Editions

The Turn of the Key

The Turn of the Key

  • the addictive new thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author

THEIR DREAM HOUSE WILL BECOME HER WORST NIGHTMARE

'Ruth Ware just gets better and better’ Lisa Jewell, bestselling author of The Family Upstairs

‘The queen of creepy crime’ Metro

When Rowan comes across the advert, it seems too good to be true: a live-in nanny position, with an extremely generous salary.

What she doesn't know is that she's stepping into a nightmare – one that will end with her in a cell awaiting trial for murder.

She knows she's made mistakes.
But she's not guilty – at least not of murder.
Which means someone else is...

THE TURN OF THE KEY IS:

‘Eerie and Tense’ Prima

‘Dark and dramatic’ AJ Finn, bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

‘Deliciously dark and spooky’ Sunday Mirror

‘Powerfully atmospheric, unguessably twisty’ Louise Candlish, bestselling author of Our House

Reviews

  • Ware tells a cracking tale and, as in her breakout novel In a Dark, Dark Wood, the house itself plays a hugely menacing part in proceedings.

    Guardian

  • An ingenious suspense narrative...Ware pulls out a stunner on the penultimate page that radically alters how we interpret everything that’s come before. I daresay even Henry James would be impressed.

    Washington Post

More from this Author

About the Author

Ruth Ware

Ruth Ware is an international number one bestseller. Her thrillers In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Lying Game, The Death of Mrs Westaway and The Turn of the Key have appeared on bestseller lists around the world, including the Sunday Times and New York Times. Her books have been optioned for TV and film and she is published in more than 40 languages. Ruth lives near Brighton with her family. Visit ruthware.com to find out more.

Ruth Ware

Related articles

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Recommendations

So good it's criminal: Penguin authors pick their favourite crime novels

Ruth Ware, Abir Mukherjee, Lisa Jewell and more on the crime books that shaped them – and the genre itself.
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Recommendations

A book for Christmas: Penguin authors remember the magic of receiving literary gifts

Ruth Ware, Dolly Alderton, Simon Mayo, Mary Portas and more recall the most special books they have received as gifts, from treasured hand-me-downs to original editions. For more recommendations, try the Penguin Christmas gift guide.
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Features

Ruth Ware

Ruth Ware talks about homicidal hen nights and the inspiration behind her novel, In A Dark Dark Wood

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