Do you believe in the supernatural? What if others around you do and you don’t? Do you turn a blind eye or investigate further? Would you believe they may ruin your life one day?

Ruth Ware’s The Turn of The Key will have you asking all these questions and more.

The book was published in 2019 just three years after Ware’s The Woman in Cabin 10, another popular and mysterious book. Ware published her first book in 2015, and has published a new book almost every year since with the exception of 2021. I have only read 2 out of her 8 books, but they are both books I had a hard time putting down.

Seriously, I really struggled to not read this book during classes.

This book is a great October read because of the supernatural elements and the suspense that slowly builds up. It also has a technological element that is central to the story. The story is told through “Rowan’s” POV, who is the new nanny for the Elincourt family. Rowan, however, holds secrets unknown to the Elincourt’s and the reader that eventually prove to be her downfall. The house of the Elincourt’s has a dark past that she pieces together during her first week of nannying while also battling the technology system the home runs on. The system is what turns the lights on and off, locks doors, opens/closes curtains, etc.

Basically… it runs the house. Creepy? yes. Confusing to use? Also yes. Does this mean cameras run throughout the whole house? You guessed it, they sure do!

Rowan (like myself and I’m sure many of you) finds this unnerving. She nannies for three young girls in the family and often struggles to keep her anger in. What I haven’t mentioned yet is the story is told as a letter to a lawyer (or advocate since she is British) from her jail cell. The letter is a plea for help on a crime she claims she’s wrongfully accused of.

The crime? She’s accused of killing one of the girls.

It’s dark, I know, but I really did enjoy reading this book. With each page turn, I was hit wanting to know more. And I was never disappointed. There wasn’t a part of the book where I felt it dragging on too much or a character that had no impact on the plot. Every detail has a purpose and isn’t just fluff.

I loved how the book was written in letters (also called an epistolary novel). It’s fun to read the parts where she directly addresses whom she is sending the letter to. It feels like you’re diving into the character’s mind and getting to know all the parts no one else knows. It’s a different experience reading an epistolary novel, and is a welcome change of pace from the typical format.

I recommend giving this book a try even if the supernatural isn’t your thing. It’s got a great creep factor and plenty of suspense to draw you in time and time again. Plus its perfect for spooky season ;)!!

Have a wonderfully spooky ookie weekend <3!

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