The Turn of the Key

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!

Rowan takes a job as a nanny that is too good to be true. This job turns out to be a nightmare, where a child ends up dead. Everyone thinks Rowan killed her and while she awaits trial for murder, she recalls the events that took place. She might be guilty of some things, but she's not guilty of murder. So who is? This is my first crime thriller by Ruth Ware. I've read quite a few of her Young Adult books under the name of Ruth Warburton, but as I never usually read crime, I'd not ventured into this adult genre. However during lockdown, I found a new love for this type of fiction. I read this as a buddy read with Rebekah on Instagram. The book is framed with a letter to a solicitor, while Rowan is awaiting trial. So we are witness to only her side of the story as she mulls over what happened leading up to the murder. I thought this was a really clever way of writing it, as you are only seeing Rowan's point of view, and it soon becomes clear that she is an unreliable narrator. I knew there was something not quite right about her, but I didn't work out what it was until the end. The house is dripping with an eerie evil atmosphere, that would make anyone uncomfortable staying there. I suspected every character of wrongful play all the way through the book. A lot of the characters came across as weird and unapproachable, making Rowan's job harder than it needed to be. There are lots of twists and turns throughout the book and I was impressed that Rowan managed to stay there longer than one evening. I did feel as though the ending was missing a couple of key scenes, which I would really have loved to have seen happen, and I'm still in two minds about what way the ending went, as you are left to mull over what happened. On the whole, I really enjoyed this though. A great crime thriller to get your teeth into and solve the murder.

Loved this. It was a really good old fashioned gothic type horror story. Not to give anything away, I thought Rowan was terrific, very credible and I didn't guess her secret until just before it was revealed. Really exciting and I couldn't wait to get back to it every time I had to put it down. The children too were well portrayed from the stroppy teenager to the baby. My only quibble is that it is incredibly unlikely that any mother would go off and leave 3 young children (one of whom is a baby) with a brand new nanny, all alone in a massive house, miles from anywhere. If you can get over that, its a great read. I read The It Girl, which was also excellent and far better than I had expected from the synopsis. Ruth Ware writes really well, draws you in and keeps the tension going. Will certainly read more of her books.

The mistery takes you away into the journey. The final sensation after reading is similar to watching a good suspense movie. No big surprises or plot twists though.

Thriller psicológico muy entretenido! en un ambiente inmersivo en donde la casa y los parajes son también protagonistas. Lo recomiendo, ya que los capítulos son cortos y se lee en un suspiro. No es de terror, pero sí hay tensión y clímax a medida que se acerca la conclusión.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I am a huge fan of Ruth Ware's books she is an auto buy author for me. The turn of the key is now my second favourite book of hers, the first being In a Dark Wood. I loved everything about this book it kept me up at night it was that atmospheric and addictive. A nanny living in a smart house....alone with the children whilst the parents work overseas....creepy things start happening....why have other nannies left after working here for only short periods....a child dies....the nanny writes to a lawyer to tell her side of the story.... a twisty, compelling read. #ruthware #theturnofthekey #tea_sipping_bookworm #goodreads #litsy #thestorygraph #amazonkindle #thriller #twisty #bookqueen #bookstagram

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The story begins with 27 year old Rowan Caine awaiting trial for a murder she didn't do. She is writing a letter from the Scottish Women's Prison HMP Charnworth to a lawyer named Mr. Wrexham. She is asking him to come and see her and let her explain the situation and how she got into this mess. She knows he can help her. She is innocent, but who did it? Rowan shared her flat with a roommate she met at the Little Nippers nursery in Peckham, where they both worked side by side. When her friend told her she was going on a trip for a time, Rowan became very sad. She was looking through the paper when she noticed an ad looking for an experienced live-in nanny used to working with children of all ages. She must have excellent references, backroom check, first aid certificate and clean driving license are a must. The salary was an unbelievable fabulous salary. She applied for the position and after being interviewed by the parent, she got the job. When Rowan arrives at the station, she is met by Jack Grant. the odd job man, who will take her to Heatherbrae House. She is overwhelmed with this luxurious home with all the modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands and the picture perfect family who live there. Rowan notices that there is no keyhole and no knocker. She is met by Sandra Elincourt who is married to Bill. They are both architects. They have four children. The eldest is Rhiannon, 14 years old and she is away at a boarding school. Then, there is Maddie, 8 years old, Ellie, 5 years old and the baby, Petra, who is 18 months old. There are two dogs named Hero and Claude, but she will not have to look after them. The handyman will. There is also a cleaning lady named Jean McKenzie. Sandra tells her that she and her husband have business to attend to for several weeks and Rowan will have to take over. What she learns is that four nannies left, because they thought the house was haunted. The house is run with the latest technology. There are panels to touch to open and close the curtains. She has to learn how to activate the locks and there is a surround sound system etc. Rowan wonders what she is getting herself into. What she doesn't know is that she is getting into a nightmare. A child will die and she will end up in jail charged with murder. She didn't know that the girls were a far cry from the children she met at the interview and that she was left alone for several weeks at a time with no other adults around except for the handyman, JackGrant. At this moment, she is in jail trying to speak with a lawyer about her innocence. Ruth Ware is a born storyteller. The Turn of the Key is a fascinating thriller that will hold your interest from beginning to end. It is very well-written, well-paced, a page turning book about a nanny job gone wrong, I loved this book and I highly recommend it.