The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

Hello everyone.

I don't know how my parents managed. How could they take care of a three year old child and have newborn triplets? If you knew my sisters you'd know that it is an even bigger feat than you think!  I'm not saying they were, and continue to be, a pain but....  Anyway, I remember my parents each sitting at one end of the sofa, with me sitting on the floor watching tv. They were each giving a child a bottle and the third was sitting, leaning against me, with my arms wrapped around her so she couldn't fall over. I am still not sure how my mother coped when my dad was at work, three cribs lined up in one bedroom with screaming, I mean delightful, babies wanting attention. Since both sets of grandparents were local, I suspect my grandmothers were the key. Otherwise, a nanny would have been a huge help.

I just read The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware. This is the story of a young nanny who works for a family in a remote "smart house" in the Scottish Highlands. The homeowners and parents of four children have to go out of town immediately after the nanny, Rowan, is hired, leaving her to figure out the electronic gizmos and the often unruly children. As the house begins to have a mind of its own, with unexplainable things happening, the reader becomes entranced in the story.  Add into the mix a dark history for the isolated house along with the legend of ghosts, and the story is off and running in true Ruth Ware form.

This book is full of mood and description without being wordy. It puts you firmly into this bizarre home, feeling everything from the terror of things going bump in the night, to the cold of the Scottish evenings.  As usual the author stays on topic, with a strong plot drawing the reader in deeper and deeper into the story until it is impossible not to read to the unforgettable end.  As I said with The Death of Mrs. Westaway (June 2, 2018), I've read all of Ruth Ware's books and each one is better than the last, leaving me to wonder what she will do next.

Be forewarned, if you read this, you may well chuck your electronic assistant (Alexa) into the trash.

Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent

Hello everyone.

I can't give you any roast chicken or childhood memory talk today.  I feel terrible and it's best just to get this over with quickly. I have been putting off writing this for at least a month. I wanted to read Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent from the second I learned of its existence. I immediately put it on my "to buy" list on Amazon. Finally, I threw it in my cart. After arriving in my greedy hands I still had to wait as I had a sudden rush of advanced copies to read. If a publisher or author is so kind as to send me a book, I put them first, it's only fair. So Lying in Wait sat here, teasing me with the cover, calling to me with its thriller vibes. Last month I couldn't stand it. Everything came to a halt, I told my secretary to hold my calls, and I read the book I had been lusting after. I wish I had left it on the shelf where I could admire and wonder about it.

I am going to be brutally honest, as I would expect you to be with me if I were reading your review. Nobody likes everything, so I wouldn't trust a reviewer that experienced nothing but the Snow White forest of happy, adorable animals. Everybody runs into a bad apple now and then. Obviously, I didn't like this novel.

This is the story of a perfect family. A husband, wife and son who live in a nice area with a beautiful house. We soon discover things are not as perfect as they appear, especially since the husband and wife murder someone in the first chapter. No, I'm not considering the first chapter a spoiler. They bury their victim in the garden at their home. This book was much too slow for me and it really frustrated me as there were so many places this story could have gone, but didn't. Instead the book becomes repetitive, focusing endlessly on the son's extra weight. The mother, grandmother, girlfiend and school friends discuss this poor boy. It is in almost every single chapter. Honestly, I think you could see less about weight in a Weight Watchers book.

On the positive, the story was well written and an easy, smooth read. Because the writing is so strong, I will definitely try another book from Liz Nugent. This story just was not for me. As usual, I implore you to make your own decisions. Everyone's taste is different. People that read mostly romances don't expect the same pacing as someone who consumes a great number of thrillers. On Amazon, Lying in Wait is rated 4 stars and is currently 3.82 on Goodreads. Somebody likes it! I would love to know if you liked it and why.

For me, I feel like I went into Snow White's woods and instead of hearing strains of "Hi Ho", I got "Ho Hum". Hopefully my prince will come with his white horse to take me to the bookstore.

The Death of Mrs. Westaway

Imagine it's a lazy Saturday morning. You decide to stay in your pajamas all day; you're home alone, why not? Despite having slept late it is still dark outside. You have to turn on lights as you make your way to the coffee maker. Even in your sleep-induced fog, as the coffee is brewing, you realize why it is so dark. Not only is it pouring outside but there is an almost constant roll of thunder. You pick your spot on the good side of the sofa with your oil tanker size cup of coffee, grab a throw and settle in. On goes the tv, your plan is masterful - it's a perfect day for a Hammer film marathon (Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy).

Suddenly, NO! There is a simultaneous clap of thunder and burst of lightning. Your power is gone, surely not to return until nearly the population of your entire town is on first. Now what? Grab your emergency flash light and The Death of Mrs. Westaway! It is dark, dreary, moody and delicious! The main character Hal, finds herself in considerable financial trouble. To save herself, Hal must head to a once stately turned creepy, huge, old run down mansion.  Now she is about to meet a cast of characters equally as unusual as the setting.

In my quest to not rewrite the plot you've undoubtedly already read, let me make these few comments. This is a fast and easy read. It compels you to move forward, wondering what will happen next. If you like mild thrillers, mysteries, haunted house books (let me be clear there is absolutely nothing paranormal here at all), books that include big houses as the setting, this will interest you. If you like the movies, Rose Red, The Haunting, or even plain ole' Casper, you may well find the mansion to be as valuable of a character as those that actually breathe.

I've been fortunate to read all of Ruth Ware's books. Each new book seems to become my new favorite, although I admit In a Dark, Dark Wood holds a special place for me since it was my first. My point is, I think she keeps getting better. Each new book seems to somehow be more confident, have better pacing and be even more enthralling than the last. The book is The Death of Mrs. Westaway and it may make you wish for a power outage!