The Turn of the Key

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware ISBN 9781784708092

New nanny working for a family living in a remote home in Scotland. They can't seem to hold on to a nanny, all leaving the place after the house appears to be haunted with its dark history and secrets... A child dies while in her care....Here is her story.

A unique way of writing since the main character wasn't for me, at all likeable and while the format is through letters she's writing to a lawyer from prison , it's a novel approach, the way she formats her book, but not unheard of. I've read many books set out this way and its not more difficult than reading it as if it were a diary.

When Rowan, a young nanny who lives in London, comes across for an ad seeking a nanny to live in a remote area of Scotland, it sounds way too good to be true. The pay is too good to turn down, the house.. breathtaking, and the family seem welcoming and maybe this is the perfect fit . She is warned that previous nannies have quit due to the house being spooky and eerie and full of ghosts... she pays no heed to the warning, she doesn't believe in ghosts. She manages to secure the position, packs up her life and moves to the lush greenery and peace of Scotland. Little does she know that dark secrets never remain hidden.

One of most fascinating parts about The Turn of the Key is the house!. The whole place is full to the brim with technology and runs off an app... That's pretty cool by any standards but right there, wouldn't that make you wonder why a house, that sits in a place full of tranquility and rolling hills, needs to be loaded to the hilt with more gadgets than a computer store? The whole place called Heatherbrae (nice name), it takes on a life of its very own.
The house itself, is my favourite part of the whole book. Gothic and intriguing. Would I spend the night there? NO!

The Turn of the Key is told only through Rowan's eyes, as she tells us what led to her arrest through a series of letters to a solicitor. Rowan isn't the best at the truth and you never fully know what's real or embellished. While this type of narrative style can be annoying and wearing, I found that it was a clever way for us to get a more detailed account of Rowens time at Heatherbrae. One just needs to continue to question whether or not her version of events is accurate.

There are a few twists and turns and you will be lead on a merry chase. I found it a little predictable and I found myself getting annoyed with the pace a few times but I really enjoyed it for the most part. I maybe, would have liked another characters point of view for balance. Could have come as newspaper articles or a diary maybe. I felt a little unbalanced but I can totally see what the author was trying to accomplish. It was slow in places but the build up with nice and steady and you can really feel the pull of a big surprise coming.

She finished the book with a bang and it was worth the slow pace to get to the gooey end. I love Ruths work so I already was a little in love with the book before I read it and I wasn't disappointed.

If you are looking for a gritty but slower paced psychological thriller than this is the read for you. It was a fascinating read. 4 stars out of 5!