Book Review: The Woman In Cabin 10, by Ruth Ware

Genre: Mystery thriller
Date Published: June 2016
Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press
# Of Pages: 352 pages

Goodreads

Synopsis: 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.

My Rating:

 ★★★ 1/2

.....For being a fast-paced thriller

My Thoughts:

Well that was interesting!

The book ended rather abruptly for me, although that was mainly because I had an ebook copy, which included a preview chapter for another book. I thought I was only 90% done, and suddenly the book is over. I should have paid attention to the chapter menu. Lesson learned!

Anyway, this was an intriguing thriller. The murder mystery strongly reminded me of Agatha Christie's novels, although the setup of the story turned into something rather unique. Each part ends with some type of e-mail/internet exchange or newspaper report, which implies that something disastrous is going to happen later in the book, but you can't really be sure what. The setup is brilliant in that it keeps you reading. Because you know something bad is going to happen, you read through the slower parts a lot more quickly.

The solution at the end was not what I was expecting. I'm not sure if I liked it or not. Without giving away any spoilers, all I can say is that it's different from what I thought it would be.

Overall, if you like mystery thrillers, this is worth a look. It's a very, very quick read, with several good plot twists. Check it out!