Book Review: The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

Their dream house will become her worst nightmare.

Guys, we need to talk about Ruth Ware.

After grabbing a copy of The Death of Mrs Westaway on a whim, I was immediately hooked on Ruth's style, in particular the sense of place, and the expert characterisation. It was also something about the sense of unease she delights in pouring into the pages, making both me and the protagonist squirm and hide underneath blankets until the sun comes back up again. I'm hungry for books that make me feel deeply uncomfortable (we can analyse that deep-rooted issue later) and this book delivered a shot of much-needed discomfort directly into my veins. I'm an addict, but at least I'm self-aware.

I started to notice a buzz about Ruth's latest book, The Turn of the Key, all over Twitter and the London underground earlier this year. I knew Ruth was going to be at Capital Crime so I saved buying my copy until then, so I could meet Ruth (oh my god she's so lovely) and get my shiny new copy signed. This was the first book I read as soon as I got home from the festival, after abandoning another book I wasn't enjoying, about halfway through (best decision I've made in months, and I'm not even a little bit sorry).

The first thing that jumped out at me was the format of the book, which is a letter. One, huge 331 pages long letter (front and back) from Rowan, who is writing from prison to a solicitor, explaining what really happened that night and why she needs his help. After a few false starts, the protagonist really gets into her letter and her story, and Rowan's character leaps off the page and waltzes straight into your world.

The premise of the story is that Rowan has accepted a suspiciously well-paid job as a nanny to a wealthy family in a secluded house in the Scottish Highlands. Of course, it's too good to be true, and things start to go wrong the minute the parents walk out of the door. Faced with four strong-willed and impossible children, two boisterous Labradors, a housekeeper who seems to despise her, and a house that's controlled by technology, Rowan is soon riddled with crippling fear.

Who is walking around in the attic late into the night? Where does that locked door in her bedroom lead? Why do these kids hate her so much? We know a kid is going to die, but which one? And how? And why oh why have the family gone through so many nannies?

The Turn of the Key started out a little on the eerie side but gradually increased so far up the scary scale to the point of making my heart race long after putting it down for the night. I drank up page after page and completely lost myself in the story. I learned from reading The Death of Mrs Westaway that Ruth is excellent at creating characters that stick in your mind and The Turn of the Key is no exception. Rowan is an excellently flawed character, an unreliable narrator who delivers the story, its clues and an oh-my-fucking-god plot twists like a pro.

Ruth Ware is firmly on my favourite authors list and I hope she's on yours too... if you enjoy hiding in your house, locking all the doors and avoiding the loft like the plague.

Happy Halloween!

Roxie

@RoxieAdelleKey