The Turn of the Key

This book kept my interest from cover to cover. I finished it this morning and the ending was a surprise. The story is about Rowan, who applies for a job as a nanny in an isolated home in Scotland. The story is written as a letter to a lawyer because Rowan is in prison for murder. Rowan seemed to care about children (for the most part) but I didn't care for the characters Sandra and Bill. Bill showed what he was right away by making a pass at Rowan when he first met her, but Sandra seemed OK but a little careless. Sandra gave Rowan a thick binder with minute instructions as to what the little girls should eat, and when, what they should wear, the games they should play, etc, but apparently saw nothing wrong or dangerous about them running around outside on the property which was huge, and playing around a "poison garden", and around pools filled with muddy water. And Sandra saw nothing wrong with leaving her girls, 5 and 8, with Rowan, whom they just met the day before. There was enough suspense the make the story interesting, and the story moved right along to the end. I like books with a good story line that doesn't get bogged down by a lot of "padding" and this book has none of that. It's right to the point, although it's supposed to be a letter. I overlooked that point and just enjoyed the suspense.

Wow! Ruth Ware proves once again that she is the reigning <b>Queen of Suspense!</b> This totally addictive <b>4 Star</b> thriller was worth the wait. <b>SUMMARY</b> This book is written as a letter to an attorney from a prisoner awaiting trial. The narrator is a nanny who is in prison for allegedly killing one of the small children in her care. The letter recounts the story of how this the narrator was happily working at a day care in London until she saw an ad for a live in nanny position. This job would be taking care of four kids in a large estate, with an exceptionally generous compensation package. Even though she wasn’t really looking for a new job, she applies immediately. Who wouldn’t? Before the interview, she is given a warning that the last several nannies have left quickly because of rumors that the house was haunted. Undaunted by the warning, after all, Rowan is not a superstitious person, she puts on her <i>perfect nanny</i> outfit, her <i>perfect nanny</i> personality and boards a train to Scotland for the interview. She is blown away by the enormous property and the large hybrid Victorian/ modern house. The mom, Sandra Ellencourt, seems to be a lovely person, the girls are adorable and although she didn’t have a chance to meet Bill, the father, Rowan really wants this job! And of course, since she is the main character and it’s her story, she gets the job. Almost as soon as she starts, she begins to realize what she’s gotten herself into. When she has been there less than twelve hours, both Bill and Sandra leave for a week long out of town conference. Yikes! The three girls who live at home are 1, 5 and 8 (the older daughter, 15 years old is away at boarding school). Since Rowan is the fifth nanny is six months time, they are not interested in making friends with her and are not at all happy to be left alone with her. In addition to the kids being a handful, the house is a smart house, totally wired with cameras. The lights, music system, door locks, shower, refrigerator etc are all on a smart system, which is great; until it malfunctions in the middle of the night. If only her problems were just misbehaving children who are tired of the nanny parade and absent parents... On her first day alone with the kids, weird things start to happen; doors locked that she didn’t lock, strange noises at night, the doorbell ringing when no one is there and it just gets creepier from there. Did I mention that there is a historic poison garden on the property?? That’s right, a <i>poison garden</i> that’s protected by some sort of historic heritage group. This job just keeps getting more and more weird. And to top it all off, from page one, hints are dropped that Rowan may be hiding something or she may have a hidden motive for being in Scotland. <b>WHAT I LOVED<b> This is exactly how I like my haunted thrillers; creepy, filled with the constant <i>is it or is it not really haunted</i> question and taking place in a big old house with a questionable past. You just never know if it’s going to being the a real ghost or not. It’s go fun speculating! I LOVE my Brit lit! Especially in a big old drafty, remote estate in rainy Scotland! And how amazing is it to read about people sweaters there in the summer while I’m sweating my butt off on Texas when it’s over 100 degrees and humid enough to ruin my hair within 5 minutes of being outside! Lots of love to the UK! I love what a disaster Rowan is. That girl is a hot mess! She is a terrible nanny, has horrible judgement and couldn’t talk her way out of a paper bag. Speaking of bags, she has a ton of baggage. She is not a bad person, but just seems to have no idea how to deal with children over the age of two. Speaking of being a mess; Sandra is an awful mother! Who would actually leave on an week plus long trip and stick their kids with someone she and her children barely know. On her first day on the job??? We won’t even get into Bill here, but a few choice descriptive words come to mind. While all the above mentioned factors make this book good, suspense is the real star of the show! Each day, there is some new oddity or coincidence that makes you wonder what is really happening. This would make a FANTASTIC movie! It would play out so well on screen. <b>WHAT I DIDN’T LOVE</b> I have to say the ending made me ANGRY! I need more resolution, a pretty package tied up in a neat little bow and preferably an epilogue that lets me know where all the characters stand later on down the road after all the dust settles. <b>OVERALL</b> Although the ending annoyed me, I would still recommend this book. Double thumbs up from me!

Perfect mysteries are the ones with a twist you do not see coming. This is so representative of Ruth Ware's talent. A must read

OK, I love Ruth Ware, and make a point to read every book of hers as soon as it comes out. I've never been disappointed, and I was especially excited about this one because of it's relation to The Turn of the Screw. Nerp. First of all I have to say that the hallmark of Ruth Ware's writing is in full display and totally up to par in this book. She has the ability to make one feel drunk, dizzy, sleepy, confused, crazy, and completely disoriented just by reading her books. IN A GOOD WAY. She's one of the only authors I know that can manage that. This is a book after all and has limitations. Ruth Ware somehow manages to do this with the written word which makes her books fun to read. Like going on a ride at an amusement park only without all the other people to annoy you and get in your way. So, if you are a fan of Ruth Ware's writing you will enjoy this just for the heady feeling you will get on every page. However, this book was lacking something I've found in other Ware books. I just think the ending kind of was a bit lazy. There are no explanations for some things. There's an entire character that really has no purpose for being in the book other than being a hot guy the main character lusts after. Also, I know there is always a bit of why "there's no way this would happen" AND/OR "If I were her I would have been out of here long ago" in Ruth Ware's books, but in this one I think it was more so than normal. It's explained in the end why she took this CRAZY gig in the first place, but still. Nope. No person would have done this. Mostly I also think that the mom of these kids and wife of the man should be in prison for being a horrendous mother. So, a decent book, but by far not the best Ruth Ware book. But I'll take the worst Ruth Ware book over most any other book, so there's that.

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

Uno de mis libros favoritos

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.