The Turn of the Key

DNF at 20%. I thought this would be an easy win for me, so this is disappointing. I couldn't believe I was at 20% and this woman still hadn't actually been hired as the nanny - let the story get STARTED, please.

The level of detail was mind numbing, especially as Rowan starts describing the functions of the smart home. Truly do not know why I was being told about every single button on the panels.

The book is also supposedly a letter to a lawyer, which I was willing to look past despite how ridiculous that is. As long as I'm not constantly reminded that the words I'm reading are a letter or a journal or something, I can suspend disbelief when the narration gets unreasonable. But that was just one more reason to DNF when the boredom intensified.

For having a limited cast and setting, this book does a good job creating suspense. Ruth Ware is known for her plot twists and big revelations and this book was no exception. The end felt a bit like Scooby Doo unmasking the villain, along with three (by my count) pretty big twists.

One thing that struck me as odd: the fact that this was a "smart/wired" house (tech-wise) seemed to feature prominently, and it seemed to blow the protagonist's mind. I had to check to see when it was published (2019) because the Internet of Things should no longer be a novel concept. A refrigerator that keeps a grocery list? Programmable lights and music? Rooms that can be monitored via cameras? Um, yeah. I think most people probably know someone who lives this way. Now if this had been written in 1991, I might have been more impressed .

This is my first experience with Ruth Ware. I found this novel engrossing. Ware created an atmosphere that was both fascinating and creepy, telling a story with some twists that I did not see coming. Most of the book is one long letter from a nanny who is accused of murder to a prominent lawyer. This story did keep me turning the pages!

I thought the ending very effective--the note from the younger sister, which functions as the great reveal, and the fact that the first note was not sent on. So, in the end, Rachel surely faced a death sentence, rather than bring down any more pain to this family. That was touching. Will anyone ever find out, and know what she's done? That is the final question, which goes unanswered.

I was hoping this would go somewhere a little more interesting than it did (it wasn't bad at all, and I think the ending fits fine), but I always have a solid reaction to Ruth Ware's books rather than an ecstatic one. She's an author I continue reading because I feel like she won't "wow" me, but she won't frustrate me, either.

The build-up and atmosphere was very good, I felt. I was anxious reading it and not completely sure what was behind the major mystery until pretty late, and even then I couldn't quite figure out how it had happened. There was another part of the mystery that I assume was supposed to be very obvious, since pretty obvious hints were dropped very early on.

Overall it was an enjoyable read and I'm sure I'll pick up her next one.

Much like a nineteenth-century novel, Ware uses atmosphere, more than anything else, to convey the horrific and uncomfortable Elincourt residence. There are numerous twists and turns presented throughout, and I found myself shocked by the ending. It goes without saying that fans of gothic lit and suspense will appreciate and devour this book.