The Woman in Suite 11

The Woman in Suite 11 is the second novel of Ware’s to feature protagonist Lo Blacklock. Lo and six other characters in this novel first appeared in The Woman in Cabin 10, published in 2016. Since the new novel is technically a sequel to that one, knowing some background is useful.

The Woman in Cabin 10 begins with Lo’s flat being broken into while she’s home, but her boyfriend, Judah, is out of town for work. This trauma frames her experiences aboard the luxury cruise ship Aurora, which is mirrored in how her trauma aboard the ship frames her experiences at the Grand Hotel du Lac in The Woman in Suite 11. In both novels, Lo is on a writing assignment from Rowan; she’s a travel journalist.

On the Aurora, Lo borrows mascara from the woman in the cabin next to hers, Cabin 10. This woman turns out to be Carrie. Ware references the mascara in The Woman in Suite 11; it’s part of Carrie’s message inviting Lo to reconnect at the Grand Hotel du Lac. Lo also meets Cole, a photographer, on the ship. He flirts with Lo, but she turns him down because she’s loyal to Judah.

In addition, Lo’s ex-boyfriend, Ben, sexually harasses her on the ship. He apologizes for this in The Woman in Suite 11. One night aboard the ship, Lo hears a body being thrown in the water from Cabin 10. When she reports this, no one believes her, and Cabin 10 is empty. Her testimony is discredited because of her heavy drinking and because she has mental health conditions. Lo frequently mentions her reduced alcohol tolerance in The Woman in Suite 11, which is a dramatic change from the first novel in the series.

In The Woman in Cabin 10, Carrie leaves a message for Lo in a steamy mirror that says to stop investigating. This is mirrored in The Woman in Suite 11, but Carrie’s new message on the mirror says Lo should stop worrying about Carrie’s plan for escape. Carrie is much more antagonistic in The Woman in Cabin 10. She helps the owner of the ship, Lord Richard Bullmer, get rid of the body of his wife, Anne, after he murders her. Carrie is his mistress and impersonates Anne after her death. Carrie locks Lo in a cabin deep in the ship, under the waterline and near the engine. Lo tries to fight her way out, but Carrie is stronger. Lo can’t escape through physical force. Therefore, Lo tries to win over Carrie by talking to her. Carrie brings Lo books and her medication.

When Richard and the guests leave the ship for an excursion, Lo goes without food for a while. Carrie reappears with food and Lo’s book, Winnie-the-Pooh. This book plays an important symbolic role in The Woman in Suite 11 because it’s a source of comfort to Lo in The Woman in Cabin 10. Carrie decides to help Lo escape. The plan is for Lo to impersonate Anne, including taking her passport, and for Carrie to impersonate Lo. This is echoed in The Woman in Suite 11 when Carrie uses one of Lo’s passports to escape, and says Lo is her “passport to freedom” (93).

In The Woman in Cabin 10, Lo falls into the water after getting Anne’s passport. She manages to swim to shore, and a fisher eventually rescues her. After killing Richard and escaping, Carrie sends Lo a large sum of money with a note that says “Tiggers bounce” (a reference to Winnie-the-Pooh).