I've been wanting to read a Ruth Ware novel for quite some time and was so excited when I received The Turn of the Key.  Even with all the hype and excitement, The Turn of the Key lived up to my high expectations.  I didn't want to put it down and there were certainly several surprises along the way.

Rowan Caine is drafting a letter from jail to her lawyer, quite literally pleading her case of innocence.  As a reader, we only know that Rowan is in jail for a crime she says she didn't commit and that a little girl is dead.  As Rowan begins to detail her story from finding the ad for a nanny position to her first interview at Heatherbrae House, it is clear that everything isn't as it seems.  While she loves the idea of being wrapped up in the luxury of this recently remodeled historic home and snapping up the lucrative live-in nanny position, all of the "smart" features in Heatherbrae House are a little unsettling.  Is the job really too good to be true and why have all the previous nannies left so abruptly?  To add to the unease, the children in Rowan's charge are not exactly welcoming her with open arms.  It also becomes apparent that Rowan seems to be hiding something from her past as well. Rowan is soon left on her own with the girls, but it seems that someone or something is also not too happy to have Rowan at Heatherbrae House.  

I truly couldn't read this book fast enough.  The ending was somewhat ambiguous which normally leaves me dissatisfied, but in this case I felt it was spot on by leaving the reader to draw the lines to their own conclusion.  I was reminded of Mary Roberts Rinehart's novels with the way this book weaved the intricate plot and suspense together.  I will definitely be reading more Ruth Ware in my near future.    

I received this book courtesy of the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  

I was absolutely in love with The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane so when I heard about The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs and realized it was going to revisit some of those same characters, I couldn't wait to read it.  And I'm so glad that I did!  This is the perfect fall read with just the right amount of mystery, magic and history.  

The main character Connie Goodwin is an expert on colonial American history, specifically witchcraft, and is on track for tenure at her university.  She just needs to finish up her book, but she encounters an unexpected twist in her personal life that makes her priorities change quickly.  She must solve the mystery involving a decades old curse surrounding her family and time is of the essence.  

While this book revisits the world of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, it can definitely be read as a stand alone novel. I was very intrigued with the character of Zazi, the young graduate student who becomes Connie's investigative partner.  It would be interesting to see a book featuring Zazi and of course, I'd definitely like to know more about what happens with Connie and Sam.  

I received a copy of this novel from Henry Holt & Company through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.