Ruth Ware

THEIR DREAM HOUSE WILL BECOME HER WORST NIGHTMARE 'Ruth Ware just gets better and better' Lisa Jewell, bestselling author of The Family Upstairs 'The queen of creepy crime' Metro When Rowan comes across the advert, it seems too good to be true: a live-in nanny position, with an extremely generous salary. What she doesn't know is that she's stepping into a nightmare - one that will end with her in a cell awaiting trial for murder. She knows she's made mistakes. But she's not guilty - at least not of murder. Which means someone else is... THE TURN OF THE KEY IS: 'Eerie and Tense' Prima 'Dark and dramatic' AJ Finn, bestselling author of The Woman in the Window 'Deliciously dark and spooky' Sunday Mirror 'Powerfully atmospheric, unguessably twisty' Louise Candlish, bestselling author of Our House

The Turn of the Key

brie

3.5 stars! i’m not gonna lie this wasn’t bad at all. i needed a plot twist that had my mouth hanging open for a while and i got that even though it wasn’t the final twist. 

i’m really conflicted about the ending because it was left way too wide open and i NEED to know what happened after the final reveal. i feel cheated out of a good closure and i feel like the ending should have had way more added to it and it also felt a bit rushed. i would have given it a full 4 stars if not for that.

Ryan 

wtf. seriously tho, WHAT THE FUCK. it's one of those books where if you read the last page, it would spoil everything. that is to say that I'm very underwhelmed with this book with how everything come to a conclusion. More to come

Melissa Palmer

This is a gothic, ghosty tale that has good twists and turns. A creepy good read.

Ugh, this is not my jam. A local book club is reading this alongside Henry James's The Turn of the Screw, which I love, so I felt up to the task of reading this modern retelling.

From the first half dozen pages I could tell the writing was immature, but I gave it a chance (stove I don't believe in rating/reviewing books that haven't been read in entirety). It didn't get much better and the plot was hot garbage in comparison with the genius James piece. While James evenhandedly spreads breadcrumbs in two exclusive interpretations, Ware spells out everything in ELI5 fashion, leaving no room for imagination or difference of opinion as to what might've happened. I suppose some readers (actually quite a lot of readers, it turns out) like this kind of hand-holding, but that is certainly not my demographic. Maybe I would have enjoyed this if I were an adolescent 🤷🏼‍♀️

C'est la vie, and at least it didn't take much time to read. 

Ashlyn

Ugh, this is not my jam. A local book club is reading this alongside Henry James's The Turn of the Screw, which I love, so I felt up to the task of reading this modern retelling.

From the first half dozen pages I could tell the writing was immature, but I gave it a chance (stove I don't believe in rating/reviewing books that haven't been read in entirety). It didn't get much better and the plot was hot garbage in comparison with the genius James piece. While James evenhandedly spreads breadcrumbs in two exclusive interpretations, Ware spells out everything in ELI5 fashion, leaving no room for imagination or difference of opinion as to what might've happened. I suppose some readers (actually quite a lot of readers, it turns out) like this kind of hand-holding, but that is certainly not my demographic. Maybe I would have enjoyed this if I were an adolescent 🤷🏼‍♀️

C'est la vie, and at least it didn't take much time to read. 

Denaiir

4.5 stars. This reconciled me with the psychological thriller genre. 
I'm normally more of a serial killer / procedural kind of gal, but this one was masterfully crafted and I enjoyed every scene, the build-up was amazing, the characters were all intriguing (of course we know there's a problem with Rowan, but Jean and Jack seemed like they had something to hide).
The only thing that let me down a little was the ending, I even thought I had missed something because it was casually swept under the rug. So yes a bit anticlimactic but it didn't ruin the book.
The narration by Imogen Church also contributed greatly to the creepy atmosphere, her take on the "creak, creaaaak" in the attic was chilling, and her narration was spot-on. I think I would probably have enjoyed the book a little bit less if I hadn't been so immersed in the story thanks to Church's interpretation

Amal Hassan

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.

Turn of the Key

Lara Engle

So, I don't really think Ruth Ware books are for me. They're a nice diversion and all, but the characters are generally rather insipid and simplistic and the *shocking twists* are not really all that shocking or interesting. In this case, the main character is a wimpy nanny named Rowan who isn't really all that good at her job. The family she works for is a bunch of cardboard cutouts of pretty terrible people and ... *SNORE*. Anyway, the writing isn't bad and they're quick to read, so read this instead of a romance novel, if you want.

A fun easy read. Has lots of holes in the story though and the ending just isn’t very believable, which kind of ruined it. 

Aims

The plot twist though... 👀! When it was revealed that  Rowan’s dad was her employer and the children’s father and the kids were her siblings  my jaw literally dropped to the floor! I could not believe that Miss Ruth even went there. 😮 What a good story, even paced and interesting. And the end letters… 😱  Ellie really being the one who pushed her sister out the window and the reason for why … WOW! Just WOW!

Alexis Donahue

Enjoyed the book a lot. Although the story wrapped up nicely, I do wish we found out the final verdict about the main character… although I guess you can predict it. I don’t want to predict it, I want solid answers! I also disliked how long it took to get to the juicy part of the story. It was a lot of going back and forth. It could’ve been a bit shorter if we got to the point faster. 

Bookworm

Very much enjoyed this book. My fourth Ruth Ware book in the last month - definitely a different vibe than the others. A little more creepy! I know it’s her thing to leave some questions unanswered at the end… but man, I wish I knew a little more!

Harlee K

Crazy ending!!! 

Very much enjoyed this book. My fourth Ruth Ware book in the last month - definitely a different vibe than the others. A little more creepy! I know it’s her thing to leave some questions unanswered at the end… but man, I wish I knew a little more!

Krystyna 

This was my first Ruth Ware and it definitely did not disappoint. I really enjoyed this book and was definitely flipping pages on the edge of my seat to find out what was going to happen. I initially closed this book and thought oh my gosh that was so good and had the inclination to rate it 5 stars. 

After I thought for a few seconds, I realized there was so much more that I wanted that was left open. I'm perfectly fine with open endings that are up to the reader's interpretation. However, there was so much left open that I decided to deduct a star. Also, in the beginning I found the main character to be kind of annoying and repetitive. 

Regardless, of the small issues I had with this book, it was such a great read! I started this book a while back and read to page 27 and then set it aside for other books that I had to read for a deadline. When I picked it back up I read the remainder of the book in a day. I devoured it. 

If it continues to stick with me and I think it needs the extra star I may bump it up. But, I would recommend this if you like suspense thrillers. If you enjoyed  Lock Every Door by  Riley Sager then I think you'd enjoy this. It was definitely a gripping read that kept me glued to the pages.

Kayla Julien 

I thought it ended a little too early, it left a few questions. But still a good story.

Allie Bilawchuk

While it took me a long time to get into this book, around 70% I just couldn’t put it down. The plot twists were insane and unpredictable (at least for me). 3.5 stars

menna

Shreya Punj

A superbly average book that you can skip reading. Sigh.

dija

The beginning was promising but it kept getting bullshittier and what the fuck was the ending????

Rachel Kanyid

Oh my gosh. So good. I highly recommend this if you are looking for a semi-supernatural thriller!

Awesome. I figured out the first twist, but the 2 at the end... did not see those coming. Very good! 

Teara 

Izza

3.75 stars | I think my expectations were a little to high.

Norma gruden

sophia n

loved the setting and details in this story, the smart home, the parents and the handyman, the kids, and even just all the little details of the surrounding things and small events happening were really creepy and good. i unfortunately felt like i called one of the big reveals like 10 minutes in, i was only truly surprised by one thing being revealed, but it also felt like it came a bit late in the story and all rushed a bit too much to the end. i actually didn't have a problem with the ending reveal itself, but it also felt a little deflating instead of a creepy or interesting note to leave the reader on. overall i enjoyed reading this but had a few things i wish went a little differently.

Gisela Ayala 

Probably the best Ruth Ware book I have read to date and the most suspenseful thriller I have read this year. I read this book mostly at night time and I was EXTREMELY paranoid, but in a good way that made me want to keep reading. 

Set in a remote village in Scotland away from most of the town, of course bad things would happen. Tales of ghosts, death, and deception are scattered throughout the story that I had absolutely no idea which direction this book was going to take. I felt so bad for our protagonist and could feel her hysteria steadily building through out the story reaching a point I would not have expected in 100 years. 

Be ready for the things that go bump in the night feeling.

Cheri McElroy

Rowan Caine has it made. A fabulous job with an impressive salary in a smart home in Scotland. So what if the other nannies didn’t stay long? She knows ghosts aren’t real.

This book is structured as a letter from Rowan to a solicitor explaining that she didn’t kill one of the children in her charge. It’s perfect as we see look back to see a web drawing tighter and tighter around her.

Rowan is far from a likable person. In fact, Ruth Ware has filled the book with the usual cast of messed up people. And I adore how Ware can create the perfect gothic atmosphere that gives you chills. I have not found another author so good at this since I read Agatha Christie and Daphne Du Maurier (Besides the similarities to The Turn of the Screw, it also reminds me a bit of Christie’s Crooked House).

And that ending?! I can’t wait to discuss it with other people

Five big stars for The Turn of The Key. I can’t wait for more from Ruth Ware.

The Turn of the Key

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