Bookseller Reviews
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Surely she didn't do it.......
The job; Live in Nanny.
The pay; £55,000 a year.
The catch? 3 children of young age( One away at boarding school) 2 dogs and one house that has one foot in... READ MORE
Spooky and original, edge of my seat reading!
I've just finished this fantastic thriller from Ruth Ware, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm a fan of crime, mystery and a good old fashioned ghost story, al... READ MORE
Compelling and chilling in equal measure
Very much enjoyed this suspenseful and very readable 'supernatural' thriller. The sense of growing unease as more and more unusual things happen was entert... READ MORE
Chilling, creepy and fantastic!
A fantastic, chilling story of a job position that is almost too good to be true, hidden truths and a gorgeous Victorian house full of history.
I absolut... READ MORE
Thrilling read
A seriously well written book brimming with satisfyingly flowing prose and more twists and turns than even the best domestic thriller. Terrified me at time... READ MORE
A Must Read for Anyone
I love Ruth Ware but this has to be her best! You will not want to put it down as she takes you on a thrilling ride of suspense I have not read in a long t... READ MORE
Extremely Creepy
An extremely gripping and creepy story based in Scotland. Told in the form of a letter from the accused to her solicitor, it tells the story of her tim... READ MORE
Atmospheric and tense
A brilliant romp of a thriller. I read the whole thing in 2 days as I couldn't put it down. It gave a very modern twist to the classic ghost story. I will ... READ MORE
Synopsis
Waterstones Thriller of the Month for April 2020
When she stumbles across the advert, she's looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss.
A live-in nanny position, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan 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 her in a cell awaiting trial for murder.
She knows she's made mistakes. But, she maintains, she's not guilty - at least not of murder. Which means someone else is.
Full of spellbinding menace, The Turn of the Key is a gripping modern-day haunted house thriller from the pen of Ruth Ware.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Vintage Publishing
- ISBN: 9781784708092
- Number of pages: 352
- Dimensions: 199 x 129 x 21 mm
- Weight: 244g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allSeriously Creepy !
The Turn of the Key is a brilliantly written book .The story is told through the letters written to her Lawyer by Rowan the Nanny who is now in prison awai... READ MORE
Ghosts at the Scottish highlands
The current novel is Ms Ware's fifth published book. All are centered around different themes; all quite engrossing and generally impossible to put down w... READ MORE
High up on the creepy scale!
After reading The Death of Mrs Westaway, I was immediately hooked on Ruth's style, in particular the sense of place, and the expert characterisation. It wa... READ MORE
Suspenseful, secretive psychological thriller.
Suspenseful, secretive psychological thriller.
Ruth Ware has done it again even better this time with a combination of modern technology and a sense of b... READ MORE
Loved it
I loved this thriller!
I read The Turn of the Screw by Henry James a few times in university, and I loved it. I was excited to see what would happen in th... READ MORE
Well Written Creepy, Twisted Story.
This was a well written novel. The story unfolds through letters written to a lawyer by Rowan, as she is in custody awaiting trial. Rowan who is the childr... READ MORE
A chilling, intense read that is wicked and compelling.
With echoes of Henry James, the title here is an homage to that author, and a fitting nod to the similarity of situations, if not to the plot overall.
Row... READ MORE
A good read.
Rowan is fed up with her job at the nursery, she is missing her friend who has gone travelling & wants a change. When she reads an ad for a nanny in Scotla... READ MORE
Scarily Wonderful!
Thought provoking, descriptive, and annoyingly exciting cliff-hanger chapters. I was lucky enough to read this on the Pigeonhole app before publication, wi... READ MORE
Cleverly plotted, well-developed characters, several surprises
The latest offering by Ruth Ware does not disappoint! At first I wondered why the story was told in the form of a letter but once the initial attempts to w... READ MORE
Stunning
Thanks to Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#TheTurnOfTheKey #NetGalley
Ruth Ware just keeps ... READ MORE
Full of twists and surprises!
(Rounded up from a 3.5 star)
When Rowan stumbles across an advert for a live-in nanny post with an amazing salary she drops everything to apply for what s... READ MORE
Fab Read
This is an easy read with a story that just flows to the point that you don’t want to put it down. Keeps you on the edge of your seat right to the end. I h... READ MORE
THE TURN OF THE KEY
You were kept in suspense the whole way through with a very surprising ending.
A great crime thriller to get your teeth into and solve the murder.
Rowan takes a job as a nanny that is too good to be true. This job turns out to be a nightmare, where a child ends up dead. Everyone thinks Rowan killed he... READ MORE
The turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers and also Pigeonhole for the ARC, which I have thoroughly enjoyed reading.
I have read books of Ruth Ware before... READ MORE
Compelling and heart breaking
I couldn't put this down and devoured it in just a couple of days. Suitably creepy which I loved, the backdrop of the house and its history was dark and om... READ MORE
I am afraid this book didn't quite hit the mark for me,
I am afraid this book didn't quite hit the mark for me, and if I am being honest, it bored me. Following a nanny, as she acclimatises her new job (almost a... READ MORE
Well worth the purchase
First book in ages that I have sped through. The plot line was tense and nervy, but you needed to get to the ending. From Rowan's first visit to the grand ... READ MORE
A gripping read full of gothic suspense and mystery
Extremely hard to put down!
I read this in 2 sittings over a weekend, I just could not put it down. It's been a long time since I was last gripped by a book. I'm not going to mention ... READ MORE
Good read!
Child nanny, Rowan is currently working for the nursery Little Nippers when she spots an advert for a live in nanny up in remote Highlands Scotland for a f... READ MORE
Creepy!!
This book is creepy.
Ruth Ware creates a tense and questionable atmosphere throughout the whole book, constantly making the reader want to read more. This... READ MORE
Henry James screwed
Didn't finish it. When I realised what it was based on could only despair. Just read the original for a great read. Then read it again. Turn of the Sc... READ MORE
Great read
Great read and kept me guessing.
Will keep you on the edge of your seat!
When Rowan gets a job as a nanny working at Heatherbrae House she thinks it’s the answer to all her problems: a generous salary for a live-in position at a... READ MORE
Superb
I don't think I've read a Ruth Ware book before, I had heard good things about her though.
This book however, seemed like just the kind of escape my brain ... READ MORE
A very good book, highly recommended
It's the first book I read by Ruth Ware and won't surely be the last.
I started it at nighttime at my house in the country I couldn't put it down but after... READ MORE
An excellent holiday read and a well-deserved sure-fire bestseller.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but it won’t be the last. Time to add her backlist to my to-be-read pile.
It is a first person narrative w... READ MORE
Second thoughts
This is the first Ruth Ware book I’ve read so I wasn’t sure what to expected - but equally, super excited.
I was hooked from the first few pages and fell... READ MORE
A solid psychological thriller
This has all of the hallmarks of a typical psychological thriller. The prose is serviceable - not beautifully constructed sentences but getting a reader fr... READ MORE
Almost like a modern-day ghost story.
This story starts with an accused woman incarcerated in jail awaiting trial for a crime she claims she is innocent of.
Pleading by letter with a Mr Wrexham... READ MORE
Disappointed...
Unfortunately I have to say I’m disappointed. This book is okay, nothing more than mediocre. In fact I’m unsure as to why a) there’s so many highly rated r... READ MORE
Mystery in the Scottish Highlands
This is another great instalment from Ruth Ware. She really can hold suspense and keep the reader hooked right up until the very end. This is a dark myster... READ MORE
Turn of the key
Gripping, unable to leave the glorious highlands of Scotland and a murderer stalking an isolated hotel, brilliant.
Tense and creepy
Rowen gets a new job looking after a family in a large house, but from her first night there, unexplained events take place while the children are openly h... READ MORE
Brilliant
Haven’t read such an engaging book in a long time
Brilliant plot - kept me in the dark to the end
Thoroughly enjoyed it - more please
Ruth ware turn of the key
I thought this book was very disappointing.
The storyline was boring and I eventually gave up
Turn the Key
Excellent, I could not put the book down, I read it in two sittings!! I have now ordered all of her books.
Just in case
I have not yet read this book. It is to take on holiday if ever we can go.
Lets twist
That many twist I was a bit dizzy after reading but very enjoyable read.
A haunted house like no other!
I couldn't stop reading, with every new bit of information leading to new theories and suspicions before you know it you've read a 100 pages. Full of suspe... READ MORE
A real page-turner!
Couldn't put this book down and finished it in a couple of days. The story keeps you hooked with constant 'twists and turns'. Passed it on to my mum afterw... READ MORE
The turn of the key
This book was unputdownable I practically devoured it in one day , definitely the best book I read during lockdown.
The Turn of the Key: Ruth Ware. A gripping read
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, set in a remote Scottish area. It took me only a couple of days to finish it. The main character Rowan has my sympathy for... READ MORE
Did not finish
I know it's heresy, but I am a dissenting voice on Ruth Ware. I read both The Death of Mrs Westaway and The Woman in Cabin 10 and thought they were both 'o... READ MORE
Exciting and suspenseful
When Rowan is offered a prestigious live-in nanny position with a huge salary, she can't believe her luck. The job will require relocating from London to t... READ MORE
Wonderfully written, dark, and utterly compelling
Breath taking
WoW . This book is breath taking! You think you have figured everything out but at the end BOOM surprise!
If you love suspense I would definitely recommen... READ MORE
A great thriller which stands out from the others
This is another great instalment from Ruth Ware. She really can hold suspense and keep the reader hooked right up until the very end. This is a dark myster... READ MORE
Looking forward to it...
In my pile of Lockdown books, I'm working my way through. I'm sure it will be fab!
The Turn Of The Key
Enjoyed this book,read it in 2 days
Overused Plot Twist
This book was underwhelming, this is the third thriller I've read this year with this plot twist!