Caffeinated Reviewer

The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware revisits Lo Blacklock, the main character from The Woman in Cabin 10. Ware delivered an intense thriller that had me setting it down and picking it back up, as my heart raced. I read the first book, but this time I read and followed along as Imogen Church narrated.

In this follow-up to #1 New York Times bestselling author Ruth Ware’s multi-million copy mega-hit The Women in Cabin 10, Lo Blacklock returns to attend the opening of a luxury hotel, only to find herself in a white-knuckled race across Europe.

When the invitation to attend the press opening of a luxury Swiss hotel—owned by reclusive billionaire Marcus Leidmann—arrives, it’s like the answer to a prayer. Three years after the birth of her youngest child, Lo Blacklock is ready to reestablish her journalism career, but post-pandemic travel journalism is a very different landscape from the one she left ten years ago.

The chateau on the shores of Lake Geneva is everything Lo’s ever dreamed of, and she hopes she can snag an interview with Marcus. Unfortunately, he proves to be even more difficult to pin down than his reputation suggests. When Lo gets a late-night call asking her to come to Marcus’s hotel room, she agrees despite her own misgivings. She’s greeted, however, by a woman claiming to be Marcus’s mistress, and in life-or-death jeopardy.

What follows is a thrilling cat-and-mouse pursuit across Europe, forcing Lo to ask herself just how much she’s willing to sacrifice to save this woman…and if she can even trust her?

I read The Woman in Cabin back in 2016. Then Lo was aboard the Aurora as a journalist when it made its maiden voyage on the North Sea. While it isn’t necessary to read it first, you will once again see characters from that ship.

Lo is now married with children, living in the United States, and is ready to resume her career. She has met with little success until she gets an invitation to attend the press opening of a luxury Swiss hotel, owned by reclusive billionaire Marcus Leidmann. It seems like the perfect opportunity to restart her career. The tale that unfolds soon finds Lo involved in a cat-and-mouse game across Europe.

Gads, this was a clever tale, from the beautiful chateau on the shores of Lake Geneva to the unexpected invitation to Marcus Leidmann’s hotel room. Lo made me incredibly nervous, even if she is clever after the fact. She often finds herself in tricky situations, causing my anxiety to spike as I read/listen, making my heart race and my hands sweat. The author does a wonderful job of providing background and motive for Lo’s actions. This, however, doesn’t stop me from having a strong sense of foreboding each time she does so.

The tale offered plenty of twists, and a growing sense of suspense as Lo’s favor, soon puts herself in the middle of a murder investigation. A brilliant and addictive story.

I listened as I read along. How could I not with Imogen Church giving voice to Lo? Church masterfully depicted Lo’s emotional rollercoaster of anxiety, dread, fear, and thought process. Both her male and female voices and accents were well done. I highly recommend listening. Perhaps with a large glass of wine to quell the nerves.

Amazon | Audible | Libro.fm

About Ruth Ware

Ruth Ware grew up in Lewes, in Sussex. After graduating from Manchester University she moved to Paris, before settling in North London. She has worked as a waitress, a bookseller, a teacher of English as a foreign language and a press officer. She is married with two small children, and In a Dark, Dark Wood is her début thriller. Her hen night was very tasteful and nobody got murdered.

Website | Facebook

About Imogen Church

Imogen Church has worked everywhere, from theatre to film, commercials to cabaret, but her favourite work is in audio, particularly audiobooks, largely so she can eat cake and not bleach her teeth. She has won awards for it and plans to do it to death.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 2025 Audiobook Challenge

About Kimberly

Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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