The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

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The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware is a page-turning thriller that will keep you guessing. The main character is relatable, and the old haunted house in Scotland is exciting to read about. It is a perfect read for a fall TBR.

The Turn of the Key by Ruth WareTitle: The Turn of the Key
Author: Ruth Ware
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genres: Adult Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Publication Date: August 27, 2019
Rating: four-half-stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

When Rowan stumbles across an ad for a live-in nanny, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss—with a staggeringly generous salary. And when she arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten—by the luxurious “smart” house fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family.

What Rowan doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare—one that will end with a child dead and Rowan in prison awaiting trial for murder.

Writing to her lawyer from prison, Rowan struggles to explain the unravelling events that have 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 children, 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.

Rowan 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.

Full of spellbinding menace and told in Ruth Ware’s signature suspenseful style, this is an unputdownable thriller from the Agatha Christie of our time.

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❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃


Review: The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

This is the first Ruth Ware book that I have read and I can honestly say that I am now an instant fan. The Turn of the Key is such a wild ride! There are times while reading where it seems obvious where the story is headed, but then Ware adds more elements to the plot and leaves her readers second guessing. The Agatha Christie comparison is definitely spot on.

❀ Likeable Main Character

Rowan is a character that is very likeable for her down-to-earth honesty. Also, the book is in the format of a long letter she has written to an attorney who she hopes will see her side of the story. Her story is both compelling and at times terrifying, making it an interesting thriller.

❀ Amazing Setting

I haven’t read many books set in Scotland. This setting is perfect for a mysterious plot. There are little bits of history and descriptions of the beautiful scenery. As well, the old house in the country is an intriguing part of the story with its ghost tales and strange new technology.

❀ A Thrilling Fall Read

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware is one to check out if a thrilling fall read is on your wishlist. This one has a perfect main character and an idyllic setting. It is a gripping thriller that will surprise you.

About Ruth Ware

Ruth Ware

Ruth Ware grew up in Sussex, on the south coast of England. After graduating from Manchester University she moved to Paris, before settling in North London. She has worked as a waitress, a bookseller, a teacher of English as a foreign language and a press officer. She is married with two small children, and In a Dark, Dark Wood is her début thriller.

Lori

About Lori

Avid reader. Contributor to The Candid Cover. Educator.

21 thoughts on “The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

  1. Soozle (Suzie B) says:

    I absolutely LOVE everything I have read from Ruth Ware; I had no idea she has a new book out! VERY much looking forward to reading this!

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