New Release Review: The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
Ruth Ware returns with a gripping, eerie mystery. The delivery of The Turn of the Key is likely to be a hit or miss among readers, but the writing style worked for me. The story is told by the main character, Rowan, who is recounting events in detail through lengthy letters to a solicitor. Rowan could be considered an unreliable narrator, though she maintains her innocence throughout. The initial pacing of the plot was slow, but as the suspense really began to build the story gained momentum and I was glued to the pages. The overall atmosphere of the novel was creepy, tense, mysterious, and twisted. When character motivations were revealed I was surprised and eager to see what else was in store, what more was to come. I tried to take a guess at who or what was responsible for the disturbing behavior and the crime, and I only got it all right at the last possible moment. The end revelation brought forth a final understanding/realization...I only wish there was more to it- the conclusion- I felt underwhelmed and needed a bit more. All in all, this was an entertaining story. If you're interested in a Gothic style thriller, consider reading The Turn of the Key.
**Complimentary copy for review provided by Simon and Schuster Canada. All opinions expressed here are honest and entirely my own.**
Read the official plot synopsis below or visit Ruth Ware's website for more info!
P L O T :
*As found on Goodreads
When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss—a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten—by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this 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 herself in prison awaiting trial for murder. Writing to her lawyer from prison, she struggles to explain the unravelling events that led to her incarceration. It wasn’t just the constant surveillance from the cameras installed around the house, or the malfunctioning technology that woke the household with booming music, or turned the lights off at the worst possible time. It wasn’t just the girls, who turned out to be a far cry from the immaculately behaved model children she met at her interview. It wasn’t even the way she was left alone for weeks at a time, with no adults around apart from the enigmatic handyman, Jack Grant. It was everything. She knows she’s made mistakes. She admits that she lied to obtain the post, and that her behavior toward the children wasn’t always ideal. She’s not innocent, by any means. But, she maintains, she’s not guilty—at least not of murder. Which means someone else is.
