Born in 1977, Ruth Ware grew up in Lewes, England. Initially, she wrote five young-adult fantasy novels using her real name, Ruth Warburton. She eventually switched to publishing crime novels under the pen name Ruth Ware.

Works of Ware get compared with psychological thrillers by Alex Michaelides, Paula Hawkins, Shari Lapena, Lucy Foley, and Agatha Christie.

Life Facts

She was born in 1977 and grew up in England.
She studied English at Manchester University.
She worked as a waitress, a bookseller, and a publicist.
She spent some time in Paris, teaching English as a foreign language.

Interesting Facts

Authors like Daphne du Maurier, Antonia White, Enid Blyton, and Jessica Mitford influenced her writing career.
She lives in Sussex with her husband and children.
Three of her books were translated into Turkish.
She has written more than five psychological thrillers.
She stares at a blank wall when she writes.
An autobiographical element in her books is intolerance of poorly made coffee.
She loves trees.
Her mom suggested she had a plan B in case her writing career failed.

Famous Books by Ruth Ware

‘In a Dark, Dark Wood’ is a 2015 murder mystery. When Nora gets invited to a bachelorette party hosted by an old friend, she is surprised but attends with another friend. At the party, Nora discovers her host is marrying her ex-boyfriend, whom she still loves. When the ex-boyfriend gets murdered, and Nora wakes up in a hospital with a severe head injury, she cannot recollect what happened at the party. As she tries to uncover the truth, she discovers the identity and motive of the murderer.
‘The Woman in Cabin 10‘ is a 2016 psychological thriller that follows the story of a traumatized travel journalist. When she witnesses a murder on a cruise ship, her bouts of anxiety and insomnia are triggered. While she tries to convince the other passengers about her experience and seek justice for the murdered woman, she puts her life on the line. Eventually, she uncovers the deceit and manipulation of the ship owner and his mistress.
‘The Lying Game’ is a 2017 thriller about four women with a dark secret from their school days. They reunite in the coastal village of Salten, where a human bone gets recovered from the water. At boarding school, the four women shared a close bond, notoriously telling lies at every opportunity. These lies lead to their getting expelled in their final year after a teacher mysteriously dies. Aware that their secret is about to be exposed, they struggle to navigate their emotions and the truth.
‘One by One’ was published in September 2020. In a remote chalet at an exclusive French Alps resort, the 10-person members of Snoop company gather to discuss a business offer. However, they become alarmed when they get trapped without access to the outside world and begin to die one after another. Certain the murderer is between them, they struggle to trust each other and find freedom. With this work, Ware explores the themes of trauma and class distinction.

Early Life and Education

Bred in Lewes, Ware studied English at Manchester University, where her attraction to Old English and Middle English texts deepened. After graduating from the university, she moved to Paris, where she taught English as a foreign language.

Literary Career

From a young age, Ware loved to write. She typed her stories on the outdated typewriter that belonged to her mother but was too shy to show them to anyone but her closest friend. As a bookseller, she doubted her ability to excel as an author but continued to write private pieces.

As a mother, she sent her literary piece to book agents. Although Ware started to write years before she became an adult, she worked as a waitress, a teacher, a bookseller, and a press officer before she decided to pursue a full-time career in writing. ‘In a Dark, Dark Wood’ made Ruth Ware famous as an author of physiological thrillers.

Personal Life and Achievements

Ruth Ware is married with two children. Her net worth is estimated to be around $ 2 million, earned from a successful writing career and book sales. More than 5 million copies of Ware’s books are in print.

Nominations

‘In a Dark, Dark Wood’ (2015) – A BEA Buzz Panel selection – An NPR Best Book of 2015 – RT Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Suspense Novel.

‘The Woman in Cabin 10’ (2016) – Nominated for the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards Best Mystery & Thriller.

‘The Lying Game’ (2017) – Nominated for the 2017 Goodreads Choice Awards Best Mystery & Thriller.

Awards

‘The Death of Mrs Westaway’ – Book of the Year in the crime and thriller category at the British Book Awards in 2019.

Literature by Ruth Ware

Explore literature by Ruth Ware below, created by the team at Book Analysis.

The Woman in Cabin 10

About Ruth Ware

British Author

Life Facts

Interesting Facts