I have yet to read a Ruth Ware book that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy and The Turn of the Key is no exception!
Rowan Caine gets the job she desperately desires — to be a nanny to four children at a remote mansion in the countryside. What makes the position even more attractive is that it pays extremely well, which brings to mind the old cliche that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
The warning signs are all there. At the end of the job interview, one of the children pleads with Rowan that she shouldn’t live there because it’s not safe and the ghosts won’t like it. Four nannies have left in the past fourteen months. What drove them away? There are rumors and tales that the house (named Heatherbrae) is haunted. Could it be true? In the end, the salary overrides any hesitation or doubts.
The house is a character in the book as it plays a major role. Heatherbrae is a “smart” house, filled with surveillance equipment and the ability to turn on and off anything electrical by command, using an app named “Happy.” There are a few incidents where it seems to malfunction but such things do happen, right? The Turn of the Key serves as a warning to advancing the capabilities of a smart house because it shows the reader how things can go very wrong.
If the house isn’t trouble enough, Rowan has her hands full with a baby and two children that constantly challenge her. (The fourth one does as well but doesn’t show up until later). During a respite from the two children, Rowan refers to them and their behavior in the most unappealing way — “..Ellie’s uncomfortable misery, and Maddie’s bitter campaign of vengeance.”
The book starts off slow and I found myself expecting a twist or turn on every page. In fact, I felt as if I was waiting in anticipation for much of the book, which added to the suspense and intrigue. Trust me, your patience will pay off with all sorts of twists that will surprise and astonish you!
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