Another great book from Ruth Ware, thank you Netgalley! The story starts off in the form of a letter, which I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy at first. But as I got into it I forgot it was a letter and in fact, there are no chapters at all. This didn’t deter me and actually still made for very gripping reading. I just wasn’t sure where to stop and it would quite easily be read on one sitting.
Rowan lands herself a job as a live in Nanny in an old house in the Scottish highlands. This in itself is full of mystery and was a bit spooky at times. But Rowan has a secret and I didn’t actually guess until it was revealed and then it all became clear.
A great thriller and highly recommended

While online on day Rowan finds a advertisement for a job as a nanny in the Scottish Highlands. She applies for the position and is delighted when she gets the job.
She starts working as a nanny to three small girls and is finding the work exhausting as both her employers are working away from home.
After a horrendous incident happens at the house Rowan finds herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.
A psychological thriller with quite a few twists and turns.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK Vintage Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Turn of the Key is definitely my favourite Ruth Ware book so far. Her previous books had great premises but, while overall entertaining, never convinced me completely, but this one was a huge improvement. And the fact that it's clearly based on The Turn of the Shrew, one of my favourite books of all time, made it all the more exciting for me..
As with her previous book, Ware has become really good at creating an oppressive and mysterious setting. The house with highly modern and invasive technology, but also creepy hidden rooms and such, was very well done. The mix of the mystery and ghost story genres was also excellent. Right until the end I wasn't sure if what was happening was supernatural or not.
Rowan, the main character, was immensely interesting. She was an unreliable narrator, and not very likeable at times. I think Ware did a good job making her enough compelling to make you sympathize with her, but at the same time it was hard to trust her.
As for the plot, the pacing and the twists were very good. My favourite was the first one: even though there were some hints, I didn't see it coming at all! The final reveal, however, didn't convince me completely. While it worked, I had some theories which I personally preferred. But for the most part it was a great mystery, which I wholly recommend.

Brilliantly atmospheric, gripping read from Ruth Ware. The book is perfectly gothic and creepy, and compulsively readable. A great combination of unnerving children, spooky house and isolated location all combine to create a novel that is impossible to put down. Highly recommend!

This was a brilliant read, I finished it a few hours after starting the story. I couldn't believe I had got to the end already. I did realise very early on what Rowan's secret was although at the conclusion we find out that she has an even bigger secret that we are totally unaware of. The ending seemed to arrive suddenly without a full explanation and we can only assume that Rachel's letters were never sent and she ended her days in prison, I wish there had been more to the conclusion of the story although one letter does explain how the murder and haunting happened. Ruth does write excellent books and I would recommend this to readers but once you start you have to keep going. All the characters were real, I could imagine everyone from baby Petra to Jack Grant, Sandra and even Rhianon. Fascinating story line.

A curious blend of genuinely creepy and rather more mundane reality.
Opening with a series of letters addressed to a solicitor, we quickly learn that our main character is in prison having been charged with the murder of one of her charges. Adamant she is innocent, Rowan reveals the circumstances behind her getting a job working for a wealthy family in the remote Scottish highlands.
Following the story of her arrival and work with the kids was unsettling since we know from the start things don’t end well. The family Rowan is working for definitely have their flaws and Ware plays up to our fears of smart technology by showing just how easy it can be to feel you’re losing control. Coupled with someone evidently hiding something, and mysterious noises from the attic above, Rowan spirals into a state of paranoia.
Desperate to not succumb to her fears, Rowan starts digging and learns she’s not the only one with things to hide. What we’re never sure of is the extent to which people are manipulating the information they’re giving.
The end - where we learn the truth - actually left me feeling quite upset on Rowan’s behalf. It felt like things were left unfinished.
That aside, a cracking read and thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity.

The opening of The Turn of the Key is a tiny bit confusing as we find Rowan the protagonist, attempting to write to her solicitor to explain what has occurred prior to her arrest for murder. We stumble through her repeated attempts to set out how everything transpired: how awful it is in prison; how terrible other prisoners are and her insistence of her innocence. Rowan tells of how she came across an advertisement for a nanny to live in a remote part of Scotland with a professional couple (architects) and their three daughters. Currently working for a day nursery in London, she misses her former colleague and flat-mate Rachel, who is currently abroad and decides to apply for the position.

After travelling for hours she arrives in Scotland, is met by the chauffeur who transfers her to Heatherbrae for her interview. She is offered a salary of £55,000 p.a., use of a car, time off, and live in. The downside, the parents are often away from home for up to a period of two weeks at a time and Rowan would be in sole charge of the children. Other help was employed in the form of Jean who seemed to be responsible for the house and Jack the chauffeur handy man.

One of the leading characters in this tale is Heatherbrae a rambling, gothic style Victorian mansion as approached from the front – whilst the back of the house has been restyled to be open plan, huge swathes of glass overlooking the scenery. The whole estate is covered in woodlands, with a stream and even a poison garden! In addition the house is a ‘smart’ house with technology at every turn – no humble light switch but a panel that controls everything. Think Alexa – but mega!

Rowan is no sooner there than the parents are gone – away for a conference and client meetings. She is left with two little girls who are strangers, missing their mummy. The sheer responsibility of the task, the worry of the girls’ anxiety and the weird house start to take their toll. Oh, did I mention ghosts and the fact that Rowan cannot sleep; oh and of course the ‘smart’ house malfunctions? Oh, and Rowan is not quite sure whether there are cameras in every room that can be accessed remotely by the parents…

Before I even read this it put me in mind of A Turn of the Screw by Henry James which has a similar theme; a nanny supervising two children in a remote house with ghostly goings on, oh and a child murdered. Of course they are only similar themes, but I was quite confused with James’ story and at least in this one there was more clarification.

Excellent, atmospheric, scary – would make a great film. Loved it and recommend it whole-heartedly if you are not to easily scared.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

I have loved Ruth Ware’s other titles so was keen to see if this one would live up to the others.
I can certainly say it did! A really good storyline with a fantastic plot.
The book begins with a letter to a solicitor which then weaves into the main story, which sets the scene and throughout the book comes to tell you why the person writing the letter Is in prison.

The plot is centred around a bored nursery worker who we know as Rowan who ‘stumbles’ across a job advert for a wealthy family hundred of miles away in the remote Scottish Isles. Rowan accepts the job which she learns many others have not succeeded in. She is sole charge of 3 hound children and one teenager. When the parents are called away on business Rowan is literally plunged into the deep end and the story really begins.

It’s a dark and atmospheric story and very we’ll written as you can picture what Rowan is faced with. It has surreal and gothic elements weaves into this story which make it all the more gripping!

It had an ending I didn’t see coming which tops off a perfect read

Would thoroughly recommend this book. I struggled to put it down!

Wow. What can I say about The Turn of the Key? A unique, harrowing, twisty book that kept me guessing the entire time. But that description doesn't seem to do this book justice. I'm a big fan of Ruth Ware, having read and enjoyed all of her books for different reasons, but The Turn of the Key is in a league of its own. A truly gripping story, written without chapter breaks, which only serves to increase the pace and dramatic effect.

Ware just keeps getting better and better, I can't wait to see what she does next.

Child nanny, Rowan is currently working for the nursery Little Nippers when she spots an advert for a live in nanny up in remote Highlands Scotland for a fantastic salary and car. After an interview, she get the job and moves in with the Elincourt family. Rowan has her hands full with the 3 daughters and lots of spooky, supernatural goings on as the parents leave her in charge from day one. The story is told from Rowan's letters to a solicitor as she is now in prison for on suspicion of murder of one of the daughters. This is great storytelling and nothing is as it seems. Not a book to be read late at night!! This is my first Ruth Ware novel and is not the last.

I am not an avid fan of Ruth Ware's work though I have to admit that I enjoyed some of her novels like "In a Dark Dark Wood". There is a kind of hype surrounding "The Turn of the Key" so I felt more than satisfied when my request was approved by the publishers. Unfortunately, the book was not one of the author's best works and I feel that R.Ware is "trapped" in a particular narrative form and as a result, this novel seems to be repetitive rather than fresh and innovative.

There is a touch of Gothic horror in the plotline which begins unraveling when a young woman, Rowan, applies for the job of her dreams as a nanny in a mansion where a family with three kids is living. The setting is Scotland and more specifically Highlands, adding to the secluded, isolated atmosphere that increases the overall suspense level. The story is narrated through the letters that Rowan sends from inside the prison to a famous lawyer in order to convince him to take her case. She is accused of the murder of one of the kids, though we don't know which one until the ending, and she insists on her innocence. Following her story from the initial interview to the horrifying night of the murder, we become acquainted with the family members as well as the mansion's dark history which led the locals to consider it cursed.

There is a hint of supernatural intervention throughout the book and it is not until the final page, where the whole truth is revealed, that everything is explained in a hasty, disappointing way that leaves the reader numb. "The Turn of the Key" is a novel that picks up speed after the first half and tries hard to build-up tension and suspense, counting on its descriptive parts but not successfully as the whole storyline seems to be cliched and the final resolution mediocre. There are two major twists that are revealed in the end, the first one being truly clever and effective while the second, regarding the culprit's identity, is rather weak.

I can see that this was an ambitious project attempting to blend crime with horror fiction, playing with the notion of supernatural phenomena, but both the storyline and the characterization are below the level that I would have expected from such a popular and successful author. Perhaps Ruth Ware should experiment with new narrative forms and tropes as there is literally a ton of books similar to "The Turn of the Key" published nowadays. I can only hope for something better in the future.

Wow. One of the best books I’ve read in a while.
I have to say that I found the first few pages a bit uneventful and boring until I realised their purpose.
Once I’d got into the book I was hooked.
It’s a gripping story following a nanny called ‘Rowan’ who lands what seems to be a dream job.
It’s not as it seems though and she’s disturbed by spooky goings on that she just can’t explain.
Full of suspense and terror it’s really well written and draws you into life at the house.
Lots of unexpected twists leave you wanting to read on to find out what happens next.
A very unexpected ending!

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Random House UK, Vintage Publishing, for the ARC.
Goodness Me! - whatever you do - don't read this in the dead of night! What a frightener!

This story unfolds through letters from 27yr-old Rowan Caine, on remand at HMP Charnworth, Scotland, to a Mr Wrexham, an Advocate to whom she pleads her innocence of killing a child in her care.
Unhappy in her job in the baby room of a local nursery, Rowan comes across an advert for a live-in nanny to a family of 4 children in the remote Highlands. The salary is ridiculous, but she learns later that they had had 4 nannies quit recently and needed an incentive to keep one for at least a year. Sandra and Bill Elincourt run their own architects firm and have to be away at times.
The house, in the middle of nowhere, looks like a large Victorian family home. However, it is a hi-tech Smart home controlled by Apps and secreted wall panels which Rowan struggles to get to grips with. Within 24 hours of her arriving the Elincourts have to leave her in charge of the 3 youngest children for at least a week.
Rowan is plunged into a personal hell. Mrs McKenzie (the Daily) seems to detest her on sight. Ellie (5) seems to be controlled by her sister Maddie (8) who persists in goading Rowan at every opportunity, but Jack Grant the handyman, offers a helping hand.
She can't sleep because there are pacing feet all night above her bedroom; the electronics go haywire; there's an un-fenced pond in the vast garden as well as a walled poison garden. There are also stories of tragedy attached to the house.
And when Rhiannon (14) arrives home from boarding school Rowan finds herself in a very difficult position indeed - a very major twist in the tale.
There's more, lots more, and I certainly didn't see that ending coming. (no more, in deference to any spoilers).
Suffice it to say that this really is extremely sinister, menacing. My brief synopsis really doesn't convey the atmosphere so cleverly created. Excellent writing - totally absorbing.
Thoroughly recommended.

Full disclosure, I haven't massively enjoyed Ruth Ware's books so far. I liked The Death of Mrs Westaway but the rest of her books didn't do anything for me. I thought they were a bit stupid and I just didn't get the hype. BUT The Death of Mrs Westaway and her newest book The Turn of the Key might be changing my opinion on her.

A clear play on words, The Turn of the Key follows a similar plot line as Turn of the Screw, one of the greatest short horror stories ever written - check it out if you haven't already! We follow Rowan, a nanny working in a house in Scotland and we quickly find out that a child has died in her care and she is under suspicion of murder.

Written in the form of letters to a solicitor, begging for help to get off on the charges brought against her, we relive the past few months from Rowan's perspective and find ourselves lost in a story of terrifying possible ghostly goings on and occasionally creepy children. Rowan is an unreliable narrator and there are times I found myself not really believing what she was saying. There was a twist around two thirds of the way through that I didn't see coming at all, even though there were hints so hats off for that one - I was surprised! But the ending twist was a little more obvious and it was top of my ideas for what had actually happened.

I would totally recommend this book to those who love a little bit of supernatural horror, ghost stories, mysteries and thrillers. It was a good mix and I enjoyed it a lot.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Turn Of The Key is the best book I’ve read this year!

I read in one sitting, I was pulled into the world immediately and could visualise it perfectly. The setting was brilliant, I loved the smart home, the mix of architecture and the poison garden.

I read on a sunny summers afternoon but I was terrified! Despite the outside heat I still got chills and that’s beyond impressive, I can’t remember the last time I read a story that did this to me. Ruth Ware is one of my favourite authors and The Turn Of The Key did not disappoint!

I'm always keen to read a new Ruth Ware book but this one really surpassed all expectations! Rowan takes a lucrative job in Scotland at a remote location nannying for four children. She's warned that the high fee is because of the turnover of staff and her new boss hints at supernatural goings on in the home. I haven't been quite so chilled by a book in ages, this has all the makings of a classic ghost story. I found it kept me guessing right until the end and I read it in less than a day. Can't recommend highly enough!!

Excellent. A very well written and beautifully creepy book. Although I figured out both Rowan's secrets early on (guess I've read enough unreliable narrators to spot the signs!) that didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story in the least, because there was clearly another mystery at work – and of course, knowing that everything would end in disaster and death gave the whole book a sense of urgency and almost unbearable anticipation. When I got to the end of Rowan's narrative with so few pages left in the book, I was afraid the real mystery would be left unsolved – but I needn't have worried. A really good read and I will look out for more books by Ruth Ware in future.