I absolutely loved the creepy as hell smart home setting. It added a unique and very real dynamic to the story. I didn't care for the ending too much though. It was pretty anti-climactic. The story is worth reading though just to experience the extreme stalkerish smart home setup.

This was just ok, a little slow. I did like the letter format, written from a prisoner's defense perspective. However, I felt there was a lot of detail that kind of fell off--lots of ghost stories without really being a ghost story. The narrator almost builds a gothic tale, but then nothing really happens with it. It's just not the most thrilling thriller.

This book kept me intrigued throughout. Some of the plot at the end seems a little far fetched, but nothing that made me angry. It was a great read. I have loved all of Ruth Ware's books and this one is no different.

Who wouldn’t want the nanny job with high pay, and generous perks? Oh, the house is haunted and several other nannys abruptly left. Rowan decides to take a chance and try to outlast the others. Be prepared to stay up all night to finish this intense suspense novel with its many plot twists.

I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Equal parts James's Turn of the Screw and Waters's The Little Stranger, this novel is completely engrossing right from the beginning. I was completely caught up in the story and totally spooked by the narrator's situation (writing from a prison cell to tell the story of her nannying job in a remote house where someone or something seems out to get her). I thought the ending was a bit of a letdown, but that's mostly because the story itself was so eerily crafted and suspenseful

This book kept me engaged throughout. The book kept me guessing and just when I thought I had it figured out, shocker! The ending was crazy, but I’m not sure I loved it.

I have been a big fan of Ruth Ware since her first book, 'In a Dark, Dark Wood.' I have loved every one of her books, though some were 5 stars while others were 4 stars. 'The Turn of the Key,' was definitely another 5 star book for me.

I have been looking forward to this book ever since I heard another Ruth Ware was arriving, and it did not disappoint. The book is told in first person perspective in the form of letters from the narrator to the man she hopes will represent her in court. The book begins with the narrator in prison for killing someone, but attempting to prove her innocence through these letters. I read SO FAST to try to get to the bottom of what happened and who could be responsible.

Usually books don’t frighten me. I cannot put my finger on it, but I had a very eerie feeling throughout this book until the very end. All of my questions were answered, but in a way where I feel like she did not tie it all up with a pretty bow. The ending was realistic given the situation, and satisfying.

I will definitely buy this book in print as soon as it is published!

Rowan takes on the position of Nanny for 4 young girls. She soon finds out that all isn't as appearances make it seem. What is making the creaking sounds above her at night? Who is setting off alarms in the house? Where are the girls when they disappear from her? This book kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. I recommend not reading it in the dark.

I received an advance readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest Review from Netgalley.

This is my third Ruth Ware book and it’s my favorite out of the three that I’ve read. I was so excited to dive in once I saw I got approved to read this one.

The atmosphere of this book was super creepy which I always enjoy in books, almost a paranormal feel. It really set the tone for the duration of the book.

I never knew what to think about the mystery of the book, it always had me guessing until the very end. The twist was one I wouldn’t have guessed which I liked, but the end did have me a little disappointed. Not because of the writing but because I was rooting for the main character.

This book didn’t disappoint, the book wasn’t as fast paced as some other thrillers I’ve read, but I still enjoyed the pace. It was easy to read and still page turning.

#netgalley #theturnofthekey

I was thankful to read an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley, in return for an honest review. Have to say, this was a 3 star read for me. It promised so much, but I think the characters were hard to like, and the story really didn’t deliver. It took a long time to develop and I found myself skimming pages. I normally love the authors work, but sadly this one didn’t deliver for me after so much promise.

Just finished this book and I am still in shock. The story is told as a letter that Rowan is writing from prison to a solicitor, Mr Wrexham, that she wants to hire because she says that she is innocent of murder. Rowan is unhappy in her current position at a daycare and decides to make a big change and move away to become a live in nanny for a family with 4 daughters. The girls’ parents need to go away for work and Rowan is left in charge of all the children on her 2nd day there. She has her ups and downs with Maddie and Ellie, but Ellie seems to be warming up to her and Petra, the baby is giving her a chance too. Rhiannon is a typical fourteen year old, causing trouble and talking back. She also has help from the handyman Jack and the housekeeper, Jean. Strange things start happening in this very technologically advanced house and Rowan is scared and wondering what is going on and who is responsible for all of the strange occurrences. This book was amazing! I was totally thrown by the ending but loved it. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Rating: 3.5

This is my first Ruth Ware book and I was slightly disappointed by the storyline.

The writing was good and definitely kept me reading, but the big twists weren’t big twists for me. Two secrets that came out I knew within the first 20% of the book, one that came out I didn’t guess BUT it was so anti-climatic and the book ended right after that I just didn’t care. That last secret wasn’t really shocking to me, and I just wanted it to be more.

I would still try another of the author’s book, just wish this one hadn’t been a slight let down for me.

This was my favorite Ruth Ware book so far! I really loved the whole gothic/haunted house feel and I didn't figure out what was going on until the end. Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery/Scott Press for allowing me to read this early in return for an honest review.

Loved. This. Book. I feel like it is so hard to have a good, spooky mystery--without the plot twists being unrealistic or too far into the paranormal. However, Ruth Ware managed to write a classic, spooky, "haunted" house novel, without it being cheesy, too unrealistic, or predictable. The different characters were interesting; there were a variety of different layers and twists; and you never felt like you could expect what was coming.

I definitely recommend this novel for anyone that likes the classic "scary house" trope!

Ruth Ware never, ever disappoints. A nanny working in the Scottish countryside. An old victorian house with a past. A poison garden nearby. Could you ever ask for more? I couldn't stop reading it even after waking from a nightmare; a nightmare influenced by reading the book. Well done.

A fun summer thriller! The novel opens with a letter from a notorious nanny convicted of killing a child to a lawyer she hopes can prove her innocence, Rowan is a child care worker who is ready for a change when she discovers an advertisement for a job as a live-in nanny on a remote Scottish estate. After her interview at the posh house, equipped with the latest smart technology, Rowan envisions her life there! She is not daunted by the fact that the family has run through a course of nannies in the past year. She is sure she has what it takes to thrive in this job. Of course, things do not run as smoothly as she had hoped (because then we wouldn't have a story). The children are not as well-behaved as they initially seemed. The smart technology seems to malfunction at every turn. And the house may well be haunted. I did not find Rowan a particularly likeable character; I found myself yelling at her as she made dumb decisions. And the children included a few "bad seeds." But the twists and turns late in the novel did not disappoint. Readers familiar with The Turn of the Screw will see some parallels. Pick this up for a quick and enjoyable thriller.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Gallery/Scott Press for a free copy for an honest review.
Rowan Caine applies for a live-in nanny post at Heatherbrae House in the Scottish Highlands. She is now writing to her lawyer in prison as the nanny position turned into a nightmare.
I have read all of Ruth Ware's books but I think this one is the best so far. I read it in one sitting as I found it unputdownable. The characters are very believable and the plot is ghostly and unsettling. The surprise ending left me speechless. I find Ruth Ware to be an excellent storyteller and the book was well-written. I look forward to reading her next book and I would highly recommend this book to those who love suspenseful mystery thrillers.

I was so excited to delve into Ruth Ware’s latest book. I recently read how her books are essentially modern gothics, and when I consider this – YES, that is precisely what I’ve enjoyed about them and couldn’t put my finger on. This latest book is I think the most gothic of them yet, and also my favorite so far.

A secluded house, a narrator who seems a little too perfect, and a setting that is an unsettling paradox, a contrast of both Victorian country manor and technologically hooked-up Smart House. Oh, and there are local ‘murmurings’ about this house’s past. Say no more, I was in.

Without saying too much, as it is a mystery/thriller sort of book and those can be so easily spoiled, this is another win from Ware, for me. I enjoyed the remote Scottish setting. I enjoyed her sort of conversational voice, present in all her books, that makes them all so readable for me. There’s a smattering of “today” in them too, like when the protag in this book forgot a book to read and her phone’s died so her Kindle app is inaccessible. Very relatable.

Another thing is the pacing. The book moves along rather quickly, and yet – we know from the first couple pages someone died. But the book stretches on and on, the plot racing towards 100% on my Kindle, and I’m going Oh my god that hasn’t happened, so what IS gonna happen? for the entire duration of reading. That’s an excellent book, keeping you alert and wondering, keeping you flipping towards the end. There were also several plot twists of varying sizes, and I have to say I did not see many of them coming, a rarity as a seasoned mystery reader.

The one thing I will say is, this book did not really work as a believable epistolary. The whole thing is told via letters to a solicitor, and the level of detail required to, well, comprise a complete novel, didn’t ring as true to what you’d sit down and pen to someone. That said, the format lent the ending a lot more OOMPH than it would otherwise read.

A combination of plot coolness and those Gothic vibes, Ware’s reliability as a good storyteller for me, and sheer kept-me-reading-ness adds up to a solid five stars for me.

First of all, just a word of thanks to Scout Press/Simon & Schuster as well as netgalley.com for an advanced copy of this novel for an unbiased review of this novel.

I'll begin by saying, I am a fan of Ruth Ware and her novels. All of them have been decent reads, but a couple of them (In a Dark, Dark Wood and The Woman in Cabin 10) were well-written stories that made you wonder how it would all end. Although The Turn of the Key was, in my opinion, as interesting as Ware's other novels, this book had a great ending that made me shake my head and say "Wow, I wasn't expecting that."

The novel begins with our main character, Rowan, becoming a nanny for three girls in a mansion-type home in Scotland. The parents of the girls have had trouble keeping nannies to stay, and that, along with other unexplained "bumps in the night" make Rowan begin to think the house is haunted. Add this to the fact that the house has been equipped with high-tech lights, cameras, etc., that Rowan isn't sure the parents aren't continually watching her every move.

Ruth Ware does her usual job, as the story continues, of making the main character seem to question herself ("What's going on in the attic?"; "I didn't remember seeing the key behind the washer when I looked before."; etc.). However, what makes Ware an excellent story-teller is how she is able to tie all the loose ends up and gives the reader an ending to both think about later on and to enjoy.

Again, well-written and an enjoyable thriller.

I received an e-ARC of The Turn of the Key from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Rowan Cain is a former nanny, in prison awaiting her murder trial and writing to Mr. Wrexham, a solicitor advocate she is hoping to engage to defend her. She wants to explain the entire story from the beginning, as telling it in pieces has led to misunderstandings with investigators and her assigned advocate.

Rowan wasn't even looking for a job when the advertisement for a nanny post came up in her Google search results, but the ad seemed almost too good to be true. A high paid nanny position caring for four young girls in a beautiful but remote high tech smart house in the Scottish Highlands. She applies for the job and gets an interview and subsequently gets the job. The couple who hires her, the Elincourts, are desperate for a nanny to immediately start as they have recently run through a series of nannies. The job ends up not being what Rowan expected - the Elincourts immediately leave her alone with the girls to attend a conference. That's when the trouble starts - the children are hostile, items appear and disappear, music blasts out of the speakers in the middle of the night, the door bell rings and no one is there, and above Rowan's room is the creak, creak, creak sound of someone pacing back and forth in the dead of night. As the bizarre occurrence stack up, Rowan becomes increasingly on edge.

The Turn of the Key is an engaging, slow-burn of a novel that is part twisty whodunnit and part creepy haunting tale. So often the problem with this genre is that you can see the end coming from a mile away. That was not the case with The Turn of the Key. I recommend this novel for fans of creepy suspense.