Books With Your Besties — Episode Summary

Podcast: Books With Your Besties
Hosts: Emily and Ashley
Episode: Turn of The Key by Ruth Ware
Date: November 14, 2025

Overview

In this lively and laughter-filled episode, Emily and Ashley deep-dive into Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware. They reflect on the book’s atmosphere, discuss the modern anxieties of smart homes, explore true crime parallels, and veer off into hilarious, real-life tangents—showcasing the effortless chemistry of 23 years of friendship. Though the chat wanders (in true “Besties” style), listeners get thoughtful insights on the book’s craft, themes, and memorable moments, along with recommendations for similar reads.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why Revisit Turn of the Key?

• The hosts chose to revisit this modern thriller classic to balance discussions of both new and older, beloved books.
  • “We got to talk about some new books, but let’s talk about some old books that people will have read or remembered or liked or disliked or whatever.” — Emily [01:00]

Ruth Ware’s Signature: Setting and Atmosphere

• Atmospheric Mastery: Both agree Ruth Ware excels at setting, making the house feel alive—creepy yet beautiful, old-world charm mixed with sleek modern technology.
  • “I would classify this book as atmospheric because the setting matters so much…and it’s got a mixture of like old Cotswold-esque charm with this new wave functionality right in the home.” — Emily [02:16]
• The Locked Room Debate: The hosts humorously debate what constitutes a "locked room" mystery, agreeing these claustrophobic, isolated settings add tension.

Technology in the Modern Haunted House

• Personal Experiences: Both hosts share their real-life run-ins with smart home devices—door keypads, Alexa/Echo Dots, Ring cameras—expressing the allure and fear of surveillance.
  • “We’re giving all of our data to Jeff Bezos and Amazon, and they’re collecting all of that. But it is so convenient for us…” — Emily [04:39]
• Relevance to the Book: The book’s smart home tech is both “so convenient” and deeply unnerving, tying into anxieties about privacy, control, and modern domestic horror.

Plot Recap & Twists

• The discussion clarifies the book’s twisty plot:
  • Rowan (actually Rachel) takes a nanny job under false pretenses with her biological father as the employer, a detail that unravels with plenty of family secrets and dangerous tension.
  • Creepy kids abound, adding to the gothic, psychological tension.
  • The poisonous garden serves as an unnerving backdrop and a potential weapon.
• “It had the twist of it being her dad who had made—yeah—sexual advances on her, and then the child being actually the perpetrator of the violence. That was real scary.” — Emily [09:23]

The Epistolary Device (Books with Letters)

• Both express general dislike for books featuring letters, but make exceptions for Turn of the Key, praising how the protagonist’s letter to her attorney adds tension and ambiguity.
  • “I don’t like books with letters. But I did love this book and all the other books I’ve read with letters in it.” — Emily [11:18]
  • “…it was kind of left open ended in the end as to what happened and if she was like writing a confession from jail.” — Ashley [10:55]

Real-Life True Crime: Poison Garden Parallels

• Ashley recounts the recent (2023) real-life case of Erin Patterson, who poisoned guests with death cap mushrooms in Australia, paralleling the novel’s murder methods.
  • “She cooked beef Wellington’s. And she invited her family…told them that she had cancer and they were all coming over to support her.” — Emily [13:45]
• Another story: a woman’s attempt to poison her husband with lily of the valley, echoing the use of garden poisons in thrillers.
• These stories prompt reflection on how fiction draws from—and amplifies—real human fears.

The Dangers (and Comedy) of Surveillance

• Tangents on home surveillance and privacy turn relatable and hilarious:
  • “Sometimes I think about that, listen, I know somebody who their partner put cameras secretly in their private areas…things you’re just like, that’s private. Could you imagine? No.” — Emily [19:03]

Appreciation for Ruth Ware and the Genre

• Ruth Ware’s bibliography is praised, with special mentions for In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, and others.
• Both hosts express fangirl adoration for Ware’s talent and regret she couldn’t attend their retreat.
  • “I’m a Ruth Ware, Stan. I like her.” — Emily [06:47]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Modern Homes and Tech:
  “Do you have stuff that's operated...from your phone or from your voice?” — Ashley [03:49]
• Creepy Kids as a Thriller Trope:
  “In this book, there are creepy kids, and that's like a...thing in psychological thrillers.” — Ashley [09:09]
• On Old vs. New in Home Design:
  “I loved the weird juxtaposition between the old and the new in the house and the description of, like, putting technology into something that should be preserved.” — Emily [22:48]

Important Segments & Timestamps

• 00:00–01:30: Podcast intro, why they’re revisiting the book
• 02:08–03:35: Discussion of atmospheric setting, “locked room” genre
• 03:40–05:40: Tech in homes—personal anecdotes and its role in the book
• 06:50–08:26: Plot twists: hidden identities, family secrets
• 09:09–10:46: “Creepy kid” trope, poison garden, book’s scare factor
• 10:46–11:35: Epistolary/letter structure in thrillers—love/hate relationship
• 11:57–16:59: Two true crime poisonings: mushroom murders and lily of the valley
• 18:20–20:06: Surveillance paranoia, privacy fears, author anecdotes
• 24:39–25:08: Gripe about movie adaptations: fake lighting/colors
• 26:22–27:00: Book recommendations for fans of Turn of the Key

Book Recommendations for Fans of Turn of the Key

• The Wife Upstairs
• Behind Closed Doors
• Home Before Dark
• The Book of Cold Cases
• The Paris Apartment
• One by One (by Ruth Ware)

Conclusion & Tone

Books With Your Besties delivers—in equal measure—laughs, industry insight, and genuine affection for twisty thrillers. If you love geeking out over Ruth Ware, gothic mansions, ominous tech, and true crime tangents (plus a lot of good-natured ribbing between friends), this is an episode not to miss.

“If you haven’t read those two, read those. So then you’re ready to listen to us talk for five minutes about books and an hour about nothing.” — Ashley [29:42]

For more content: Visit their Patreon at the Creepy Book Club.
Happy reading!