The 7th Passenger

The pacing was relentless, but I wonder what choices led to maintaining such suspense from start to finish. Was this always the plan or did it evolve during writing?

The paranoia was almost palpable, but at times it felt like trust eroded faster than seemed realistic. Was that a deliberate choice to heighten suspense?

The claustrophobic atmosphere added so much to the story's intensity. I'm curious whether the setting was inspired by real places or purely fictional.