The Turn of the Key

I joined a book club with a bunch of other nannies and we chose this book because of its relevance. Although it is about a nanny, and how she becomes a nanny for a very high-tech family; there are lots of other dark little twists. This is not a boring book at all! I thought there was going to be a ghost in the book (I love a good ghost story) there was not (no more spoilers).As a group of nannies, we joked about what we would and would not do in this situation. It is definitely a mix between a thriller and a mystery.

Wow! Ruth Ware proves once again that she is the reigning <b>Queen of Suspense!</b> This totally addictive <b>4 Star</b> thriller was worth the wait.<b>SUMMARY</b>This book is written as a letter to an attorney from a prisoner awaiting trial. The narrator is a nanny who is in prison for allegedly killing one of the small children in her care.The letter recounts the story of how this the narrator was happily working at a day care in London until she saw an ad for a live in nanny position. This job would be taking care of four kids in a large estate, with an exceptionally generous compensation package. Even though she wasn’t really looking for a new job, she applies immediately. Who wouldn’t? Before the interview, she is given a warning that the last several nannies have left quickly because of rumors that the house was haunted.Undaunted by the warning, after all, Rowan is not a superstitious person, she puts on her <i>perfect nanny</i> outfit, her <i>perfect nanny</i> personality and boards a train to Scotland for the interview. She is blown away by the enormous property and the large hybrid Victorian/ modern house. The mom, Sandra Ellencourt, seems to be a lovely person, the girls are adorable and although she didn’t have a chance to meet Bill, the father, Rowan really wants this job! And of course, since she is the main character and it’s her story, she gets the job.Almost as soon as she starts, she begins to realize what she’s gotten herself into. When she has been there less than twelve hours, both Bill and Sandra leave for a week long out of town conference. Yikes! The three girls who live at home are 1, 5 and 8 (the older daughter, 15 years old is away at boarding school). Since Rowan is the fifth nanny is six months time, they are not interested in making friends with her and are not at all happy to be left alone with her. In addition to the kids being a handful, the house is a smart house, totally wired with cameras. The lights, music system, door locks, shower, refrigerator etc are all on a smart system, which is great; until it malfunctions in the middle of the night. If only her problems were just misbehaving children who are tired of the nanny parade and absent parents... On her first day alone with the kids, weird things start to happen; doors locked that she didn’t lock, strange noises at night, the doorbell ringing when no one is there and it just gets creepier from there. Did I mention that there is a historic poison garden on the property?? That’s right, a <i>poison garden</i> that’s protected by some sort of historic heritage group. This job just keeps getting more and more weird.And to top it all off, from page one, hints are dropped that Rowan may be hiding something or she may have a hidden motive for being in Scotland.<b>WHAT I LOVED<b>This is exactly how I like my haunted thrillers; creepy, filled with the constant <i>is it or is it not really haunted</i> question and taking place in a big old house with a questionable past. You just never know if it’s going to being the a real ghost or not. It’s go fun speculating!I LOVE my Brit lit! Especially in a big old drafty, remote estate in rainy Scotland! And how amazing is it to read about people sweaters there in the summer while I’m sweating my butt off on Texas when it’s over 100 degrees and humid enough to ruin my hair within 5 minutes of being outside! Lots of love to the UK!I love what a disaster Rowan is. That girl is a hot mess! She is a terrible nanny, has horrible judgement and couldn’t talk her way out of a paper bag. Speaking of bags, she has a ton of baggage. She is not a bad person, but just seems to have no idea how to deal with children over the age of two. Speaking of being a mess; Sandra is an awful mother! Who would actually leave on an week plus long trip and stick their kids with someone she and her children barely know. On her first day on the job??? We won’t even get into Bill here, but a few choice descriptive words come to mind.While all the above mentioned factors make this book good, suspense is the real star of the show! Each day, there is some new oddity or coincidence that makes you wonder what is really happening. This would make a FANTASTIC movie! It would play out so well on screen.<b>WHAT I DIDN’T LOVE</b>I have to say the ending made me ANGRY! I need more resolution, a pretty package tied up in a neat little bow and preferably an epilogue that lets me know where all the characters stand later on down the road after all the dust settles.<b>OVERALL</b>Although the ending annoyed me, I would still recommend this book. Double thumbs up from me!

I highly recommend this book. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!

Creepy. Alluring. Started slow though. A good re-telling of the the Turn of the Screw. However, the twist was not as jarring as how events of the story made a reader believe it would be.

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. 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 home’s cameras, or the malfunctioning technology that woke the household with booming music, or turned the lights off at the worst possible time. It wasn’t just the girls, who turned out to be a far cry from the immaculately 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 enigmatic handyman. 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—but somebody is.My Thoughts: A spooky, surreal setting that had me anxious from the very beginning, The Turn of the Key had me questioning everything that happened. From the parents to the children to the “Smart House,” this story kept me guessing until the end.I knew that Rowan Caine had told some little lies to get the job, but she certainly didn’t deserve all the events that unfolded in that eerie house in Scotland. Or did she?First of all, how could she be the perfect nanny in a house in the middle of nowhere, with cameras pointed at her from every room? Cameras that seemingly triggered weird sounds and strange creaks in the night?The children were weird and sneaky, and the parents, calling from unknown places, seemed overly strange, if not nefarious.But when some of the details of “Rowan’s” life became clear to the reader, everything intensified.Not knowing what would happen next kept me turning the pages until the shocking end. 4.5 stars.

I'm not a big reader but I am obsessed with Ruth's writing. I finished this book and already passed it on to another fan of Ruth's books. The Turn of the Key may be my favorite so far. Kept me engaged and anticipating how it would end. And it did not disappoint! Also recommend The Lying Game and the woman in cabin 10.

Seit ich das erste Buch von Ruth Ware gelesen habe, bin ich ein totaler Fan. Auch dieses Buch hat einen tollen Plot, es ist spannend, gut geschrieben und ich habe es in einem Satz gelesen. Unbedingt empfehlenswert!

I bought this book because of the excellent reviews and finished it in two days... literally couldn't put it down. If you like to be kept on your toes this book is for you. Beautifully written, it will have you guessing -and scared- from beginning to end.

Love book of Ruth Ware. Creepy 😱didn’t get exactly the ending, but it doesn’t matter 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Uno de mis libros favoritos

When Rowan stumbles across the advert, it seems too good to be true: a live-in nanny position for a picture-perfect family in a luxurious ‘smart’ home paying a staggeringly generous salary! Rowan isn’t even looking for a job but the opportunity seems too good to pass up. What she doesn’t know is that she is stepping into a nightmare. One that will end with a child dead and herself in prison.While awaiting trial for murder, Rowan becomes desperate to tell her side of the story and decides to write to Mr Wrexham, a lawyer she hopes will represent her in court. What follows is Rowan’s spine-chilling recount of the build up of ominous events leading to her incarceration. She knows she’s made mistakes; she knows she hasn’t always told the truth, but she maintains, with ardent determination, that she did NOT kill that child. So who did?This book was so freaking creepy and by far Ware’s best book in my opinion. The storytelling was so spellbindingly atmospheric and eerie throughout, I questioned many a time whether this was in fact a ghost story rather than a mere thriller. There is certainly an air of gothic fiction to this tale which I resolutely adored and hope to read more of. While there were a few plot holes, the overall premise of this book was exceptional, making it a solid 5 ⭐️ read!