Review: The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

 

Title:  The Woman in Cabin 10  
Author: Ruth Ware (Facebook) (Website) (Twitter)
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio; Unabridged edition (April 11, 2017)
Length: Audio CD Version
Source: White Bear Lake Library

 

About the Book: (From Goodreads):
In this tightly wound story, 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. 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 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 and a setting that proves as uncomfortably claustrophobic as it is eerily beautiful, Ruth Ware offers up another intense read.

My Review:  I am a little late to the party as The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware came out in hard cover in the summer of 2016.  For whatever reason, I heard a lot about The Woman in Cabin 10, but didn’t pick it up.  This could be due to the fact that during that time, everything was compared to Gone Girl or The Girl on the Train.   Ruth Ware is a new to me author, with The Woman in Cabin 10 being her sophomore book. 

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware comes out of the gate strong with the main character, Laura “Lo” Blacklock, being a victim of a break in, which understandably leaves her distressed.   Lo is a travel journalist and needs to leave for a cruise on a new luxury boat called the Aurora, despite the recent break in.   Lo struggles on the boat with feeling safe, which leads to her drinking too much.

One night she is awoken by a noise, she believes she sees a body being thrown overboard.  In typical mystery fashion, a murder happens with a witness, but everyone else denies it.   So did Lo really see this or was it a dream as a result of her drinking?   All the passengers are accounted for and the cruise staff begin to think Lo is making things up.  Lo is unreliable narrator with her drinking and history of mental health issues which adds to the confusion as to what is real.

The creep factor for me in The Woman in Cabin 10 was the setting!  A cruise ship in the middle of the sea and the sense of claustrophobia was very real for me.  ARGH!  Lo is certain a murder has happened, but she is trapped on a cruise ship with no way to contact the authorities.  She is unable to get ahold of her family or boyfriend due to not having internet access while out at sea.  I hate the feeling of being TRAPPED!

I listened to the audio of The Woman in Cabin 10, I loved the pace of the book and Lo seems even more unreliable when you listen to her.  There are many characters in The Woman in Cabin 10 and they are all pretty well developed.  I loved all the accents in the audio book!  You are never sure if you can believe Lo.  The suspense builds, twists happen and things start to fall into place.  The end had me on the edge of my seat.   The very last sentence or so of the book, made for the perfect ending!   I was very satisfied with the ending.   I finished The Woman in the Cabin 10 on my road trip to Duluth and give it 4 stars. 

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware was also reviewed by Crime By The Book, Rebel Mommy, Mrs. B Book Reviews,  and Curled Up

My Rating Scale: 1 – didn’t like it; 2 – it was ok; 3 – liked it; 4 – really liked it; 5 – it was amazing

Happy Reading!

**Disclosure – The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware was checked out from the public library.  All opinions are my own.  This post contains affiliate links.