August 2019

I thoroughly enjoyed THE TURN OF THE KEY by Ruth Ware. When it opens, we know that a young woman is in jail, being held for having caused the death of a child. The story is told in her words as she seeks justice in her case. There is no reason for her to have committed this act, and, in fact, there is every reason for her not to have. And throughout these pages, Ruth will unfold a very solid case as to just what really happened.

Rowan Caine takes a job at a posh house on an estate in the middle of nowhere (Ruth loves the middle of nowhere as a setting) in the Scottish Highlands. It is a “smart home” and is totally programmed. The parents are well-respected architects, and they need someone to be hands-on with their four daughters, as their work takes them away a lot. But nannies do not seem to last there, though they are promised a fabulous salary --- one that can keep them in comfort should they last (or, should we say, survive) a year in the house. And why is that?

From the start, we know that something is wildly wrong with these people, but we are not sure quite what it is. Besides the nanny, there is a groundskeeper and a woman who comes each day to do the housekeeping. They both know a lot about the family in this house…but what are they hiding?

It’s a real one-sit read as readers tumble into the nanny’s world, and the story weaves and turns.

Note that I have been a fan of Ruth since her first book, IN A DARK, DARK WOOD; I was lucky enough to interview her at Book Expo when it was a Buzz book. Such fun! And if you type in "screw" instead of "key," yes, this book is a homage to THE TURN OF THE SCREW.