#The Turn of the Key #NetGalley

Another Ruth Ware's signature suspenseful style writings! Once you start the book, you have to keep reading to find out all of the who-why-where-what happened. So, there has been a murder, so the nanny was being blamed, this book pulled me in right away. I needed more details!
Here's a "lucky" Nannie getting the job she wanted in a beautiful home, with a wonderful family. Maybe she did exaggerate a little on her references, but, hey, things are going to work out fine now, right? Then why is she trying to get help from an attorney she doesn't even know?
Details I needed, details I got. Maybe even more than necessary! This was a good book, written in a good style, with a good ending. What more could a reader want?

Another page turner from Ruth Ware. A nanny position in the Scottish Highlands that seems too good to be true quickly turns dark.

The ultimate summer thriller is here (...or will be in August)!

The Turn of the Key was utterly jaw-dropping, heart-racing, and filled with so many insane twists. The story follows Rowan, a young woman who has found the perfect nanny job. The parents offered her a hefty salary and other perks in exchange for living with them and caring for their three young children in their beautiful Victorian mansion. However, Rowan isn’t exactly welcomed by the children - nor the home itself. The narrative is based on Rowan’s letter to an attorney, which was a really interesting creative choice. Ruth Ware nailed it though!

One of the best parts of this how the author interlaced modern themes with a gothic undertone. The writing is reminiscent of Edgar Allan Poe in some places - if he were to write a story in present day. Ware explores implications of technology, specifically having a “smart home.” One of Ware’s greatest strengths as a writer lies in her ability to propel a story through creating effective internal dialogue. The nod to the Victorian era was a nice touch too.

The thriller genre has exploded over the years which is fantastic for readers like me, but unfortunately, some of the stories become formulaic (guys... I’m so over the unreliable narrator trope) and the twists become predictable. Not this book, though. The Turn of the Key sets to bar for what a 2019 thriller novel should be.

Add this to your TBR list immediately and preorder! Thank you so much @netgalley and @gallerybooks for the ARC!

The Turn of the Key begins with a former nanny writing letters to a lawyer she hopes might be able to get her out of prison. There's a creepy smart house (smart houses, usually turn out to be creepy), misrepresentation, veiled hints of supernatural elements, secrets aplenty, and a slow build up to the last section of the book.

The prologue has Rowan, the nanny in prison for the death of one of her charges, writing letters that explain her situation. She explains wanting the job of nanny and taking a few shortcuts to obtain the lucrative position. The reader already knows she is in prison, but Rowan recounts the events that led to the death of the child for the lawyer (and the reader).

Is Rowan a reliable narrator?

I'm not sure the technique of using the prologue works that well--sometimes knowing the end works well, sometimes it doesn't. It may have been better to simply follow Rowan's journey from applying for the job and through the events that followed afterwards. There would still be plenty of perplexing circumstances to keep the reader in doubt about what is going on.

I looked forward to this one and wanted to like it more than I did.

A modern take on Henry James' The Turn of the Screw, but lacking the chilling ambiguity.

Read in May; blog post scheduled for July 26.

NetGalley/Gallery
Psychological Mystery. Aug. 6, 2019. Print length: 384 pages.

I have read all of Ruth Ware's books so I was ecstatic to get my hands on an ARC of The Turn of the Key. It did not disappoint.

This story is set in a remote Scottish countryside, outside a small village with a handful of characters. The setting itself is creepy - no neighbors nearby, a house with a tragic history and a main character who both seems to be keeping secrets and to be uncovering them. It mixes supernatural, ghost-story elements with realistic, creepy behaviors from characters which keeps you guessing. The story is about a nanny who leaves the hustle & bustle of London to care for 3-4 children after a string of previous nannies didn't work out. We don't know why exactly and we will get a chance to come up with theories along the way as the story progresses. The parents seem disengaged and a bit "off" when they leave their children on the new nanny's second day but that just adds to the confusion about who you can trust and who you can't.

Ware's writing is descriptive and utilizes not only the characters off-putting behaviors to arouse suspicion but also the setting - a mix between a modern and victorian house. The original house was drastically remodeled to incorporate "smart home" and ultra modern fixings.. Side note: nothing is creeper than little kids in stories that say bizarre,, dark things and this book has got that.. Just enough to give you the shivers, but not scare you to death.

This was a fast-paced, page turner with the story unraveling at a speed that kept you guessing. And that ending!!! I think it's important to keep thriller and mystery reviews devoid of spoilers. Ware fans who loved The Death of Mrs. Westaway and in a Dark, Dark Wood are going to devour this newest release. I personally found it to be her best one of those three because while it has an eerie undertone, it also presented with reality-based dark tones, but not graphic.. And if you haven't read any of her books yet - this is definitely the time to start..

Ware is definitely a master of weaving a great campfire dramatic story in a novel format.

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.