The Woman in Cabin 10
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 describe only 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.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
This is my second Ruth Ware book. I don’t think I’ll read a third. I found this to be a disappointment with an unlikable, annoying protagonist, plot holes, and a completely unrealistic ending.
First, can I say that I almost immediately loved this narrator. Lo is such a likeable character that the first part is so hard to stomach. Her drinking is also worrying. As a 30something woman I understand drinking but she drinks more than I ever did, including during my heavy drinking yrs during my late teens/early 20s. I'd like to be able to say she doesn't let it affect her life but that's not true either. Let's just say that if Lo were my friend irl I would be having conversations with her for sure.
Back to the plot. This felt very Murder on the Orient Express to me. I loved that about it because Hercule Poirot is my absolute favorite character. I had several theories about what I thought was happening and I was wrong until about the last part (8) and it suddenly clicked. That puts this very strongly on my favorites and to be re-read list.
Slightly spoilery after this point!
Lo is a super likeable but also super unlucky. One of the few 'lucky' things that happens to Lo is for her to get invited to a press trip on a luxury yacht bound for the northern lights. It's her first big work thing like this and with something that's happened to her recently she's understandably nervous going into the whole thing. She's also got a little bit of a drinking problem (maybe) so she slightly over imbibes on the first night and witnesses what she thinks is something horrific.
What follows is Lo's personal drive to figure out what she saw and to try and possibly save someone's life. She doesn't always have the best instincts but her heart is always in the right place. Lo gets push back both literally and quite secretively but nothing deters her to her own detriment.
This is a nail biter for sure. Ruth Ware is a genius with the twist, I immediately picked up another of her works.
Great suspenseful book. The twist at the end was unexpected and well written. My second book from this author. I am getting used to the writing style...
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.