intense hatred for her. The other revelations, such as Rowan's true parentage, left me feeling a bit blase. They didn't have the shock element that I was hoping for. Perhaps I am just jaded from having read too many psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators. Overall, this novel was enjoyable, just not a standout.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This new psychological thriller from Ruth Ware has an ending the reader won't see coming. Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.
The story is told in first person as a letter from the protagonist, a former nanny who is in prison for murdering a child, Although she admits to making some mistakes and misrepresenting herself at times, she claims she is innocent of the crime.
Her writing style is chatty and self-deprecating as she relates the tale of how she left her job in London to apply for an unbelievably high-salaried post as a nanny in a remote village in the Scottish Highlands. She ignores the red flag that the last four nannies have quit abruptly.
The location is beautiful and the house a schizophrenic cross between a Victorian manor and a modern smart home, with cameras in almost every room and voice-controlled appliances. Although the Elincourts, her employers, did extensive renovations to the property after they purchased it, they left on the grounds the poison garden that had been planted by the previous owner, which was responsible for the accidental death of his daughter.
Almost immediately after the protagonist begins her assignment, the parents take off on an extended business trip and leave her in charge of the children she's just met. They resent her and make her job difficult. The housekeeper is cold and critical, and while Jack the handyman and chauffeur, is friendly, he suspiciously always seems to turn up to save the day when disaster strikes.
Unexplained noises keep her awake at night. Things disappear. Windows open that she remembers closing. Doors lock and keys go missing. She understands why her predecessors thought the house was haunted.
And then the family's 14-year-old daughter comes home from boarding school, defiant and armed with information that can cause everything to unravel.
The whole time you're reading, you know someone is going to die. Just not which or the four children. Or how.

This was well written and I enjoyed the creepy juxtaposition of old house and super technology. That said, I had a really difficult time getting into this book. I found it had to like Rowan, the protagonist, who admits to lying to get the job right at the beginning. We meet the kids and their parents right away, but then the parents leave Rowan alone with the kids on basically her first day (um, no?). Things devolve from there and one child ends up dead and Rowan is on trial. There were plenty of twists and turns, and the book picked up speed towards the end, so overall this was a satisfying read and I’m thankful to Netgalley and Ms Ware for the opportunity to read this e-ARC.

This story is told in letters written from prison to a barrister she is hoping will take her case. Rowan is ready to change her life when she finds an opportunity to be a Nanny in Scotland at an amazing salary. She jumps at the opportunity but things move quickly and she is left alone with 3 young girls in a house controlled by technology and things turn creepy and weird. The reader is left wondering what Rowan has done to land in prison. and what went wrong with her perfect life..

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40489648-the-turn-of-the-key" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Turn of the Key" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1548169391m/40489648.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40489648-the-turn-of-the-key">The Turn of the Key</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9013543.Ruth_Ware">Ruth Ware</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2825474873">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I received an advanced copy from Netgalley for an honest review. When I read Ruth Ware wrote a story about a supposedly haunted mansion in the Scottish Highlands and a Nanny, I said sign me up. I really enjoyed this quick read about a student who signs up for a nanny job in Scotland. Now, knowing Ruth Ware's style I doubted it would be about real ghosts but there was still a lot of suspense and atmosphere. I thought I knew where this story was taking me so I was very surprised when it came up with something I did not guess at. Fun read for a late night.
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"Dear Mr. Wrexham,
You have no idea how many times I have started this letter and screwed up the resulting mess, but I've realized there is no magic formula here. There is no way I can make you listen to my case. So I'm just going to have to do my best to set things out. However long it takes, however much I mess this up, I'm just going to keep going and tell the truth."

This begins the tale of Rowan Caine. She has been sent to jail for the murder of one of the children she was a nanny for but she maintains she didn’t do it. She did lie to get the position and she wasn’t the best nanny, but murder – no way. She struggles to explain the unsettling events that lead to her incarceration. The house was completely electronic with cameras spying on you in every room. It woke her up with booming music, turned lights on and off and didn’t allow her to sleep well and then there was the secret room above her bedroom. The children were far from perfect. They had already gotten several other nannies to quit and they weren’t happy with Rowen either. She is left for weeks on end with the only other adult being the enigmatic handyman, Jack Grant.

As the story unfolds the reader doesn’t really know what is happening. It seems like a great position that pays well and has great benefits, but nothing is as it seems with Rowan. There is a slow burn as things starts to come together with plot twists that do not disappoint. Ruth Ware has quickly become one of my favorite psychological thriller authors. I highly recommend!

Turn of the Key
My thanks to #NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review. Ruth Ware is at it again. Turn of the Key is not her best work, but it is definitely worth a read. Set in a “smart house” set off a long drive in an isolated garden, the novel is written in the form of a letter from a prisoner to a potential attorney—telling the tale of what really happened . . . but really? What happened? So much. The new nanny had only a few hours to get her bearings in a fully automated, high-tech house with two very precocious children and a baby before the parents take off on an extended, mysterious business trip. The story is a bit lacking in character development, but it is very creepy, a little scary, and there is definitely enough to keep the reader on the edge of . . . whatever they are sitting on. It’s riveting and there are some very nice twists and surprises.

While I was not a fan of Ruth Ware's first few novels, I was a fan of "The Death of Mrs. Westaway" and so I requested a copy of "The Turn of the Key." I think the writer accomplishes several things quite well, including setting the scene for the reader with evocative imagery and descriptions, but the characters themselves and the pacing of the novels are not my cup of tea. So much of the action felt repetitive and while I understood that the writer was trying to throw in a few red herrings, they weren't successful. Toward the middle, I began to wish things would hurry up.

Ruth Ware has done it again. When I hear about a new title if anticipated from her, I immediately know it is going to be amazing. This book was no different. The story follows rowan, a young woman looking for a change and coming up on a nannying job in Scotland. We quickly skip forward and find that she has been jailed for murder, of one of her charges, but is claiming innocence. The book is absolutely stunning. A quick read, I still had a hard time putting it down for cursory things such as work and going to the gym! I was entranced. The writing was wonderful, Ware is a master storyteller. I would absolutely wholeheartedly recommend this wonderful book to ANYONE.

Ruth Ware seems to be shifting away from the mystery, thriller, and suspense genre to the horror genre, and it's been working less and less for me with each book of hers. I read The Turn of the Key in one sitting on an airplane, but that tactic only made this story more boring for me. There was way too much buildup and too many detailed descriptions of the house and Rowan's nanny duties, and not enough focus on the big reveal at the end.
The writing style also didn't work for me. The decision to tell the story in one giant letter was strange and didn't seem to have much of a purpose. It was a bit distracting, and it took away from the book for me, although not as much as a story told entirely in shorter letters would have done.
The Turn of the Key had all of the right elements for a great scary story, from the creepy "smart house" to the mysterious secret garden, and the notion that something was off with most of the characters. However, Ruth Ware just couldn't make them all work together to create a compelling enough story for me.
Thank you to Ruth Ware, Gallery/Scout Press, and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Follow me on Instagram @the_bookblog and Goodreads for more bookish content!

I thoroughly enjoyed this new read from Ruth Ware. She does not disappoint, bringing another twisty tale to readers, maintaining her signature style. A nanny takes on a job with an interesting family who live in a tech house. (This novel also did a good job of cementing how I don’t want to live in a technologically advanced house!) I loved the description of the grounds and the house, very vivid and I could picture it in all of its juxtaposition. I’d love a sequel to this one however I’m not exactly sure how that would work (no spoilers). Great book for a gloomy afternoon or evening.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, I loved it!

Loved it! This is going to make an awesome movie someday! It is the perfect amount of creepy and who-dun-it. I was hooked from the beginning, maybe since I've been a nanny and daycare teacher before. Lots of twists and turns, all the way to the last page.

Taking a hint from the classic “Turn of the Screw,” Turn of the Key” tells the story of a nanny in an isolated house that may or may not be haunted. The story is told primarily via the nanny’s letters to an attorney she hopes will step in to help her and I appreciated this viewpoint, rather than an all-knowing narrator, as we were only allowed to know as much as the protagonist did (although there was a twist she hid til the end). I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

When Rowan Caine accepted a nanny position for the Elincourt children, she did not envision that it would led to her sitting in prison awaiting trial on the death of a child in her care. Heatherbrae House, located in a remote part of Scottish Highlands, seduced Rowan with luxuriously remodeled modern interior and high tech features which controlled everything from curtains to temperature. Just voice your command, and the ever listening home would make it so. But who else was listening? Who was terrorizing the children at night? Ghosts? Having almost immediately been left alone with the children for several weeks with only a cook (who does not care for Rowan at all) and Jack, the grounds caretaker, Rowan has no one to turn to for support. The once luxurious house, is now a frightening place of captivity.

Ruth Ware keeps the tension and suspense going throughout the story. The house, itself, is a major character. It takes on a life of its own as commands are ignored, voices suddenly start speaking from a phone,that does not ring and the ever present cameras that are always watching. The reader feels the fear that Rowan has in trying to determine who she can trust as she tries to protect both herself and the children from the malevolent energy that inhabits the house and property.

The ending is a bit quick to lay out the answers after such a fine job of the slow building suspense. The Turn of the Key is an enjoyable read overall. I read it in little more than two sittings, because I did not want to put it down.

True to form, Ware constructed another brilliant, unputdownable story, full of mystery, sacrifice and wonder. The characters in the story are multidimensional and interesting, even when you’d like to slap them. The plot is thick with creepy occurrences, deeply rooted mystery and budding relationships that ensnares you quickly. Trying to figure this one out may take some effort, but when all is revealed, your mouth will be hanging open and your heart may break just a bit. Fans of Ware will not be disappointed, and newcomers to this masterful author will be filled with awe.

It was pretty clear how this book would play out, and ok, the correspondence thing is ok. The scene is set, distant parents, mysterious people lurking about,too much tech and a set up on both sides.
Its was painful to see it unfold, the hints of 'worse to come' and 'awful secret to know the stage for what will inevitably bring grief to way too many people. Kind of like watching a trainwreck in slo-mo. There were hints of the paranormal, deep secrets, abuse and cruelty.
It was a little tough to follow it to the end, but the reveals were shocking to me, for sure. And so sad.
Well written but almost Shakespearean in the sorrow.

This was a very intriguing book. Written in the letter style, Rowan's story is one of mystery, secrets and misconception.

Rowan couldn't believe her luck. She stumbled upon the job advertisement at the perfect time. This is the change that she has been seeking and she couldn't be more excited.

Upon taking the job Rowan is pretty much thrown right into it. Having to handle three children she barely knows, her nerves are frying pretty easily or at least that's what she's telling herself. I mean the noises that she's hearing can't be real right? Ghosts don't exist, so it must be the sudden stress that's making her so frazzled and scared.

As the story progresses you find out what exactly goes on at Heatherbrae House and exactly what's hidden inside the modern walls. You'll also learn whether Rowan is as innocent as she claims or if she herself has skeletons in the closet.

Oh boy, there was a lot going on. While I've been familiar with Ruth Ware for awhile, this was somehow the first of her books I've read.

The story centers around Rowan, who is writing to a lawyer from prison, trying to convince him that she's innocent... of something. Clearly, something very bad has happened at a remote house where she becomes the live-in nanny, but we don't know what. Through her letters, we go back to the beginning of the story, when she first gets the nanny job. And... things are weird. The family is weird, the house is weird, something is going on with the other hired help. Everyone is suspicious or has something strange going on, even the children.

The story was wholly modern (technology, we'll just say, abounds), yet had a classical feel to me for some reason.

There was a lot here, and I happily kept reading late into the night to keep unraveling the mystery. Fun, twisty read.

Ware tackles an interesting style by having the entire novel written as a series of letters and does an excellent job of balancing what other characters know with the intricate details so that the reader attempts to figure out exactly what happened. Well done suspense.