“The Woman in Cabin 10” – Ruth Ware
For those who are fans of intense, psychological thrillers with unique plotlines and jaw-dropping twists, you've probably heard of Ruth Ware. If you haven't, it's about time you did. Ware came out of the woodwork with her debut novel In a Dark, Dark Wood and immediately began climbing her way up best seller’s lists. Since then, she's written 3 other novels, each of them different but just as much of a thriller as her first, and all of them granting her the title of “International Best Selling Author.” I hadn't heard of her until last year, which isn't really a surprise considering her work is extremely recent, and she also lives half a world away from me, residing in the U.K. where a majority of her stories take place. Despite her resent popularity, I don't believe we've seen the last of Ware. Her second novel,The Woman in Cabin 10, takes us on a journey with a style that's very much her own, and makes us question what we believe the truth to be.
“The first inkling that something was wrong was waking in darkness…”
That's how fast Ware has thrown you into the chaos of Laura (Lo) Blackwell's life. When you open the book, you're immediately in the middle of a home invasion, Lo trapped on one side of her bedroom door while a masked man ransacks her apartment. It's no wonder that throughout the book, Lo is jumpy, anxiety ridden, and hardly sleeping. Who wouldn't be when they're trying to live their best life and climb the ladder in their journalistic career? In order to save face, Lo brushes off the home invasion like it's no big deal (hello, it's a huge deal, and you're allowed to be upset, Lo, we totally get it). She decides to continue on her assignment in covering the maiden voyage of the Aurora Borealis: an elegant, regal, intimate, and expensive cruise liner traveling from England to Norway. When she gets to the ship, she encounters new and old acquaintances (including her ex-boyfriend who also happens to be an incredibly successful journalist), and soon realizes that if she wants to make it big in her industry, she really needs to step up her game.
However, it becomes hard for Lo to concentrate on her work when she meets a mysterious woman on board that no one can place, and then believes she's a witness to the woman's murder. But is there really a murderer on the cruise liner with her, or is it all in Lo's head? Much of the staff seem to think so, especially with the trauma from her recent break-in. As Lo searches for answers and puts her real journalism skills to the test, she realizes that digging for the truth may put her in deeper water than she's ever been before.
The Woman in Cabin 10 proves an instant favorite for those wanting to see a normal, imperfect, and incredibly bad ass young woman as a main character. Lo is like every other woman out there: not sure where life is going, has plans but has yet to pursue them, and when something goes wrong, is oftentimes seen as crazy or delusional. As Lo is trying to uncover the mystery behind the missing and potentially murdered passenger, a part of you feels angry for her that no one is taking her seriously, and the other part of you is questioning whether or not you should even be taking her seriously either. Regardless, Lo is a likable and relatable character, and it's easy to view her as the protagonist throughout the entire story.
This book is a relatively easy but entertaining read. The chapters are short (though there are many), and Ware always leaves you wanting more. Even with the occasional slow parts (introductions of fellow passengers on the ship, learning all of the names of the guests and crew, etc.), she doesn't leave you hanging for long. If you enjoy fast paced thrillers, The Woman in Cabin 10 proves to be the type of ride you'll want to be on.
Be on the lookout for Ware's other two books The Lying Game and her most recent novel The Death of Mrs. Westaway (released May 29th).
