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NSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Lying Game, and The Death of Mrs. Westaway comes Ruth Ware’s highly anticipated fifth novel.

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.

Full of spellbinding menace and told in Ruth Ware’s signature suspenseful style, The Turn of the Key is an unputdownable thriller from the Agatha Christie of our time.

sooo late to this but hoping to get into this book and the other ruth one this weekend!

****************RESTARTING APRIL 6TH 2020***********

24% (view spoiler)[ Rowen seems nice enough in her memories but i don't like the way she handles children.
Apart from that i am dying to know more about those supposed ghosts Maddie talked about and, of course, get to know who committed the murder. I guess that Maddie was the one who died. (hide spoiler)]

23% - (view spoiler)[Rowan seems fake... Maybe that isn't her real name? She seems pretty off for a nanny and more when Petra throw her the food. I wouldn't be able to work in a haunted house far less with children but can't wait to see what happens. (hide spoiler)]

44% (view spoiler)[ Sooooo, stuff has happened and it is safe to say that Rowen seems to dislike children and is quite paranoid.
Especially that scene where Jack finds the key and she starts jumping to conclusions.
I also really dislike Maddie, although i guess that they have a reason to behave as badly as they are doing right now. (hide spoiler)]

47% - (view spoiler)[I just remember why I won't work as a nanny. I don't know if Rowan is paranoid but if I saw everything she seem and heard I would run away as fast as I could. I still think she is lying about her past in some way and maybe will be related soon. I want to know which kid died. (hide spoiler)]

67% - (view spoiler)[I got goosebumps the whole time Rowan went to open the door and then go to her room and those noises began. I want to know already where this is going, I have no theories left and why Rhiannon arrive I don't know what to expect but we'll see. (hide spoiler)]

74% (view spoiler)[ I want to trust Jack so badly but somehow i can't vibe with him. I get the impression that he is more involved than he would let you to believe.
Apart from that, I'm starting to believe that Rowan might actually not be as innocent as she claims to be. (hide spoiler)]

80% (view spoiler)[ I'm really fucking confused.
Rhionnon is the dead girl and Rowen has taken over Rachel's identity since she has left, or what? (hide spoiler)]

82% - (view spoiler)[I KNEW IT! It was so obvious Rowan was her fake ID, the way she acts when people call her and the way she remembers every little piece about her CV it was obvious. The attic scene was so damn creepy I don't know if even Jack is part of all of this and I think Rhiannon is the dead girl. But still I wanna know why they want to get rid of the nanny so much? There is something missing. (hide spoiler)]

Finished - (view spoiler)[I wasn't expecting that. To be honest, it never occur me that Rachel was Bill's daughter or neither Ellie kill Maddie, poor little thing. So it seems that Rachel never went out of prison and neither send those letter to Mr. Wrexham because she knew that Ellie kill Maddie, this book is fucked up in so many levels. I was a little surprised Jean wrote to Rachel, it was kinda cute not gonna lie. I have so many theories and none were true besides Rowan's ID. (hide spoiler)]

This book was good, not gonna lie.

Circe wrote: "Finished - [spoilers removed]

This book was good, not gonna lie."

right? the books and its development was fantastic but i so did not like the ending (view spoiler)[ Ellie being the killer and all... (hide spoiler)]

@Isabel (view spoiler)[I was a little sad Rachel didn't proof her innocence but she also loved her sisters more than anything. Also, Ellie is a kid, it a little fucked up but she is a kid and didn't know what she was doing. (hide spoiler)]

Circe wrote: "@Isabel [spoilers removed]"

that's quite true, the ending just didn't sit well with me but i'll be, for sure, be checking out some other Ruth Ware novels hahah!

@Isabel Count me in! I want to read The Woman in Cabin 10. Also, pm whenever you will like to buddy read other books, it was awesome!

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RESTARTING AUGUST 1ST, 2022

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14% (view spoiler)[I never read unreliable narrator stuff, but the letter form seems to make this a good unreliable narrator. I've heard Ruth Ware was a well-liked name in the mystery genre, and so far I'm really liking how many questions are already coming up. What's the deal with all the hauntings and death surrounding the house? (hide spoiler)]

35% (view spoiler)[So clearly someone doesn't want nannies in the house. My bets are on Jean, but that's almost too obvious at the same time. And having this much technology freaks me out, it's why I never want to get an Echo or Alexa or anything. (hide spoiler)]

74% (view spoiler)[Oh, a creepy attic with terrifying writing that Maddie's been saying, dead birds, and china dolls. Lovely.

I don't suspect Jack, but I don't know who to suspect. Especially since we don't even know which of the children die, though my bets are on Ellie. (hide spoiler)]

83% (view spoiler)[Wait, so she's actually Rachel? And what exactly is the motive? What's going on here? And, does the real Rowan know about this? I knew there was some unreliable narrator stuff going on here. (hide spoiler)]

Isabel wrote: "80% (view spoiler)[I'm really fucking confused.
Rhionnon is the dead girl and Rowen has taken over Rachel's identity since she has left, or what? (hide spoiler)]"

(view spoiler)[Wait, how do you get that Rihannon is Elpseth? Didn't she die years and years ago? Or maybe I'm getting the timeline wrong. Hmm...but I do suspect Rihannon of something. (hide spoiler)]

93% (view spoiler)[Wait, WTF. Am I just clueless or was there absolutely NO lead up to that? How...??? And that's what she was hiding? (hide spoiler)]

FINISHED (view spoiler)[Okay, that ending was depressing. At first it wasn't, but then it sunk in that none of the letters were ever sent or received and I'm not sure how I can handle that. Did that mean that Jean and Ellie's letters were never sent or received either? (hide spoiler)]

Got around to this one!

19% : (view spoiler)[Wow it is so clear from Sandra's behaviour that they've definitely got something to hide, she is trying to hard to sell the job and I feel angry at Rowan right now for gobbling all of it right up, how is she so dense? I am sure she's not going to pay any heed to Katya's note as well which is how she landed in jail i guess. I am liking the book, just not the character being stupid. (hide spoiler)]

41% (view spoiler)[Hmmm seems like this haunted business is a cover for something else entirely…but I can’t figure out what. Bill is a creep and Sandra…I don’t know what she is honestly. Jack is being decent enough for now but I am still suspicious of him simply because he has been in the house for so long. I can’t understand why Ellie would warn Rowan earlier and then act so cold. It truly can’t be ghosts in the house could it? (hide spoiler)]

63% (view spoiler)[ARGHHHH what even is happening in this house!!!!!! It's not as if I am not liking the book, the mystery is definitely engaging enough to make me eager to read ahead but I am getting frustrated by not being able to figure out a single thing! I do not believe there are ghosts or any such thing but this home app is so scary - the level of invasion of privacy is making me really uncomfortable ngl (hide spoiler)]

81% (view spoiler)[WHAT THE HELL!!!???? That twist was EVERYTHING! This just went from good to great for me. I was so not expecting this, I must be losing my touch damn. I was mindblown by the reveal and now I am even more curious as to what exactly this book is all about. This last 20% is going to be epic and I am all here for it. (hide spoiler)]

Finished : (view spoiler)[What even...........I am a teeeny tiny bit disappointed, I wanted something too epic to even imagine to happen towards the end but it was all a bit meh. I am sad for the kids, that's all. Their father is an asshole and I wish he had gotten some kind of retribution instead of it all ending in such a hurry (hide spoiler)]

Yeah I know a lot of people didn't like the ending

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RESTARTING MARCH 25TH, 2025

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I should be starting this one tomorrow !

forgot to post my updates, as I was listening while on the road
9% (view spoiler)[ I was picturing a house in a remote area with how it was being described, surprised there's a tesla. threw me a bit off guard, but the guy seems nice (hide spoiler)]

56% (view spoiler)[ How is she fit for this job?? this rowan character is really urking me... why even take this job, what is she hiding that we have yet to find out (hide spoiler)]

63% (view spoiler)[ these freaking noises?? I'd lose my mind, the security system continues to creep me out. also interesting that rowan isn't a saint too so adds another layer to the story and questioning how things might turn out (hide spoiler)]

finished (view spoiler)[ I think what urked me the most was how much I disliked Rowan and her role. I wasn't expecting Ellie to be the one behind killing Mattie?? but it makes sense in a way that she just wanted rowan to stay. also rowan (or should I say rachel) & HER FATHER HITTING ON her *disguisting...* bleh

the letters found in the prison cell... the ending was tied up in a semi neat but not quite bow (hide spoiler)]

Started this tonight. There are no chapter numbers in the hardcover so just going by number of pages.

Thru page 91
(view spoiler)[
This is good so far. The whole thing being told through letters from Rowan to a lawyer as she's in prison is an interesting way to tell the story. I wonder what exactly Rowan has lied about to get this job? Also it's crazy to me these parents are going to leave literally the day after the new nanny starts, that doesn't seem like a good idea.
(hide spoiler)]

Melanie wrote: "Started this tonight. There are no chapter numbers in the hardcover so just going by number of pages.

Thru page 91

This is good so far. The whole thing being told through letters from Rowan to a ..."

right!! (view spoiler)[ like oh a new nanny, here watch our kids and good luck (hide spoiler)]

Finished this tonight.

Thru page 171
(view spoiler)[
This house is creepy. What is the deal with the walking sounds above Rowan's room? Is someone up there? Maybe one of the old nannies? And these kids are freaking nightmares, mostly Maddie. Rowan does not seem at all qualified to be there and I'm still astounded these parents hired her and immediately left her alone with the kids.
(hide spoiler)]

Thru page 249
(view spoiler)[
No thanks on the creepy attic. If Rowan and Jack had to break through some boards to get up there, how could someone else have been up there? Maybe Maddie knows a way in and is messing with Rowan? Also Rhiannon is a brat and I have a feeling that number she gave Rowan wasn't actually for her friend's mom.
(hide spoiler)]

Finished
(view spoiler)[
Ok Bill hitting on Rowan (or should I say Rachel) is even grosser now that we know she's his daughter. And I wasn't expecting Ellie to have been the one who killed Maddie. It makes sense though as she liked Rowan and wanted her stay. She didn't want Maddie to hurt her or drive her away like the others. Also I don't love the open ending. Was Rachel exonerated? Did she choose to stay in prison to cover for the fact Ellie killed Maddie? Open ending are the worst. Overall I enjoyed this but it was definitely the weakest of her books that I've read so far.
(hide spoiler)]

yeah I wasn't overall the *biggest* of biggest fans with this one...
(view spoiler)[ the ending with Bill hitting on his own daughter... like what... many unanswered questions at the ending too ... (hide spoiler)]

so far my favorite has been The It Girl, but I have quite a few others by her on my tbr