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.

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Published May 12, 2020

384 pages

Average rating: 7.32

545 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *The Turn of the Key* by Ruth Ware is a suspenseful, atmospheric thriller with intense mystery and creepy moments that keep readers engage...

Cresta McGowan
Dec 25, 2025
4/10 stars
I hated the kids and “Rowan’s” inability to deal with them. My first and last Ruth Ware book.
Charlieswife4ever!
Sep 21, 2025
10/10 stars
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.
Kristin Rose
Nov 01, 2024
10/10 stars
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.
Enid Cangiano
Dec 29, 2025
6/10 stars
I finished this last night and hmm.. I am still on the fence not quite sure how I feel about how this ended,, it definitely wasn't what I had expected, it was like Wth and no way type of feeling for me. I think my mistake was reading the goodreads summary of the book, it takes the suspense out of it.
For the most part the story kept me interested and sometimes creeped my out but as an overall finish this one kind of missed the mark for me.

I feel there could've been some elements that would've wrapped up or tied up this story a lot better, I don't know maybe it was just me but some of the characters didn't make sense the way it was tied up in the end to me, so unfortunately I rate this a 3 star. This has not been a favorite of Ruth Ware's writing which is sad because I love her books. But I will still recommend it since reading is subjective and just because I wasn't a huge fan doesn't mean someone else won't like it.

The suspense is intense and I did like the mystery aspect.
DLB
Dec 14, 2025
8/10 stars
A real page turner. Written from the main character looking back and relating what transpired. Didn't think I would like that, but it worked for this story.

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