A spooky book and a spooky challenge

Trying to get in the Fall spirit, even though it is still 100 degrees. The end of next week looks promising but I don't want to jinx it.

A few weeks ago I listened to The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware. I had read her book, In a Dark, Dark Wood and loved it. So when this popped up in Audible last month, I chose it.

About: "When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss—a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten—by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family.

What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare—one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.

 Writing to her lawyer from prison, she struggles to explain the unravelling events that led to her incarceration. It wasn’t just the constant surveillance from the cameras installed around the house, or the malfunctioning technology that woke the household with booming music, or turned the lights off at the worst possible time. It wasn’t just the girls, who turned out to be a far cry from the immaculately behaved model children she met at her interview. It wasn’t even the way she was left alone for weeks at a time, with no adults around apart from the enigmatic handyman, Jack Grant.

It was everything.

She knows she’s made mistakes. She admits that she lied to obtain the post, and that her behavior toward the children wasn’t always ideal. She’s not innocent, by any means. But, she maintains, she’s not guilty—at least not of murder. Which means someone else is."

This is a psychological thriller and downright spooky, especially as an audio book. Imogen Church is the narrator. She is really, really good at different voices and sound effects. 

One of the girls she is in charge of, sets this up as a ghost story right away, warning Rowan not to accept the post, that "the ghosts won't like it". Rowan is left with the girls, alone, for a week on her second day. What kind of parents would do this? And then there is an older girl away at boarding school, due home any day. Don't worry. Everything will be fine. There is a maid who pops in for a couple of hours. She doesn't like Rowan. The handyman lives in what was a stable across the way. He seems nice. There are lots of ominous notes, signs and noises. 

There are many of twists and turns. I know that sounds cliché, but as the story progresses and you think you are coming to the end of the mystery, something is divulged that is a complete surprise. Now we are at the end. Or are we?

I really liked this book. I like Ruth Ware. But I had a couple of questions that weren't answered to my satisfaction. Maybe that is part of the mystique. I may have to listen to it again. It seems like one of those that is good enough to read or listen to again and you may catch some things you missed.

How about this? RIP 14. 

It is a book challenge for all things, mystery, suspense, gothic, thriller etc. for the Halloween season. I saw this on my book friend Kay's blog. (Kay has a really good blog with lots and lots of mysteries of all kinds.)

Here is a link to her blog and more about the RIP challenge.

https://kaysreadinglife.blogspot.com/2019/09/rip-xiv-reading-challenge-lets-get.html

Some book challenges seem daunting and I don't typically do them. Read 50 books in one month and write and essay on each. Well, maybe not that bad but some seem that way. This book challenge looks doable and fun. There are levels of "peril" from reading one book that fits the category to four books, or something on screen, or short stories and more. Looks fun.

Here's the link.

https://readersimbibingperil.com/