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Don't Get Caught in the Undertow...
Fiction
Simon and Schuster
July 19, 2016
352
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…
Turbulent Seas Ahead for The Woman in Cabin 10…
When I was little, I loved Nancy Drew mysteries, and as a young teen I found great enjoyment in old Agatha Christie books. But as I got older, I tended to gravitate more towards historical or paranormal fiction. I forgot the thrill of the chase and the hair pin turns of a good mystery. However, about a year ago, my book club read Ruth Ware’s first novel, In a Dark, Dark Wood, and I once again relished the feelings of trying to unravel the mystery as the story progressed. Come to find out, I was a woefully incompetent detective, because the solution to the mystery was far different from what I imagined it to be. Nonetheless, it had kept me spellbound for several hours, barely moving from the couch. So, 
when I found out that Ms. Ware had a new book coming out, I told my book club friends that we would definitely have to check it out! And I am pleased to say that The Woman in Cabin 10 did not disappoint! I was sucked along by the current of the story, as inexorably as a body at sea…
The terror began almost immediately, when Lo’s apartment was vandalized while she was home, just days before she was to leave on a once-in-a-lifetime assignment for the travel magazine where she works. She understandably goes into a tizzy, seeing danger in every shadow, and around every corner. But the opportunity to write a review of a new cruise ship could not be missed, so an exhausted Lo reported for duty. This is important, because the reader understands that Lo has been put into a somewhat questionable mental state, which will make her (and the reader), as well as those around her doubt the veracity of her story of a murder in the cabin next door during the ship’s first night at sea. But as time passes, Lo cannot shake the feeling that something terrible really did happen, leading her (journalist that she is) to start investigating. No one on board is above suspicion, but the answers to Lo’s questions are more horrifying than any rational human being would be able to suspect. 
The Woman in Cabin 10 took off on page 1 and never really stopped until the last line, which neatly tied up any remaining lose ends. Breathtaking scenery, beautiful people, posh surroundings, and nefarious motives were tied together seamlessly to provide a thrilling rollercoaster of a read!
Finally, I want to note that this type of book is difficult to write a review for, since I would not want to unintentionally provide any spoilers. However, based on the 5 star rating I have given it, I hope it is clear that I highly recommend this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat, made me slightly anxious when going to sleep for a few nights, and shocked me with several conclusions I never would have seen coming. Above all, Ruth Ware has once again let me know beyond a shadow of a doubt that detective and private investigator are not future career options.
