My Thoughts: The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

The Turn of the Key
by Ruth Ware
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Publication Date: August 6th 2019
Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press
Pages: 384
ISBN: 9781501188770
Genre: Adult Fiction | Mystery | Thriller
Source: Edelweiss Review Copy

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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.

Writing to her lawyer from prison, she struggles to explain the unravelling events that led to her incarceration. It wasn’t just the constant surveillance from the cameras installed around the house, 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, 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. (Goodreads)

The Turn of the Key is the fifth book that I’ve read by Ruth Ware, and I have to tell you, her books get better and better the more I read them! Ruth has definitely become an auto-read author for me, and I can always count on her when I want a fast paced, creepy read. This book definitely fit the bill, and I really enjoyed reading it!

The Turn of the Key was a really interesting read. It felt both modern, (with the smart house), but also a little classic as well, (with the setting). Both gave off a creepy vibe, which was interesting, as I didn’t expect a smart house to be quite so creepy. (I was definitely giving my Google Home the stink eye while reading this book!) The was a little slow at times, but the twists and turns in the story make up for that time. (Especially the one big twist that I totally didn’t see coming!)      

The book also had some really interesting characters, including the main character, Rowen, who answers the add to become the nanny and live in the creepy smart house. Rowan’s story is told in a series of letters that she writes to her attorney from jail, (this is not a spoiler, it’s literally in the summary), and the more you read her story, the more you start to question everything she reads. I love that she kept me guessing on what the heck happened to land her in jail!

I also want to add that I opted to listen to this book in audio format, and I’m so glad I did. The story is narrated by Imogen Church, who has narrated ALL of Ruth’s books, and I very much enjoyed her familiar voice, and the voices she made for each of the characters. She did a wonderful job of reading the story to me!

Overall; The Turn of the Key was a very interesting read, and I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to read it! Though, I’m kind of bummed that I have to wait, once again, for info on Ruth’s next book, but I imagine that it will also be worth the wait. If you’re looking for a creepy read to add to your upcoming Halloween TBR, or just to your regular TBR, do check out The Turn of the Key!