The Turn of the Key

I really, really enjoyed this. I listened to it on audiobook and the narrator did a lovely job.

This book was well written, at times creepy, and had a bit of a mystery as you knew part of the ending when you begin reading (the main character is now in jail for killing a child she nannies for) but you don't know how that ending came about or if Rowan is innocent or not as she claims:

I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending but am giving it a solid 4 stars for now, though I may come back and bump it up to a 5 in the next day or two if I'm feeling that way.

Edit: about a month later still sitting solidly at a 4 star. The very, very ending with what happened to the main character just could have been better for me.

hm so... the whole book was great until the ending and the little plot twists before the big plot twist. They weren't needed at all and take away from the story.

I didn't like the end or any of the plot twists but i still am rating this 4 stars because of the writing, characters, setting and just everything until the last 50 pages.

This book had me sweating and i had to close the book so many times because it was making me sooo nervous. I definitely want to read more books from this author!

This was fun and compelling in an easy-reading kind of way. Just what I was in the mood for - far from Literary Fiction, you know there's going to be a twist or two, (and there's enough information to figure some stuff out and feel smart), and compulsively readable. I even got the audiobook so I could read while doing other stuff. The narrator is fantastic!

One thing I really liked was the protagonist wasn't just making bad decisions for no reason, or because she's an alcoholic or something. She's being deprived of sleep, which is a very relatable reason for not having all brain cells functioning! Also, she realizes when something is creeping her out at 3am, but she can't really TELL anyone or call the police, because those 3am fears sound very explicable and unthreatening when described in words to someone who wasn't there.

I will say I found the very end to be a letdown. It didn't really deliver on the twisty turny, mysterious and spine-tingling setup, for me. I figured out The Big Twist at about 45% of the way in, so that revelation didn't have a huge kick for me, and the final answers about who did what were just kind of sad, rather than thrilling or deliciously Gothic.

Still, it was a lot of fun getting there!

I really enjoyed this book. Kept me guessing till the end.

THANKS FOR THE ANXIETY RUTH

I was having a good time reading this book, right up to the end. The ending seemed rushed and predictable. It was just okay.

2/5

3.5 to 4.

The book had lots of gothic atmosphere to it but with a more contemporary setting. Is the nanny unreliable? Is she imagining stuff? Are the children evil? Is the house evil? Are the parents at fault? Lots of character development and the development of the relationship of the nanny and the kids is nice. Interesting turn at the key, like every good gothic mystery.

This was really good! Creepy and spooky vibes, solid mystery and a mix of weird, unreliable characters.
The ending was somewhat unsatisfying. I still enjoyed it a lot so I definitely recommend this one, especially if you listen to the audiobook.

I was really hoping this wouldn't be a rip off of Turn of the Screw and while it wasn't EXACTLY, there were elements. I found the ending too rushed and all was explained in a page and a half. There are some wonderful bits of gothic suspense throughout and I did like the modern touches to what is a well worn story, but I felt duped by the ending.

*3.5 stars

4.5 stars. Ruth Ware never disappoints. I loved this creepy, atmospheric novel.

4.5

This is my second book from this author and it was a far better read. Having said that I wish it was edited a bit. I know it's only around 300 odd pages but wow are there so many “huh? I don't remember that item being there” or “did I hear something?” moments where the author is trying to amp up the suspense. By 150th time I'm just waiting for the reveal.

Rowan was also a very confusing character. Shes flawed but also a bit ambivalent; happy and caring one minute while brimming with rage the next. By the end, my only reaction to the twist was “oh okay”. I think I'd had enough of Rowan.

Nevertheless a creepy suspenseful read.

4.5
So creepy,eerie,scary and intense. My fav by Ruth Ware so far!!
I loved the backstory abt the house and abt the biologist and his poisonous garden, it was very creepy and eerie! I wish we had gotten a letter from the solicitor coz I feel like the book ended on a kind of cliffhanger? coz we didn't know what happened to Rachel

Ruth Ware is echt een meester in het creëren van een dreigende atmosfeer en in dit boek is dit niet anders. Ik las het als een audioboek en ik voelde meermaals de haren in mijn nek rechtop staan (de creek-creek-creek was bijzonder spooky)

Het verhaal en de plottwists had ik vaak vrij snel in het snotje, maar net door de fantastische manier waarop het verhaal wordt opgebouwd, de manier waarop het verhaal wordt verteld, nam dit helemaal niks weg van mijn leesplezier. Ik kon het boek met moeite wegleggen.

Een spannende, meeslepende en atmosferische thriller, ideaal om bij een nachtlampje te lezen ;-)

I really enjoyed reading this book. It's one of those stories where you don't really know what's going on until the last couple of chapters and then it all unfolds like you could never have imagined, but it all falls together seamlessly. Some of it I realized, of course, like who was causing the ‘problems' for the protagonist, but there were so many key components that led up to this and there was another ‘out of nowhere' background story where you say to yourself, “Wow! I never in a million years expected that!”. I read the hardback version that I got from Book of the Month for August 2019. I also had the privilege of listening to the audio book simultaneously via Scribd. The narrator, Imogene Church, is incredible - one of the best. I'm becoming a real Ruth Ware fan and I can't wait for her next book!

3.75 stars I think my expectations were a little to high.

I listened to the audiobook and it was very well done. The narrator added to the creepy atmosphere and suspense as the story unfolded. I found it to be a compulsive read and would highly recommend to mystery/suspense fans.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital review copy of this book.

This was SOOOO spooky dooky and the atmosphere was absolutely amazing. I loved that this kept you wondering if what was going on was paranormal or not. There were multiple twists at the end and I guessed a couple of them, which I usually suck at, which brought my rating down a bit.
Overall, I loved this & would 10/10 recommend waiting until Spooky Season with some Spooky Songs in the background to read this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

NEW FAVORITE IM ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED WITH THIS BOOK! Definitely a top 10 read I was so scared it was gonna be rushed at the end but it was PERFECT every second of this book

My experience with Ruth Ware books is so erratic. I really enjoy some of her works, yet really dislike others. This one falls in the enjoy category. I rated it 4 stars because I liked the ending. There was enough of an interesting twist to make the book memorable.

The first half of this book was slow for me. I was not as interested in the narrator's experience as I hoped I would be. I would have liked for the action to begin a little earlier. Once the strange things in the house started to increase, I became more invested in the plot and really enjoyed the reading.

Since the book ended on a positive note for me with an interesting twist, I can say that I would recommend it.

This would have been better if I cared at all about Rowen as a character. The epistolary format did not work for the narrative.

First of all omg did NOT see the ending coming!! This book had Bly Manor vibes so if you enjoyed that you may like this.