Jaclyn’s Review: The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

The Woman in Cabin 10
written by Ruth Ware
published by Scout Press, 2016

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Did I enjoy this book? As with any “whodunnit” type book, I read this quickly because I simply had to know who the bad guy was!!! There was no big plot twist here, just a straightforward case of “something bad happened, and now who did it?” The author added in plenty of details to make you suspect nearly everyone in the story, which I appreciate. My chief complaint is that there seemed to be many details like this that should have eventually been a critical plot point but were merely coincidences or irrelevant. For example, our main character was the victim of a burglary before leaving for this cruise. We later find out that the passenger who backed out at the last minute was ALSO the victim of a burglary the night before the cruise! However, this proves to be completely irrelevant and simply a coincidence (or perhaps a lack of creativity on the author’s part?). Ultimately, I kept reading because I HAD to, and the book had a satisfying ending.

Would I recommend it? Ultimately, I would probably recommend this book. There was nothing overly gory or gross, not even much swearing. This was a pretty straightforward murder mystery with a satisfying ending. What’s not to like about that?
 

 

About the book – from Goodreads: From New York Times bestselling author of the “twisty-mystery” (Vulture) novel In a Dark, Dark Wood, comes The Woman in Cabin 10, an equally suspenseful and haunting novel from Ruth Ware—this time, set at sea.

In this tightly wound, enthralling story reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s works, 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…

With surprising twists, spine-tingling turns, and a setting that proves as uncomfortably claustrophobic as it is eerily beautiful, Ruth Ware offers up another taut and intense read in The Woman in Cabin 10—one that will leave even the most sure-footed reader restlessly uneasy long after the last page is turned.

 

 
 

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** This post first appeared on Every Free Chance Books (everyfreechance.com) on October 11, 2019.