Written as an epistolary novel, “The Turn of the Key” is mainly written as a series of letters between prisoner Rowan Caine and attorney Mr. Wrexham. The letters tell the story of how Rowan became a nanny for Sandra and Bill Elincourt at their remote but grand Victorian home in Scotland — a structure that mixes the home’s gothic feel with new, state-of-the-art smart technology — and how she ended up in prison for the death of one of their children.
Already feeling continuously watched because of the technology, when Rowan starts experiencing some creepy events in the home tagged with ghost stories, she begins to doubt her sanity.
What follows is a story full of twists and turns with plots lines you’ll never see coming. Ware does an incredible job of making the reader feel just as anxious as Rowan, always wondering what’s around the next corner.
She also does a fantastic job of developing characters — the absent architect parents, the adorable yet frustrating children, the hunky yet mysterious odd job man, and the curious nanny with a mysterious past herself.
Sprinkled with the imagery of keys and keyholes throughout, “The Turn of the Key” also reminds us of deeper themes, like the impact of hiding behind a facade, facing life’s evil moments, and admitting life’s truths.
Ware once again offers a great psychological thriller — keeping the reader guessing until the very end. My only complaint about Ware’s novels: I wish she’d use less course language. It just isn’t necessary!
Five stars out of five.
Scout Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.