This novel is written as a letter to an attorney, a device I didnt particularly enjoy. The story was interesting but not riveting. It took me a week to read The Turn of the Key, and it was too easy to put down. I think that I wanted more from the characters. I wanted the "smart house" itself to be a character, but it was more of an afterthought. Perhaps because of the letter format, the characters seemed only two dimensional. Ruth Ware wrote an entertaining story with an ending I didnt expect, and didnt enjoy.
3.5
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

Opening up a new Ruth Ware book has to be one of my favorite things ever. It’s like getting ready to eat a delicious meal or take a nap—the anticipation of something you know that you’ll love.

Her new novel The Turn of the Key is absolutely gripping!! A page-turner that kept me up late into the night because I just didn’t want to put it down. This is told in almost (but not quite) an epistolary format, narrated by a woman who is in prison awaiting trial and asking an attorney to take her case. This is going to be a perfect fall read so I highly recommend picking up a copy!

About the Book

When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it is too good an opportunity to pass up—a live-in nannying post with a generous salary. But there is one condition—most of the salary is paid out only if she makes it one year.

From the moment Rowan arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is intrigued. It is a house of contrasts—old Victorian in style nestled in the Scottish highlands, but upgraded to a “smart” home where nearly everything in the house is controlled by an app.

But Rowan doesn’t know that she’s about to begin a job that will quickly break her down. One that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.

Writing to her lawyer from prison, she struggles to explain the events that led to her incarceration. It wasn’t just the constant surveillance from the cameras installed around the house, or the malfunctioning technology. It wasn’t just the girls, who turned out to be a far cry from the well-behaved model children she met at her interview. It wasn’t even the way she was left alone for weeks at a time, with no adults around apart from the handyman, Jack Grant.

It was everything.

She knows she’s made mistakes. She admits that she lied to obtain the post, and that her behavior toward the children wasn’t always ideal. She’s not innocent, by any means. But, she maintains, she’s not guilty—at least not of murder. Which means someone else is.

Reflection

Ruth Ware is simply amazing. Every book of hers is so unique, but also stylistically so—for lack of a better phrase—Ruth Ware. All of her books have a modern gothic feel to me, particularly the last two books. They have that quality of completely transporting me into the book. The settings are so vivid, in part because she uses such fantastic descriptions to great effect. And she doesn’t just describe the settings up front to set the scene—her books continued to be ripe with descriptive language in a way that makes the settings almost a character in and of themselves.

The opening of this book pulled me right in. It begins with Rowan writing to an attorney from prison, begging him to consider her case. It is a famous case, she acknowledges, and one he has probably heard of. But she also assures him that he absolutely doesn’t know the full story. No one does. Rowan hasn’t been able to tell it until now, and she needs to start at the beginning with the ad. The ad that she wasn’t necessarily looking for. That’s where it all began, and without starting there, the spin used by the police and the press won’t make sense.

This one had some truly fantastic suspense built up. We start out knowing the what—a child died while under Rowan’s care—but not the how, why, when, or who. I loved the twists in this one. There is a twist that is so deliciously unexpected and salacious that I’m still thinking about the moment of the reveal! But of course, you know me better than to think I’ll spoil it… You need to read it and find out!

Ruth Ware really plays with isolation in her books. Typically the main character is not only in a setting that is somewhat isolated (here, a gothic smart house in the Scottish Highlands with few adults around), but they are also sort of isolated in life. Often they don’t have strong ties to friends or family, no one really to rely on in the situation they get into. Rowan is no exception to this! It really adds to the pressure of the situation. They don’t have an easy out, most of the time, so the suspense is ratcheted up to full volume.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot (you;ll notice I kept my review to things unrelated to it), but I do want to just touch on how fascinating this situation is. A nanny left in charge of three kids (soon to be four), with the parents out of town. A house set far away from society. Grounds that are wild and unruly and a bit dangerous, but somehow less dangerous feeling than the house itself. The house truly has a mind of its own, and I was so intrigued by the way the house seemed to be controlling the situation.

An incredible book that I can’t recommend enough! I received an copy from Gallery and then added it to my Book of the Month box so I could own a hardcover. Thank you, Gallery. Opinions are my own.

This book was just creepy enough to give me the heebie jeebies a few different nights. When Rowan moves in with a new family to be a nanny, she is immediately left alone with the children and a "smart house" that she hasn't quite figured out. On top of that, creepy things start happening and she isn't quite sure how to handle everything going on. The paranormal element gives it just enough of a creep factor, without being over the top scary. The kids also act a bit creepy, which only adds to the story. I usually don't pick up "scary" books, but I would recommend this one.

A dark and twisty tale set, appropriately, near the moors of Scotland. Ruth Ware's latest will keep you up past your bedtime!

4.5 stars

A nanny’s post turns into a nightmare in Ruth Ware’s THE TURN OF THE KEY.

Rowan Caine can hardly believe the live-in nannying post she stumbles across. Touting an amazing salary and working in a posh home outfitted with the latest tech—it’s an opportunity she must seize. Thankfully, she gets the job at this picturesque home, working for a seemingly perfect family.

Almost immediately however, there’s an undercurrent that unnerves her. Unexplained sounds late at night. The children murmuring troubling things. Rumors that the house is haunted. And on top of all that, there’s a sense that someone is always watching with all the cameras throughout the home.

The ideal job quickly becomes a chilling nightmare and not long after she starts, a child dies, and Rowan ends up behind bars.

She writes to a lawyer from prison, pleading him to take her case, divulging everything that happened once she stepped into the home. Yes, everything isn’t what it seems and Rowan is culpable of much, she admits, but a killer is on the loose and she needs help.

Ware reimagines the classic ghost story, propelling it into the 21st century with equally terrifying threads. A luxurious smart home becomes antagonistic, ratcheting tension as it intermingles with seething, secret spaces, overgrown poison gardens and haunting tales of murder. Ware is so adept at crafting a menacing, gothic type of atmosphere, that there’s a perceptible thrum to the story that keeps you utterly absorbed. Admittedly, however, there are parts that feel slow with most of the action happening in the last 15 to 20% of the novel. I loved the ending though—it chilled me to the bone.

My favorite RW book remains THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY, yet nonetheless, it’s apparent that Ware is a master of her craft. There is many a twist, some more believable than others, but all that keep you indelibly enthralled.

This highly anticipated fifth novel is clever, creepy and worth the wait.

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware is a psychological suspense thriller that has unpredictable plot twists that keep coming. Rowan arrives at Heatherbrae House excited to be a nanny to a family full of girls in Scotland. However, she soon becomes aware of noises and happenings that are unexplained. She delves deeper into the mystery to see what is happening but soon realizes that she might be in far deeper than she had anticipated. Highly recommend. Read and enjoy!

I listened to the audiobook and it was very well done. The narrator added to the creepy atmosphere and suspense as the story unfolded. I found it to be a compulsive read and would highly recommend to mystery/suspense fans.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital review copy of this book.

I just wasn't a fan of this one by Ruth Ware. The pacing was off, the ending was blah. Her writing is good, it spooked me at times - made me a little nervous going to bed. But, the story just wasn't there. The first twist was very obvious from the beginning and the second didn't really matter much in the end. Also seemed a little too similar to The Death of Mrs. Westaway in some ways. She might need to focus on writing good books rather than just churning out one a year.

Okay, didn't love it. Opening had too much techy stuff and was quite slow. This was my first experience with Ruth Ware. I will try her again. For me it lacked suspense. The writing was fine but didn't pull me in. Characters were pretty dull. Storytelling good enough.

Twenty-something nanny Rowan Caine hadn't even been looking for a new job when she came across the ad seeking a live-in nanny for a well-to-do family in Scotland. Applying out of curiosity, Rowan finds herself no less than astounded to suddenly be standing, weeks later, in the entry hall of Heatherbrae House, way out in the desolate Scottish Highlands, for her in-person interview with mother Sandra Elincourt. The home itself - an odd juxtaposition of half Victorian architecture forcibly conjoined with modernized technology by Sandra's absentee husband Bill, turning the house into its own app-run "smart home" - is beautiful yet oddly unsettling at the same time, as are the rumors that the reason the last four nannies either fled or left their posts with no notice is because the house is haunted. Rowan is too sensible to believe in ghosts, the pay is ridiculously good, and she seems to mesh well with the children - eight-year-old Maddie, Ellie who's five, and infant Petra - right off, so is nothing less than thrilled when, a few weeks later, she lands the job and permanently moves into Heatherbrae House with the help of the hunky handyman staying above the defunct stables. But almost soon as she's installed upstairs, Sandra and Bill leave town on business and the children start to show very different sides to themselves than they displayed the night Rowan met them. Worse, each night Rowan is now kept awake by the distinct sounds of someone pacing upstairs, the floorboards creaking to a rhythm Rowan is soon will surely drive her mad. The problem? Rowan's room is on the top floor of Heatherbrae House, with no attic and just the tiled roof of the house above her; there is no room above her for anyone to be pacing in. Over the next several days the strange incidents will only increase in the house, Rowan seeking to connect with the children even as she leans more and more about Heatherbrae House's sinister history, and grows increasingly alarmed for her own safety, as well as that of the children. The Turn of the Key is Ruth Ware's fifth novel - though my introduction to her work - and opens with Rowan in prison for murder, one of the children (we don't know who) dead, the novel told in letters she's desperately writing to a high-profile attorney Rowan is hoping will take on her case. And while for me there were times when the story kind of bogged down in the middle third of the novel, with not a lot going on (though Rowan's growing paranoia does keep the suspense building, in a passive sort of way), the last third of the novel ... particularly the last few pages of the book, where the loose ends of the story are tied up in a manner that literally had made my jaw drop open and my chest hurt ... are some of the best, most perfectly/deceptively simple writing I've ever read; even guessing what was coming a couple pages prior, finishing the novel just left me sitting there stunned, as if one of the fuses in my head had blown and I had to wait for some back-up generator to kick on. A four-star book, just because of the slight lagging in the middle, easily bumped up a half-star by that unexpected, haunting, brain-slayer of an ending. 4.5/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

I've read a few by Ruth Ware and I think The Turn of the Key is the best so far. Such a creative storyline, with intriguing characters, creepy atmosphere, and a clever plot line. The format of the book - told as a letter to a solicitor, was very unique and well done. This book is wonderful, very entertaining, and definitely worth the read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Scout Press/Simon & Schuster for providing me with an ARC of this title.

Ruth Ware just keeps getting better and better! This was a fantastically creepy story about a nanny who is accused of killing one of the young girls she's in charge of. But did she? And what about the strange occurrences that keep happening in the isolated old house? No spoilers here, but a Pro Tip: Do NOT read right before going to sleep at night. #Nightmares

This was well on the way to being one of my favorite Ware books up until the very end. As much as I hate to knock it down for the ending, finishing on a disappointing note can really kill a reading experience. However, it really was still great. I wish I had read The Turn of the Screw before, because from what I've read, it's an interesting modern homage to James's work. And I mean modern. Rowan's new private nanny job is at an isolated Scottish home that looks historic from the front but is actually outfitted with all of the latest smart home technology. (Side note: while most of the technology seems plausible, I wonder how much of it actually exists already. Also, I loved the name of the system, Happy. Very... ironic?)

As usual, the atmosphere was incredibly creepy, one of her best yet. The (limited) characters were mostly well done, though I especially appreciated her writing of the young girls trying to cope with yet another new adult coming to take care of them while their parents disappeared again, prioritizing work over their family. Their innocence, anger, and little personalities in general struck an authentic note. The plotting was fairly intricate, for a book with such limited setting and characters. There was one major twist at the end that I halfway saw coming, but I'm still not entirely sure how I felt about it - it might have taken away from the story. The ending, while abrupt, really surprised me—and I was really irritated with myself about that, because looking back, it was so blatantly obvious what the solution to the "mystery" was.

Still, a really great book from Ware, and looking back, I'm going ahead and bumping my 3 to a 4.

Wow! I think Ruth Ware has found her niche in the gothic feeling dark suspense genre. I went into this book feeling questionable as I personally did not care for one of her past books very much. The Turn of the Key however, I couldn't put it down! I loved the characters, the guessing, the crazy smart house and the locked garden. There was so much good about this book!

Wow this is definitely going to be one of my favorite thrillers of the year!!!!

I love the incorporation of the smart home. Reminds me a lot of my fiancé and him trying to automate everything.

The pacing was spot on and I was kept curious the entire time as the web untangled. I was able to read it in one sitting!

Written as a letter to her lawyer certainly added a bit of a twist as we are only privy to one side of the story for a while. Ms. Ware did an excellent job at building the suspense for me and I was surprised at the ending. Overall, I thought it was a very good book. I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

On the one hand, I enjoyed The Turn of the Key. On the other, there were too many instances that forced me to stretch my believability.

The writing style, a letter to Rowan’s solicitor, was smooth and made for an easy read, although the story did begin to be monotonous. I never did connect with any of the characters. Maybe I’m too much of a cynic, but I just wasn’t buying into the premise of ‘something spooky’ going on; it was lacking in suspense. Subjects like the secret garden, the previous nannies, and the house itself were not very mysterious at all.

Rowan was definitely the queen of stupid decisions, like leaving the kids alone in the house that she was so desperately afraid of. I wish I had a dollar for every time Rowan said things like, “I’m not proud of that” or “It was deliberate self-sabotage” or “But that was stupid, of course” … and so many more disparaging – but true – remarks.

Then there was the drinking to the point of drunkenness – with kids in the house to take care of – and then setting out to bed the handyman/chauffer, followed closely by her huge regrets for doing so. She was bumbling, not too likable, and at times annoying.

Perhaps the ending was a little abrupt, but that was okay since the story had begun to drag.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Turn of the Key.

Rowan accepts a nanny position in a remote area of Scotland. When she arrives, she is completely taken in by the “smart” house, the beautiful scenery, the enormous salary and the seemingly perfect family. The smart house is completely CREEPY! No privacy whatsoever…among other things..and the “perfect family”….oh no! Not even close!

This book is twisted! Between the completely wired, gothic house, the weird owners, the poison garden and other creepy issues, this story had me on the edge of my seat. Which is shocking…I usually don’t like this format. It is told in letters to a solicitor by the nanny. Oh, did I mention the nanny is sitting in jail accused of killing one of her charges? Well! She is!

The only reason this book is not getting 5 stars is the ending. The end of this story does not fit the build up. It is rushed and completely unsatisfying. But, do not let that stop you! It is still a great read! You do not want to miss this sinister tale!

This was my favorite book of Ruth Ware's to date. I enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot. The plot was original - it was a great book!

Ruth Ware does it again! I have read every book written by Ware, with Woman in Cabin 10 being my favorite. The Turn of the Key was written in Ware’s signature style: creepy atmospheric drama that grabs you from the beginning and won’t let you go until the final page. THE TURN OF THE KEY is a great read and a definite page turner. However, it will take the place as my new favorite Ware novel.
What I loved:
• The things going bump in the night
• The house and gardens as the setting and also used as another character element
• The gothic spookiness
What I did not love:
• The ENDING! Too ambiguous and anticlimactic. I wanted more!
With all that being said, the book is wonderful, very entertaining, and definitely worth the read. I would highly recommend! 4 stars! Many thanks to NetGalley and Scout Press/Simon & Schuster for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.