03 Aug Book Review: The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Ruth Ware has become a master of locked-room suspense with her previous hits like In a Dark, Dark Wood and The Woman in Cabin 10 establishes her strengths: eerie atmospherics, unreliable narrators, and a slowly tightening noose of dread. Set aboard a luxury cruise ship in the choppy waters of Scandinavia, this thriller leans into claustrophobia, isolation, and the creeping paranoia of not knowing whom to trust.

What’s it about?

Lo Blacklock is a travel journalist with nerves of steel—or so she tries to believe. When she’s offered a press trip on the Aurora Borealis, a boutique cruise through Norway’s fjords, she sees an opportunity to restore her confidence after a shaky assignment in New York. But the journey quickly takes a darker turn.

On the first night, Lo is awakened by a scream. She heads to Cabin 10 and witnesses what seems like a woman being thrown overboard. She scrambles to raise the alarm, only to find the cabin empty and undisturbed. The crew and passengers dismiss her claims—there’s no record of a missing woman, and no sign of struggle. Was it a hallucination born of wine and exhaustion, or did someone vanish into the icy sea?

Locked into the ship with no escape, Lo begins investigating. She sneaks into off-limits areas, covertly reads the ship’s logs, and quizzes staff—all while battling her own anxiety and the suspicion that she’s losing grip on reality. The cruise’s glossy veneer starts to peel away: conversations trail off when she enters rooms, doors close just a little too firmly, and she becomes haunted by fleeting shadows in empty hallways.

Her only allies are Hugo, a fellow passenger who says he overheard something, and Seth, a crew member with secrets of his own. Together, they dig into the passenger list, shipping manifests, and ghostly sightings. Along the way, Lo uncovers complex relationships—some passengers have a lot to gain from a disappearance, others a desperate reason to remain hidden.

Ware’s pacing is her greatest weapon. She structures the narrative around a relentless drop in temperature, both literal and psychological. With each crested wave and knock on the cabin door, tension ratchets up. Each chapter reveals a bit more: a bruise on Lo’s arm, a cryptic note, a stifled confession in the bar. There’s limited space, limited exit routes, and a growing sense that no one is innocent.

As the cruise nears its end, Lo confronts the core question: did she really see what she thinks she did? And is she being framed—or is she framing herself? The climax builds to a storm-battered deck, a confrontation between accuser and accused, and a revelation that flips motive and morality altogether.

What This Chick Thinks

Suspense That Sticks Like Cold

You can taste the salt spray and feel the wind slap against the deck. Ware excels at making you feel seasick with suspense—not through gore, but through isolation. Being stuck on that ship with Lo is the perfect vessel for her fear.

An Unreliable Narrator with an Actual Nervous System

Lo isn’t perfect—she drinks too much, lies to get access, and panics when things go wrong. But Ware captures her inner chaos with empathy. You want to believe her. But you also aren’t sure you can.

Atmosphere Over Complexity

The ship is a character: its corridors are long, the staff are courteous but distant. The endless water outside the portholes feels like a threat. That minimalism allows small clues to become terrifying.

A Twist That’s Satisfying, Not Shouty

When Ware drops her reveal, it makes sense in retrospect. It’s not a trick so much as a lens shift. But if you watch the details—every repeating smile, every sudden exit—there are signs there. Re-reading the final chapters with that in mind gives them weight.

A Few Too Many Open Doors

My one real gripe? A couple of subplot threads—like what happened to Lo before the trip or some crewmembers’ personal drama—felt a bit underwrap. Those stories end quietly, almost too suggestively. It didn’t ruin the experience, but it did leave small echoes.

Final Thoughts

The Woman in Cabin 10 is the kind of thriller that grips with texture: salt air, tight hallways, mirrored walls, and a sense that danger is only one closed door away. It’s not shocking in a gruesome way, but its tension builds in your spine and stays there. Perfect for anyone who likes psychological suspense wrapped in travel’s glamorous unease.

Rating: 8.5/10

Try it if you like:

• Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell – A suburban mystery hiding in plain sight, focused on motherhood, grief, and sharp reveals.
• The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena – Ticks all the domestic thriller boxes: secrets, betrayal, and suburban masks slipping.
• Lock Every Door by Riley Sager – A brilliant descent into paranoia in a luxurious building, where every mirror hides a threat.