In 2016, Ruth Ware introduced readers to Laura “Lo” Blacklock, a journalist specializing in the travel industry. Lo was aboard the cruise ship Aurora and met a strange and somewhat dangerous young woman named Carrie, an encounter that nearly ended her life. This was all depicted in the acclaimed novel, THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10. Now, nearly a decade later, the adventures of Lo and Carrie continue in THE WOMAN IN SUITE 11.

Lo made the most of surviving that ill-fated cruise by authoring Dark Waters, a bestselling nonfiction work. Now, the former UK resident lives with her American husband, Judah, and two young sons in a trendy Manhattan apartment. Seemingly out of the blue, Lo receives an invitation to travel to a luxury Swiss hotel owned by the reclusive and elusive billionaire Marcus Leidmann --- a trip that she can turn into a high-profile article, especially if she is able to nail down Marcus for a brief interview.

"This well-paced and suspenseful novel pushes us into the same corners that Lo is placed, giving us a front-row seat to what happens next."

Before this occurs, we see a woman --- perhaps Lo herself --- re-experiencing being trapped in a watery grave only to awaken in a very real prison cell of a different sort. The scene may not make sense initially, but Ware is certain to bring us back to this moment later on in the story, and everything will come into focus.

Lo reluctantly leaves her family behind and flies to Switzerland. She is unexpectedly upgraded to first class at no additional cost, and upon her arrival at the hotel, she is granted a VIP suite with more amenities than she could ever enjoy. She has no idea who is responsible for giving her all of these luxuries and why.

Lo then runs into some people who lead her to believe that something else is at play: Ben Howard, her ex-boyfriend and fellow journalist, who she is not overjoyed to see; Alexander Belhomme, a travel and food critic; and Cole Lederer, an editor at Vogue. This might not seem unusual or creepy had it not been for the fact that the last time Lo saw all three of these gentlemen in the same place was aboard the Aurora 10 years earlier.

They all seem highly interested in both Marcus and his son and future successor, Pieter. The biggest surprise still awaits Lo when she learns who is inhabiting Suite 11 --- none other than Carrie herself. This woman, who had hit her and locked her up once before, is standing in front of her again and has her own reasons for being there. Carrie describes her strange relationship with Marcus, which has turned abusive. She seeks not only a way out but also some measure of revenge.

Now claiming to be a friend, Carrie gets Lo to lend her the European passport that Lo still carries, along with her new one. Using them, the two women escape and board a train bound for the UK, where Lo had planned to visit her ailing mum. They feel like they are being watched and followed at every turn, even when they share a room at a luxury countryside hotel. But there's no eluding Marcus or Pieter, both of whom show up there.

With Carrie hiding out in Lo’s room and fearing that Marcus and his hired hands are hunting her down, she works through Lo to learn about their mission. While returning from breakfast one morning, Lo finds a housekeeper struggling with Marcus, who has been found underwater in his bathtub. He cannot be saved, and now the hotel is in lockdown due to a homicide investigation.

The situation takes a surreal and nightmarish turn for Lo when she soon finds herself arrested for Marcus’ murder. Carrie slips away, taking Lo’s luggage with her.

The remainder of THE WOMAN IN SUITE 11 plays out like a dark Agatha Christie novel. Lo is the victim at the center of a case full of questions and revelations that will be uncovered only when she reaches out to family and friends for assistance. It also will bring her face-to-face again with her adversary so they can strip off their masks and settle things once and for all. This well-paced and suspenseful novel pushes us into the same corners that Lo is placed, giving us a front-row seat to what happens next.