Title: The Turn of the Key
Author: Ruth Ware
Published: August 20th 2019
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia
Pages: 352
Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
RRP: $32.99
Rating: 5 stars
Full of spellbinding menace, The Turn of the Key is a gripping modern-day haunted house thriller from international bestseller Ruth Ware.
IT WAS THE DREAM JOB. IT WOULD BECOME HER WORST NIGHTMARE.
‘So clever and original . . . from the first gripping page to the last shocking twist’ ERIN KELLY, author of He Said/She Said
When Rowan stumbles across the advert, it seems like too good an opportunity to miss: a live-in nanny position, with a very generous salary. And when she arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten by the luxurious ‘smart’ home fitted out with all modern conveniences by a 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 cell awaiting trial for murder.
She knows she’s made mistakes. But she’s not guilty – at least not of murder. Which means someone else is…
Review:
The Sunday Times and New York Times Bestseller Ruth Ware returns with The Turn of the Key, a modern gothic novel, with whispers of the classic ghost story, The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. The Turn of the Key is a modern day mystery set in the Scottish Highlands. A young woman gets much more than she bargained for when she accepts a posting to Heatherbrae, a country mansion in need of a nanny. This dream job becomes a nightmare position as the ghosts of the past appear before the nanny’s eyes.
Rowan wasn’t looking for a new job, she thought she was happy in her day care position in the city. However, the lure of a country posting in the stunning Scottish Highlands convinces the young woman to become a live in nanny, which comes with a well remunerated pay cheque. When Rowan begins her new position, she must contend with an old and groaning house, with an advanced technology home system. Heatherbrae is governed by a sophisticated in home app, that operates everything from the lights, to the shower, and the fridge. Things soon take a difficult turn when the young children Rowan has moved to Scotland to care for make it clear they are not happy with their new nanny. With the young children playing pranks on her, long hours of employment, a lack of sleep and strange occurrences, Rowan lands herself in hot water. The reader learns very early on in the story that Rowan is in jail murder. The story of how Rowan ended up in jail is gradually revealed as the book progresses. Is Rowan really capable of murder, or was something more sinister at work, plotting her demise?
Ruth Ware is the author of four previous books that have all been smash hits. The worldwide bestseller is considered to be a masterful suspense writer and a modern day Agatha Christie. I have enjoyed each Ruth Ware book I have read and she seems to be getting better with each new release.
Rowan, the lead of the novel, begins her compelling and puzzling story via a series of unwritten and abandoned letters written to her solicitor in her jail cell. The sense of foreboding and the ultimate destruction of Rowan is established very early on the piece. These letters provide the reader with an instant guide to the unfolding story, setting the scene for what is to come. These letters also seemed to offer a sense of dread, and I felt sick to my stomach while reading them, but I was also intrigued by Rowan’s predicament. Rowan is an interesting figure, she is independent, but also vulnerable. Rowan has moments of pure strength, but in the same breath she is weak and fragile. There were moments in this book when I had to question her reliability as a narrator, but on the whole I seemed to be able to trust Rowan, until one of the major plot twists occurred – very last minute too!
The opportunity Rowan takes up at Heatherbrae really is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It seems too good to be true and I did question the posting, I definitely had my suspicions! Ware’s narrative is full of intrigue, unclear boundaries and mistrust. Adding to the swirling atmosphere is the absence of the parents of the children in Rowan’s care, the strange staff employed at Heatherbrae, and the highly automated ‘happy app’. The happp app is an advanced home system that governs everything on the estate. This is an odd mix, a dichotomy between the modern trappings of technology, and old world times. Ware succeeds in creating a strong ghostly presence, that is exacerbated by the surveillance technology of this modern day smart home.
Heatherbrae itself is a stunning character, it has a strong bearing over the novel. This abode marked by a tragic history. We learn that a child was poisoned, a tormented scientist inhabited Heatherbrae, a poison garden surrounds the grounds and there is an attic full of secrets. When things go bump in the night, the temperature drops to freezing, and keys go missing, the explanations are not rational. This adds to the dark and haunting tone of the novel. I appreciated the way in which Ware was able to conjure this surreal world. Ware compliments the strong atmosphere of her novel with picturesque setting. The Scottish Highlands and surrounds come alive thanks to Ware’s prose. A trip to the Highlands is a must after reading The Turn of the Key.
Indulge in a spot of eerie and dark happenings, thanks to the masterful prose of Ruth Ware. The Turn of the Key is an engrossing novel, that deftly interchanges the old with the new. Suspicion, paranoia, surveillance, family relations, all shrouded in a dark history defines this magnificent thriller. The Turn of the Key is utterly unmissable!
The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware was published on 20th August 2019 by Penguin Books Australia. Details on how to purchase the book can be found here.
To learn more about the author of The Turn of the Key, Ruth Ware, visit here.
*I wish to thank Penguin Books Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
