January 25, 2017

The Woman in Cabin 10


The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
Fiction/Thriller
2016 Gallery/Scout Press
Finished on September 1, 2016
Rating: 2/5 (Fair)

Publisher's Blurb:

From New York Times bestselling author of the “twisty-mystery” (Vulture) novel In a Dark, Dark Wood, comes The Woman in Cabin 10, an equally suspenseful novel from Ruth Ware—this time, set at sea.

In this tightly wound story, 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. 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 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…

With surprising twists and a setting that proves as uncomfortably claustrophobic as it is eerily beautiful, Ruth Ware offers up another intense read.

The Woman in Cabin 10 starts off very well. I think the opening chapters are even better than those of her debut novel, In a Dark, Dark Wood. Unfortunately, by the halfway mark, the pacing begins to slow down and I start to grow impatient with Lo's internal whining. The first person narrative is what ultimately ruined this thriller for me, not to mention yet another drunk girl as an unreliable witness. I'm tired of this set-up!

Final Thoughts:

I love thrillers and was pretty disappointed that Ware couldn't maintain the momentum of her story line. Having recently read Murder on the Orient Express, I found myself comparing this modern thriller to that of Agatha Christie's classic, curious if the author was inspired by Agatha. Too bad she can't ask her for some pointers.

10 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:04 AM

    This is really too bad. I have had high hopes for this one, and it is available at my library, which is a big thing for our small town. As I get older, I find that newer title do it for me less than they used to. The craft shines through in older pubs, plus, now we are dealing with a serious problem with dumbing down the books that are printed, which makes even some of what is presented as literary seem like dime store romances.

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    1. Toady, there have been some really good thrillers published in the past couple of years. Unfortunately, this wasn't one of the.

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  2. Yes, I'd say I definitely enjoyed this one more than you. LOL

    I agree that Agatha Christie was a master at this sort of book - the 'locked room' mystery. They may be my favorite type of mystery. And nobody does it better than AC. :-)

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    1. Kay, I think I'm becoming a very harsh critic. ;) I have read better thrillers, though. Behind Closed Doors and Her Every Fear are two that come to mind.

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  3. It's too bad she couldn't keep the pace up throughout the book. A thriller needs a fast pace to work for me.

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    1. Kathy, it was disappointing, but I felt that way toward the end of her previous book, too.

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  4. I loved The Woman In Cabin 10. But if everyone was alike, the world would be pretty boring...
    Brenda

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    1. Brenda, I'm glad you found it enjoyable! Thanks for stopping by.

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  5. As I was reading your review I kept thinking of Agatha Christie but too bad this one is not as good. Like you, the drunk girl is getting a bit old. I will be reading this one as my book group is reading it in a couple of months so I'm curious what I'll think of it.

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    1. Iliana, I'll be anxious to read your thoughts on this one!

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