Lost in Pages

Hello, everyone! I’m coming at ya today with a book review! I actually haven’t had the time/energy to read and review lately. Even though the Great Slump™ has weakened and I’ve been able to finish a few books the last couple of months, I still haven’t gotten back to my regular reading schedule. Baby steps, people. I’m getting there.

On that note, let’s talk about one of my new favorite thriller/mysteries!

In my lifetime as a reader, I think I might have read enough mystery/thrillers to count on one hand. I decided recently – with the help of binge-watching Lala’s videos on her favorite mystery/thrillers – that I wanted to change up my reading. The Great Slump™ was hitting hard, and I thought that if I completely changed up the genre I read, it might help. I searched around and found that the majority of Ruth Ware’s books were rated highly and well beloved, and we just happened to get early copies in at the bookstore where I work. I took that as an opportunity, and here we are.

For my first foray into Ruth Ware’s writing, I’m impressed. She was able to write a captivating and subtly creepy story that kept me intrigued and wanting to know more throughout. The characters are all pretty unlikable, but for some reason it really works in this story. Even though the main protagonist, Rowan, made questionable choices, you still couldn’t help but root for her and want her to learn the mysteries at the Heatherbrae House.

One of the things I enjoyed the most was definitely the atmosphere. Throughout the whole book, I had this unsettling feeling. I could see this story play out so well as an adaptation, so I hope movie/TV rights have been bought! Ware was brilliant at making you uncomfortable in the best way – I even had moments where I didn’t want to keep reading this at night because I felt so creeped out!

Like I said before, the characters are definitely unlikable. The young children remind me of horror movie kids, and the teenage daughter is unfathomably bratty. The parents seem aloof and even the handyman seems sketchy. I liked the vibes all the characters gave off though, it added to the creep factor of the whole story. I’m beginning to learn that I really love mysteries where you don’t know if it’s realistic or paranormal or supernatural in some way. I should’ve known that though because most of my favorite movies are that way too.

All in all, I highly recommend this story. If you’re looking for something with crazy plot reveals, spooky vibes, and great writing, look no further than The Turn of the Key.

Because I’m on this mystery thriller kick, be sure to recommend any books I should check out next!

Until next time,