The Turn of the Key

I read this book in just under twenty-four hours, work and weekend permitting, in a couple of chunks because I found it extremely difficult to put down. From the first page to the earth-shattering climactic this novel had me enthralled. The writing just flows so well you don;t even realise you;re reading, you just immediately feel as if you're there, being told a creepily plausible story about a family living in a Scottish mansion. I had no idea what was going on, who was responsible, or what would happen next. There are three plot-twists - or revelations - I did not expect and the final one completely took me by surprise. A huge five stars, and I'll be looking at Ruth's back catalogue and keeping an eye out for her next release. This is the first book of Ware's I've read and I look forward to reading many more.

This could have been a great yarn, were it not for the inconsistencies and lack of continuity throughout. Ruth Ware has also written here about the remote Scottish countryside, clearly without doing any research. There are too many errors to mention. Ware says in the book that they’re using a Waitrose delivery service. The only Waitrose stores in Scotland are in Glasgow, Stirling, Helensburgh and Edinburgh. None of these would deliver to the location in this novel. In one part of the story, the children are wearing bright red pyjamas. Minutes later, they’re removing their big dressing gowns. Early in the book, Ware describes the sky as very dark and studded with stars. She then gets it right about five chapters later, conceding that June in the highlands of Scotland means 24 hour light. It NEVER gets dark in midsummer in Scotland. And why does she use such crass Americanisms as “fess up” and “the den”? These are the reading equivalent of nails on a blackboard. It’s OWN UP. And it’s LIVING ROOM. The book is clumsily written as if Ware just wanted to get it finished and move on to her next money-making project. Such a shame. Attention to detail is important. In this, she fails miserably.

This is my first acquaintance with the novels of Ruth Ware. It won’t be the last. This seems to me at the very top of that genre, the psychological thriller. I am very tempted to award it 5, but there are problems. The structure of the story rests on an implausible situation – an extended(!) letter to the lawyer Wrexham, written from the current residence of the central character, Rowan – a cell in a women’s prison. Ruth Ware’s attempt to merge a plea for help with a story that holds the reader’s attention cannot really work. Apart from other considerations, the order in which information is conveyed to us is at odds with any semblance of realism as far as the letter is concerned. Even if the letter is more a therapeutic exercise it is still unconvincing.However, if we can make that leap of suspending disbelief over this issue, then we are soon thrust into the midst of a totally compulsive story. What separates the author from her contemporaries and rivals is the quality of the writing and above all the characterisation of the children, the house keeper Jean McKenzie, Jack and the parents, largely present via the advanced communication system built into their home.The home is crucial. Isolated in the Highlands of Scotland it is an extraordinary fusion of the old and the new. Past and present are key themes in this subtle, complex narrative. The setting is powerfully atmospheric. Few novels are so genuinely spine-chilling without any lashings of gratuitous violence. Rowan is not only the centre of the mystery but also a fully credible human being. If what marks out a superior mystery story is that we are held as much by each page as by a desire to discover an explanation of events, then this has the makings of a classic of its kind.Ruth Ware builds up a powerful momentum culminating in an original climax. Whether this climax lives up to the reader’s expectations will, I suppose, vary from one person to another. She has certainly set herself a major challenge. By the end our expectations are at fever pitch.For me this was an immensely satisfying read. I thoroughly recommend the novel as well above other more celebrated ventures in this field.

I went into this book with so much apprehension, simply because of the amount of positive hype that is surrounding this book and I didn't want to be disappointed, especially after reading Ruth Wares other book "The Woman in Cabin 10", which I didn't really enjoy. I didn't need to be worried as this book blew me away!It is really well written and had me racing through the pages, jumping from present times to past, hinting at events that have happened but not giving you enough information to spoil the plot, but giving you enough to have tease you and get you hooked. The whole writing style was different to anything than I have read in a while, written in the form of letters and I liked that, as it added an extra layer or realness to the story and to the character. There was mystery that was held throughout and how it was handled was great and it captivated me entirely. It is one of the few books where I was so fully engrossed in the story itself that I didn't actually figure out the ending, none of the plots and I loved that! They took me by surprise and this book will stay with me!. This is absolutely my favourite book that I've read of 2020. Hands down!!

A child is dead and Rowan Caine tries to explain what happened to her potential lawyer while she awaits a murder trial.Rowan is stuck in a joyless life – friends are travelling, overlooked for promotion and her boss hates her. When a nanny position in the Scottish Highlands comes up, she jumps at the chance to interview as it offers a substantial salary, a live-in post in the stunningly refurbished Heatherbrae House and a chance of escape. She meets with the mother of the 4 children and they hit it off. She also meets the two middle children who are sweet yet shy and accepts the position.While the parents are away for work, the 'smart' house that is wired with automatic lighting, security cameras, control panels with iPad access and all modern convenience starts to act up. Lights turn on and off, music blares throughout the house in the middle of the night and she gets locked out of the system. This along with strange noises, secret rooms and weird occurrences quickly rattle her. It becomes clear that the children are not as well behaved as she first thought - Maddie is devious and manipulates her younger sister Ellie. Added to that a teenager who runs wild when home from boarding school. As her control dwindles and her management of the situation deteriorates events take a deadly turn.Rowan's retelling of events reveals she has kept secrets. As her world unravels, she confesses that she lied to get the nanny position and reacted inappropriately at times to the children's behaviour but she is not guilty of murder. But if she didn’t do it, who did?🌟🌟🌟🌟. This is a cross between a psychological haunted house thriller and a murder mystery. The format of letters from Rowan while in prison to a lawyer as she strives to prove her innocence while setting out the events as they unfolded made for a compelling narrative. The house had a creepy vibe and ominous atmosphere which built tension and suspense as the story progressed. Plenty of twists, turns and shocking revelations gripped the last page.