The Death of Mrs Westaway, In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Lying Game and The Woman in Cabin 10 - all by Ruth Ware
I have read the first three of these and couldn't wait to start The Woman in Cabin 10. The Death of Mrs Westaway focuses on a tarot-reading girl who's lost her mother, who may have found a way to come into some money to pay her debts. I found the characters, especially the main protagonist, Hal, very readable and real. I loved the descriptive part of the tarot cards; this added an extra dimension to the story.
The Dark, Dark Wood is about a hen weekend gone wrong - but not in the Hangover sense - ending in a death. Again, characters made real with back stories that come out throughout the book. I feel this one could have made more out of the copycat element between the hen and her best friend as this was left unanswered.
The Lying Game is about a group of former public school girls who share a secret from their school years, which comes to light years later and threatens their own relationships. It is set in a mill on moorland, near a town with the usual gossip and a town -v- gown issue with the locals.
I've only just started reading The Woman in Cabin 10, so I have high hopes! Ruth Ware is able to create realistic characters and female protagonists in convincing, but mysterious, settings. All the books so far have been different enough to keep me reading long into the night, desperate to find out what was going to happen next.
Having just googled her, I have seen that her writing has been compared to that of Agatha Christie and maybe that explains why I like her books so much! These are great stories that really draw you in - I'm just off to read now!