One by One

  Praise for Ruth Ware’s instant New York Times bestseller

  THE TURN OF THE KEY

  Goodreads Choice Awards 2019 Finalist | Starred reviews in Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly | Named one of the best books of the year by Reader’s Digest, the New York Public Library, the Washington Post, Literary Hub, PBS.com, PopSugar, and CrimeReads | Included in HuffPost’s “Best Books to Give as Gifts This Year” and Good Housekeeping’s “Best Books to Give as Gifts This Season” | One of Newsweek’s “Books to Curl Up With This Fall” | One of Buzzfeed’s “13 Thrillers We Couldn’t Stop Thinking About in 2019” | Included in O, The Oprah Magazine’s “23 Chilling Thriller Books That’ll Keep You Turning the Page” | A Library Journal “Essential Title” of 2019

  “A superb suspense writer.… Ware is a master at signaling the presence of evil at the most mundane moments.… Ware pulls out a stunner on the penultimate page that radically alters how we interpret everything that’s come before. Brava, Ruth Ware. I daresay even Henry James would be impressed.”

  —Fresh Air’s Maureen Corrigan for the Washington Post

  “Let’s just say that if you’ve got an Echo, you’re going to unplug it as soon as you finish the book.… What Ware does beautifully is infuse The Turn of the Key with a creepy Gothic sensibility. For all of the novel’s contemporary touches—particularly the house’s malevolent smart technology—she has delivered an old-fashioned horror story, peopled by children with ‘eyes full of malice,’ a dour housekeeper straight out of Rebecca, and an inscrutable handyman.”

  —The New York Times Book Review

  “Ruth Ware—one of our favorite thriller writers—is bringing down the house.… Read it for a fast-paced ride.”

  —theSkimm

  “This appropriately twisty Turn of the Screw update finds the Woman in Cabin 10 author in her most menacing mode, unfurling a shocking saga of murder and deception.”

  —Entertainment Weekly

  “A clever and elegant update to [Henry] James’s story.… Surveillance and home technology slot easily into the conventions of horror: They bring the sense that your environment is invaded and controlled from afar, and that you are never quite as alone as you might wish.… The Turn of the Key, and novels like it, point to a new reality. We are all, constantly, haunted.”

  —NPR

  “Henry James via Black Mirror.… While the ambiguity in James’s masterpiece is ‘ghosts or madness?,’ here it is ‘ghosts or glitch?’ Unlike The Turn of the Screw, however, Ware picks a lane, deploying a satisfyingly dizzying parade of twists and reveals without leaving much unexplained.”

  —Los Angeles Review of Books (LARB)

  “Diabolically clever. Twisty and creepy, The Turn of the Key is Ruth Ware’s best book yet. Read with a blanket nearby, because you will get shivers up your spine.”

  —Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Time I Lied

  “A ghost story for the twenty-first century, a propulsive gothic thriller with characters you’ll really care about. With this book, Ruth Ware proves she’s the true heir to Wilkie Collins. Creepy, engrossing, and oh-so-hard to put down.”

  —JP Delaney, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Before

  “Pure suspense, from the first gripping page to the last shocking twist.”

  —Erin Kelly, bestselling author of He Said/She Said

  “Ruth Ware has been called the Agatha Christie of our generation.… The Turn of the Key is a great read. You’re going to enjoy it very much.”

  —#1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci for his “Hot Beach Reads: Guilty Pleasures, Popular Books” pick as part of the Today show’s “Best Summer Reads of 2019, according to Top Authors” segment

  “If you’ve never spent a long weekend devouring a Ruth Ware thriller on a hammock, this is the summer to start. Her fifth novel, The Turn of the Key, is set in the Scottish Highlands and is as compulsively readable as you would expect a Ware book to be.”

  —CBS Watch! Magazine

  “Chilling.”

  —Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

  “Readers, you’ll want to sleep with the lights on (and your Alexa off) after reading this spooky tale from Ruth Ware.”

  —Bookish

  “All of Ruth Ware’s books have been creepy and deeply mysterious, in other words… awesome! But I think this might be her best one yet.”

  —Get Literary

  “The Turn of the Key is a brilliantly crafted, chilling suspense thriller. Clues are seeded through the tale like poisonous plants that you only recognize when it’s far too late. Trust no one in this novel except Ruth Ware—she has come up with a totally compelling tale once again.”

  —Jane Casey, award-winning author of The Burning

  “Superb as expected.… Lovely echoes of Turn of the Screw in a contemporary thriller. A master class in tension.”

  —Sarah Pinborough, New York Times bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes

  “Ware’s mastery of the traditional mystery merged with the twisty psychological thriller never fails to impress!”

  —Literary Hub

  “A classically spooky thriller involving a potentially murderous nanny and a smart house gone wrong in the Scottish Highlands. Ruth Ware is a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author, and her fans are legion and loyal.”

  —Vox

  “Truly terrifying! Ware perfects her ability to craft atmosphere and sustain tension with each novel.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  “Over the course of four explosive novels—In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Lying Game, and The Death of Mrs. Westaway—Ware has established herself as one of the best mystery writers working today, and her streak remains unbroken with this, her fifth novel.”

  —B&N Reads

  “In Ware’s latest book, The Turn of the Key, she delivers a novel full of twisted tension that will have readers looking at technology a little bit differently.… It solidifies her spot among the greats.”

  —Bustle

  “Are you attached to your Alexa? Do you control various aspects of your home from your smartphone? Prepare to be creeped out. Ruth Ware’s latest thriller, The Turn of the Key, tells the story of a nanny in a smart home that turns downright harrowing.”

  —Bookish

  “Breathlessly atmospheric, The Turn of the Key is a deliciously creepy mystery.… Ware’s twist on a classic is sure to be a hit for fans of psychological thrillers.”

  —Shelf Awareness

  “Straddling the line between horror and thriller, this novel will delight fans of both genres.”

  —BookPage

  “Ware cleverly puts a high-tech spin on [The Turn of the Screw’s] gothic foundations of spellbinding menace set in a remote cavernous mansion with mysterious locked doors and a spooky garden.… Ware’s James-like embroidery of the strange and sinister produces a Turn of the Screw with cell phones and Teslas that will enthrall today’s readers.… It will not disappoint.”

  —Booklist, starred review

  “Ware does a good job of creating tension.… But above all, Ware skillfully lays the bread crumbs to the novel’s satisfying conclusion… [that] leaves readers with one final, haunting question, one that will stay with them long after they turn the last page.”

  —Publishers Weekly, starred review

  “Ware hits another one out of the park. Fans of hers or anyone with a taste for the disturbing will stay up late devouring this.”

  —Library Journal, starred review

  “A lot of fun on a crisp autumn evening.”

  —Christian Science Monitor

  “Ware at her eerie best.”

  —Newsweek

  “The cast of characters includes an unsuspecting nann
y, a creepy housekeeper, and a hunky groundskeeper amid the mists and heather, crumbling stone walls and creaky attics. What more could you ask for?”

  —Reader’s Digest, “Best Books of 2019”

  “The definition of ‘unputdownable’… [and] a terrifically clever reimagining of The Turn of the Screw.”

  —Refinery29

  “Compulsively readable from the very start.… The Turn of the Key is full of dizzying plot twists and revelations, but one thing is very clear: in Ware’s version, we are the ghosts. What human beings are capable of, including what we can accomplish with our technology, has the capacity to turn us into monsters.”

  —BookBub

  Thank you for downloading this Simon & Schuster ebook.

  Get a FREE ebook when you join our mailing list. Plus, get updates on new releases, deals, recommended reads, and more from Simon & Schuster. Click below to sign up and see terms and conditions.

  CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

  Already a subscriber? Provide your email again so we can register this ebook and send you more of what you like to read. You will continue to receive exclusive offers in your inbox.

  To Ali, Jilly, and Mark, who first showed me the Hidden Valley.

  From the “About Us” page of the Snoop company website:

  Hey. We’re snoop. Come meet us, message us, snoop on us—whatever. We’re pretty cool. Are you?

  Topher St. Clair-Bridges

  Who’s the daddy? Well, if anyone’s got a claim, it’s Toph. snoop co-founder (along with ex-girlfriend, model/artist/professional badass @evalution), it all started here. If he’s not at his desk, he’s probably riding the moguls in Chamonix, losing his mind in Berlin’s Berghain, or just hangin’. Come find him on snoop at @xtopher or hit him up via his PA Inigo Ryder—the only dude who gets to tell Topher what to do.

  Listening to: Oscar Mulero / Like a Wolf

  Eva van den Berg

  From Amsterdam to Sydney, New York to London, Eva’s career has taken her all over the world—but right now home is Shoreditch, London, where she lives with her husband, financier Arnaud Jankovitch, and their daughter, Radisson. In 2015 she co-founded snoop with her then life partner @xtopher—their idea born of a single desire: to maintain their connection across 5000 km of ocean. Topher and Eva have since uncoupled, but their connection remains: snoop. Make your own connection with Eva on @evalution, or via her personal assistant Ani Cresswell.

  Listening to: Nico / Janitor of Lunacy

  Rik Adeyemi

  head of beans

  Rik’s the money man, the bean counter, the keeper of the keys—you get the picture. He’s been keepin’ snoop real since the very first days, and he’s known Toph for even longer. What can we say? snoop’s a family affair. Rik lives with his wife, Veronique, in Highgate, London. You can snoop him at @rikshaw.

  Listening to: Willie Bobo / La Descarga del Bobo

  Elliot Cross

  chief nerd

  Music may be snoop’s beating heart, but code is its DNA and Elliot is the maestro of code. Before snoop was a hot pink logo on your phone, it was just lines of Java on someone’s screen—and that someone was Elliot. Best friends with Toph since before they could shave, he’s cooler than any tech-head has a right to be. snoop him on @ex.

  Listening to: Kraftwerk / Autobahn

  Miranda Khan

  friends czar

  Miranda is into killer heels, sharp fashion, and really great coffee. Between savoring Guatemalan carbonic maceration and surfing Net-a-Porter, she’s snoop’s smile to the world. Wanna write us up, hit us up, haul us over the coals, or just say hi? Miranda’s the place to start. snoop knows you can never have enough followers—or enough friends. Make Miranda one of yours at @mirandelicious.

  Listening to: Madonna / 4 Minutes

  Tiger-Blue Esposito

  head of cool

  The epitome of chill, Tiger keeps her trademark zen state with the help of daily yoga, mindfulness and—of course—a steady stream of snoop through her oversize headphones. When she’s not pulling a Bhujapidasana or relaxing into an Anantasana (that’s a side reclining leg lift to the uninitiated) she’s polishing snoop’s cogs to make sure we look our very best, and getting the word out. Chill with her on @blueskythinking.

  Listening to: Jai-Jagdeesh / Aad Guray Nameh

  Carl Foster

  law man

  There’s no two ways about it—Carl keeps us on the straight and narrow, making sure that wherever we snoop, we’re doing it on the right side of the law. A graduate of University College, London, Carl did his pupillage at Temple Square Chambers. Since then he’s worked in a variety of international firms, mostly in the entertainment industry. He lives in Croydon. snoop him on @carlfoster1972.

  Listening to: The Rolling Stones / Sympathy for the Devil

  Taken from the BBC News website:

  Thursday, 16th January

  4 BRITONS DEAD IN SKI RESORT TRAGEDY

  The exclusive French ski resort of St Antoine was rocked by news of a second tragedy this week, only days after an avalanche killed six and left much of the region without power for days.

  Now, reports are emerging that in one remote ski chalet cut off by the avalanche, a ‘house of horror’ situation was unfolding, leaving four Britons dead and two hospitalised.

  The alarm was only sounded when survivors trekked more than three miles through the snow to radio for help, raising questions of why the French authorities did not work to re-establish power and mobile phone coverage more quickly following Sunday’s avalanche.

  Local police chief Etienne Dupont refused to comment, except to say that ‘an investigation is in progress’, but a spokesperson at the British embassy in Paris said, ‘We can confirm that we have been informed of the deaths of four British citizens in the Savoie department of the French Alps and that the local police are treating these incidents as a linked murder inquiry at this stage. Our sympathies are with the friends and families of the victims.’

  The families of the deceased have been informed.

  Eight survivors, also thought to be British, are said to be helping the police investigation.

  This year has been marked by unusually heavy snowfalls. Sunday’s avalanche is the sixth since the beginning of the ski season, and brings the total of fatalities in the region to twelve.

  FIVE DAYS EARLIER

  LIZ

  Snoop ID: ANON101

  Listening to: James Blunt / You’re Beautiful

  Snoopers: 0

  Snoopscribers: 0

  I keep my earbuds shoved into my ears on the minibus from Geneva Airport. I ignore Topher’s hopeful looks and Eva, glancing over her shoulder at me. It helps, somehow. It helps to shut out the voices in my head, their voices, pulling me this way and that, pummeling me with their loyalties and their arguments to and fro.

  Instead, I let James Blunt drown them out, telling me I’m beautiful, over and over again. The irony of the statement makes me want to laugh, but I don’t. There’s something comforting in the lie.

  It is 1:52 p.m. Outside the window the sky is iron gray, and the snowflakes swirl hypnotically past. It’s strange. Snow is so white on the ground, but when it’s falling, it looks gray against the sky. It might as well be ash.

  We are starting to climb now. The snow gets thicker as we gain height, no longer melting into rain when it hits the window but sticking, sliding along the glass, the windscreen wipers swooshing it aside into rivulets of slush that run horizontally across the passenger window. I hope the bus has snow tires.

  The driver changes gear; we are approaching yet another hairpin bend. As the bus swings around the narrow curve, the ground falls away, and I have a momentary feeling that we’re going to fall—a lurch of vertigo that makes my stomach heave and my head spin. I shut my eyes, blocking them all out, losing myself in the music.

  And then the song stops.

  And I am alone, with only one voice left in my head, and I can’t shut it out. It’s my own. And it
’s whispering a question that I’ve been asking myself since the plane lifted off the runway at Gatwick.

  Why did I come? Why?

  But I know the answer.

  I came because I couldn’t afford not to.

  ERIN

  Snoop ID: N/A

  Listening to: N/A

  Snoopers: N/A

  Snoopscribers: N/A

  The snow is still falling—fat white flakes drifting lazily down to lie softly over the peaks and pistes and valleys of St Antoine.

  Three meters have fallen in the last couple of weeks, and there’s more forecast. A snowpocalypse, Danny called it. Snowmaggedon. Lifts have been closed, and then reopened, and then closed again. Currently almost every lift in the entire resort is closed, but the faithful little funicular that leads up to our tiny hamlet is still chugging away. It’s glassed in, so even the heaviest dump doesn’t affect it; the snow just lies like a blanket over the tunnel rather than clogging the rails. Which is good—because on the rare occasions it does shut down, we’re totally cut off. There’s no road up to St. Antoine 2000, not in winter, anyway. Everything, from the guests in the chalet, right through to every scrap of food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, has to come up in the funicular. Unless you’ve got the money for a helicopter transfer (which, believe me, is not unheard of in this place). But the helicopters won’t fly in poor conditions. If a blizzard comes in, they stay safely down in the valley.

  It gives me a strange feeling if I think about it too much—a kind of claustrophobia that’s at odds with the wide-open vistas from the chalet. It’s not just the snow; it’s a hundredweight of unwelcome memories bearing down on me. If I stop for more than a minute or two, the images start to come unbidden, crowding into my mind—numb fingers scrabbling through hard-packed snow, the sheen of sunset on blue skin, the glint of frosted lashes. But fortunately I’ve got no time to stop today. It’s gone one o’clock and I’m still cleaning the second-to-last bedroom when I hear the shuddering sound of the gong from downstairs. It’s Danny. He shouts my name and then something I can’t make out.