Rating:

“People do go mad, you know, if you stop them from sleeping for long enough…”

Author: Ruth Ware

It looks like she murdered the child. She had the opportunity and motive, but she swore in her novel length letter to her lawyer that she didn’t do it. Yes, she treated the children badly. Yes, she lied. Yes, she was there under false pretenses. But no, no, she never hurt them.

That’s how The Turn of the Key begins, and, as Rowan Caine writes from prison, begging this famous lawyer to take her case, she slowly unravels the strange tale of Heatherbrae House and its alleged haunting. Rowan took the live-in nannying post at this isolated mansion in the Scottish Highlands for the money. She wasn’t qualified, and, as her explanation unravels, further evidence stacks up, unveiling her bad judgement and ulterior motives. But she wasn’t the only person there telling lies. Prior to her, four nannies had left within one year, each claiming that the house was haunted. But Rowan won’t be so easily ousted. She has more to lose, after all.

The wealthy Elincourts have converted this Victorian mansion into a smart home, blending (poorly) the old and quaint with the modern and brash. The house espouses glass walls in some spots and creaky wood stairs in others, a Frankenstein version that is half luxury and half weirdness. But Rowan likes it – at first. Until all the smart technology malfunctions, blasting the house at night with loud noises, sending phantom echoes of crying children through the system, and recording her every hour of every day. The Elincourts themselves check-in, randomly talking from speakers in the wall and further putting Rowan on her guard. And the three children – one barely there teenager and two little girls – are quite the bratty, creepy handful. Add in a highly deadly poison garden, footsteps in an abandoned part of the house, and ghostly warnings, and you have the mix for a mystery that we already know will end in bloody murder.

On paper – the premise sounds great. But soon the letters go stale – Rowan’s claim of innocence to be followed with stultifying and unnecessary details. The “creepy” events of malfunctioning technology and Rowan’s over the top reactions lack realism. A new, fancy smart tech not working as it should? Predictable, yes. Scary, no. This glitch in the matrix is more ordinary than supernatural.

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

The other atmospheric aspects of the tale relate to Rowan’s dealings with the two young girls, both of whom are fairly but predictably rich-kid bratty. There is nothing scary here, no Rosemary’s baby vibes, just two little girls acting out. I can see the frustration, but not the horror element. It’s a little boring and frankly makes us dislike Rowan as she proves through her interactions that she is not a good nanny.

This is all stuff of everyday horror: a bad job that doesn’t really fit your skills but pays the bills, technology that’s constantly malfunctioning, and whiney, but harmless little kids. Sounds like a normal Monday. How is this all supposed to scare us?

As the novel drags on, moments of static on the system and hurtful little kid comments come to a head when the teenager gets back and finally, thankfully, drives the reveal. Here is where the story gets interesting. We finally get an answer as to why Rowan really wanted this job, although let’s be honest, it’s the usual stuff of thrillers. However, the solution itself is more practical than supernatural, which fits better with the established narrative. I kind of got into the conclusion and started to pick up some interest.

I’ve read Ruth Ware before. I LOVED In a Dark, Dark Wood and the Woman in Cabin 10 was pretty good too. But The Turn of the Key flounders and struggles, trying to create atmosphere and story with very little. The ending redeems the narrative somewhat, but it’s ultimately still just your non-descript, generic thriller with a goodish idea and slow, fairly boring execution. None of the characters compel here, the story moves slowly, and the grand reveal isn’t good enough to carry the story. Not recommended.

– Frances Carden

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Frances Carden
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