The Woman in Cabin 10

Title: The Woman in Cabin 10

Author: Ruth Ware

Genre: Thriller

Published: 2016

Obtained: Target

After a traumatizing event, Lauren Blacklock, or Lo, embarks on a potential career-changing opportunity aboard a new luxury liner called the Aurora. She boards this lavish, but cramped, ship with the intention to network and craft a stellar piece for her magazine, Velocity. Things do not go as planned when Lo hears a loud splash and what appears to be a woman’s body sinking below the surface of the Black Sea. Lo begins to investigate and interrogate those around her while questioning her own memory of the events. There are only so many people aboard the small yacht and Lo knows for certain that one of them is a murderer…but who?

First, let me say that I struggled to put this book down each night! The structure of the novel was a steady build of suspense and tension. I picked this up after I heard it had compared to the style of Agatha Christie and I definitely understand the comparison. The Woman in Cabin 10 has a classic claustrophobic who-dunnit feel. As the conflict builds, I began to question the reliability of the protagonist–had she really witnessed something violent or was she simply psychologically spiraling out of control due to paranoia? The tension and the mystery continue to build with each scene and I kept turning the page because I wanted to learn the truth.

The character development was the weak point of the novel, for me. I had a hard time keeping track of the characters aboard the Aurora. They all seemed to blend slightly together and my visualization of them (based upon the descriptions) were blurry and unfocused. Even Lo, the main character, seemed lacking at first. She was borderline unlikable, but I had a twinge of sympathy for her that kept me attached as I read. I could relate to Lo’s anxiety and her honesty regarding the fact that there wasn’t a traumatic event in her childhood that caused her to feel anxious. I have anxiety and I often find that I have feelings of guilt because I convince myself that I have no good reason to feel the way I do. I can even relate to her unnecessary coldness towards her boyfriend prior to her departure; my anxiety can lead to irritability on occasion. But I often had to fight the urge to yell at her through the pages as she ran her big mouth to everyone on the ship. I wanted more from some of the characters–I wanted more depth. Character development is the glue for me as a reader and writer; if I’m not super invested in the characters then I have a difficult time engaging in the story. I felt like Lo developed slowly over the pages and by the end I was invested in her character’s future.

Ruth Ware did a phenomenal job with keeping the story concise and flowing. There wasn’t a lot of unnecessary descriptions or backstories. The story may have started out a bit slow, but it picks up aboard the Aurora and that’s when I found myself unable to put it down. Ware included a couple of twists that built more conflict and suspense. I also really appreciate her ability to show the final twist rather than tell it to the reader. As a writer, I find that my natural tendency is to do all the work and tell the reader what I want them to know rather than showing it; The Woman in Cabin 10 really had some excellent moments of this. Normally, I would love to share the examples, but as I don’t want to spoil anything, I will leave it at that!

Overall, I enjoyed this novel. There were spots where I felt like it was lacking in terms of character development. I was excited to pick this book up after hearing so many positive reviews…but, somehow, I felt a little underwhelmed in the end and I think it was due to a lack of connection to the characters. While it didn’t have a moment at the end where all the ends are neatly tied together, it was well written, well-crafted and didn’t leave me with too many unanswered questions. I just felt like it was missing a little of the magic that should be present in a thriller. I would give it 4/5 stars. The setting truly sucked me in to the point where I had to glance up and remind myself that I wasn’t stuck on that confined yacht. Ware really built the suspense nicely through the last two thirds of the novel. If you are looking for a fun, suspenseful story then I highly recommend The Woman in Cabin 10.

Wine Pairing: So, I have been on a rosé kick lately, but it just didn’t cut it with this book. Quite frankly, there were several times I had the urge to reach for the hard liquor (especially with the main character going to town on the mini-bar). I recommend a red zinfandel–they are usually quite strong with bold and oaky flavors (an “oaky-afterbirth” as Michael Scott would say). If you’re feeling fancy, try 1000 Stories Bourbon Barrel Aged Zinfandel (2016). It has just over a 15% alcohol content, but it matches well with the murkiness and mystery of The Woman in Cabin 10 with its smoky and full-flavors–not to mention it will keep your heart rate up as you follow the twists and turns with the story. I found the wine for about $16; if you’re on a bit of a budget or just not into spending that much on wine then try Apothic Red Blend. It goes for around $12.99 and it’s another red zin option that will hit the spot with a good thriller!