The Turn of the Key: From the author of The It Girl, read a gripping psychological thriller that will leave you wanting more

Ruth Ware

Aug 2019 · Random House

About this ebook

THEIR DREAM HOUSE WILL BECOME HER WORST NIGHTMARE

'Ruth Ware just gets better and better' Lisa Jewell, bestselling author of The Night She Disappeared

'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

'Deliciously dark and spooky' Sunday Mirror

'Powerfully atmospheric, unguessably twisty' Louise Candlish, bestselling author of Our House

Ratings and reviews

🄱🄾🄾🄺 🅁🄴🅅🄸🄴🅆 🄾🄵 THE TURN OF THE KEY by Ruth Ware ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rowan wasn’t even looking for another job when she saw an advert for a nanny’s post in Scotland, with a very generous salary. It seemed too good an opportunity to miss out on. When she arrived at Heatherbrae House in private grounds on the beautiful Scottish Highlands, with the beauty of a Victorian home fitted with technology that would make NASA jealous, she was smitten. She couldn’t have known then that she was careering into a nightmare, which would see a child dead, and her in prison, accused of murder. This is the first book by Ruth Ware that I have read, and I couldn’t have had a better introduction. This was a work of art. The more you think you can see of the story, the deeper the mystery becomes. The story was the right sort of creepy and occasionally a little uncomfortable to read. Once in a while I sat, just contemplating what I would do in Rowan’s position. This book is written in first person, as a letter from Rowan to a lawyer, pleading with him to represent her. Feeling railroaded by Police, and abandoned by her Legal Aid solicitor, Rowan was desperate for help. Child killers are popular targets of even the most hardened of criminals. Her letter attempted to explain how all her best laid plans started unravelling in front of her. Her attempts at making friends with the children are rebuffed, the technology felt intrusive and claustrophobic with very few places she could go without being monitored by the Alexa-esque “Happy” system. My home is pretty well connected with Alexa everywhere, but Happy ran literally everything from door locks and stereos to curtains and shower settings. The feeling that she was being constantly watched remotely by Sandra or Bill Elincourt was palpable. Rowan was kind of likeable, with an “I’m glad you aren’t looking after MY kids” vibe going on. As her story unfolds, her sad childhood is revealed, which allowed me to get a real sense of empathy toward her. I felt no such affinity with the children until later in the story, and while Sandra Elincourt was clearly a doting mother juggling her love of her children with the need to work, I took an almost instant dislike to Bill Elincourt.What an absolute creep! As each gentle twist was revealed, my idea of what was happening fell apart, and I felt genuinely anxious as I approached the inevitable end. Overall, this is now my favourite book of 2021 so far, hence the five stars, and look forward to reading more from Ruth Ware.

The story was great. At a point you'll feel like it's a horror story and at some point a murder mystery. But the ending was a bit disastrous. I didn't expect such a simple answer for such a huge effort(not mine).

Really good book. Great storyline and lots of surprises along the way.

About the author

Ruth Ware is an international number one bestseller. Her thrillers In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Lying Game, The Death of Mrs Westaway and The Turn of the Key have appeared on bestseller lists around the world, including the Sunday Times and New York Times. Her books have been optioned for TV and film and she is published in more than 40 languages. Ruth lives near Brighton with her family. Visit ruthware.com to find out more.