📖 Book Review #4: The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

 

For my fourth review, I seem to be continuing with a slightly more suspenseful theme! After enjoying One Perfect Couple, I decided to try another book by Ruth Ware — and The Woman in Cabin 10 certainly kept me on edge.

The story follows a travel journalist, Lo Blacklock, who is invited on a luxury cruise to write about the experience. It all sounds glamorous and exciting — until she believes she witnesses a woman being thrown overboard from the cabin next door. The problem? According to everyone else on board, no one is missing.

I found the setting absolutely brilliant. A cruise ship in the middle of the North Sea is such a perfect backdrop for a thriller. There’s something very unsettling about being trapped at sea with nowhere to go. The sense of claustrophobia really builds as the story unfolds.

What I liked most was the feeling of uncertainty. You’re constantly questioning what Lo saw, what she thinks she saw, and whether she can trust her own judgement. That psychological element made it more than just a straightforward mystery.

I will say that at times I found Lo a slightly frustrating character — she makes some decisions that had me shaking my head! But at the same time, her anxiety and vulnerability made her feel realistic. She isn’t a perfect, fearless heroine, which actually adds to the tension.

This was definitely a fast read for me. I kept wanting to find out the truth, and there were enough twists to keep me guessing. It’s more of a traditional thriller than some of the slower, more atmospheric books I usually lean towards, but I enjoyed the change of pace.

Overall, I’d give The Woman in Cabin 10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5.

If you like:

• Locked-room style mysteries

• Isolated settings

• Unreliable narrators

• Plenty of suspense

…then this is well worth adding to your list.

Four reviews in now — I’m quite proud of myself for sticking to my New Year’s resolution!

Victoria 📚