The Turn of the Key
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 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.
“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 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.
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✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI
Readers say *The Turn of the Key* by Ruth Ware is a suspenseful, atmospheric thriller blending modern tech with a creepy vibe that keeps readers engag...
I went into this book, feeling hesitant. I’ve read one Ruth Ware book, and I felt unsatisfied, then I tried to read another but ended up DNF-ing it.
So my track record with Ruth Ware is iffy, to say the least.
I ended up being pleasantly surprised. I felt this book was very atmospheric combined with the juxtaposition of a super modern smart house and the creepy haunting vibe that this book elicited.
I did like one twist in particular, but I wasn’t blown away by the ending.
Compared to her other work that I read, this book was definitely a vast improvement. I’m thinking I will eventually pick up her next release.
So my track record with Ruth Ware is iffy, to say the least.
I ended up being pleasantly surprised. I felt this book was very atmospheric combined with the juxtaposition of a super modern smart house and the creepy haunting vibe that this book elicited.
I did like one twist in particular, but I wasn’t blown away by the ending.
Compared to her other work that I read, this book was definitely a vast improvement. I’m thinking I will eventually pick up her next release.
Overall, "The Turn of the Key" is a gripping tale that keeps readers on edge, unraveling the complexities of trust, ambition, and the dark secrets that can lurk behind seemingly perfect facades.
Wow! What a story. I felt like I was right there in Heatherbrae house. The ending of course leaves some things open ended. But it’s just perfect. Another great book from Ruth Ware.
This is a modern day ghost story set in a spooky, remote mansion with locked doors, high tech technology, and a poisonous garden. When Rowan stumbles across the ad for the nanny job, she was looking for something completely different but it was too good an opportunity to pass up. However, she didn't expect all that awaited her at Heatherbrae House. I like how the story starts as a series of letters from Rowan to a solicitor (lawyer) asking for help for a murder she didn't do. I was intrigued. This isn't your typical ghost story. It had just the right amount of creepiness & suspense. What was making those sounds? Or was it all in Rowan's head? So why only 3 stars? Well, I just couldn't believe that a couple would leave a brand new nanny with 3 young children while they go out of town for work meetings for days. They didn't even know her. A 200 page binder full of instructions (from the allowed snack food to how to control everything in the house on a touchpad) was a bit much. we find out Roman isn't perfect either. She did get the job under false pretense, after all. I liked the very last twist at the end (last letter) but I had a hard time believing what the letter said.
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