#TheTurnoftheKey by #RuthWare

🏵🏵🏵🏵 out of 5 🏵s
#TheTurnoftheKey by #RuthWare
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Rowan is the new nanny at Heatherbrae House in a remote part of Scotland. Four previous nannies had given notice because they all swore the house was haunted. It becomes evident at the outset that Rowan is an unreliable narrator.
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The book opens with a series of pleading letters to a Mr Wrexham from Rowan, who is in prison, having been convicted of murdering one of the 4 kids in her charge at Heatherbrae. Mr Wrexham is a lawyer, and Rowan wants his help proving her innocence.
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Rowan’s charges, the children of Sandra and Bill Elincourt, are all girls, ranging from Petra at 18 months, through Ellie at 5, Maddie at 8, and Rhiannon at 14. Rowan soon discovers that Maddie has distinctly psychopathic tendencies. She also begins hearing noises throughout the house, which is a “smart house” outfitted with all the mod-con technology.
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The book is replete with every haunted-house trope (which I loved!), from disembodied footsteps to the hunky caretaker who may or may not be sketch as heck. I’m posting this amid books/movies it reminded me of, such as #TheTurnoftheScrew, #ThePerfectNanny, #Rebecca, #TheHauntingofHillHouse and even a dash of #RosemarysBaby.
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#bookstagram #readersofinstagram #suspense #hauntedhouse #domesticthriller #scotland #smarthouse #victorian #gothic #unreliablenarrator