The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

The Woman in Cabin 10

by Ruth Ware

*SOON TO BE A MAJOR NETFLIX SERIES, STARRING KEIRA KNIGHTLEY*

'Reads like Agatha Christie got together with Paula Hawkins to crowdsource a really fun thriller'
Stylist

A PASSENGER IS MISSING...BUT WAS SHE EVER ON BOARD AT ALL?

This was meant to be the perfect trip. The Northern Lights. A luxury press launch on a boutique cruise ship.

A chance for travel journalist Lo Blacklock to recover from a traumatic break-in that has left her on the verge of collapse.

Except things don't go as planned.

Woken in the night by screams, Lo rushes to her window to see a body thrown overboard from the next door cabin. But the records show that no-one ever checked into that cabin, and no passengers are missing from the boat.

Exhausted and emotional, Lo has to face the fact that she may have made a mistake - either that, or she is now trapped on a boat with a murderer...
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Praise for THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10:
' Scary and unsettling, it's' edge-of-your-seat stuff' The Sun
'A tense, moody drama set on a press trip that goes horribly wrong... a brilliantly claustrophobic setting' Sunday Times
'A twisty puzzle' Shari Lapena
'Terrifically tense' Good Housekeeping

Reviewed by Linda on

4 of 5 stars

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This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
The Woman in Cabin 10 is a tightly written psychological thriller where part of the action happens on a small cruise boat... and it's a chilling and sharp tale.



Lo is one of those very flawed characters whom it's impossible not to love. The Woman in Cabin 10 is a complex tale, where, after waking up to a burglar in her home, Lo gets the possibility to go on a luxury cruise for her work. Writing about how the rich and famous do vacation in the ice-cold waters off the coast of Norway. There's a bit of a mystery surrounding Lo, she seems to be holding back -both in the narration and with her boyfriend whom she's been with for several years.

As soon as Lo arrives on the cruise boat, she is feeling a bit weird, and also slightly upset, as the internet connection isn't all it's supposed to be. After a strange run-in with the woman in the next cabin, Lo goes to the first meet and greet with the other journalists and the couple who own the boat. Mesmerized by all the glitz, a little uncomfortable, and drinking too much, Lo feels out of place. Running into a male journalist she used to work with - and with whom she possibly had a relationship outside of work doesn't help, either. In the middle of the night, Lo hears a scream, and then a splash outside her cabin, and she realizes that the woman in the next-door cabin must have fallen overboard. Only, there is blood on the window off the balcony...

This is when the story turns from something that could have been a pleasant cruise turns into something deadly, as Lo can't leave this alone and contacts the security person on board. She tries to get the boat to stop, but this is not an option, especially when it appears that nobody is missing, and the cabin next to Lo's was unoccupied... As Lo continues to investigate this matter, there is no internet connection what soever on board, and the passengers all start to feel unsettled when they enter a storm with high waves and rain...

The danger becomes more and more present for Lo, and The Woman in Cabin 10 never lets up on the suspense. Written in different points of views, one from Lo's perspective, in first person, past tense and also through e-mails sent to Lo from various people, and some news-paper articles. This way of telling the story was unique, and it made the suspense ramp up when it was clear that the outside world didn't know at all what was going on aboard that boat. If you enjoy suspense stories where it's impossible to figure out what will happen next, The Woman in Cabin 10 is a book you should get your hands on as soon as it's released!



Its size, along with the perfection of its paintwork, gave it a curiously toylike quality, and as I stepped onto the narrow steel gangway I had a sudden disorienting image of the Aurora as a ship imprisoned in a bottle - tiny, perfect, isolated, and unreal - and of myself, shrinking down to match it with every step I took towards the boat.

There was a little spritz of sequined leaves across the right shoulder because you didn't seem to be able to get away with none. Apparently the majority of ball gowns were designed by five-year-old girls armed with glitter guns, but at least this one didn't look entirely like an explosion in a Barbie factory. 

It didn't help that, unlike a ferry, there were no floor plans or maps, and minimal signage - supposed to help the impression that this was a private home that you just happened to share with a load of rich people. 

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 16 May, 2016: Finished reading
  • 16 May, 2016: Reviewed