Thank you Gallery/Scout Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved this book! One of my favorite thrillers to date. It was creepy, and a bit depressing, but that’s fine. It almost made me cry because of the child death. I didn’t expect to have any emotions toward it, but I ended up feeling bad for the children a little bit.

The pacing is great! I tend to find thrillers slow the whole way through, and then they fly through the ending. This one satisfied my thriller craving the whole way!

The characters creeped me out. I couldn’t tell who was crooked and who wasn’t. Everyone was sealed tight with secrets, and it made me want to know what happened even more.

I read some reviews that didn’t enjoy the “letter” style, but I didn’t mind it. It doesn’t play a HUGE roll, but it pops up every once in awhile.

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys thrillers. It will keep you on your toes the entire time. Solid writing, and solid character development. Nothing scares me more than creepy children, and that’s exactly what this gave me. I would read this again even though I know the twists. That’s how good it is!

*Review will be up on my blog on 8/15/19.

What a clever idea! A classic gothic novel that pays homage to Turn of the Screw but with a modern twist…technology seemingly gone awry. Well written and engrossing, it did take a while to build up to the swift climax and denouement. I do think that readers who like everything neatly tied up may be a bit dissatisfied with the ending. As has been discussed in other reviews, this is written as a long letter to someone. Don’t let that tactic scare you off….it reads well as a narrative.

Wow, I did not see that coming... 10/10 for unexpected twist! I really liked how this was written with gothic undertones. This lent well to building suspense, foreboding and just the overall creepy feel of the novel. A quick read that you won’t want to put down.

I absolutely loved The Turn of the Key, and this is by far my favorite of Ruth Ware’s psychological thrillers. No one is better at crafting a sinister, suffocating atmosphere. I genuinely did not see the twists coming, particularly the reveal at the very end.

Highly recommended for any readers craving a fantastic psychological thriller with a complex, morally gray main character!

I really enjoyed this book. A great retelling of the Henry James story. This gives it that literary edge that our more *discriminating* readers enjoy, while still being thoroughly fun and accessible. Ruth Ware does so well at my library anyway, but I'll definitely recommend this one to people looking for a fun, get-lost-in-it thriller. Thank you!

Before we start, I need to say a huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for approving me for this ARC! As soon as I saw they were out I requested a copy and I’m so so happy I got it!

Welp, it seems I have done it again. I’ve fallen into what I’ve since termed the “Ware Trap”.

At this point, I’ve read all but one of her novels, and I have to admit that this is my second favorite of hers, the first being The Woman in Cabin 10. It always turns out that I end up loving her writing and atmospheric novels but the ‘thriller’ or ‘mystery’ aspect always falls short, aside from The Woman in Cabin 10, of course. Which I can’t rave about enough, even two years later. So, while I went into this skeptical and excited at the same time, I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised!

First of all, this book was spooky as shit. I mean, there was a morning where I was sitting on my couch, reading this and sipping coffee and I was scared. Like, my fridge kicked on and I nearly screamed. I can’t praise the spookiness of this enough! Her other novels are atmospheric, that’s for sure, but this one was downright scary. I loved loved loved it. 5/5 when it comes to the spook factor. The home and grounds and nearly empty town were the perfect setting for this, too. The house has a tragic backstory and is full of shadows and sharp angles, the grounds are equally beautiful and dangerous. I loved the setting and tone of this novel, for sure.

Now that we know the atmosphere is there, let’s talk characters. I want to touch on one thing here; this is very much an unreliable narrator scenario. We’re not sure if she’s a murderer, what her secrets are, if she’s crazy, etc. It adds another interesting aspect to this novel that is really addictive. Furthermore, the main characters in this novel really consists of the children that Rowan is nannying, which is another interesting aspect. That being said, the kids are so annoying and I’m convinced I’m never having children after reading this. Every single character in this novel is suspect; they jump from happy to angry and pop up and disappear unexpectedly and it’s basically CLUE in the way that anything can happen.

Atmosphere? Check. Setting? Check. Characters? Double check. What else is there? Plot!

The novel starts out as a series of letters from an imprisoned Rowan to an attorney she’s hoping to hire. It seems she was arrested for the murder of a little girl, which one assumes was one of her wards. I’m not going to go in depth here because that would be rude of me to fully dissect a mystery like this one, but all I can saw is WOW. I was with it right up to the very end. There were twists and turns aplenty that I didn’t see coming. My only drawback here is that we don’t get any solid closure. This seems to be sort of a theme with thrillers lately, but we’re certainly left with questions that I wish with all my heart had been answered.

In conclusion, I really do love Ruth Ware as an author and will probably continue to read her novels as they come out. This wasn’t a home run for me the way The Woman in Cabin 10 was, but this was certainly the next best novel for me!

First line: Dear Mr. Wrexham, I know you don’t know me but please, please, please you have to help me

Summary: Rowan Caine stumbles upon an advertisement for what appears to be the perfect nanny job. It is for a family with four children, in a big house in Scotland, and a yearly salary of fifty five thousand pounds. When Rowan arrives for her interview she is blown away and a little intimidated by the house. It is a smart house. Everything is connected to apps that can be managed from a cell phone.

After her initial interview she is offered the job which seems like a dream come true. However, she does not realize that appearances can be deceiving. On her very first day she is left alone with the three younger children while the parents are at a weeklong conference. The adjustment for the girls is not going as smoothly as she had hoped but she is trying her best to befriend them.

When strange happenings start to disturb her nights she begins look into the history of the house and what could be causing these strange noises in the attic. With each new night she gets less and less sleep as the mysterious sounds gradually increase. Will she be able to make it through her first week or will she leave in the middle of the night like the other nannies before her?

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed Ruth Ware’s previous novel, The Death of Mrs. Westaway, but I think this one blew it out of the water. I seriously considered giving this 5 stars because it was very hard to put down. There was the perfect mixture of spookiness and suspense.

I love how the house appears to be a big old Victorian but inside it is very modern. I love the idea of a smart house but at the same time it is also a little scary. I completely understand Rowan’s unease with the cameras and app enabled features. And the fact that this house is basically out in the middle of nowhere. Anyone could easily be spooked by any sounds in the night.

I enjoyed the way that the novel was laid out. It is done in a series of entries in a letter from Rowan to a solicitor while she is in prison for the death of a child. She eludes to what happens but we do not get the full details until the end.

This is full of twists and turns. When you think you have had the big reveal another one appears. I loved every minute of reading this. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for something that they cannot put down. Trust me. I had to force myself to sleep instead of reading one more chapter.

FYI: Warning: a child does die in the book.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

There was a good amount of buzz going on about this book and I really wanted the chance to read it. I had read another book by this author last year (The Death of Mrs. Westaway) and didn’t love it, but I did enjoy it enough and I hear so many good things about this author that I wanted to give another book a shot. I’m glad I did because I really ended up liking this book. It started out a little slow and I had to struggle a bit through the first part of the book. I was worried that I wouldn’t end up liking this one either but once the action picked up towards the latter half of the book I didn’t want to put it down. There was a good build up of tension in the story and I thought it was appropriately creepy for what it was trying to accomplish. And the plot twists, holy bananas. I never saw it coming! There are only a handful of books out there that I’ve gasped literally out loud when getting to the plot twists and this book was one of them. If I hadn’t felt quite the struggle I did in the first half of the book I would’ve given the book higher stars rating. Also I felt like there were some things left unresolved at the end – like there was a mention of Jack also hiding secrets but I don’t remember them being revealed. I didn’t necessarily enjoy the first half of the book but the second half definitely made it worth it! I would recommend this one, I ended up really enjoying it!

Ruth Ware has done it again! This book had me jumping out of my skin when our AC switched on, and I read it in nearly one sitting.

This novel reads like a lengthier, spiritual successor to Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. I had some issues with The Haunting Of Hill House when I first read it but looking back months later, I better appreciate how influential and clever it is. The Turn Of The Key seems inspired by many of its best ideas, but expands upon them with a higher page count and more in-depth detail of the enigmatic house itself. The sort of shifting from day to night is also present, with night scenes containing more palpable tension.

Spooky old house, spooky kids, spooky.. garden? I like spooky/creepy imagery in books. Though a contemporary, this has a rich gothic style and atmosphere that is a bit unusual to find. I think one could even categorize this title as horror, it is close enough in a sort of quiet and classical way. Every element is at least a bit off, lending a slowly-building and sinister atmosphere. Something is also not right with the kids the main character, Rowan, is looking after. Even the garden has secrets.

The house and its very modern “smart” features cleverly deepened the suspense. Also perfect for lending some horror and mystery to the mix. The house seems massive and is described almost as if it’s a living, shifting entity brimming with secrets to explore. I’ve come across very few works that aim for such an effect and it’s always great to see.

Then we get to the technological features- lights can be turning on and off via voice control. Doors can be opened or closed via app. Camera surveillance and audio monitoring of various rooms is also a thing that Rowen is in charge of. When things go expectedly awry within that house, a lot of strange things can happen. I was never 100% sure how many zany and entrapping possibilities there were in this slightly futuristic house.

There are multiple mysteries, the main character being one of them. I’m a fan of unreliable narraters. Also a fan of ambiguity. This book has both. I often wasn’t sure if Rowan is unreliable or true and accurate in all of her sometimes neurotic-seeming thoughts.

Not onto the not-so-good bits.

There was no character that I adored. This is not a requirement or anything, but it’s always nice to have at least one that stands out as special. Jack comes close, for his constant willingness to help Rowan. She has a prickly relationship with the kids and I really wish more time had been spent having them bond and converse more meaningfully. If you’re looking for an emphasis on deep character interactions, that’s not the focus of this novel.

Things can be slow. The first 25% of the book was about Rowan leaving her job, going to the house, getting a tour of said house, meeting a couple people, and finishing her job interview. It seemed like a small amount of ground covered for what is a considerable chunk of pages. But I did like how extensively the house is detailed.

Some other points I’d like to cover..

The nitty gritty details of being a nanny. I didn’t have much of a problem with this aspect as I was a little curious about the ins and outs of it, but some stretches of minutiae related to Rowan’s duties as a nanny can be less interesting.

The best moment. In typical haunted house fashion, there is a mysterious locked door that takes forever to get opened. When Rowen is finally making real strides toward getting that door open, it’s really exciting and unputdownable.

So around the 25% mark, 50% mark, even 70%+ mark I was thinking to myself how the ending could make or break this work. There was so much build up and it seems inherent to thrillers/mysteries that the ending and all the big reveals are of exceeding importance. I’m happy to say that I was mostly pleased with the closing events. I don’t over analyze too hard when reading books of this nature, but I don’t think the twists are by any means guessable.

This was a book that had every intention of creeping me out - and it partly succeeded. This is not a ghost story, but a thriller that had some very strange and impossible occurrences. Ruth Ware is a master at conveying tone with her writing - there were many times that I could feel the hair on my neck wanting to stand up while reading about Rowan standing in the house alone. Or describing the wild landscape behind the house. The writing had just the right amount of intrigue and a creepy setting that I didn't want to stop reading because I needed some sort of explanation for what was going on. The premise was interesting, but some aspects seemed a little bit farfetched. I just don't believe that someone would leave their young children in the care of a stranger they just met for so long. Even with the smart house, it just doesn't seem logical. Especially with so many previous nannies quitting. The plot line did keep me hooked most of the time. However, I didn't find most of the twists to be shocking. I guessed a lot of it, except the final twist at the very end (which definitely left me with a weird feeling in my gut).

This is a very solid take on The Turn of the Screw, updated to include the spookiest of modern developments: smart house technology. The tech aspect really adds to the creepy atmospheric elements, particularly the paranoid feeling of being watched. My only complaint really is that it starts a little slow. The background info, Rowan getting up to Scotland, etc., is not really the interesting part, though it serves its purpose. Once things start moving, though, it really becomes a page turner.

My goodness! This is a great retelling of James' "The Turn of the Screw", updated for modern audiences. I 100% couldn't put it down, and I will recommend it to all of my English department friends. This is, by far, Ware's best work!

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware was an interesting read with an engaging point of view. Rowan comes across an ad she was not looking for but seems too good to pass up. That is how she found herself leaving London to become a live-in nanny by the Scottish Highlands. The offer is very generous and the house is a “smart” house that never sleeps. How could she pass it up?

Told only in Rowan’s point of view, the nanny, we come to learn how she got the job and learned not everything was as it seems while she was there. Now a child is dead and she is charged with the murder. The story that unravels is creepy, surprising and will have you gasping.

Happy reading!

Oh my word. The Turn of the Key has my mind racing.

I feel like the answers were so obvious, and yet I never saw them coming..

When Rowan accepts a job as a new nanny for a family of 3 girls, whose house may or may not be haunted, you don’t expect the outcome. In this house, a mesh of old Victorian and insane technology you’d think nothing could go wrong, or unnoticed, right?

I may feel more connected to this story, because I’m a nanny as well, though not a live-in like Rowan. Ruth Ware did a phenomenal job of making Rowan relatable. Her trying to be the perfect nanny, while struggling to conceal her “true self”. I don’t necessarily feel the same way, but can understand putting on a bit of a face for their employers.

Anyways, wow. This book was just so well done. I’ve only just finished and my mind is reeling. And my heart is breaking, at the same time.

The Turn of the Key is a wholly engrossing story, that will have you throwing accusations, and questioning the supernatural at every turn. Truly brilliant, and beyond highly recommended. Definitely just became my favorite book of 2019!

Rowan Caine stumbles across a want ad and conspires to win the live-in nanny position with well to do architects in the remote Scottish Highlands. They had completely rehabbed a Victorian outfitting it as a "smart" home, welcome her into the house, hand her a lengthy digest of instructions for the four girls, and immediately skip off to a big doin's expecting to be gone at least a week.
Told in first person, Rowan opens the novel with attempted letters to an attorney she is hoping to defend her. Rowan is in jail on a murder charge and the entire book is supposed to be her letter to the attorney.
Rowan wrestles with the technology immediately, hears ghost stories, things that go bump in the night, and little items go missing right away. The two middle girls are a nightmare just by themselves and then the teenager comes home! In the meantime, we are introduced to Jack, the all-around handyman and Jean, the erstwhile housekeeper. (NOT a live-in.)
First, I had a problem with Rowan, slinging around words you wouldn't utter in the presence of those three little ones. She has a short-fuse due to lack of sleep and little patience or aptitude although an experienced nanny. There are interesting tidbits about the smart features and the poison garden (now THAT'S creepy), and way too many minute details which make up her teeth-grinding life in the Heatherbrae House.
It begins interestingly enough then settles in on a slow account of what happened, or didn't, that landed her in the slammer. Although not particularly fast-paced, it does present NTK (need to know). So you are compelled to keep reading. Red herrings slide in, some of which constitute TMI, twists, and fleshing but I really couldn't invest in Rowan and wasn't big on Jack. Then the reveals. Oh man...Rowan's main reveal is a groaner and the conclusion fell short of wrapping up all the questions created to provide tension. I wasn't thrilled.
I received this digital download through the publisher and NetGalley and appreciate the introduction to this author and her writing style. I'm sure Ruth Ware fans will more fully enjoy and I'll entertain a second to compare. 3.5/5 stars

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware is a highly recommended psychological thriller with Gothic overtones.

Rowan Caine is hired for an unbelievably generous salary by a wealthy couple to be a live-in nanny for their children at their estate, Heatherbrae House, in the Scottish Highlands. The house has been remodeled and wired to be a smart home, where everything - lights, music, grocery lists, coffee maker, phones, cameras in rooms, and more - are all controlled by technology called "Happy." The three young girls who will mostly be in her charge seem sweet and the teenage daughter is away at school, so when Rowan learns she is in charge and being left alone with the girls in the house as soon as she arrives with only the handyman, Jack Grant, around, she thinks she can handle it. But all is not as it seems.

The narrative is told through a letter to a solicitor from a Rowan who is in prison awaiting trial for murder for the death of a child in her charge. Rowan wants to tell her side of the story, a story that wasn't listened to by her solicitor. Caring for these children is much more trying than she thought it would be. The baby is a handful, and the other two girls, eight and five, are hardly the sweet children she met at the interview. She heard that the house is believed to be haunted, but she doesn't believe in ghosts. However, Rowan is hearing footsteps at night and then there is the malfunctioning technology doing things like blaring music at night and operating lights at will.

This is an atmospheric psychological thriller that has a Gothic feel but combines it with creepy cutting edge technology in an isolated location. There is a feeling of unease and tension that is created right at the start and then both increase incrementally as the novel progresses. You know Rowan is in prison, but you don't know who dies and what happened. There are little clues, but they are carefully embedded in the narrative. You get the sense that Rowan might be an unreliable narrator, but you aren't sure. The ending was a big surprise for me, but it was satisfying and answered all my questions.

The characters are well developed, but bits and pieces are held back with good reason as Rowan tells her story in her own way, only revealing what she wants us to know, when she wants to tell us. This style helps increase the atmospheric creepiness factor. The other characters are all viewed through Rowan's point-of-view. Even the house and grounds become a character. Rowan may not be a likeable character, but she is believable in her thoughts and reactions.

The writing is quite good and I liked the way the plot unfolded and the story played out, carefully and incrementally. I was surprised that one of the huge plot twists which surprised me was withheld until the end. It seemed that it would be the first thing you'd want to tell a lawyer when you were awaiting trial for murder. Another final shocker, though, explained why. All in all, though, this was a very good thriller and I am going to look into more novels by Ruth Ware. 4.5 stars

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Gallery/Scout Press.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2019/08/the-turn-of-key.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2933116243
https://www.librarything.com/work/22533612/book/171973155
https://twitter.com/SheTreadsSoftly/status/1160615775532736512?s=20

Omg!! Terrifyingly good read!! What really happened? Twists and turns galore!! Perfect ghost story to keep you up!!

This was a very interesting book. It is written as a letter from Rowan, who is being held in jail for killing an unnamed girl, to an attorney that she would like to represent her. It started off a little clunky, but quickly became very interesting.

Rowan becomes a nanny to a family in a remote area of Scotland. The parents are architects and the house is well connected with a series of wifi locks, cameras, etc. Previous nannies have left after short tenures and Rowan is concerned her stay may also be short. It seems the house has a reputation for being haunted...

Rowan does not know who to trust.

It kept my attention and was a quick read, one that I will recommend to several friends.

OMG! I didn’t read too much about this book because I like going into this genre without knowing too much. I have read a few of Ruth Ware’s back catalog but this BY FAR is her best one! I LOVED this book. It was so fast paced and done in an innovative way that I was immediately sucked in and finished it in about a day.

It was so easy to forget that Rowan was writing letters and when you were reminded of that, it added to the plot in an amazing way. I am still thinking about this book and I highly recommend it! Go get it NOW!