The Turn of the Key is an absorbing mystery set in the Scottish Highlands. Author Ruth Ware is the mistress of creating atmospheric settings, and this time it’s a house that’s part old-school Gothic, part modernity gone wrong.

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I read The Turn of the Key as part of the 2023 Thoughtful Reading Challenge. July’s challenge was to read a book about or set in Scotland in recognition of National Scotch Day (July 27th). This novel, set in the beautiful, rugged Highlands, made me want to visit Scotland again, but not if I had to stay in that house with that family!

Let’s begin with a quick The Turn of the Key summary:

Rowan isn’t really looking for a new job when she stumbles across a help wanted ad that seems too good to be true. A family is looking for a live-in nanny and is offering an unusually generous salary. Curious about the position and the family, she applies for the job and receives an invitation for an interview, requiring a long train ride from London to northern Scotland.

When she sees the house and meets the family, she has a good feeling about the job, and a night spent in the luxurious “nanny’s” room seals the deal. Rowan wants very much to be part of this.

But the idyllic scene soon turns into a nightmare for Rowan. The day after she starts the job, both parents (architects) leave town for an extended period of time, leaving her in charge of three little girls, one of whom is extremely hostile to Rowan. Things go downhill from there as the home’s “smart” system goes frighteningly haywire in the middle of the night, Rowan discovers a neglected garden on the grounds full of poisonous plants, and she begins to hear ghostly footsteps above her room in the middle of the night.

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No wonder none of the last few nannies have lasted more than a week! Things are not right at Heatherbrae House. And when one of her charges is killed, Rowan finds herself imprisoned for the little girl’s murder.

Phew! The Turn of the Key is such an intense novel of suspense!

Practically all of the novel is told by Rowan, in letters she writes to her potential solicitor. She describes the job, the family, and the house, escalating the dread and fear as the story progresses. She’s a flawed character who is thrown into an unmanageable situation. Things were bound to go wrong, but she had no idea just how bad it would get.

The house is essentially one of the main characters of the story. It’s an old Victorian that has been jarringly modernized. Part of the house couldn’t be salvaged, so the new homeowners “ripped out” the back of the home and replaced it with a glass and steel structure. Rowan finds the contrast between old and new highly disconcerting.

Also upsetting to Rowan is that the entire structure had been updated with the latest smart technology, meaning that most things are controlled with a confusing app, ubiquitous cameras keep the residents under constant surveillance, and the absent mother would suddenly interrupt the silence by dialing into the home’s speaker system.

As if the modern creepiness isn’t enough, Rowan also has a good, old-fashioned locked door in her bedroom that emits drafts and odd smells through its keyhole.

A++ for creating a highly disturbing setting, Ms. Ware!

But a funky house isn’t the only thing Rowan has to contend with. She also has to face a lecherous homeowner, a hostile housekeeper, and a disturbed young girl, all while trying to maintain her secrets and hidden motivations.

Rowan swears she didn’t kill the girl, so who did? We don’t find out until the end when there’s an interesting plot twist.

As you may have guessed, I really enjoyed The Turn of the Key. It kept me guessing and immersed me in that chilling environment, which I consider hallmarks of a really good suspense novel. I was often annoyed with Rowan because she didn’t always act rationally (nap when the kids nap, Rowan!), but this story needed a main character with some issues and secrets. Plus, I’m not sure I would do any better in those freaky circumstances. However, I wouldn’t have… Oh, never mind.

If you have read The Turn of the Key, what did you think? And if you read a book about or that takes place in Scotland, please tell us about it in the comments section.

**Reminder – August’s reading challenge is to read a book that involves camping.

Also, check out my reviews of other Ruth Ware books:

The Death of Mrs. Westaway

The Woman in Cabin 10