The Stats
Title: The Woman in Cabin 10
Author: Ruth Ware
Narrated By: Imogen Church
Publisher: Scout Press (19 July, 2016)
Time: 11 Hours 09 Minutes
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Women’s Fiction, Mystery Thriller
Trigger Warnings: Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder
Read if you like: The Guest List, The Paris Apartment, The Women in the Window, The Girl on the Train, Murder on the Orient Express
Rating: 4 Stars out of 5
GoodReads Choice Nominee for Readers’ Favorite Mystery & Thriller (2016)
The Review
Going into The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware, I assumed I knew how the novel would end. It seemed like a typical unreliable narrator mystery thriller: a protagonist under the influence, a closed-quarters murder that’s conveniently cleaned up before anyone else can confirm the crime, and a lingering question of whether the main character is crying wolf.
While the book retains some of these familiar elements, there are aspects that kept me on my toes and elevated the story. One standout feature is Ware’s use of interwoven social media exchanges and news articles to create a sense of foreboding. Early in the novel, we learn through these snippets that Lo Blacklock, the protagonist, is presumed dead after abruptly cutting off communication with her boyfriend, editor, and family. This literary device added a layer of tension and mystery, keeping me engaged as I questioned how the narrative would unfold.
Another unique twist is Lo herself. Despite the unreliable narrator trope, Lo stands out as one of the most trustworthy protagonists I’ve encountered in this genre. Her paranoia is rooted in realistic and relatable trauma: just days before the trip, her home was broken into, and she was tied up by the intruder. This recent experience, coupled with her past mental health struggles, gives her behavior credibility, especially when she insists she met the woman she believes was murdered.
While I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, I felt my experience with mystery thrillers allowed me to both predict and yet completely miss how this novel would conclude. As the story unfolds, you can clearly tell which passenger is slightly off compared to the rest. However, I would never have guessed the twist that reveals the true reason why.
The Woman in Cabin 10 was a refreshing change, as the final few chapters really kept me on my toes. I was unsure how the novel would turn out, but every twist provided a nice little bow to tie off the story.
Short Review (AKA TLDR)
I will not lie, I finished this novel a while ago and only now realized I never marked it as completed. So my review may be a bit hazey (similar to Lo’s entire time on the ship).
I both was able to predict, but still completely miss, how this novel was going to end. This started off like any other unreliable narrator/gaslighting novel. However, “The Women in Cabin 10” was a refreshing change as the final few chapters really kept me on my toes. I was unsure which way the novel would twist next, but every twist provided a nice little bow to tie off the story.
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