Good morning all! Today's post is a review of Ruth Ware's book One by One'.
Book: One by One Author: Ruth Ware Genre: Mystery, Thriller Pages: 378 (Kindle) Publisher: Vintage Digital Publication Date: 12 November 2020 My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Review
Trigger Warnings: Attempted sexual assault (not graphic). Mention of domestic and child abuse.
One by One by Ruth Ware is a new thriller, largely set in a rustic mountain chalet. A group of co-workers from the music streaming company 'Snoop' take a break and visit a beautiful mountain chalet for a short skiing holiday. However, once one of the group is nowhere to be seen and an avalanche hits, events start to take a turn for the worst.
I originally bought this book as a December read, yet only just got around to reading it. It's the perfect book for snuggling up under a blanket with a hot chocolate in hand, and for when it's snowing outside (if you're lucky!). I went above and beyond with my reading experience and even played some 'heavy snowstorm' ambience sounds at the same time! (I highly recommend doing this when reading!).
It was a difficult at first to remember who was who, as all of the characters are introduced at once. The first couple of pages gives a short overview of the employees of Snoop, lead by Topher and Eva. Shortly after, all of the employees arrive at the mountain chalet and meet their hosts Danny and Erin. There's variation in the character's personalities, which allowed for interesting reading. A couple of the characters take centre stage, so I started to forget about the others for a while.
The book is written in a dual narrative, from both Erin and Liz's (Snoop employee) perspective. Through Erin, the chalet host, the reader learns about the different characters and the relationships between them. Whereas Liz is more timid and watches on from the side lines. The story moves quickly in some areas, and slower in others, yet it was paced well and didn't feel too slow at any point. There was a nice handful of cliff-hangers and surprises mixed in there too!
As for the thriller and mystery side, there was plenty of sneaky hints and snippets of information to keep you guessing. I was kicking myself for missing one of the big clues! I had an inkling of who may be responsible, yet I kept switching between characters. It is eventually revealed who is responsible for the murders, by which point, the tension builds further as there's potential for them to strike again! I've read a few reviews where people DNF towards the beginning of the book, yet it definitely improves the more you read. Once you know 'Who's done it' the suspense increases and it's near impossible to put the book down. The ending was a little cliché and predictable, but other than that, it's a very enjoyable read.
As mentioned above, there are a couple of themes/events that some readers may find uncomfortable or triggering to read. These include an attempted sexual assault (as a flashback, not graphic) and also a mention of child and domestic abuse.
Overall, I'd rate this book four out of five stars. I enjoyed this mystery book, and would recommend it to thriller fans. It's the perfect cosy winter read, and great for fans of Agatha Christie. I can't put my finger on why it doesn't get the full five stars, I just feel there was something missing. Maybe it's because it's not the sort of book that stays with you long after you've read it? Maybe because I saw the ending coming? Hm, I'm not sure... let me know your thoughts on it.
Have you read One by One by Ruth Ware?
What are your opinions on this new mystery book?
Take care and stay safe,
