Jack Sharpe is an investigative television news reporter. Congressman Anthony Bravo is a decorated Iraq War veteran and a Democratic candidate for president. In the fast-paced political thriller The Wingman by David Pepper, these two characters become embroiled in a high-stakes world entangled in dark money, deep pockets and scandal at every turn.
Check It Out Category: Mysteries/Thrillers/Suspense
Cathleen’s Pick: Listen to Me by Hannah Pittard
As if road trips through difficult weather weren’t already minefields, the slim-but-potent Listen to Me employs the perceptions – and baggage – of an isolated couple to craft delicious strain in the narrative. Even more impressive is how author Hannah Pittard calls upon the reader’s preconceptions to coil additional tension in a masterpiece of character-driven suspense.
Books: Timely Horror
As the leaves fall and the air chills, All Hallows’ Eve brings with it a turn toward the sinister and dark. For those looking for a spine-tingling, hair-raising accompaniment to your Halloween weekend, look no further than these recent tales…
if you dare.
The Devil Crept In by Ania Ahlborn
Young Jude Brighton has been missing for three days, and while the search for him is in full swing in the small town of Deer Valley, Oregon, the locals are aware that after the first 48 hours the odds usually point to a worst-case scenario. Despite Stevie Clark’s youth, he knows that, too. He knows what each ticking moment may mean for his cousin and best friend. And there was that boy, Max Larsen…found dead after also disappearing under mysterious circumstances. And then there were the animals: pets gone missing out of yards. The awful truth may be too horrifying to imagine.
Strange Weather by Joe Hill
A collection of four short, chilling novels.”Snapshot” is the disturbing story of a Silicon Valley adolescent who finds himself threatened by a tattooed thug who possesses a Polaroid Instant Camera that erases memories. In “rain” a seemingly ordinary day in Boulder, Colorado erupts with a downpour of nails—splinters of bright crystal that shred the skin of anyone not safely under cover. In “Aloft” s young man takes to the skies to experience his first parachute jump. . . and winds up a castaway on an impossibly solid cloud. In “Loaded,” a mall security guard in a coastal Florida town courageously stops a mass shooting, but under the glare of the spotlights, his story begins to unravel.
Universal Harvester by John Darnielle
Jeremy works at the Video Hut. It’s good enough for Jeremy: it’s a job, and it gets him out of the house, where he lives with his dad and where they both try to avoid missing Mom, who died six years ago in a car wreck. But when a local schoolteacher comes in to return a tape, she has an odd complaint: “There’s something on it.” Two days later, a different customer returns a tape and says “There’s another movie on this tape.” Jeremy brings the movies home to take a look. The middle of each movie is replaced by a few minutes of jagged, poorly lit home video. The scenes are odd and sometimes violent, dark, and deeply disquieting and have been shot just outside of town.
Sleeping Beauties
by Stephen King and Owen King
In this spectacular father-son collaboration, Stephen King and Owen King tell the highest of high-stakes stories: what might happen if women disappeared from the world of men? In a future so real and near it might be now, something happens when women go to sleep; they become shrouded in a cocoon-like gauze. If they are awakened, if the gauze wrapping their bodies is disturbed or violated, the women become feral and spectacularly violent; and while they sleep they go to another place.
The Dark Net by Benjamin Percy
The Dark Net is real. An anonymous and often criminal arena that exists in the secret far reaches of the Web, some use it to manage Bitcoins, pirate movies and music, or traffic in drugs and stolen goods. And now, an ancient darkness is gathering there. This force is threatening to spread virally into the real world unless it can be stopped by members of a ragtag crew, including a twelve-year-old who has been fitted with a high-tech visual prosthetic to combat her blindness; a technophobic journalist; a one-time child evangelist with an arsenal in his basement; and a hacker who believes himself a soldier of the Internet. Set in present-day Portland, this is a cracked-mirror version of the digital nightmare we already live in.
Book Discussion Questions: The Woman in Cabin 10
Title: The Woman in Cabin Ten
Author: Ruth Ware
Page Count: 340 pages
Genre: Psychological Suspense
Tone: Menacing, Uncertain, Tense
Summary: An intruder in the middle of the night leaves Lo Blacklock feeling vulnerable. Trying to shake off her fears, she hopes her big break of covering the maiden voyage of the luxury cruise ship, the Aurora, will help. The first night of the voyage changes everything. What did she really see in the water and who was the woman in the cabin next door? The claustrophobic feeling of being on a ship and the twists and turns of who, and what, makes it difficult to know what to believe.
SPOILER WARNING: These book discussion questions are highly detailed and will ruin plot points if you have not read the book.
The Library is happy to share these original questions for your use. If reproducing, please credit with the following statement: 2018 Mount Prospect Public Library. All rights reserved. Used with Permission.
1. The book starts with a prologue, “In my dream, the girl was drifting, far, far below the crashing waves and the cries of the gulls in the cold, sunless depth of the North Sea. Her laughing eyes were white and bloated with salt water; her pale skin was wrinkled; her clothes ripped by jagged rocks and disintegrating into rags.” How did this set the tone of the book for you?
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- 2. The story dives right in. Chapter 1, as we are introduced to the books’ protagonist, Lo Blacklock; we are immediately thrust into a home invasion. It was a short chapter but a lot happens. How did this opening feel to you?
3. Did you have any initial opinions of Lo?
4. We go from Lo’s apartment being broken into, to the scene in Jude’s flat where Lo accidentally knocks out Jude’s tooth. Let’s talk about this and their relationship?
5. What were your initial impressions of Jude?
6. Lo goes on the cruise. Do you think she should have gone? What did you think of the ship?
7. Lo wakes up at 3am. “Something had woken me up. Something that left me jumpy and strung out as a meth addict. Why did I keep thinking of a scream?” She picked up her book and then heard something else, “something that barely registered above the sound of the engine and the slap of the waves, a sound so soft that the scrap of a paper against paper almost drowned it out. It was the noise of the veranda door in the next cabin sliding gently open.” She believed that she heard the splash made by a body hitting water. What did you think?
8. What did you think about Lo’s interaction with the ships security Johann Nilsson?
9. We start to see emails/texts from Jude wondering if anyone has heard from Lo. How did this affect the story for you?
10. The morning after “the murder,” Lo checks out the entire staff of the ship looking for the woman she saw in Cabin 10. She told the staff that she heard a scream and then felt the mention of the scream had been a mistake; she felt “the staff had closed ranks.” What do you think of that? Did you think the staff was hiding something?
11. No staff seemed to be missing, no passengers were missing, and Lo’s career could be on the line. Why do you think she pursued her line of inquiry? Would you?
12. As the story continues, it is clear that Nillsen seemed to doubt Lo’s suspicions of foul play. Thoughts?
13. Lo approached Lord Richard Bullmer about her belief of a possible murder. Did you think this was a good idea? Let’s talk about their interaction.
14. Ben Howard, Lo’s ex-boyfriend, becomes an important character in the book. What did you think about him?
15. In the middle of the book, the prologue comes into play. Lo goes to the spa and gets a mud wrap, as she goes into the shower, she sees written across the steam mirror the words “stop digging” and on the very next page, we read that Lo’s body was found by a Danish Fisherman. Where did the story go for you at this point?
16. Lo asked Karla (her cabin attendant) if she knew anything. Karla said she felt sorry for Lo and that Nillson thinks she is paranoid. Karla proceeds to tell Lo that the staff all needed their jobs and that she (Karla) has a son. “Just because perhaps someone let a friend use an empty cabin, that doesn’t mean she was killed, you know” and Lo shouldn’t “make trouble if nothing happened.” What did you think about this conversation?
17. Ernst Solberg was an investor who was supposed to be in Cabin 10, we find out that he was not on the cruise because his home was burglarized & his passport was stolen. Was this related to Lo’s break in?
18. There is an online “Whodunit” thread discussing Lo’s disappearance. What did you think about that?
19. Lo sees the girl from Cabin 10 outside her door and goes after her. Lo is then “kidnapped.” By this time, did you have your list of suspects? Who did you think was the Woman in Cabin 10?
20. Lo starts pumping her kidnapper for information. The kidnapper said, “You’re digging your grave, do you get that?” What did you think of Lo at this point?
21. What was your opinion of Carrie?
22. By the end of the book, what did you think of Lo?
23. Lo is home with Judah. They are in bed and she starts crying. Lo says “I can’t stop thinking of her, I can’t accept it, it’s all wrong.” Let’s talk about this.
24. Why do you think Lo had such a hard time accepting what happened to Lord Bullmer?
25. Why do you think Lo had a change of heart at the end of the novel and decided to move to New York?
- 26. What did you think of the last page of the novel, a deposit of 40,000 Swiss Franc went into Lo’s account with the reference “Tigger’s Bounce?”
- 27. Were there unanswered questions in the plot? If so, what wasn’t covered or finalized in the ending?
- 28. How effective were the email messages and articles in moving the story forward?
29. What did you think of Ruth Ware’s writing style? Were there any passages that struck you?
- 30. How would you describe the book?
- 31. What do you think of the following statement?: “We mostly don’t believe women, especially angry women.” (A 2015 study from Arizona State University that focused on jury reactions showed how angry men gain influence while angry women lose it.)
32. Would this have been a different read if it had been a male protagonist?
Want help with your book discussion group? Check out tips, advice, and all the ways the Library can help support your group!
OTHER RESOURCES:
YouTube Book Trailer
Book of the Month
Ruth Ware’s official author website
LitLovers discussion guide
Culturefly interview with Ruth Ware “Interview with Ruth Ware”
READALIKES:
I See You
by Clare Mackintosh
The Couple Next Door
by Shari Lapena
Every Last Lie
by Mary Kubica
Donna S’s Pick: The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand
When the maid-of-honor’s body is found floating in the waters off Nantucket Island, an investigation reveals that all the wedding guests have secrets. Elin Hilderbrand’s 21st novel, The Perfect Couple, has twists and turns until the very end of the story.
Donna S’s Pick: The Disappeared by C.J. Box
C.J. Box is an award-winning author whose works have been translated into 27 different languages. His Joe Picket mystery series follows the life of a game warden in the modern West. The latest one is The Disappeared, in which a female British executive disappears during a vacation at a four-star dude ranch. Was she kidnapped or just on a longer vacation?
Have you taken up this summer’s challenge of Reading Takes You Everywhere? Enjoy this book for either of the following categories:
A. Read a book written by a new-to-you author.
I. Read a book involving travel.
Get Caught Reading with Capers in Fiction
May is Get Caught Reading month! Caper stories typically center around the main character performing crimes in full-view of the reader. Up your reading game by reading stories about characters that are just doomed to get caught as they swindle, thieve, and con their way across the plot.
The Vintage Caper by Peter Mayle
Join former lawyer and wine connoisseur Sam Levitt across France from Paris to Bordeaux, as he is called in to investigate the disappearance of a expensive collection of wine. This is decadent, fast-paced mystery also comes with menu and wine-list recommendations!
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
The first in the Gentleman Bastard series follows infamous con-artist Locke Lamora, the head of a crew of thieves. A well-built setting paired with intricately designed crimes makes this a great read for fantasy and crime readers alike.
Faking It by Jennifer Crusie
Humor and romance unite to create a little con-artist mayhem. This playful romp is packed with characters that are a little loopy and a plot that will keep you on your toes!
The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam by Chris Ewan
Charlie, a novelist of caper stories, moonlighting as a thief stumbles into a job that turns ugly when his employer is almost beaten to death that he is now a suspect of. His writing is going have to wait as he must clear his name of murder without admitting his own theft.
Denise’s Pick: Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
Looking for a fast-paced page-turner? Before the Fall by Noah Hawley is the book for you. The story starts with a plane crash and the incredible actions of one unlikely hero. Why did the plane crash? Were any of the passengers complicit? Get ready for a ride that may surprise you!
Fiction: If You Like Red Sparrow
With thrilling spycraft, shocking double- and triple-crosses, and a chameleon-like femme fatale, Red Sparrow is poised to be one of the season’s more memorable movie adaptations. The first of a series by ex-CIA operative Jason Matthews, the novel tells the story of intelligence agent Dominika Egorova, a former ballerina trained in the arts of seduction and intrigue, who is determined to expose a Russian mole. Her fixation, her unique skills, and her gift for sensing when someone is lying all lead to a sultry cat-and-mouse with an American agent.
Want more like this? Try one of these smart, sexy spy thrillers:
Tightropeby Simon Mawer
Marian Sutro has survived Ravensbruck and is now back in dreary 1950s London trying to pick up the pieces of her pre-war life. De-briefed by the same shadowy branch of the secret service that sent her to Paris to extract a French atomic scientist, Marian is now plunged into the Cold War.
The Cutoutby Francine Mathews
When videotape of the Vice President’s abduction reveals that CIA analyst Caroline Carmichael’s husband–presumed dead for two years–may be still alive, Caroline investigates, hoping to discover his motives and loyalties.
Castro’s Daughterby David Hagberg
Forced by Cuban Intelligence Service colonel Maria Leon–who is also the illegitimate daughter of the dying Fidel Castro–to help her find the fabled seven cities of gold, former CIA director Kirk McGarvey tackles the deadliest and most bizarre mission of his career.
The Fall of Moscow Stationby Mark Henshaw
When the Moscow Station is left in ruins after a major intelligence breach, CIA analyst Jonathan Burke and agent Kyra Stryker are fast on the trail of Alden Maines, an upper-level CIA officer whose defection coincides with the murder of the director of Russia’s Foundation for Advanced Nuclear Research.
Walking Back the Catby Robert Littell
When Parsifal, a Soviet-era KGB agent who has been living quietly in the United States, is given orders to assassinate someone working in an Apache-run casino, Finn, a disillusioned Gulf War vet, is drawn into the plot.
Our Gameby John le Carré
A romantic triangle on a retired British intelligence officer, his girl, and the spy who stole her. It is told against the backdrop of the rebellion in Chechnya and the international intrigues surrounding it. A tale of the moral wastes of post-Cold War Europe in both East and West, written by a master of the genre.
Fiction: Mysteries with Indian Detectives
In addition to their love for the whodunit, mystery fans appreciate both a fascinating investigator and a strong sense of place. Most often this may manifest in stories of British detectives or in Scandinavian thrillers, but crime narratives set in all parts of the globe deserve attention. One quieter trend to discover is that of mysteries set in the complex lands of contemporary Southeast Asia. If you have yet to explore the delights of puzzling through a case set in India, use your deductive skills to identify the most likely suspect to spark new curiosity.
The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra
by Vaseem Khan
Baby Ganesh Agency Investigations series
A young man found drowned in a puddle of water, an eight-month-old elephant, and the last day before forced retirement all compete for full attention of a longtime police officer. With offbeat charm and obvious affection for Mumbai, this first in a series establishes a winning premise to engage mystery fans.
The Case of the Missing Servant
by Tarquin Hall
Vish Puri Mysteries series
If Agatha Christie’s iconic Hercule Poirot were Indian rather than Belgian, he would look a lot like Vish Puri, a careful investigator with amazing deductive skills and keen powers of observation. The search for a missing woman, a suspected victim of foul play, provides introduction both to the vibrancy of Delhi and to a celebrated series.
Six Suspects
by Vikas Swarup
When playboy Vicky Rai was acquitted of a senseless murder committed in front of 50 witnesses, riots broke out. So it is no surprise that he himself is murdered at the very party he throws to celebrate his release. However, when six different guests are found to have guns in their possession, stories need to be heard. Presented in alternating points of view, this satirical yet tightly constructed mystery invites the reader to play the role of detective against the backdrop of modern India.
The Perfect Murder
by H.R.F. Keating
Inspector Ghote Mysteries series
Not quite as contemporary but with the time-tested credibility of a long-running series, the first case in the classic Inspector Ghote series presents a perplexing death in Bombay complicated by misinformation, incompetence, and corruption.