The Turn of the Key

Skip this one if masterful suspense and paranoia aren’t your thing. In this book, a woman is facing life in prison, and the story is told through letters she writes to a lawyer, pleading with him to help her with her defense.

Ware sucks you in with writing that feels effortless, then she ratchets up the tension, again and again, until you can’t stand it, and then just when you think you’re going to get some relief, it gets turned up to eleven. 

I’m always intrigued by books that re-envision a classic novel or play.

This updated version of Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw is cleverly told in first person by a nanny who relates the story of a child who died under her care. A smart house stands in for the creepy gothic mansion. Its surveillance system creates a feeling of paranoia and fear. The twist at the end is worthy of James.

Just to start off, Ruth Ware is an absolutely phenomenal writer and I love all of her work.

The Turn of the Key is one of my favorite books because it is a (loose) retelling of Henry James’ novella, The Turn of the Screw. Ware updated the tale in a particularly chilling way - a young woman arrives in the Scottish Highlands for a nannying job in a giant “smart” home. What she doesn’t realize is that in exchange for convenience, she’ll end up paying dearly.

The writing style is classic Ruth Ware, where the atmosphere feels like a character… show more.

I’m a huge Ruth Ware fan—I’ve read and loved all of her books—but this one sticks out to me as one of the best, and part of it is because of the creepiness factor. When I read this book, I truly felt like I was in that house with the main character Rowan, hearing those terrifying noises, discovering the hidden room, and exploring the treacherous garden—and it made for an incredibly thrilling reading experience.