This was my favorite of all the Ruth Ware books I have read. The suspense just kept building and building until the absolutely divine surprise ending. Can't wait to read this again for any clues I may have missed. A definite recommendation for mystery fans and book clubs!

This is a slow burn mystery. I enjoy this author's writing style and I actually liked learning the outcome first and then slowly learning how things came about. I wasn't a big fan of the main character and was frustrated many times with how stupid she was. The ending was a little bit of a let down too.

The following review was posted on my blog (www.blogginboutbooks.com) on 9.6.19:

Ignoring everything she's ever heard about gigs that sound too good to be true, Londoner Rowan Caine accepts a position as a live-in nanny in the Scottish Highlands. Lured by the promise of a ridiculously generous salary; the luxury of Heatherbrae House, a remote "smart" home that's rumored to be haunted; and the charm of her three young charges, who appear to be pleasant and well-behaved; the 27-year-old is so glad for the job that she doesn't ask too many questions. After all, she doesn't want her new employers querying her too closely, now does she?

At first, Rowan is relieved to be given almost complete autonomy in her new job. Bill and Sandra Elincourt—busy professionals who run a family architecture business—are consumed by work and seem perfectly content to leave the care of their children in the hands of a virtual stranger. When the couple takes off almost immediately after Rowan's arrival, leaving the nanny in charge for the foreseeable future, she's dismayed, then horrified. Not only does Rowan have little idea how to run Heatherbrae House's smart features, but the place seems to have taken against her, turning on lights, locking doors, and blaring music at all hours. The Elincourt children aren't any better with their tricks and tantrums. As the situation grows increasingly out of control, a frantic Rowan becomes more and more panicked. In over her head, she's desperate for help that's obviously not coming. When push comes to shove, the unthinkable happens.

Now Rowan's sitting in a Scottish prison pleading for someone—anyone—to believe in her innocence. A child is dead; if Rowan isn't the killer, then who is?

I'm a fan of Ruth Ware's psychological suspense novels. I love how they keep me feeling off-kilter throughout, never quite knowing what's real and what's not. While her newest, The Turn of the Key, is not my favorite of hers, I still enjoyed it. Despite a slower pace than her other books, this one still boasts an intriguing premise, a creepy, suspenseful vibe, and an engrossing plot, all of which kept me flying through the pages to see what would happen next. If you dig compelling, slow-building (but still engaging) psychological thrillers, you'll definitely want to give this one a go. It's an old-fashioned haunted house story with a fresh, modern twist to keep things interesting.

(Readalikes: Reminds me of The Other Mother by Carol Goodman and The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware)

Grade: B

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for language, violence, mild sexual content, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The Turn of the Key from the generous folks at Gallery/Scout Press via those at NetGalley. Thank you!

Having read Ruth Ware's book The Woman in Cabin 10, I was looking forward to reading her latest mystery. Overall, it was an enjoyable read for me. The book follows Rowan, who gets hired as a nanny for a family that lives in a "smart house" which is controlled by tablets and wall panels and has cameras everywhere. Mysterious things keep happening - sounds late at night and lights flickering. Is someone trying to play a trick on Rowan or are there evil spirits at play? While the plot really didn't strike me as anything too amazing, it did keep me guessing until the very end of how things were going to play out. I always enjoy a book where I can't see the ending coming and this was one of them!

What I Liked

Ruth Ware for me has been one of my favorite thriller writers. She has mastered the art of building a world and atmosphere that the reader is just pulled into. In fact, I was so enthralled with this novel, I read it in a single day. It kept me from the first page till the last. 

The main part that pulled me in, apart from the atmosphere, was the characters she created. I really was interested in the people she wrote into being.  I always felt like they were hiding something, there was just something I couldn't understand, even though their character was very distinct and in a lot of cases had a lot of interaction with one another so you have a good handle on their voices. Especially for the main character, I had to say I really loved how Ware decided to tell this story. I don't want to spoil it, but I think the method really added to it. Not only did I feel like these flushed out characters feel like there was something just under the surface, the way they interacted with one another was interesting. 

On top of the development of the characters and the great atmosphere, I have to say the location of the novel I thought was just a wonderful choice, I don't want to say more because I think others will really enjoy it coming to life as you read. 

As for the plot there were a few things I saw coming and a few things I did not see coming. For me that is a true sign of a good thriller. While, I read a lot of thrillers I can say with some confidence that I have gotten quite good at being able to predict what is going to happen. So, if it can surprise me not once, but multiple times, the author has done a very good job.

Also, I must add, this is one of the best unreliable narrators I have seen in some time. 

What I Didn’t Like

Uh, nothing. I honestly loved it from front cover to back cover. Ruth Ware truly has a talent and I feel like with every one of her book she continue to get better and better. 

Overall Thoughts

Overall, I think this is a fantastic thriller. It has the atmosphere, the setting, an unreliable narrator, and wonderful characters in addition to a wonderful plot. If you enjoy thrillers or any of the things I mentioned in this post, I really think you should give it a try. I will also add, that I liked it so much I bought a final copy of this book so I can tell more people about it.

Wow! I have read 3 of Ruth Ware's books and she does not disappoint. I was given an ARC copy of this to review. Loved the story. Great twists and turns.

Ruth Ware is quickly becoming one of my favorite thriller writers! I loved the premise of a smart house because I have always thought they are creepy (remember the DCOM movie Smart House?), and Ruth Ware perfectly weaved it in with secrets and lies to create a great thriller. The suspense did not let up the entire book, the characters were complex, and the ending was so unexpected!

Rounding up to a 4 because man, oh man, Ruth Ware can WRITE. I was thoroughly creeped out the entire time I was reading the book, which actually made me go look up spoilers so I could know if it was actually supernatural or not, ha! So since I read spoilers the shock value was kind of lost on me, but still I enjoyed it. It felt a tiny bit slow towards the middle (Rhiannon is the most annoying character) but overall, a solid thriller, with amazing descriptive writing.

I put off reading this book for a little too long and decided to do the audiobook rather than the egalley version provided. I was beginning to think audiobooks that weren't memoirs werent my thing. But Turn of the Key was a fantastic and totally changed my mind on this. None of the suspense was lost and if anything I felt more of it. The narrator, Imogen Church was really amazing. She had different voices for each character (which I sometimes find annoying) but her voices for each character were spot on and made the story that much better. I've heard that Imogen narrates all Ruth Ware books and because of this I wouldn't hesitate to listen to more. ⁣⁣
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Ok so that was basically me raving about the narrator. Let's talk about the actual book. Was I scared? No. Was it suspenseful? Yes. Did I believe the main characters fears? Meh. The only other Ruth Ware book I read before this one was The Woman in Cabin 10 and I wasn't a fan because I felt like the main character just had major anxiety. The main character in this one had a lot less anxiety but still got thrown off by minor things. I think they could have played up more of a supernatural ghost (because "𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘬...𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘬...𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘬..") and not attempted to pin weird things happening on other characters. For me, that may have may it an A+ book, it would have added to the creep factor and made it even more suspenseful. All of that makes it sound like I disliked the book, but I really enjoyed it. I just had some issues with it.
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I have always been a big fan of Ruth Ware. I liked the premises of this book but felt it fell a little flat. I didn't love the main character and I felt like we didn't really build a good back story to her. I couldn't understand her anger and why she needed to get away. Moving in to care of kiddos felt like such a terrible idea knowing how much she didn't enjoy her job at the daycare. The ending was pretty predictable. I didn't have all the pieces figured out but enough that I wasn't really surprised by anything. Ruth Ware will always be one of my favorite authors!

If you like books with unreliable narrators that take awhile to pick up speed, The Turn of the Key is for you.

Ruth Ware is one of those authors that takes her time building up the plot. It's always steadily building, all while tossing in pieces of information that are meant to throw you off. I was able to guess some of the ending, but not all of it. One big piece hits you on the head, for the entire story. It was hard to ignore. The smaller pieces, aren't as easily found out.

As slow moving as the plot was... and I wish there was more showing rather than telling... it was still entertaining to read.

"𝘗𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨..."⁣
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🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈⁣
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The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware⁣
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This is one of my new favorite books. Holy crap. I just finished it and typically I take a day or two to think it over and then write my review. Nope! Not this time! I'm over here like 😱😱⁣
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When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss—a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten—by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family.⁣
What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare—one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder. ⁣
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This blew me away. The writing is just 👌👌👌 and the creep factor is 💯% there! This is one of those books where my heart was beating and my eyes were running down the page to find out what happened 👀 there were times where I just needed to put the book down and step away because it was creeping me out 😆 ⁣
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When I wasn't reading this book, I was thinking about it. It turned me into an antisocial mess 🤗 and I am totally okay with that! ⁣
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I did NOT 🚫 🙅 see the twists coming and loved every moment of this! It kept me guessing the whole time and is the PERFECT October or fall read, but seriously, October on Halloween night..just binge it! ⁣🎃👻💀

This is what makes the book so special for me. I read a TON of thrillers, it is my favorite genre. Nothing usually phases me, but this one definitely did!

This is the perfect book. The perfect thriller. It will be good for those new to thrillers are those seasoned readers. I honestly cannot pick out a single thing I didn't like in this novel ❤️
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10 out of 10 HIGHLY recommend!⁣
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𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐭‼️⁣
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Thank you to Netgalley and Scoutpress for giving me a copy of one of my new favorite books in exchange for an honest review. And thank you to Ruth Ware for this stunner!

The Turn of the Key starts off with the narrator, who we learn is in prison, writing to a lawyer (solicitor) and pleading with him to take her case. It's slowly revealed that our narrator, Rowan, was a nanny who has been accused of murdering the child she cared for in a high profile case, but she maintains that she is innocent and she is telling this solicitor, Mr. Wrexham, her side of the story to try and convince him to defend her.

This book captivated me from the very beginning. It was so engaging and I was immediately invested. There was so much build up, probably too much in fact, because by the time we came to the twists they were a bit of a let down as they ended up being too predictable. The simplest explanation is always right isn't it?

However, I'm still giving this book 4 stars because I did really enjoy the creepy, atmospheric writing and the majority of the plot, but I just wanted to be blown away by the ending.

Thanks to Gallery Books and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Audio note: Imogen Church is a fantastic narrator and I highly recommend you go with the audiobook version! She is able to do the different voices and creepy sounds so well.

damn this was my first Ware but it was such a good use of a read, i loved everything about this read and it was such a fun time :D

Gothic mystery with modern technology - I love it! The creep factor was high in this book - creepy house, creepy owner, creepy kid, you get the idea. Pair that with a lot of twists and an unreliable narrator, and you’ve got yourself a page turner. This book kept me guessing until the end. In fact, I’m still not sure what happened-so I guess I need to read it again.

The Turn of the Key is a story told entirely in "letters" to a lawyer. The book starts with you knowing that the narrator is in prison for the death of a child but she is going to tell you the whole story so that you understand everything and know she didn't do it.

This is a book about the "supernatural" and what suggestion can do. I found the story interested and it kept my attention however it was not one of my favorite Ruth Ware books. I would still recommend the book and I will say the twist was done well.

Dear Mr. Henry James. Ruth Ware has done you proud. Call it an homage or just a shadowing, but his good Turn just got another. Ware is quickly becoming a mystery/thriller writer who cannot be missed and this one sits very nicely and chillingly in her already impressive oeuvre. Set in the Scottish highlands, Ware weaves a spooky tale of legends, ghosts, things that go creak in the night and lots of things -- and people -- who aren't quite what they seem. The characters are finely drawn. The children will make you want to give up any thought of being a nanny, an au pair and possibly, a parent. And, incredibly, it's all credible. What's the key to who gets screwed?

Ruth Ware’s newest book “The Turn of the Key” focuses on the potential nightmarish consequences of living in a “smart” home, one outfitted with the latest technology in cameras and programs that manage routine daily tasks. The level of “smartness” seems only slightly more advanced than what is currently available and raises some pretty creepy issues about the trade-off between convenience and automation versus virtually constant surveillance and lack of privacy. “The Turn of the Key” has been compared to Henry James’ “The Turn of the Screw” and there are some similarities. In an interview with Ware, she said the novel was inspired by articles she’d read about smart house abuse, and it wasn’t until she was part-way through the writing process that she read “The Turn of the Screw.” I’m always interested in where writers get their inspiration, and in this case, it didn’t come from where I thought it did!

Although I have enjoyed Ware’s previous books and will read her future books, this one was a little disappointing to me. I’m not usually a fan of books written as letters and since this one was written entirely as a letter it was a little off-putting to me, but that’s only because of my personal preferences. What was more problematic to me was the slow pacing before the story really develops. I’m usually totally drawn into her books within the first 10-20 pages, but it took quite a while before I was really engaged in this one. If you haven’t read Ruth Ware before I would recommend reading one of her previous books. If you’re a fan of hers, you may be interested in this one but it’s not one I would highly recommend.

My review was posted on Goodreads on 8/27/19.

I received this Advanced Readers' Copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rowan, nanny and alleged murderer, begins her tale from a cold jail cell. She is writing a lawyer she hopes will help save her from a lifetime in prison. Part ghost story, part murder mystery, with a dash of Disney's Smart House, Turn of the Key keeps readers on the edge of their seats through the entire novel.

Rowan has recently quit her job in order to take up a full time nannying position in Scotland. Isolated and filled with a history of gruesome deaths, the house is a juxtaposition of old Victorian and state of the art technology. Rowan must quickly figure out the house and children before the house's past overcomes the family and her sanity.

Another spine tingling win for Ruth Ware! I couldn't put down The Turn of the Key until I had turned the last page. I loved the pacing, characters, and epistolary style of Ware's latest novel. Similarly to The Death of Mrs. Westaway, Ware takes the idea of the classic ghost story and puts a unique twist on it, leaving readers questioning every "clue" that comes their way. And just like her other books, I already planning on rereading The Turn of the Key to pick up on clues that I missed along the way.

I would recommend this book to fans of Jennifer McMahon, Victorian ghost stories, and books that make you want to keep the lights on at night.

I had really high hopes for this book. I tried really hard to like it. I felt that the format was unique as it is written as letters to the main character's lawyer. But in the end, it just fell short for me.

Rowan was unlikable which I felt was the author's intent. However, I struggled to find a single character that I actually liked. The writing was good and it was a quick read. I think I built it up too much based on the synopsis. I wanted so much more from the book but in the end, it was just okay for me.