‏I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

What would you do if you were in jail for murder? Try to get someone to help you, of course. That is exactly what the main character in Ruth Ware's latest, The Turn of the Key, attempts to do. From her jail cell, Rowan Caine writes her lawyer begging for his help.

I work in a courtroom in the criminal court system and hear trial after trial of people accused of various felonious crimes, including murder. I heard countless defendants testify. However, their stories are always fed bit by bit as the attorneys ask questions. This book is a defendant's story as it happened, from her point of view, from start to finish.

While I enjoyed the format, I found the story hard to get into. I am glad that I finished reading it because the surprise ending makes the story worth reading.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the story takes place inside a smart house. The house is so central to the story it could be considered a character itself. Ware makes us question whether the convenience of smart technology is worth the lack of privacy.

The story is a slow burn but worth reading.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 9/9/19.

Ruth Ware's latest book check's off everything you need for a modern psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the end! Haunted house...death...unreliable narrator, what more do you need?

Coming off the heels of Riley Sager’s new book, Lock Every Door, which I would also categorize as a gothic thriller, this book is just what I needed and more. You know when you finish a book with a specific feeling? It is almost a combination of longing for another book just like it, a little bit of sadness because you wish you could reread this book with fresh eyes, and joy because it accomplished the exact feelings the author anticipated. Basically, I was feeling all that and then some.

This book surrounds 24-year-old Rowan Caine who currently works in a childcare center when she stumbles across an article looking for a nanny, offering a generous salary, which was tied together with a bow. That bow is a beautiful “smart house” named the Heatherbrae House located in “beautiful Scottish highlands.” I promise I am not giving anything by saying this because Ruth Ware makes it known early on --- Rowan ends up in prison and one of the children end up dead… dun dun dun!

There are two main factors that I think made this story unravel beautifully: the way the story was laid out and the setting.

I don’t want to say too much about the way the story was laid out because I felt that was crucial right off the bat. What I will say is that it kept the story flowing in a way that you slowly gathered details, but in a somewhat fast-paced way. I know that sounds a little crazy, but that is the best way I can describe it. It was executed beautifully. I promise.

The setting is a story in itself! A fricken smart house! Not just any smart house, a converted smart house that is a combination of modern and vintage design. The descriptions are beautifully creepy. I wonder if the author took the time to design this house separate from the story. Regardless, I want to see this house come to life! The thing is, I can’t think of a book I have ever read with this type of setting. That in itself really adds to the thrill of this read.

Hats off to Ms. Ware for writing such a fabulous read. In my opinion, this is definitely the best book she has written to date.

Rowan takes a nanny job in a remote area of Scotland. The salary is great but the house has a history of short term nannies. Is is the house or the children? Rowan is about to find out what hides beneath Heatherbrae, a home that is a strange mix of Modernism, Victorian and equipped with the latest tech gadgets.

The Turn of the Key is told by Rowan in a series of letters to a solicitor in which she unfolds what went on during her stay at Heatherbrae and how she is not guilty of committing murder.

Rowan herself is a particularly odd character and the book focus on the child care but not on the actual children. Readers don't get to really know the children and as a result of this there is a discord between the reader and the characters. Perhaps that was the purpose but it didn't allow for me to connect, which meant I didn't really care much for what happened to them.

This doesn't meant that the book isn't good because it is and the thrill of what is going on is an exciting road of twists and turns. Some you see coming and some you don't The build up is a bit slow but the read is most definitely worth it.



* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I finished The Turn of the Key a couple hours ago and I'm still in shock at the ending. The book is written in a series of letters by Rowan, the nanny, from jail to a defense attorney. She has been arrested for murdering one of her charges. She works her way back from the beginning of the story to how she has been arrested. This book was unputdownable from start to finish as I had to keep reading just one more chapter. I felt so bad for Rowan. She has met the three little ones once and then on her first full day, she is left in charge while the parents leave for a week on business. Then all kinds of weird things start happening in a house that she's not familiar with and the house is operated by technology! I highly recommend if you like thrillers in general, and specifically thrillers with a gothic feel. I will be adding Ruth Ware's other books to my tbr list! Thank you to Netgalley and Pocket Books for the copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was my favorite of all the Ruth Ware books I have read. The suspense just kept building and building until the absolutely divine surprise ending. Can't wait to read this again for any clues I may have missed. A definite recommendation for mystery fans and book clubs!

This is a slow burn mystery. I enjoy this author's writing style and I actually liked learning the outcome first and then slowly learning how things came about. I wasn't a big fan of the main character and was frustrated many times with how stupid she was. The ending was a little bit of a let down too.

The following review was posted on my blog (www.blogginboutbooks.com) on 9.6.19:

Ignoring everything she's ever heard about gigs that sound too good to be true, Londoner Rowan Caine accepts a position as a live-in nanny in the Scottish Highlands. Lured by the promise of a ridiculously generous salary; the luxury of Heatherbrae House, a remote "smart" home that's rumored to be haunted; and the charm of her three young charges, who appear to be pleasant and well-behaved; the 27-year-old is so glad for the job that she doesn't ask too many questions. After all, she doesn't want her new employers querying her too closely, now does she?

At first, Rowan is relieved to be given almost complete autonomy in her new job. Bill and Sandra Elincourt—busy professionals who run a family architecture business—are consumed by work and seem perfectly content to leave the care of their children in the hands of a virtual stranger. When the couple takes off almost immediately after Rowan's arrival, leaving the nanny in charge for the foreseeable future, she's dismayed, then horrified. Not only does Rowan have little idea how to run Heatherbrae House's smart features, but the place seems to have taken against her, turning on lights, locking doors, and blaring music at all hours. The Elincourt children aren't any better with their tricks and tantrums. As the situation grows increasingly out of control, a frantic Rowan becomes more and more panicked. In over her head, she's desperate for help that's obviously not coming. When push comes to shove, the unthinkable happens.

Now Rowan's sitting in a Scottish prison pleading for someone—anyone—to believe in her innocence. A child is dead; if Rowan isn't the killer, then who is?

I'm a fan of Ruth Ware's psychological suspense novels. I love how they keep me feeling off-kilter throughout, never quite knowing what's real and what's not. While her newest, The Turn of the Key, is not my favorite of hers, I still enjoyed it. Despite a slower pace than her other books, this one still boasts an intriguing premise, a creepy, suspenseful vibe, and an engrossing plot, all of which kept me flying through the pages to see what would happen next. If you dig compelling, slow-building (but still engaging) psychological thrillers, you'll definitely want to give this one a go. It's an old-fashioned haunted house story with a fresh, modern twist to keep things interesting.

(Readalikes: Reminds me of The Other Mother by Carol Goodman and The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware)

Grade: B

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for language, violence, mild sexual content, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The Turn of the Key from the generous folks at Gallery/Scout Press via those at NetGalley. Thank you!

Having read Ruth Ware's book The Woman in Cabin 10, I was looking forward to reading her latest mystery. Overall, it was an enjoyable read for me. The book follows Rowan, who gets hired as a nanny for a family that lives in a "smart house" which is controlled by tablets and wall panels and has cameras everywhere. Mysterious things keep happening - sounds late at night and lights flickering. Is someone trying to play a trick on Rowan or are there evil spirits at play? While the plot really didn't strike me as anything too amazing, it did keep me guessing until the very end of how things were going to play out. I always enjoy a book where I can't see the ending coming and this was one of them!

What I Liked

Ruth Ware for me has been one of my favorite thriller writers. She has mastered the art of building a world and atmosphere that the reader is just pulled into. In fact, I was so enthralled with this novel, I read it in a single day. It kept me from the first page till the last. 

The main part that pulled me in, apart from the atmosphere, was the characters she created. I really was interested in the people she wrote into being.  I always felt like they were hiding something, there was just something I couldn't understand, even though their character was very distinct and in a lot of cases had a lot of interaction with one another so you have a good handle on their voices. Especially for the main character, I had to say I really loved how Ware decided to tell this story. I don't want to spoil it, but I think the method really added to it. Not only did I feel like these flushed out characters feel like there was something just under the surface, the way they interacted with one another was interesting. 

On top of the development of the characters and the great atmosphere, I have to say the location of the novel I thought was just a wonderful choice, I don't want to say more because I think others will really enjoy it coming to life as you read. 

As for the plot there were a few things I saw coming and a few things I did not see coming. For me that is a true sign of a good thriller. While, I read a lot of thrillers I can say with some confidence that I have gotten quite good at being able to predict what is going to happen. So, if it can surprise me not once, but multiple times, the author has done a very good job.

Also, I must add, this is one of the best unreliable narrators I have seen in some time. 

What I Didn’t Like

Uh, nothing. I honestly loved it from front cover to back cover. Ruth Ware truly has a talent and I feel like with every one of her book she continue to get better and better. 

Overall Thoughts

Overall, I think this is a fantastic thriller. It has the atmosphere, the setting, an unreliable narrator, and wonderful characters in addition to a wonderful plot. If you enjoy thrillers or any of the things I mentioned in this post, I really think you should give it a try. I will also add, that I liked it so much I bought a final copy of this book so I can tell more people about it.

Wow! I have read 3 of Ruth Ware's books and she does not disappoint. I was given an ARC copy of this to review. Loved the story. Great twists and turns.

Ruth Ware is quickly becoming one of my favorite thriller writers! I loved the premise of a smart house because I have always thought they are creepy (remember the DCOM movie Smart House?), and Ruth Ware perfectly weaved it in with secrets and lies to create a great thriller. The suspense did not let up the entire book, the characters were complex, and the ending was so unexpected!

Rounding up to a 4 because man, oh man, Ruth Ware can WRITE. I was thoroughly creeped out the entire time I was reading the book, which actually made me go look up spoilers so I could know if it was actually supernatural or not, ha! So since I read spoilers the shock value was kind of lost on me, but still I enjoyed it. It felt a tiny bit slow towards the middle (Rhiannon is the most annoying character) but overall, a solid thriller, with amazing descriptive writing.

I put off reading this book for a little too long and decided to do the audiobook rather than the egalley version provided. I was beginning to think audiobooks that weren't memoirs werent my thing. But Turn of the Key was a fantastic and totally changed my mind on this. None of the suspense was lost and if anything I felt more of it. The narrator, Imogen Church was really amazing. She had different voices for each character (which I sometimes find annoying) but her voices for each character were spot on and made the story that much better. I've heard that Imogen narrates all Ruth Ware books and because of this I wouldn't hesitate to listen to more. ⁣⁣
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Ok so that was basically me raving about the narrator. Let's talk about the actual book. Was I scared? No. Was it suspenseful? Yes. Did I believe the main characters fears? Meh. The only other Ruth Ware book I read before this one was The Woman in Cabin 10 and I wasn't a fan because I felt like the main character just had major anxiety. The main character in this one had a lot less anxiety but still got thrown off by minor things. I think they could have played up more of a supernatural ghost (because "𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘬...𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘬...𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘬..") and not attempted to pin weird things happening on other characters. For me, that may have may it an A+ book, it would have added to the creep factor and made it even more suspenseful. All of that makes it sound like I disliked the book, but I really enjoyed it. I just had some issues with it.
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I have always been a big fan of Ruth Ware. I liked the premises of this book but felt it fell a little flat. I didn't love the main character and I felt like we didn't really build a good back story to her. I couldn't understand her anger and why she needed to get away. Moving in to care of kiddos felt like such a terrible idea knowing how much she didn't enjoy her job at the daycare. The ending was pretty predictable. I didn't have all the pieces figured out but enough that I wasn't really surprised by anything. Ruth Ware will always be one of my favorite authors!

If you like books with unreliable narrators that take awhile to pick up speed, The Turn of the Key is for you.

Ruth Ware is one of those authors that takes her time building up the plot. It's always steadily building, all while tossing in pieces of information that are meant to throw you off. I was able to guess some of the ending, but not all of it. One big piece hits you on the head, for the entire story. It was hard to ignore. The smaller pieces, aren't as easily found out.

As slow moving as the plot was... and I wish there was more showing rather than telling... it was still entertaining to read.

"𝘗𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨..."⁣
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🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈⁣
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The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware⁣
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This is one of my new favorite books. Holy crap. I just finished it and typically I take a day or two to think it over and then write my review. Nope! Not this time! I'm over here like 😱😱⁣
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When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss—a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten—by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family.⁣
What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare—one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder. ⁣
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This blew me away. The writing is just 👌👌👌 and the creep factor is 💯% there! This is one of those books where my heart was beating and my eyes were running down the page to find out what happened 👀 there were times where I just needed to put the book down and step away because it was creeping me out 😆 ⁣
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When I wasn't reading this book, I was thinking about it. It turned me into an antisocial mess 🤗 and I am totally okay with that! ⁣
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I did NOT 🚫 🙅 see the twists coming and loved every moment of this! It kept me guessing the whole time and is the PERFECT October or fall read, but seriously, October on Halloween night..just binge it! ⁣🎃👻💀

This is what makes the book so special for me. I read a TON of thrillers, it is my favorite genre. Nothing usually phases me, but this one definitely did!

This is the perfect book. The perfect thriller. It will be good for those new to thrillers are those seasoned readers. I honestly cannot pick out a single thing I didn't like in this novel ❤️
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10 out of 10 HIGHLY recommend!⁣
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𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐭‼️⁣
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Thank you to Netgalley and Scoutpress for giving me a copy of one of my new favorite books in exchange for an honest review. And thank you to Ruth Ware for this stunner!

The Turn of the Key starts off with the narrator, who we learn is in prison, writing to a lawyer (solicitor) and pleading with him to take her case. It's slowly revealed that our narrator, Rowan, was a nanny who has been accused of murdering the child she cared for in a high profile case, but she maintains that she is innocent and she is telling this solicitor, Mr. Wrexham, her side of the story to try and convince him to defend her.

This book captivated me from the very beginning. It was so engaging and I was immediately invested. There was so much build up, probably too much in fact, because by the time we came to the twists they were a bit of a let down as they ended up being too predictable. The simplest explanation is always right isn't it?

However, I'm still giving this book 4 stars because I did really enjoy the creepy, atmospheric writing and the majority of the plot, but I just wanted to be blown away by the ending.

Thanks to Gallery Books and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Audio note: Imogen Church is a fantastic narrator and I highly recommend you go with the audiobook version! She is able to do the different voices and creepy sounds so well.

damn this was my first Ware but it was such a good use of a read, i loved everything about this read and it was such a fun time :D

Gothic mystery with modern technology - I love it! The creep factor was high in this book - creepy house, creepy owner, creepy kid, you get the idea. Pair that with a lot of twists and an unreliable narrator, and you’ve got yourself a page turner. This book kept me guessing until the end. In fact, I’m still not sure what happened-so I guess I need to read it again.