Title: The Woman In Cabin 10
Author: Ruth Ware
Publication: July 19, 2016
Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 305
SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong.
REVIEW:
I have always heard great things about Ruth Ware, but it always seemed my book reading schedule was so packed I never had time to grab one of her books. When my book club selected this novel for our August book, I was so excited. I instantly dove in and I will start with this. Ruth Ware is probably one of my new top five favorite mystery writers.
The Woman in Cabin 10 follows Lo Blacklock, a journalist, as she takes a job on for her boss to report on a new luxury yacht cruise. Right from the start she’s having issues because of home life problems and sea sickness… and the sound of a woman being thrown overboard. Wait, what? Full stop. The story line is definitely intriguing. I was nota. huge fan of Lo from the start because she seemed to illogical in her choices of how to handle her incredibly stressful situations, which frustrated me. As such a smart and educated individual, I would have thought she would have been able to break down a difficult situation more. It also probably annoyed me a little because I did not know much about her personality right off.
With that said, I love all the characters we meet. There are so many of them and it’s like reading through a game of Clue and trying to figure out who did it, in what room, with what weapon. Except she on a boat in the middle of an ocean and no one can be trusted. I like how Ware gave us snippets of more information about Lo as the story continued to kind of explain her character and her relationships that tie into the story. It definitely explained her behavior. I also felt strong emotions towards much of the crew on the boat, which I love when a book draws out strong emotions. The crew frustrated me, annoyed me, and downright made me angry at times. The story did jump around a bit and sometimes I felt a bit confused on what time it was, how long the story had been going on and what we were really doing, but for the most part it flowed smoothly.
Ware has a writing style about her that literally has you gasping or saying “what!?” outlaid throughout the entire book. I found myself texting my fellow book club reader as we worked through it totally freaking out about what was happening and trying to figure out what on earth was going to come next. It was a truly twisting tale.
The best part… the ending. You will never see it coming and you will never have guessed. Mark my words. I had a jaw drop moment when it finally clicked what was happening and then the very, very end of the book also had me picking my jaw up from the ground. Total shocker. Completely unexpected.
If you love really twisty, psychological thrillers, then The Woman in Cabin 10 is definitely a book for you. Ware has a ton of other books too that I hope are just as thrilling because I plan to read them all. Definitely pick this one up. You will have a rollercoaster of emotions on the ride, but it will leave you satisfied in the end.
STAR RATING: 4/5
You can get your own copy of The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and check your local bookstore. Also make sure to add it to your To Reads list on Goodreads and leave feedback for the author when you are finished. You can check out more from author Ruth Ware on her website here.
