19 October 2020

One by One

 

By Ruth Ware
Thriller | Psychological Thriller

My Review


Firstly I have to say how much I enjoyed the setting of One by One. A remote ski chalet in the snow-covered French Alps is just the sort of backdrop I love. Whilst comparisons to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None are bound to arise, I started reading with an open mind.

Executives of hip music app Snoop gather at a French ski resort for discussions on a proposed billion-dollar buyout. Loyalties are tested as tensions mount. Disaster strikes when a catastrophic avalanche leaves the chalet totally cut off. With communications down, rescue is unlikely anytime soon. Desperation sets in as food supplies dwindle and the freezing conditions worsen. Then the murders begin. And one of them is the killer.

The book's wintery setting made for an extremely claustrophobic and atmospheric read. The author utilised sub-zero temperatures to full advantage. Told through perspectives of Snoop shareholder Liz and chalet girl Erin, the story begins slowly but gathers pace at 30% (kindle edition). Main characters are egotistical and unlikeable but the author's skill in creating them is highly commendable — they felt solid and real. 

Parts of the plot were predictable and it wasn't particularly difficult guessing the murderer's identity early on. That being said, the motive for the killings was what kept me gripped. I really do enjoy a good whodunit mystery and whilst this one captured my imagination and drew me in, it fell just short of a 5 star read.

Book Source: Review copy from the publisher
My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Harvill Secker (12th Nov 2020)

The Blurb


A luxury mountaintop chalet
The opportunity of a lifetime
Until guests start to disappear…

Snow is falling in the exclusive alpine ski resort of Saint Antoine, as the shareholders and directors of Snoop, the hottest new music app, gather for a make or break corporate retreat to decide the future of the company. At stake is a billion-dollar dot com buyout that could make them all millionaires, or leave some of them out in the cold.

The clock is ticking on the offer, and with the group irrevocably split, tensions are running high. When an avalanche cuts the chalet off from help, and one board member goes missing in the snow, the group is forced to ask - would someone resort to murder, to get what they want?

The Author



Ruth Ware is an international number one bestseller. Her thrillers In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Lying Game, The Death of Mrs Westaway, The Turn of the Key and One by One have appeared on bestseller lists around the world, including the Sunday Times and New York Times, and she is published in more than 40 languages. 

Ruth lives near Brighton with her family.

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