
'The Turn of the Key' by Ruth Ware is a suspenseful mystery thriller that follows the story of Rowan Caine, a nanny accused of murdering one of the children she was caring for. The book is written in a unique format, primarily through letters, which creates an atmospheric and suspenseful narrative. As Rowan navigates her new job at a secluded smart house in Scotland, she uncovers disturbing secrets and mysterious occurrences, leading to a chilling and twisty plot that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.
The story is filled with creepy and spooky elements, blending modern technology with a Victorian setting to enhance the suspense and mystery. Readers are taken on a journey of unraveling the truth behind the events at Heatherbrae House, with unexpected twists and turns that culminate in a shocking and ambiguous ending, leaving unanswered questions and a sense of unease.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of child death, psychological trauma, mentions of drug use, and general emotional distress encountered by the protagonist.
From The Publisher:
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
"A superb suspense writer…Brava, Ruth Ware. I daresay even Henry James would be impressed." -Maureen Corrigan, author of So We Read On
"This appropriately twisty Turn of the Screw update finds the Woman in Cabin 10 author in her most menacing mode, unfurling a shocking saga of murder and deception." -Entertainment Weekly
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lying Game and The Death of Mrs. Westaway comes this thrilling novel that explores the dark side of technology.
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.
Full of spellbinding menace and told in Ruth Ware's signature suspenseful style, The Turn of the Key is an unputdownable thriller from the Agatha Christie of our time.
Ratings (110)
Incredible (11) | |
Loved It (42) | |
Liked It (36) | |
It Was OK (16) | |
Did Not Like (5) |
Reader Stats (239):
Read It (118) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (91) | |
Did Not Finish (1) | |
Not Interested (28) |
7 comment(s)
3.5 stars. I knew going into this that I was probably going to enjoy this one a bit better than the first book I've read of hers and I was right. Liked the twist and turns and the use of "smart house" but not enough to give it 4 stars. I'm glad I requested it from the library and might try to give another book by her a go
The atmosphere that Ruth created is wonderful. A really surprising ending.
4.5
3.5 stars.
3.75
I pretty much devoured this book. It had been sitting in my “to read at some point” box. I finally pulled it out, not sure what to expect. As it turns out, I quite enjoyed it. It wasn’t perfect by any means and the end just seemed to… happen. Almost like the author just got tired of writing it and decided “Okay, let’s wrap it up now.”
In spite of that, it was a fairly compelling read for the most part. The atmosphere was perfectly foreboding. The characters, on the other hand, were almost all, fairly unlikable. The one character that could have been considered somewhat amiable does not exactly finish off that way. Nobody, from the mercurial protagonist to the constantly cranky baby (and everyone in between) comes off smelling like a rose.
Page turner. I stayed up way too late reading this one.
Atmospheric, sad, surprising twist. Everything I love about a good thriller.
About the Author:
Ruth Ware worked as a waitress, a bookseller, a teacher of English as a foreign language, and a press officer before settling down as a full-time writer. She now lives with her family in Sussex, on the south coast of England. She is the #1 New York Times and Globe and Mail (Toronto) bestselling author of In a Dark, Dark Wood; The Woman in Cabin 10; The Lying Game; The Death of Mrs. Westaway; The Turn of the Key; and One by One. Visit her at RuthWare.com or follow her on Twitter @RuthWareWriter.
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