Ruth Ware (born Ruth Warburton on September 26, 1977) is a British bestselling author known for atmospheric psychological thrillers and mysteries, including In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Turn of the Key, and The It Girl. Raised in Lewes, East Sussex, she studied at the University of Manchester and worked as a waitress, bookseller, English teacher, and press officer before becoming a full-time writer. Ware first published young adult fiction under her birth name before finding international success with her adult thrillers, which frequently feature isolated settings, mounting paranoia, and ordinary women caught in dangerous situations. Her books have sold millions of copies worldwide and been translated into dozens of languages, establishing her as one of the best-known contemporary British suspense writers.