I really wanted to like this book as I have read some of her other books.  However, I found it a bit slow to start.  When I read a thriller, I want to be pulled in from the very beginning.  I suppose if you don’t mind a slow build, you may enjoy it more than I did.  It wasn’t bad, but sadly it wasn’t one I would recommend to my friends as a must read, as I had hoped it would be.

Excellent suspense story. Great psychological thriller. Well written loved the countryside setting. Kept me guessing right up to the end. Crazy little girls

Thank you for the advanced review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.  

I did not thoroughly enjoy The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware. I found it tedious and boring and there was little to no excitement in it for me. 

I read every page of this book and it didn’t start to get interesting until 50-70 percent through and I didn’t particularly care how it ended. I didn’t like any of the characters either. 

I really wanted to enjoy this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for access to this book in exchange for my honest review.  I have previously read The Woman In Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware so I was ecstatic when I was approved for an advance reader copy of The Turn Of The Key!

Letters.  This book is one big letter written by Rowan Caine, a nanny accused of murder, to Mr. Wrexham, a lawyer she hopes will take on her case.  Rowan takes us step by step on how she was hired and what happened during her time as nanny at the Heatherbrae House in Scotland. 

Is she unreliable?  Ware wrote this to have the reader going back and forth wondering if Rowan is really innocent as she claims.  Is she just going crazy?  What really is going on?  I don't want to reveal too much more because the less I describe, the better it is for you the reader.

Side note: I couldn't read this at night, there are some pretty scary parts.  There are definitely some creepy parts.  This is a TRUE psychological thriller...I have not read one this spooky in a LONG time.  Talk about a modern ghost story, this one is chilling to the core.  I was flipping through the pages wanting to seek vengeance on who could kill an innocent child as Rowan told us all she knows.

This ending.  THIS ENDING!!!!!!  This book made my head spin and kept me up at night thinking what could be going on.  I never, NEVER suspected the ending...and I loved every second of it.  It is not a let down and it's a shock that will make you gasp out loud.  There's more than meets the eye with The Turn Of The Key.  This was the best book I have read all year and will be hard to top!  

***WILL BE POSTED AT https://www.donnasreadingchair.home.blog ON MONDAY AUGUST 5TH***

I really enjoyed this book.  It grabbed me from the first page and continued until the end.  Didn't want to put it down.  Definitely recommend.  Can't seem to go wrong with Ruth Ware.

🗝ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When I was approved for this book- I couldn’t believe my luck.  I love Ruth Ware and this is by far her best book to date.  Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this advance reading copy. 

This story begins with a young nanny, Rowan, sitting in jail awaiting the charge for the murder of a little girl, whom she was in charge of.  The entire book is told through a series of letters that Rowan has been writing to a lawyer she is hoping will represent her as she hasn’t received much support from her current lawyer.  In these letters, Rowan talks about the events leading up to this incident and how she came to learn of this nanny position.  

We soon learn this family has gone through several nannies in a short time, some only lasting in the house for one night.  The house itself is very peculiar and has quite a past. The house has secrets, the family has secrets and Rowan has secrets of her own.  But if she isn’t responsible for the death of this little girl, who is?

The pace of this book was just right and there were so many creepy components to this story.  When a book makes you question if you’re losing your mind or the character is, then it’s a must read.  Following that, there were many twists I didn’t see coming and although the ending felt a bit rushed, I was truly stunned by the final letter that was revealed. 

This book will be published 8/6/19- mark your calendar.

Adequately spooky, this story grips you from the very beginning and doesn't let go!  Another winner by Ruth Ware!  I enjoyed the unraveling of this story more so than I did a few of her previous books!

This book has got me f*cked up right now.

I started reading at night, stayed up until 4 am because I was hopelessly addicted, then finished first thing in the morning when I woke up. And honestly, I just sat in my quiet house, while everyone else slept, and stared off into space. Then I re-read the ending. Twice.

I fell in love with Ruth Ware when I read The Woman in Cabin 10, and now I’m officially obsessed with her. I’m requesting all her other books from the library immediately because I can’t get enough of her writing.

I can’t find the words to express how I feel right now, but all I can say is that this book was freaking amazing. Ware told a story that was creepy, gripping, chilling and puzzling. I have always been a fan of psychological thrillers, and really all “scary stories.” And if the story is supernatural, even better. So The Turn of the Key had all the components I like all in one book, which is why I loved it so much. Simply put, I. was. HOOKED.

I loved Rowan as a character. The fact that the entire book was written from the point of view of her writing letters to her attorney from prison, telling him the story of what happened at Heatherbrae House, was genius. I can’t think of another book I read like that—so unique.

I loved the girls too—the children that Rowan cared for. They were full of life, each of them different from the other. Sometimes I hated them, other times I wanted to hug them. Basically, they were cute little nightmares.

This book isn’t on sale yet but I’ve already recommended it to everyone I know. I’ve talked about it at work meetings, to friends on the phone, gushed to my husband about it—you name it. So, if you haven’t gotten the picture yet from my review, go read it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"I am the nanny in the Elincourt case, Mr. Wrexham. And I didn't kill that child." 

I was absolutely blown away by this book! I've read all of Ruth Ware's books, and this is a close tie for me with In a Dark, Dark Wood, which I also adored. 

The Turn of the Key tells a story about a woman who gets a job as a live-in nanny that seems way too good to be true. And, a murder happens. (Trying to not give spoilers!) The book is her writings to a lawyer from jail — very unique style! As someone who used to nanny, I could truly FEEL for the protagonist as she struggled with the house, the children, and the overwhelm. 

The writing grabs your attention immediately. It's a fast read, and I appreciated that nothing in it felt irrelevant to the overall story. I haven't had a book I truly couldn't put down like this one in a while! I love the spookiness of the house and the intricacies of the family. It's a spooky read, and I found myself scared at times like you are when watching a creepy movie! It was fun trying to figure out what happened as I read — if you enjoy playing detective, you'll have fun with this one. 

Can't recommend this book enough if you love the mystery genre. Also, if you're like me, and you love a good twist... you'll appreciate the way this book unfolds. 

(Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.)

The Turn of the Key is another thriller from Ruth Ware with a complicated, damaged female narrator.
"Rowan answers an add for a full-time nanny job out in the country. The house is an old Victorian mansion with a history. The architect couple have transformed it into a modern smart-home with updated technology everywhere. Rowan is left with three young children on her first day and things get weird right away. Noises in the attic - windows and doors opening - snide remarks from the cleaner - and the discovery of a poison garden. Rowan becomes overwhelmed, especially when her secret is found out. And then someone dies..."

This is a slow build. The story is actually a letter from Rowan to a lawyer asking for help and telling her side of the story. About how a child could die, but it wasn't her fault. Ware drops hints that Rowan is not what she says. There are a couple of late twists - one you may guess - the other you won't suspect at all.
The reveal is a little different at the end. I like that Ware tries something a little different, but I think something else might have worked better. 
The smart-house technology was pretty creepy. Imagine working with cameras in every room and voices coming from the speakers at unexpected times. And can you get any creepier than a poison garden?
If you're a fan of Ware, you should enjoy this book also.

I'm not sure what it is about rainy weather that makes me long for a cozy read, but a weekend of thunderstorms this July had me reaching for Ruth Ware's newest book, The Turn of the Key.

If you follow this blog, you'll know that I mostly read literary fiction, memoir, and non-fiction books, but autumn (or apparently rainy weather) will often put me in the mood for a good mystery. As a child, I loved John Bellairs, Betty Ren Wright, and Mary Downing Hahn. This book launched me back into that childhood world of ghosts, secrets, and the unknown. Ruth's newest book tells of Rowan Caine who secures herself a very lucrative position as a nanny in the countryside of Scotland. You know from the first pages, that one of the children has died under her care as the book is Rowan's attempt to secure a lawyer and explain herself.

I was surprised by how this book grabbed me. I believe I read it in three or four sittings and, had I timed it right, it easily could have been one. This is a definite one to add to your autumnal TBR!

I have to say that Ruth Ware has outdone herself this time. This updated take on the “gothic tale of a babysitter tasked with watching children in a spooky setting” was a real page turner.

Pre-school worker Rowan Caine stumbles across a seemingly too-good-to-be-true nanny position for a family in Scotland. When she takes the position she finds herself living in a very old house (with a tragic history) that has been updated to become a “smart house.” Every move is monitored on cameras and she can use her voice to do things like turn the lights on and off. She is soon left alone with her 3 young charges when their parents head out of town for work, and almost immediately strange things begin happening. Rowan is not sure if she’s losing her mind or if something malicious is at work.

I want to start by saying that I was not sure I wanted to give Ruth Ware another try after her last novel, “The Death of Mrs. Westaway” ended up not being a great read for me. I was pleasantly surprised with the twists and turns that this novel took, though. I honestly did not see any of the twists coming and they all worked well together to create a truly suspenseful tale. This new entry from Ware has definitely made me want to pick up more from her in the future.  

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher and author for the ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Talk about suspenseful, this book has so many twists and turns that are impossible to see coming. I loved it! Besides the plot twists, I found myself enthralled by the atmosphere of Heatherbrae House, the creepy renovated smart house in Scotland where the story takes place. I could not turn the pages fast enough to get to the ending that I did not see coming. What a ride! Dive right into this book without reading too much about it, and enjoy what you find when you open The Turn of the Key.

Summary : The narrator opens the novel by attempting to write several letters to a barrister, in hopes that he will listen to her rather bizarre story and represent her. She is currently in jail awaiting trial for the murder of a child. The young woman, who calls herself Rowan, is desperate. Like most convicts, Rowan claims she is innocent and feels she could be proved so if only the esteemed Mr. Wrexham could represent her.

When Rowan finally launches into her story, it is a tale of Gothic proportions. Rowan applies for a job as a nanny to a couple of wealthy architects with four children of varying ages. The house is a mishmash conversion, part old, part frighteningly modern with its all too smart house panels and cameras. The children have been through several nannies in succession, each frightened off by something. Immediately after her arrival, the parents head to a convention, leaving her alone with the children. There is little instruction other than a thick, detailed binder which she is expected to read.

Shortly after the parents drive off, Rowan discovers that there are noises in the attic, mysterious occurrences, a handsome, if enigmatic, groundskeeper and a garden of poisonous plants. She is also faced with emotionally scarred children who have to adapt yet again to a stranger in their lives.

The story ratchets up slowly, drawing the reader in, until the shocking turn of events that gets her arrested after one of the children dies.

Comments: The Turn of the Key has all of the elements of a classic Gothic tale — a nanny, a mysterious house, a lecherous man, things that go bump in the night and even access to poison. In lesser hands, this story could have been just one among many in the genre. But Ruth Ware has added some unique twists that keep the reader wondering right up until the end…and beyond. Read it to find out what that means!

Highly recommended for readers of suspense, mystery, psychological suspense and classic “girl running away from castle” books.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Another bestseller right here for Ms Ware. I read this in one day and as her others I loved it!!!!!!!! It has that gothic, creepy, scary even, creep you out vibe to it that Ruth Ware is known for!!!!!!!!!!!!   Rowan applies for a live in nanny position but the sweet darling children are not as they seem and nothing about the house is either. She is left alone on her second day for two weeks with the children while the parents are off working. The children become problematic, the house is turning creepier by the day. Bad things happen in this house and Rowan hasn't seen the worst of it yet. Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Pocket Books/Scout Press for my honest review

The Turn of the Key is the latest story from Ruth Ware. Ms Ware has the reader wondering along with her "heroine" what is going on, ghosts or human trickery. Throughout much of The Turn of the Key Ms Ware manages to keep the reader on the edge of their seat wondering how this story is going to unfold. I was given an early copy to review.

Ruth Ware doesn’t disappoint with her newest novel, The Turn of the Key!! Edge of your seat thriller, captivating, and keeps you wondering....
​
Rowan Caine is a young lady that has worked as a nanny and in a daycare center. Rowan responded to an ad for a live in nanny that she saw in the newspaper, and was swept up to Heatherbrae house in Scotland for an interview. Things seem too good to be true while she is at her interview - the children are well behaved, the mom is attentive and friendly, and the family is incredibly wealthy and offering an astounding yearly salary to Rowan. Rowan excitedly accepts the job and wraps things up in London to return to Heatherbrae. From here, things rapidly get strange. Rowan is left to care for the children and piece together what is causing the problems - is Heatherbrae haunted by the ghosts of its past, or is there a more earthly explanation for these troubles?

One of my favorite things about Ruth Ware’s books is how different, yet captivating, they all are. The Turn of the Key is written in a completely different style from her previous books, as it is a collection of letters written by Rowan. The letters start out short and choppy, as Rowan can’t quite decide how to start. However, they rapidly move into longer letters that unveil the nail biting tale that unfolded at the Heatherbrae house. I couldn’t put this one down, and was continuously working to piece together the clues given to us. However, the ending still surprised me, and I reread it just because I was so surprised!!

Another great thriller from Ruth Ware- I need you people to hurry up and get this book when it is published (August 6th) and quickly read it so we can talk about it!!!! Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the advance copy!!

#TheTurnoftheKey #RuthWare #SimonandSchuster

This is Ruth Ware's best book yet! The combination of supernatural with thriller/suspense is one of my favorite themes. I couldn't put this one down and read it in one day. The twists that came at the end of the book, OMG! I also enjoyed the way it was written and organized as a group of letters to the main character's possible solicitor/attorney. This one has just the right amount of creepy to suck you in right away. Read it  now!

Perhaps it is because I was looking forward to this book so much that it was a real let-down to me. “The Woman in Cabin 10” was so much better. I constantly felt like I had read this book before, it was that unoriginal. Even though there were twists that I did not see coming and I loved the author’s writing style,, they were not enough to salvage this book for me.    

“The Turn of the Key” by Ruth Ware is essentially a letter written by a woman in prison to an attorney whom she would like to retain. Previously, she had been working as a nanny in a remote house in Scotland, a house rumored to be haunted. Though the position paid very well, the young nanny quickly found out that the job would not be an easy one and that there were many unusual circumstances she would have to contend with. The book is told from the nanny’s point of view and the reader follows her story through several twists and turns before ultimately discovering the events that led to her imprisonment.

Ruth Ware is one of my favorite authors she’s a must buy author and I always pass her books to my aunts because I love every single one!! So when I got approved on netgalley I will have to admit I did a happy dance!! Rowan Caine is in a rut she’s miserable at her daycare job she didn’t get the promotion she was hoping for, so while just aimlessly scrolling through jobs she stumbles on a live in nanny job. The salary is amazing so she sends her CV in and keeps her fingers crossed! When she gets the call for the interview she’s amazed the house is a huge mansion it’s name is Heatherbrae House it’s also a smart house and it’s been completely remodeled. Every room has a camera and every single appliance and door are operated by phone or tablet. At the interview  she’s informed at least four nannies before her have suddenly quit they believe the house is haunted and there were some past deaths way before the new family moved in. Rowan accepts the job packs up her life and moves in. Left alone after only a day which shocked her, she’s now the nanny of three young girls. With a house with a sordid past and even a poison garden and one of the little girls who inform her “their not happy she’s there” what could go wrong, a handsome gardener who seems to appear whenever something seems to go wrong, and the main character who openly admits she’s not always honest left alone at a House in the middle of nowhere this very gothic dark mystery will have you eagerly turning pages way past your bedtime! I give this five stars!