Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster | Gallery Books | Scout Press for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by Ruth Ware, a follow-up to The Woman in Cabin 10. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Lo Blacklock receives an invitation to attend the press opening of a luxury Swiss hotel owned by a reclusive billionaire. The timing is perfect, as Lo is ready to get back to her journalism career after staying home with Covid and her two children. Lo is hoping to get an interview with the owner and resurrect her career. However, she soon finds herself once again in a cat-and-mouse pursuit and she may not make it back home.

The timeline in the book and real life are the same - it's been 10 years since The Woman in Cabin 10 was published. I will admit to not remembering book details even a month after I read them, let alone 10 years, but things did come back to me as I read this follow-up. Ruth Ware always writes compelling thrillers, and I was never sure who to trust in this book. I did think that Lo was naive in who she put her trust in after barely surviving her last adventure, but I felt her anxiety and stress. The luxury hotel settings were perfect and the chase across Europe was tense - this was a twisty thriller that kept my interest throughout.

Read this if: you enjoyed The Woman in Cabin 10

Skip this if: you haven’t read anything by Ruth Ware (and instead try one of her earlier books first)

It is 10 years after Lo Blacklock was trapped in a cabin on a luxury cruise in The Woman in Cabin 10. Lo has since moved to America, gotten married, and spent a few years as a stay-at-home-mom, but she is ready to get back into journalism. In a timely turn of events, she is invited to the opening of a luxury hotel owned by billionaire Marcus Leidmann. She travels back to Europe where she is surprised to see a number of familiar faces from the fateful cruise. Mere coincidence, or is something sinister happening? Much like in The Woman in Cabin 10, Lo’s signature mix of concern for others with an underdeveloped sense of self-preservation lead to much of the action.

This is hard to discuss without giving any spoilers, but I found the relationship between the two main characters to be closer than made sense. I also found Lo’s decisions throughout the book (but especially in the second half) to be perplexing and frustrating. I wanted to shake her multiple times, and her choices just did not ring true as what a smart journalist (and mother) would do. But it was fun to catch up with Lo and the other characters, and Ruth Ware’s writing is enjoyable, so I would recommend this if you enjoyed The Woman in Cabin 10. If you are new to Ruth Ware I would start with one of her other books.

Being a huge fan of Ruth Ware I was super excited to read her sequel to her hit Woman in Cabin 10. Lo is back after 10 years and is ready to return to work after having her two sons and the pandemic. So when she’s invited to the opening of a new luxury hotel in Switzerland she takes the chance in order to jump start her career again. But soon after arriving she realizes something is amiss with multiple people from the Arcadia is there as well. Lo is soon dragged into a wild ride where she finds herself in the middle of an investigation and faces never seeing her family again.

This book was good but maybe not quite as good as the first book. It was a fast read and kept me involved just not as many twists as I expected.
Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Travel writer Lo Blacklock went through a terrible ordeal aboard a cruise ship ten years ago and is now living in the U.S. with her husband and two children. After taking a break, she is eager to restart her career. An invitation to cover the opening of a luxury Swiss hotel seems too good to be true, and it is.

The follow-up to Ware's The Woman in Cabin 10 takes place ten years after the events of that book, and it's best to read (or reread) the first book to familiarize yourself with the characters and events for maximum impact, as some familiar faces pop up and events from the first book are referred to.

The glamorous settings in this were a lot of fun, and I liked that the action moved across Europe as Lo ends up deeper and deeper in danger. The beginning is slower paced as the setup occurs, but the second half takes off and is twisty, turny, high stakes, and suspenseful. Lo is a relatable FMC. However, I questioned some of her decisions, especially in light of what happened to her in the first book, so I recommend suspending disbelief and just going with this one. The secondary characters make you wonder who, if anyone, can be trusted. Overall, this wasn't my favorite by Ware, but it was still enjoyable.

Thank you to Gallery Books and Scout Press for the gifted book!

*3.5 rounded up

I would recommend reading, The Woman in Cabin 10, for a refresher before starting this book. While the beginning gives some backstory, you won’t need a whole refresher on the characters if you read the other first and then dive into this one. Since this one is a sequel, in a sense, it lacks some of the “who-dunnit” aspect. With many thrillers the questions stem from not really knowing the characters, but since this is our second time with Lo, I felt like we had to jump right into the story. Because of this, it felt like the story was a little slow. There were a lot of background details I didn’t think we needed for this kind of story and I felt like the climax of the story didn’t reach as high as her other stories have. However, I did enjoy reading more about Lo and Judah and catching up on their life since the first book.

Overall, I liked the idea of this book, with having it follow similar characters, but the mystery behind it was only in parts of the book rather than the majority of it. I’ve liked Ruth Ware for a long time and while I’ll probably read her next releases, it will be more out of an interest to see if she finds her spark again like she did with her first few books.

Spoilers:

I felt like the ending fell flat with Pieter. It felt a bit unbelievable that his character didn’t have a better exit plan.

**Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the eARC of this highly anticipated title!!**

Ruth Ware is one of the authors that got me back into reading several years back and I am forever thankful for her as an author! The Woman in Cabin 10 was amazing and I remember the thrill of diving headfirst back into reading. I was sooo hype for this sequel and it did not disappoint!

The Woman in Suite 11 is a page-turner before and I crushed through this one. There are so many hot titles coming out this year that are perfect beach/vacation reads. This one will keep you guessing and absolutely keep you on your toes as well!

Check this one out if you love thrillers, travel, and never-ending twists!

I do think I would have benefited from re-reading The Woman in Cabin 10 prior to reading this sequel. While you don't "need" to have read the first book - it definitely adds a lot to the plot and there's some Easter eggs you don't want to miss.

Ware returns with a follow up to the Woman in Cabin 10, this is one instance where the previous book is a must read for the follow up. This is a much slower paced follow up set with much of the tension around Carrie and Lo and their ability to trust in each other and Lo’s inability to contact her family. Thanks to NetGalley and Scout Press for an advanced copy for an honest review.

Ware's books are always intriguing put-you-through the wringer mysteries.
This one, as all I've read, and I'm a big fan, always keep you reading without interruption. Yet even though I read the prequel to this book, the Woman in Cabin 10, I read it so long ago when it was first published that I couldn't remember enough of the details to make this latest totally satisfying.
Even though the book can stand alone on its own, it would be more compelling to have the background from the previous one. That being said, I still couldn't put this one down.

This is an excellent follow-up to THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10. I enjoyed visiting with these characters once again. I was glued to the pages and couldn't put it down. Highly recommend!

Many thanks for my gifted copy.

Honestly, I found this to be pretty middle-of-the-road, so I don't have anything all that insightful to say. I didn't hate it, I didn't struggle through reading it, and I liked how a couple times it used social media posts and news articles to tease what was coming. But I also wasn't all that compelled to keep reading it. I also thought Lo was a total moron and the twists at the ending were pretty predictable. Maybe I would have felt differently if I'd read The Woman in Cabin 10 more recently and remembered more about it? 

All that said, if the series continues, I'll read the next one!

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Early on, the writing style seems a bit immature, Pollyanna-ish, especially compared to her other books. I’m not sure first person was a good fit. It was pretty slow and pretty clearly telegraphed the who dun it and how throughout. There was no real depth or development to a main character who by all accounts seemed to have gone through years of trauma. Also, I’m annoyed about a loose end where the main character finds a train ticket from another journalist who traveled on the same train unbeknownst to her, but this was never explained or explored.

Ruth Ware is an auto buy author for me! I was super excited when I heard that she was coming out to a sequel to Cabin 10. It was great to check in with all after so many years. Something I love about both of these books is that they take place in multiple locations. And the suspense lasts from beginning to end. Well done!

This was a surprisingly good mystery for a mystery sequel, which I didn't really expect to work after so long. I was compelled to keep reading and enjoyed a lot of the twists and turns. However, it did feel like the author just scribbled a few chapters for the ending, which was deeply unsatisfying.

The Woman in Suite 11
by Ruth Ware
Pub Date: Jul 08 2025
Note: This is the followup book to The Woman in Cabin 10.
Ten years have passed since Lo almost died on a ship. Since then, she has written a book about her survival and experienced moderate fame. Now with a husband and two children, Lo wants to get back into writing.
She finds herself invited to the exclusive opening of an upscale resort along with other writers, journalists, and photographers. Her publisher wants her to get an exclusive interview with the reclusive billionaire owner. One of the first people she runs into is her ex, who also happened to be on that ship ten years ago. Another guest is another survivor from the ship. This doesn't seem like coincidence anymore. Lo is beginning to think something more sinister is at play.
Then she receives a mysterious note telling her to come to a suite for a meeting. The person who opens the door is a face she never thought she'd see again. They need her help to escape the twisted billionaire. Not being able to leave someone in the grips of slavery, Lo feels compelled to help this person, even if she's not sure who she can actually trust.
You don't have to remember much from the first book to pick this one up. While the twists were good, I figured out the who pretty early on. I didn't know the how or why until closer to the end. Pretty good thriller. Ware is always a solid read.
#TheWomaninSuite11
#RuthWare
#netgalley

It’s been ten years since the Aurora incident and Lo has traded cruise ships for playground politics. She’s living in New York, married to fellow journalist Jude (yes, that Jude), and trying to remember who she was before she became a pandemic-era stay-at-home mom. But when an invite lands in her inbox for the grand opening of a luxury Swiss hotel, owned by the famously unreachable billionaire Marcus Leidmann, Lo grabs her suitcase, books a ticket, and jumps at the chance to feel like herself again.

From the jump, something’s off. Someone upgrades her flight. Familiar names from the Aurora days start showing up. And then a knock at her door at midnight sends her spiraling. It’s not Marcus, but a woman claiming to be his secret mistress, panicked and asking for Lo’s help. And because Lo has the memory of a goldfish when it comes to danger, she does not say, “Absolutely not,” like a rational forty-something mother of two. No. She gets pulled into the drama like it’s her toxic love language.

Now she’s tumbling headfirst into a cat-and-mouse game across Europe…by car, on trains, on sheer stubbornness…reawakening all her trauma reflexes while pretending everything’s fine. There are old faces here too: Ben, Alexander, Cole. The gang’s not exactly back together, but their presence makes the air feel thick with unspoken history. And Ware knows exactly how to twist that knife.

Lo, for better or worse, is still Lo. She’s sharp, impulsive, emotionally bruised, and still makes decisions like consequences are a myth. But she’s also older, and the stakes are higher. She’s trying to do right by the stranger at her door, her old career, and the family she left back in New York. That internal push-pull makes her every move a tiny emotional landslide.

The comparison to “The Woman in Cabin 10” is real. It’s the same warrior, but now she’s got a family halo...and family baggage...to drag through chaos. That layered complexity makes Lo’s choices feel gut-wrenching and earned. Plus, the way Ware toys with her maternal instincts? Chef’s kiss. I was clutching my heart in between practically fist-pumping when Lo defied a billionaire to protect more than just herself. Solid 3.5 stars, with bonus points for emotionally wrecking me in a hotel stairwell.

The pacing stutters early. The train timetables and polished hotel corridors stretch out a bit. But once the chase hits stride, it’s mesmerizing. That final stretch? Cinematic. Heart-pounding. Slightly rage-inducing in the best way. And Jude added an emotional kicker I didn’t know I needed.

Whodunity Award: For Making a Hotel Keycard Feel Like a Loaded Gun

Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the ARC. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m canceling my vacation plans.

A follow-up story to The Woman in Cabin 10, Lo Blacklock is back. This time at a luxury hotel for travel writing, which turns into a cat and mouse chase through Europe.

I wish I had reread the first book right before this so I remembered all the characters that came back. You can certainly read this as a stand alone, there’s enough going on. Lo’s character finds herself in a lot of trouble again, after making some bad decisions but somehow I was still rooting for her.

“The wealthy are never really dead and you of all people should know that.”

The Woman in Suite 11 comes out 7/8.

The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware is a highly recommended thriller/mystery and a sequel to The Woman in Cabin 10 (2016). It can be read as a stand alone novel.

Lo Blacklock is now married to Judah and they have two sons. After taking several years off from writing full time, Lo, a travel writer, is ready to ready to reestablish her journalism career. She is surprised to receive an invitation to attend the press opening of a luxury hotel launch by the Leidmann Group on the shores of Switzerland’s Lake Geneva. Judah encourages her to go and she believes she can get a paying article or two out of it, especially if she can interview Marcus Leidmann, the reclusive billionaire who owns it. After the event she can visit her mother in England for a few days.

Immediately Lo is surprised to find that her plane ticket was upgraded to first class. When she arrives at the hotel she is shocked to run into three people from an event in her past, Ben; gourmet critic Alexander; photographer Cole. They were all on the Aurora with her and she wrote a best selling book about it (The Woman in Cabin 10). Then she is left a note in her room to come to suite 11 as soon as possible. She does so, receives another shocking surprise, and commences to make multiple bad choices.

As expected, the writing is excellent, compelling, and the action held my complete attention, however, part of my immersion in the narrative involved scolding Lo for being so foolish and naive. So, yes, you need to set a large dose of disbelief aside in this one. If you are able to ignore Lo's dumb choices, expect plenty of twists and surprises along the way. The final denouement is heart stopping.

The main characters are well-written and have both strengths and flaws. (No names/no spoilers) I actually like Lo as a character because I believe she is kindhearted and thinks she's doing the right thing, but doesn't have a clue.

The Woman in Suite 11 is a great choice for fans of Ruth Ware and those who want to reacquaint themselves with Lo Blacklock. Thanks to Gallery/Scout Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Lo Blacklock is back 10 years after her voyage on the Aurora (aka The Woman in Cabin 10). Lo wrote a bestselling book detailing her experience, but now she lives in NYC with her husband and 2 children. She is trying to get back to work and her journalism career, but no one wants to hire her. When she gets an invitation to visit the luxury Swiss hotel of reclusive billionaire Marcus Leidmann, she heads there hoping to get an interview, giving her an easier way back into journalism.

When she gets to the hotel, she never expected to find some of the people that were on board the Aurora with her, including the woman that saved her life. Now, she feels indebted to this woman and jumps in to help her.

I enjoyed the ride back with Lo, although I found myself rolling my eyes at the things she did. Not the brightest light bulb! Although the first part of this book was a little slow setting up the story and giving some background from the first book, the second part of this book is fast-paced and fun. Ruth Ware books are always a fun read for me!

I started reading this not knowing it was a sequel, but was able to understand the events that led to this book. This book was suspenseful and had me hooked to find out what would happen. Lo is a travel writer who has been home with her kids for the last few years. She gets an invitation to visit a new luxury hotel in Europe and decides to go, hoping it leads her to a job as a writer again. While there she runs into people from her past, including a woman who says she desperately needs Lo's help. Lo has to decide if she is going to risk helping the woman or leave her behind.

I was itching to read this book for a long time! I enjoyed the story, but I wish they stayed at the hotel. I feel like the ominous setting could’ve added an extra something, similar to a cruise ship with the reoccurring cast members for extra tension. The majority of the story was in a boutique hotel and didn’t have that same underlying feeling of unease that I appreciated with the first book.