Well, Ruth Ware has done it again! One by One was a thrilling story of murder, secrets, and seclusion. I found myself immediately drawn in and seriously could not put it down! I will say that it wasn’t quite as good as The Turn of the Key, but that was by far my favorite by her. This one takes us back to her stories that put a group of people together and then start killing them off. It was very reminiscent of in a dark, dark wood, but I really enjoyed it!

A company trip to a secluded ski resort starts off tense with characters that are segregated into smaller groups of friends and enemies. As the story unfolds, we begin to understand that there is an opportunity for a buy out of the company Snoop, but not every shareholder wants this. What was supposed to be a week-long retreat to decide on what to do, turns into a heart racing trip to stay alive.

I loved the characters in this story. The cast has two employees for the ski chalet, and 10 guests. It’s told from the POV of Erin, one of the workers in the chalet, and then Liz, a guest and minority shareholder for Snoop. I liked this story-telling choice, as we got insight into some of the Snoop backstory, as well as the chalet worker’s thoughts as things begin to happen.

I’ve read some reviews that felt this had a slow start, and I agree, you can call it a slow burn. I didn’t feel like it was slow though. I think you do have to enjoy Ware’s other books to find this one intriguing. All of her books really give some backstory before they start killing characters off. So, if that’s not your thing, you may want to skip this one.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. This is my second favorite book of hers, behind The Turn of the Key. I enjoyed the character development, and the multitude of secrets that begin to come out as the story progresses!

To Read or Not To Read:

I would recommend One by One for readers that enjoy thrillers with a cast of characters, and a secluded setting. If you are already a fan of Ruth Ware, you will definitely enjoy this one!

Other Ruth Ware books you might enjoy are:
The Death of Mrs. Westaway
The Woman in Cabin 10
The Turn of the Key
in a dark, dark wood

Where to Find This Book:

One by One by Ruth Ware is available at these sites!

Amazon ~ Kindle ~ Goodreads
Libro.FM – Get your first month free here!

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Turn of the Key and In a Dark Dark Wood returns with another suspenseful thriller set on a snow-covered mountain.

Getting snowed in at a beautiful, rustic mountain chalet doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world, especially when there’s a breathtaking vista, a cozy fire, and company to keep you warm. But what happens when that company is eight of your coworkers…and you can’t trust any of them?

When an off-site company retreat meant to promote mindfulness and collaboration goes utterly wrong when an avalanche hits, the corporate food chain becomes irrelevant and survival trumps togetherness. Come Monday morning, how many members short will the team be?

Just the Facts:

One by One by Ruth Ware
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Page Count: 384 pages
Publisher: Scout Press
Pub Date: September 8, 2020

I was provided an advanced reader’s copy of this book for free. I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

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