The Turn of the Key is wonderfully atmospheric and the mystery will keep you turning that page until the very last reveal.  It also reminded me why I don't have children *shudder*

I didn't really know what to expect when I requested this book.  I don't have a ton of experience with Ruth Ware, the only book I had read of hers was In a Dark Dark Wood and I was fairly let down.  My complaint with the book was the characters were basic and the story was predictable but at the same time, I enjoyed her writing style.  It seems to be a really common comment among readers about her work.  I'm happy to say that my experience with this novel was altogether different.  The Turn of the Key worked for me on all levels.

Right off the bat we learn that we are hearing the story of a nanny who has been found guilty of murdering one of the children she was the nanny of.  She is begging a well-to-do lawyer to listen to her case, she says she wasn't given a fair trial and no one truly heard her out.  She then begins writing her story to him about when she applied for the nanny position for some very rich parents in the middle of nowhere, of course.  She admits that she wasn't completely honest on her resume, but she wanted the job badly because the pay was amazing.  She managed to charm her way into the position and starts shortly after.  We also learn that the family lived in a smart house - everything is electronic and everything is recorded.  Privacy seems to be a thing of the past.  You talk to the house like you might talk to Siri on your phone and tell it what you want and it mostly attempts to do it.  The mother was supposed to stay with her for a couple weeks while she got to know the children (who are creepy af), but she got called away to work almost instantly and the nanny had to deal with the kids on her own and running the insane house.

The setting is one of the best things this book has going for it.  The smart house doesn't come off as easy and convenient for me at all.  I can't imagine being thrown into learning a system where if I say a wrong code the shower will blast me with burning hot water or something.  Also, the privacy thing? Oh hell no.  No one wants to be watched all day and night.  Might be good for a really young child but that's about it.  There is also a really cool poison garden that the kids drag the nanny to and I swear you could put an entire book just in that setting.  It's so eerie.  If you are looking for creepy atmosphere, this book has it in spades.

The characters are pretty well developed here.  I don't want to go into any of them because I think you need to sort of meet them all yourself and watch their part in the story unfold.  There are a couple of really good side characters that are additional staff at the house that really offer some great story I think.  I will say the children are maddening a lot of the time - I would have quit pretty fast - I can't even imagine staying.

Overall, the book has a steady pace and some really good twists and turns.  I didn't see all of them coming.  The end reveal made me feel a little stupid because I think I should have figured it out but I didn't.  The ending was a little rushed compared to the rest, which is why this isn't a five star book for me.  I would completely recommend giving this a try if you are into neatly woven adult mysteries with some great twists.

This book makes you wish you could live in Heatherbrae - see it with all of its glory and technology even with its ghosts. To its core, it is so much more than a house.

I’ve received a copy of Ruth Wares’ “Turn of the Key” in exchange for my honest opinion.

There’s a reason I love reading Wares novels; her style has the perfect building of suspense & Thrilling foundation, right up until the final shocking twist. Her characters are well developed and real & just when you think “you’re just going to read this last chapter and pick up the rest tomorrow” BAM, you’re already turning the page and before you know it - the sun is rising and you’re reading the last chapter, wanting more & more!!

I finished this a few days ago and I'm having a really hard time rating it. (also, please note that this is my first Ruth Ware book so I cannot compare it to her others). This book grabbed me from the beginning. We know from the get-go that our main character, Rowan, was a nanny to 4 children in a remote residence in Scotland and now she is in jail as she is being held responsible for the death of one of the children. The book is told in epistolary form as Rowan rights letter after letter to a lawyer she desperately wants to represent her as she insists she is innocent.

The setting for the book was great and had all the makings of a creepy read. Old, rumoured to be haunted, private house in the country in Scotland. Technology throughout the house to make Heatherbrae House a "smart house" and which would make anyone uneasy. A mysterious poison garden. Creepy noises in the attic. I'm not going to lie, it had me on the edge of my seat at times. I didn't know what way the book was going to go, if there was going to be a supernatural element, or if the surprise was going to come from the technology, or secondary characters...I truly did not see any of the twists coming. Which is why I stayed up late many nights anxiously turning pages.

But then the end happened. And it happened in about 2 minutes and 5 pages and I don't know what to think. It was disappointing, underwhelming and frankly I feel a bit ripped off. Like that's it?! Why do authors have to wrap things up so fast? Why aren't the allowed to flesh out the ending over another 20 pages or so? I never understand this. So ya, loved the story, but was not a fan of the ending.

Also - my major issue with this book - what kind of parents hire a brand new nanny and then leave for a week the next day?! I didn't even get the sense that the mother wasn't attentive or didn't care about her children, so it didn't really make sense to me that she would leave her children (including an 18 month old!!!) with a stranger so easily.

Thank you Netgalley, Simon & Schuster for the ARC.
Interesting read about a nanny who is accused of murdering one of her charges.
Told thru letter form, Rowan writes from prison to a solicitor who she hopes will take her case.
From the get go she tells him she is not the one that killed the child.
The story centres around her daily tasks as a nanny in a futuristic house. How the parents left her alone to deal with 3 young children from the get-go since they had to travel for business for a few days which turned to a couple weeks. I found the book a bit long and boring at times.
I really enjoyed the last 4 chapters where we finally find the truth and hidden secret.
3.5 ⭐️
Recommend

I am well aquatinted with Ruth Ware’s novels and how superbly she can set up a story rich with intrigue, atmosphere and relatable characters. But The Turn of the Key may be her best work yet.

The atmosphere - written in such a way you felt like you were in the novel yourself; jumping at the intense, gothic descriptions. Every noise or creak I heard while reading this book had me on high alert. Adrenaline pumping.

The “Elincourts” who live in a remote area of Scotland need a new nanny to watch their 4 daughters. When Rowan applies to and accepts the very attractive and lucrative position she is not prepared for what greets her. The house itself is beautiful a mix of modern and Victorian. But a smart house? Cameras in every room, apps to control everything from light settings to shower temperatures custom designed for the user. And anytime the parents are away, which is often, their calls are piped in through speakers to the room Rowan happens to be in. No warning. But to each their own thinks Rowan. She can live with this but she draws the line at the camera in her room and covers it up with a sock.....

The children though young are clearly going to take some work. They’re odd, mischievous and the middle two may be slightly damaged. But Rowan assumes this is due to the fact that the parents are often away (They are.) and the children don’t like it. (They don’t) Not to mention that Rowan is the 5th Nanny the children must accept as their in loco parentis. Why have there been so many young women who have come to stay only to leave again shortly after their arrival? Surely the Nanny’s don’t believe the wild imagination and warnings of 8 year old Maddie? With her proclamations of, “Don’t stay here. It isn’t safe” or “The ghost wouldn’t like it.”
No, Rowan is logical. She doesn’t believe in the supernatural and tales of ghosts. She quickly settles in and focuses her attention on making headway with her young charges. Besides, the place is a fortress. No one is getting in without an account to the smart home app “Happy” or a set of keys. Although Rowan doesn’t know housekeeper Jean or handyman Jack Grant very well surely the “Elincourts” have done thorough background checks???

Almost immediately Rowan encounters strange happenings that she knows that must have a rational explanation. All this can surely be explained by a malfunction in the smart house software. But what she can’t explain is the sound of pacing and creaking noises she hears above her room every night. Running low on sleep and learning more of the house’s history Rowan falters to make sense of a world she thinks she knows and understands. But when things can no longer be explained logically, the happenings turn deadly.

Told from the point of view of Rowan as she writes to a solicitor from a Scottish prison cell, we are taken on a wild ride with jaw dropping twists and turns.

For Rowan is certain of one thing even if she can’t explain anything else she knows with 100% certainty that she’s no murderer.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this fabulous ARC. You won’t be able to put this one down. Guaranteed.

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware ISBN 9781784708092

New nanny working for a family living in a remote home in Scotland. They can’t seem to hold on to a nanny, all leaving the place after the house appears to be haunted with its dark history and secrets... A child dies while in her care….Here is her story.

A unique way of writing since the main character wasn't for me, at all likeable and while the format is through letters she's writing to a lawyer from prison , it’s a novel approach, the way she formats her book, but not unheard of. I’ve read many books set out this way and its not more difficult than reading it as if it were a diary.

When Rowan, a young nanny who lives in London, comes across for an ad seeking a nanny to live in a remote area of Scotland, it sounds way too good to be true. The pay is too good to turn down, the house.. breathtaking, and the family seem welcoming and maybe this is the perfect fit . She is warned that previous nannies have quit due to the house being spooky and eerie and full of ghosts… she pays no heed to the warning, she doesn’t believe in ghosts. She manages to secure the position, packs up her life and moves to the lush greenery and peace of Scotland. Little does she know that dark secrets never remain hidden.

One of most fascinating parts about The Turn of the Key is the house!. The whole place is full to the brim with technology and runs off an app… That’s pretty cool by any standards but right there, wouldn’t that make you wonder why a house, that sits in a place full of tranquility and rolling hills, needs to be loaded to the hilt with more gadgets than a computer store? The whole place called Heatherbrae (nice name), it takes on a life of its very own.
The house itself, is my favourite part of the whole book. Gothic and intriguing. Would I spend the night there? NO!

The Turn of the Key is told only through Rowan’s eyes, as she tells us what led to her arrest through a series of letters to a solicitor. Rowan isn’t the best at the truth and you never fully know what’s real or embellished. While this type of narrative style can be annoying and wearing, I found that it was a clever way for us to get a more detailed account of Rowens time at Heatherbrae. One just needs to continue to question whether or not her version of events is accurate.

There are a few twists and turns and you will be lead on a merry chase. I found it a little predictable and I found myself getting annoyed with the pace a few times but I really enjoyed it for the most part. I maybe, would have liked another characters point of view for balance. Could have come as newspaper articles or a diary maybe. I felt a little unbalanced but I can totally see what the author was trying to accomplish. It was slow in places but the build up with nice and steady and you can really feel the pull of a big surprise coming.

She finished the book with a bang and it was worth the slow pace to get to the gooey end. I love Ruths work so I already was a little in love with the book before I read it and I wasn’t disappointed.

If you are looking for a gritty but slower paced psychological thriller than this is the read for you. It was a fascinating read. 4 stars out of 5!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ruth Ware is one of my favourite authors because her thrillers are suspenseful, creepy and gothic, without being too scary for the likes of me. They're not 'jump out of your seat' scary. It's more a growing uneasiness that makes your skin crawl. The house in The Turn of the Key is a mix of the gothic mansion in The Death of Mrs. Westaway and the glass house in In a Dark, Dark Wood. Setting is something that Ruth Ware excels at as the place on her novels is often central to the plot and adds to the overall creepiness of the book.

The Turn of the Key tells the story of Rowan, a nanny who takes a position caring for a family's children in a remote house in the Scottish highlands. I really enjoyed the story, turning the pages quickly to find out what was going on. While I found the final reveal to be a bit disappointing, it was chilling in its own way and didn't take away from the build up and suspense of the book up to that point.

Really, you can't go wrong with a Ruth Ware!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

I have read most of the author's other works and have always found them to be slow burning but they always kept me on the edge of my seat. While the beginning of this book hooked me and got me excited about reading it and the ending of this book is wonderful and all I could have hoped for it to be; the middle third of the book seemed to be just kind of blah. I like the premise of the story but did not find it as creepy or eerie as her previous books. Maybe it was just the main character that I never clicked with, but non e of the characters seemed to be well developed, we knew nothing about almost everyone. That said, I will definitely read more of her books.

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well, I must say, I wasn't expecting that twist. As in the Turn of the Screw, we are left hanging regarding what actually happened in the end. But in The Turn of the Key, Rowan comes across as a better person. All kinds of mixed up things going on, that is for sure! This was a very interesting and well written thriller. I just didn't love the open ending. (Spoiler alert:) I don't always need things spelled out, but it made no sense to base the story on all the letters and not include a final letter showing where all the chips had fallen. I suspect that even if the worst did happen, and Rowan was found guilty, once the letters were discovered, justice may eventually have been done and Rowan's misguided sacrifice will have been put aside. an Interesting but untidy ending, but still a great read.

The Turn of the Key is a slow and boring novel that follows Rowan as she accepts a live-in nannying post at a Victorian style home outfitted with the latest tech.

Unfortunately, The Turn of the Key misses the mark entirely as its slow pace does not ramp up to a satisfying conclusion. Instead, for 70% of the novel, readers experience the mundane life of a nanny dealing with difficult children with odd things happening far and few between.

The novel is told through a letter as Rowan is tries to convince a lawyer to take her case. She adamantly pleads her innocence of murder. Therefore, there are many moments where Rowan breaks the fourth wall to convince readers to continue reading despite how boring the novel has been so far. These moments made me laugh aloud since they came at times I was considering putting down the book.

There are a lot of compelling elements throughout the novel: the folklore, the poison garden, and the smarthome. Unfortunately, Ware does little with these elements making them feel like they were shoehorned into the story at the last minute. The most compelling element was the idea of clashing the ultra-modern with the gothic Victorian to create an unsettling atmosphere. Except, Ware only skims the surface leaving these topics unexplored.

At about the halfway mark, I figured The Turn of the Key would be one of those mystery novels that has an incredibly slow build up but pays off with a mind-blowing twist. Unfortunately, The Turn of the Key is not one such novel. The ending is mediocre at best.

Overall, The Turn of the Key is Ware’s most boring and unsuccessful novel to date. The boring plot coupled with the slow pace make The Turn of the Key a mystery worth passing on.

As always, I adore a Ruth Ware novel. The Turn of the Key was well-paced and actually had my pulse racing a few times. The mystery was satisfying for me, although I did find myself with an overall feeling of sadness. I definitely recommend it for fans of the author and other similar style mystery/thrillers. 4 stars.

Ruth Ware has been on my radar for a while and I own all of her books, but for some reason, I haven’t got around to them. When I saw The Turn of the Key on NetGalley, I decided to request it, and to my surprise, my request was granted. I devoured this book in a couple of days (although my review is coming a few weeks late because grad school got in the way). This book was creepy, had me second guessing, and had me completely shocked by the twists. It was a bit slow at the start and rushed at the end, but to be honest, it didn’t bother me that much. The Turn of the Key is a solid thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with an eARC of The Turn of the Key in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me guessing and second-guessing until the very end!

Rowan stumbles across the perfect job! countryside Being a live-in nanny seemed like a dream come true - unbeatable salary, state of the art ‘smart’ living quarters and the beautiful Scottish. But that dream quickly became a nightmare, one that would end with a dead child and an impending murder trial. Rowan struggled with the constant surveillance by her employer and the horrendously behaved children all while dealing with an impossibly complicated ‘smart’ home system. To make things worse she hadn’t been able to sleep a wink!
 
I particularly enjoyed the use of first-person and the letter format; this gave Rowan’s character much more dimension and help humanize her, even though she was in prison awaiting trial for murder. Ruth has done it again! She always manages to keep the suspense rolling. There were so many possible suspects and possible outcomes that there was no way I could have possibly seen the end coming. That being said I did personally find the ending felt a little flat.

› Inspired by The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, The Turn of the Key is the second Ruth Ware book that I've read. It's a chilling story about twenty-seven-year-old Rowan Caine on trial for murdering a child while working as a nanny at Heatherbrae House in the Scottish Highlands. The story is told in letter-form to a lawyer, Mr. Wrexham.

› Heatherbrae House is part unique historic homestead - part modern, luxurious "smart" home. Doors, windows, heat, light, and sound can be all controlled via smartphone. Owners, Bill and Sandra, leave Rowan with their four daughters and two dogs, for a week while they are out of the country for work. It doesn't take long for strange things to start happening, making Rowan feel like she's losing her mind and wondering why the other nannies didn't stick around.

› Likes 😻
• Ruth Ware knows how to create an atmospheric setting.
• The Heatherbrae House, Rowan, unexplained happenings in the house, the sound of someone pacing in an empty room above you each night, a story told through letters, and a poison garden all make The Turn of the Key sound like a five-star book. I was turning pages, waiting for things to pick up, expecting a climactic ending, but was left feeling disappointed.

› Dislikes
• Disappointment: This is a fascinating story that lacked execution. The weird things happening in the house needed to be turned up a notch. I was waiting to feel scared or worried for their safety, but that feeling just didn't come.
• Disbelief: Why didn't Rowan call the parents to talk about the problems that were going on? Rowan did not act like a 27-year-old. What parent would leave their four children with a nanny they hardly know for over a week?
• Dull: The characters lacked personality, the ending was unsatisfying.

› Final Thoughts
• I liked Ruth Ware's previous book, The Death of Mrs. Westaway much more than this one. I'm giving this 3 stars (2.5 rounded up) however, 76% of Goodreads reviewers gave this 4 or 5 stars, so I recommend you give The Turn of the Key a read!

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

I received a ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review in exchange. I’ve read a few books by her and I was excited to get approved for this advanced reader copy.

THE TURN OF THE KEY is creepy, twisted, and disturbing, and totally absorbing. It was really hard to put down as are Ruth Ware's other books.

This story is a compulsive tale of a nanny sitting in jail awaiting trial for the murder of one of her charges. The entire book is told through letters from said nanny to a potential solicitor, recalling the events leading up to her incarceration, along with a few surprise notes throughout and at the end. Rowan is an unlikeable lead character, but that changes as time goes on. The little surprises here and there make you want to root for her and shake her at the same time.

Great read, highly recommended for lover's of this genre.

When I think of Ruth Ware, I think atmosphere. Ruth can transport you to wherever the setting of her book is. I have read all of her books and this one is my favourite. Her writing, and her novels just get better and better. I love how her main characters are not altogether likable, yet you are still rooting for them. Rowan is no exception. Throughout the story you are trying to figure out what she is hiding and at the same time wondering who or what is the cause of the sinister occurrences in the house. I read this book in one day as I just could not put it down.

Ruth Ware delivers another amazing and suspenseful novel!
Writing to a lawyer from prison, we meet Rowan, swearing that she did not kill a child.
Flipped back in time to when Rowen stumbles upon an ad for a live-in nanny with an incredible salary, and she feels compelled to apply. When she arrives at Heatherbrae House for the interview she has further swept away. The house is huge and full of modern technological advances. The children seem fine, except for the chilly warning to stay away.
Rowan accepts the job and we quickly see things start to fall apart, the mistakes being made, but .... murder?

Highly recommended! Great novel, great plot, great character development!

*Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Ive been a fan of Ruth Ware's for awhile so when I saw she had a new release I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. True to her work The Turn Of The Key did not dissappoint and dare I say is her best novel so far!
I loved how the majority of the book is Rowan writing to Mr.Wrexham, a solicitor, that she is trying to get to prove her innocence in court. Rowan has claimed her innocence since the first police involvement and doesn't understand why no one believes her. I wasn't sure at first how the book was going to go being letters to Mr. Wrexham but it was very well executed. The story was able to unravel at a steady pace so you understood what had occurred leading up to the death. The ending is a few letters from others to Rowan while she's in prison. The story is a hauntingly chilling one that had me on the edge of my seat wondering what exactly was happening that ultimately led to the death of the child. It had a shocking ending that I didn't really see coming!
This is another book that I highly suggest you add to your summer reading list! A fast paced summer read that I devoured in day!

I would like to thank Simon and Schuster Canada and netgalley for my #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

My review can be found on goodreads ands Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/B0qqXzPAjld/

While web browsing, a young woman catches a glimpse of an ad for a live-in nanny and in short order discovers how good an opportunity it is. Too good probably. Too good to be true as it would turn out.

This novel leaves us a trail of breadcrumbs to follow without giving away the story’s secrets. A gift of this particular writer.

Embodying not just one but multiple mystery tropes, the author colours outside the lines with gleeful abandon! Locked-room mystery? Check. Haunted House mystery? Check. Creepy children mystery? Check. And that’s not all. But don’t take my word for it, see for yourself.

My thanks to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for an honest review