I received a free ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I read The Woman in Cabin 10, and it was ok. I wasn't blown away. It didn't make Ruth Ware an auto read for me. However this book was so much better. Maybe Ruth Ware has finally found her grove. The characters were well described. I don't try to think too far ahead to try and figure things out as I like the surprises as they come, and they came for sure. The creepiness factor was totally there and I had to make myself remember it was fiction lol. I am actually pretty excited to read more by this author now. I enjoy authors who do not make the characters perfect or two flawed but have legit human reaction and feelings and she did that very well in this book.

A young woman, Rowan, answered an ad for a nanny at isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands that offered a high salary. Although the CV listed experience at a day care center, she did not want them to check with those employers as she was still working there. The couple, Sandy and Bill Elincourt, were both architects. Their house was part Victorian and a newer part with modern architecture and high tech effects.

Rowan took the train to Scotland and interviewed with Sandy. She was introduced to two school aged girls and their baby sister. Sandy told her that an older 14 year daughter was away at boarding school but would return in the early summer. The 3 younger children were charming and well behaved and the interview went well. So it was no surprise that Rowan was offered the position.

However Sandy requested that Rowan start very soon after and informed Rowan that she and Bill would be off to a conference the day after Rowan arrived. So Rowan was left with a large book with all the procedures to operate the confusing electrical system that controlled almost every function in the house. Once the parents left, Maddie, the older of the two primary school aged girls, turned out to be a terror and also intimidated her younger sister, Elie, to misbehave as well. The two other employees in the house were not very helpful. Then tragedy struck.

The story is told as a letter Rowan wrote to a prominent attorney while in jail for murdering one of the children. Rowan hoped that if she pled her case to the attorney and told him the truth about the many falsehoods she had told the Elincourts as well as the police, he would defend her and have her freed.

Ruth Ware is known for her gripping mysteries and this one will engage the reader from the first page. Ware paints a vivid picture of the beautiful but remote house and the area. Many mysteries, including how the child was killed, are not revealed until the very end of the book.

*Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I have read every Ruth Ware book and love when she releases a new novel! I find I can't put her book down! Some of Ruth's titles I love and some I feel just so-so about. "The Turn of the Key" was one that I absolutely loved! It is creepy, full of twists and turns, and dark! I found myself reading this before bed and getting chills! the main character is so relatable and the twists are brilliant!

READ IT.

4.5 stars

Out of the four Ruth Ware novels I have read (still need to get to The Lying Game), this one is my favorite. While I liked her other books, either my interest would wane a bit and/or I had an idea or two about the ending. With this book, my eyes were practically glued to the pages because I really had no clue where the author was going to go with the story. This was a fun read for me which is all I really wanted when I picked up the book.

A nanny is in prison awaiting trial for murder. She knows she has made mistakes but she did not kill that child. She is concerned her current lawyer doesn't believe her so she begins writing letters to another attorney, Mr. Wrexham, with the hope he will see she is innocent of the crime. She explains how she got the job as nanny to the family living in Heatherbrae House, and how everything went so horribly wrong. If she tells the truth, the whole truth, will Mr. Wrexham believe her? Will anyone?

From the get go you know someone has been murdered and over the course of the story it is slowly revealed everything that led up to it. The house is basically a character itself and really contributes quite nicely to this creepy, horror style vibe. I loved how the technology features of the home actually made me tense and allowed me to really feel like I was in the main character's shoes.

This was one of those rare times I didn't even have a decent theory floating around in my head about what was going on and that just made reading all the more fun. It's like I could just sit back and enjoy the ride. Now when it comes to the big reveal or whatever you might call it, I would not say I found it extremely disappointing, more like it wasn't 100% satisfying. I feel like there was so much build up to the moment and I needed more as in some ways it felt anti-climatic. Overall though this was a great read for me and I highly recommend checking this one out especially if you have enjoyed other books by the author.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

Ruth Ware has done it again. The Turn of the Key is a suspenseful novel that I could not put down until the last page featuring Rowan Caine who speaks from her prison cell awaiting trial for murder of a child under her care as their nanny. She says she is not guilty of murder, but as the plot is revealed , what isn't she guilty of? An enticing story that you don't want to end. Read it!

I have read all of Ruth Ware's books, and they all managed to hold my attention, but when it came time to rate them I couldn't bring myself to give them more than 3 stars. They were entertaining, some more than others, but nothing new or special to me. However, I just had to give The Turn of the Key 4 stars because I really, really enjoyed it. I definitely enjoyed it a lot more than The Death of Mrs. Westaway and The Lying Game.

The Turn of the Key starts off with a young woman writing to a lawyer from her prison cell, trying to explain to him that she isn't guilty of the murder she was charged with, but that she needs to tell her whole story in order to make him understand. She starts by explaining how she applied to a live-in nanny position in remote Scotland on a whim, and ended up getting the job. The house she was staying at was a "smart" house, equipped with cameras in every room that could be accessed from a tablet or phone and panels that controlled everything from the lights to the curtains. She is thrown right in, given no time to adjust before the parents leave on a business trip and she is left alone with 3 children who are a handful and a handyman that lives on the grounds. Strange things start happening around the house that she can't explain, which continue to make her uneasy, especially as she starts learning the history of the house. It all culminates in the death of a child, which she adamantly denies being a part of.

Obviously, this book is meant to be a modern day Turn of the Screw, which was a book I enjoyed. I am a fan of books/movies that are creepy with supernatural elements, and you're unsure if something supernatural is going on, the person/narrator is unreliable, or something else sinister is going on. The book started out a little slow, but once it started picking up I couldn't put it down. I definitely jumped once or twice while I was reading a spooky part and heard a loud noise. I also liked how the author made the handyman a good looking, likable, possible love interest as opposed to some creepy old guy that keeps popping up everywhere. I thought it added a nice layer to the story. And I am also a big fan of the ending. I don't know if it's because I wasn't trying that hard, but the ending was not that predictable to me and I like how the author got the information across to readers. So overall, if you have enjoyed Ruth Ware's other books or are a big fan of The Turn of the Screw or books similar to it, than I recommend reading this book.

Ruth Ware has done it again! I did not want to put this one down. It was so riveting up until the very last page and I loved this page turning thriller! Thank you net galley so much for this copy from one of my favorite authors!

This is the second book I have read by Ruth Ware and I will say I really enjoyed it. The story opens in a prison, a child is dead and a woman is in prison writing a letter to a barrister protesting her innocence and begging him to take her case. But first she must tell the story of how she ended up in prison.

Rowan Caine is a nursery worker who applies for a job as a live in nanny with a wealthy family living in remote Scotland. The house is an old house that has been totally renovated by the owners, who conveniently happen to be architects, to modern standards, some would say too modern. The front of the house is traditional, but the back is modern with banks of windows and other modern amenities. Oh and the house is smart home, which sounds awesome until you realize you cannot take a shower, or turn lights on and off without an app. ‘

The family consists of Mom Sandra, Dad Bill, Rhiannon (14) away at boarding school for most of the book, Maddie (8), Ellie (5) and little Petra (2).During the interview only Sandra and the 3 youngest girls are around. Maddie seems a bit standoffish but the other girls are sweet. After an interview Rowan is offered the job and moves in. Then things go downhill, Sandra and Bill immediately leave for a trade show, Maddie is a controlling, malicious child and the smart home appears to be possessed. There are creepy steps in the night, lights and music that blare out of nowhere, doorbells that ring in the middle of the night with no one there, oh and a poison garden. Stories of children that have died in the past, all the makings of a good ghost story, but is it a ghost or a very human culprit?

The book really amped up the suspense with the crazy happenings and the children’s behavior, there was a nice twist at the end that I did not see coming, the only issue I had was the ending was open ended. I have had some time to mull over the ending and I think I know what probably happened, but I have to admit I am a tie the ending up neatly in a bow kind of reader, so not sure I am happy with it.

Over all I feel this was a great thriller with all the elements I enjoy, an old house, creepy children and possible supernatural happenings,

I found this book to be a well-written more modern take on The Turn of the Screw. The pacing is excellent, and I found myself devouring the book quickly as the gothic setting, creepy events and unreliable narrator really appealed to me. While some of the twists and turns at the end I saw coming there were others that were a surprise, and I'm glad I picked it up.

The title The Turn of the Key is a nod to the Henry James ghost story The Turn of the Screw. This new story, however, is updated in many ways, including the use of a smart house. The story is so good, but my best suggestion to potential readers is to know as little as possible about the book before you read it. Go into it cold for best effect. The plot is intricately woven, clever, mysterious, scary, and the writing is seamless, smoothly flowing, and so very good. I highly recommend The Turn of the Key! Thanks to NetGalley for providing a preprint of this book.

Ms. Ware has done it again!_ She has written a book that I had to stay home one day and read all in one sitting. Ms. Ware's books are full of suspense, questions, and well developed characters. "Rowan" takes a job that seems to good to be true-living in a state of the art mansion, with a great salary and bonuses, plus car to be a live-in nanny for 3 young children. (The fourth child is away at school). Almost open immediately arriving at the home for her new job the parents leave for a week to a conference for their work. Rowan is left with two young girls who don't seem to want her around, and a baby and a mysterious house that runs all on smart technology. The older maid doesn't seem to like her and the oldest of the three girls is very sullen and rude. The only person who seems to like her is Jack, the caretaker of the home/land. As the week progresses strange things begin to happen in the house-noises in empty rooms, lights on/off by themselves at all times of day/night, doors opening and closing on their own-is it the smart technology going wrong or is someone trying to force Rowan to leave. Rowan is also living a secret of her own, one that I didn't figure out by myself. If you are looking for a wonderful suspenseful novel do yourself a favor and read this book by Ms. Ware (and all her other books!)

Another great thriller from Ruth Ware! I am loving her novels, and this one is the best, by far. The kind of “can’t wait to get to the finish” psychological thriller that keeps you up through the night.

I devour everything by Ruth Ware! She is a master of suspense. Our main character gets a sweet live in nanny gig for a really rich family.

But you already know there’s a catch, she finds herself on trial for the murder of the child she nanny’s... she knows she’s innocent. Right? The problem is the hi tech house see everything.

I absolutely could not put this book down!!! Thank you Ruth Ware for bringing back the old-fashion ghost/horror/suspense story! I actually felt my heart pounding with each page I read. KUDOS!!!!! This book deserves 10 stars!

Ruth Ware has a way of writing that leaves the reader feeling uneasy from the first few pages. The Turn of the Key is no different, the feeling of unease begins almost right away. The writing is extremely detailed, I could literally picture everything; the Victorian house turned modern, the landscape, the tense atmosphere. I almost felt as if I was with Rowan during each moment. As much as I wanted to give this book a 5 star, the ending (which was dark and held a twist) left me feeling a bit flat.

Rowan is a young woman who is writing to a lawyer from prison. She is in prison awaiting trial for murder of a child. She tries desperately to explain how everything happened. So, she starts from the beginning; Rowan sees an ad that catches her eye. A nanny position has been open by a very wealthy couple and pays a lot. She can't pass up the opportunity and applies. She is delighted to find out she has been hired for the dream job. Rowan is ecstatic when she first gets the job, but soon things start taking an ominous turn. Rowan finds out the house has secrets, dark ones, and when things begin going wrong, Rowan can't help but think of the house's past. When a young child in her care winds up dead, she is insistent that she didn't murder her. If Rowan isn't a murderer, then who is?

While I did enjoy the creeps and chills from this book, I did feel a little lost at the end. The end left a couple loose ends and I would've liked to know what happened next. I would elaborate, but I don't want to give any spoilers. All in all, The Turn of the Key is an intense thriller with a dark outcome.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery/Pocket Books for this ARC.

This book held my attention and it was a nice read overall. I didn’t like that it was in letter form to her wannabe attorney, that part wasn’t necessary and made it seem illogical. The ending was interesting though I’m not sure it answered everything. I want to know if she turned in the letter and got off!

I love Ruth Ware and while this book is definitely a page turner, it is not my favorite. Maybe it was the ghost story aspect, or maybe it had too many moving parts...I'm not sure. Just felt like it had to wrap up too much too quickly at the end. Still a great book...just hard to say it's one of her best when all the others create such a high standard.

I cannot believe anyone could enjoy this book! It is repetitive, the constant fear of a grown twenty-seven-year-old woman! It does have mind-blowing truths of the haunted room above hers, at the end of the book! Ninety percent of this book, is Rowan being paralyzed by the fear of a Smarthouse, along with the sounds of footsteps moving across the floor, nightly, depriving Rownan, the fourth Nanny, of sleep! My questions are, why didn't she call the police, and have them stay one night in her room? Of course, nothing would have happened. Why didn't she ask Jack to remain up there one night, with her, without telling anyone? In other words, why was she so gutless? Why didn't she mail her letters? She knew she was innocent; of course, that would have left ninety percent of the book empty! The other thing I hated was the amount of profanity! The f word appears more frequently than the word children! Nor does it make sense, that she has an alibi with Jack, then with Rihannon! If you can handle the death of a child, then this book is for you! Too Much For Me!
I recommend it with caution. Thank you Netgalley!
carolintallahassee.com

This was my second Ruth Ware book. I read it in one day, it was very suspenseful and kept me guessing until the final pages. Would definitely recommend!!

The Turn of the Key by author Ruth Ware is yet another MUST READ from Ware! I absolutely adore Ware’s writing and stories, always flows so nicely! Turn of the Key is no different than the rest, breathtakingly good! I was beyond excited to be accepted into this ARC and I plan to post my full length review everywhere, everyone needs to read this! (Well, if psychological thriller is your genre anyway!!) The characters are developed so well, so much detail in them and the story/plot is described so well, you get the full idea of your surroundings in so less! I adore Ruth Ware’s writing!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of The Turn of the Key in exchange for an honest review.