Book Review | The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

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Hello, fellow readers! One of my most anticipated reads for 2019 was The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware. I read all of her books last summer and fell in love with her ability to tell a story. When I was sent an ARC of her newest release, I could not believe it! I am so grateful to Scout Press for sending me a review copy.

Plot

Rowan, a full time nanny, finds a listing for the perfect job as a private, line-in nanny for a family in the Scottish Highlands. She was not looking for a new job, but the timing was perfect and the salary was right. When she arrives at the secluded home, she discovers the owners have installed “smart home” technology in almost every room of the house, including her bedroom. Everything in the home, from the lights to the locks on the doors, can be controlled using the app on Rowan’s phone. As each day passes, more and more unexplainable things begin to happen in the home, and Rowan finds herself accused of the unthinkable.

Review

Ruth Ware’s writing style is perfection in The Turn of the Key. Some of her previous books have been a little too lengthy and took too long to get to the point, but I feel like she has finally found the perfect pacing for gothic suspense stories. Secluded settings are my absolute favorite in a mystery/thriller novel, and this house was full of its own history and mysteries despite being updated with modern technology. I thought I would find the “smart home” aspect cheesy, but it worked perfectly for this story. Ware was also able to throw me off with two twists that I didn’t see coming at all.

So the ending… The only fault I ever have with Ruth Ware’s books are her endings. The Turn of the Key left me wanting a little bit more. It also was not as shocking as I hoped because there were really only a couple of ways this one could have ended. I did figure out the overall ending (because again, there were few possibilities), but the twists I did not guess made up for the less than thrilling ending.

Final Thoughts

I have gone back and forth on a rating for The Turn of the Key. I feel like I was comparing this to Lock Every Door by Riley Sager too much because the general story was very similar (main character in a building with a mysterious past and a lot of rules, creepy things begin to happen). So my expectations were probably too high since I never would have guessed the ending of Lock Every Door.

Ultimately, I am giving The Turn of the Key five stars because I enjoyed every second of this book, even if I did guess the ending. I was so mad every night when I had to put the book down and go to bed because I just wanted to know what would happen next.