This book absolutely blew me away.
If you could take Scout, from To Kill A Mockingbird, put her in a perfect family, move that family into a strange, older home you just know has got to be haunted, and watch the family unravel into dysfunction slowly but surely then you'd have only part of what makes One by One a great tale.
Almost anything I say about this book will be a spoiler because the characters are so vivid and the setting so perfect that it's honestly all I can do to keep myself from gushing out the story line and spoiling it for everyone. Take my word on this one: read it. You will not be disappointed.
The insanely perfect part about One by One is that it makes you think you know where the book is going--and it never goes there! Instead of taking the easy way out, instead of the same, old, tired, hackneyed haunted house stuff we're all so accustomed to, D.W. Gillespie throws a proverbial monkeywrench into the tale at every juncture. I don't think I've ever said, "Wow... I didn't see that coming," so many times while reading a book.
Something I didn't realize until just now is that my mental picture of the characters was formed without having them described to me... and that is neat. Frank and Debra and Dean and Alice all look the way I want them to look with just minimal details tossed in. But they are all drawn so well, so brilliantly, that I feel I know them.
Horrifyingly original, excellently-paced, and thoroughly satisfying.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2837927578?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

I really, really enjoyed this book. Is it supernatural? Is it criminal? You figure it out. Definitely reading more of this great author. I kept my lights on. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

The tale of a family moving into an old isolated house with dark secrets that will soon become the scene of terrifying events may have been done countless times before but done well it still has the power to send shivers down the proverbial spine. Make no mistake, here D.W. Gillespie takes this well used genre and turns it into a satisfyingly scary story that will leave the reader turning the pages long into the night to find out who or what is behind the strange and seemingly unexplainable events.

The story is told through the perspective of Alice, the youngest of the Easton family and starts with the family moving into their surprisingly inexpensive (always a clue that something is amiss) old and eccentrically built isolated house. It has a strange eerie atmosphere and it is not long before Alice discovers a child drawn picture under the old wallpaper depicting a family similar to our own. This picture will go on to have a central role in the plot and I do not want to give too much away but simply say that the tension and paranoia is built up layer by layer as we try to work out what exactly is going on.

If you like a really scary read where everyone is a suspect and you do not know whether you are confronted with the supernatural or criminal then I think you will enjoy this as much as I did.

Good old haunted house story with an Amityville horror house feel and a twist at the end. Told in the point of view from a ten year old girl. Creepy stuff.

One by One is a book you need to read with the lights on and the doors locked. This is a fantastic book with great characters and well written.

I was hooked from the opening with this book, a very intricately woven family horror tale, narrated by the wise beyond her years Alice. At just 10 years old she is left to uncover the truth behind a sinister wall painting and find out just what is happening to her family.

The story begins with the family arriving at their new house, an absolute “steal” according to Frank, Alice’s father. Frank is prone to whimsical schemes and a bit of a dreamer, so when he buys this house it’s not surprising that the rest of the family isn’t exactly convinced.

Alice seems to connect on anther level with the house, she has her own narration of events in her head, from ‘Mary’, a girl who tragically died in the house. She know’s deep down that something is wrong and that something dark is t work, but she just can’t put her finger on it. When she finds the picture of the previous family under the wallpaper her suspicions seem to take on their own energy. A stick figure family, mother, father, son, daughter and the family pet – just the same as Alice’s family.

Their pet cat vanishes and at the same time a mysterious ‘X’ is drawn over the pet in the picture. The an ‘X’ is drawn over the boy, representing her brother Dean. Just what is happening to Alice’s family and what does ‘Mary’ have to do with it.

I love the mis-direct within the story – the reader is convinced it’s one thing happening when in fact it’s something even more sinister. The story of Mary and just what happened to her is an interesting and tragic tale. We get snippets throughout thanks to Mary’s diary after Alice comes across in and has to read it. It is a very well put together narrative, very clever yet simple at the same time, and for me, the characters, particularly Alice, really set this off.

One by One is my second read from D. W. Gillespie (thanks to Flame Tree Press for the eARC). I look forward to more.

Alice’s parents have found a peaceful house in the countryside, at an absolute bargain price. The perfect place to regroup and bond as a family, away from the stresses and strains of city life. So, .what’s the catch? There’s an awful lot of work to be done on the place, the stinking pool for one thing, but they are a tight team and they are sure they can make it a Home. Somebody, or something, has different plans for them....
There’s the crude drawing for one thing, hidden under peeling wallpaper. It shows a generic family unit with a pet, but then their cat goes missing and a black cross appears over the pet in the drawing. Alice discovers a mysterious diary and they are catapulted into a nightmare of survival.
The plotting is sharp, the characters believable. Some repetition jars a bit. At times it’s reminiscent of The Shining,but that could be the Father who seems to be changing and the snow that cuts them off from help. I liked the twist at the end when you find out what is stalking them through the house.

Well One by One is a terrifying book to read when you’re all alone in your house. Even with the sun shine outside and my dog cuddled up with me I still had goosebumps and was quite frankly scared!
A strong four out of five and I highly recommend.

Alice Easton and her parents have just moved into their new home, a house that should shine up like a new penny once they rehab it. Alice is the youngest member of her family and sets out to explore, only to find drawing behind the ugly old wallpaper. Drawings of a family, one very similar to hers. It’s creepy, but the real horror begins when members of the family disappear, their corresponding figure in the drawing crossed out with a big X. Can a young girl solve a terrifying mystery before she, herself, disappears? This story has hints of the first Insidious movie and should be a hit with fans of ghoulies, ghosties and things that go bump in the night

Not only am I the first to review this, it wasn’t even on GR site, I also had to create a listing for it. And I’m glad to do it, because this book is awesome and should be read, enjoyed and loved. I read Toy Thief, Gillespie’s previous book published by Flame Tree Press. It was the first book I’ve read by the author and by the publishers and it put both of them very prominently on my radar. SO much so that when I saw this book come up on Netgalley, I was sold immediately, no checking page count, no reading summary or reviews. And sure enough…totally worth it. Flame Tree Press has been on and off since, quality wise, but Gillespie continues to shine like a blood splattered disco ball. This guy is good. And sure, this tale of a family looking to save some money by moving into an old creepy ramshackle place with sketchy past only to find out that it might be haunted doesn’t reinvent the wheel per se, but it does the wheel justice by taking it for a really quality spin. By creating realistic characters and situations, Gillespie completely immerses your attention…you can practically hear the floors creek, see the glimpses of faces in the windows that shouldn’t be there. It’s that good. In fact the only regret here might be not having read this at night for the perfect complete effect, but days are just too long now for that sort of luxury. If you can, do yourself a favor and read this when it’s dark out, the way scary stories are meant to be taken in. The novel is narrated by Alice, a bright ten year old prone to daydreaming, who makes for a surprisingly compelling narrator. She’s the first one to notice how off their new place is and in the end, she is the one to set things right. Great story, start to finish. Dynamic, atmospheric, exciting…all you’d want in a scary story. Even the epilogue is perfect, somber and serious and much more in line with literary genre writing as oppose to cheap guts and gore reliant thrills. Awesome book. This author reminds me of why I love this genre. Apparently our library has never heard of the author, which is so frustrating, because I want to read every book he’s written. If you can, you really should. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

This is the first book by this author I have read, and I can tell you I’m going to be looking for his other novels because if they are as good as this one I will not be disappointed.

I can’t say enough about this book “One by One”. From the moment I picked up the book I did not move until I finished it late into the wee hours of the night. It is riveting, well written and the characters are all believable.

How many times do you hear or it’s happened to you as a child? You tell your parents something and they do not believe you or think you are imagining it, or go as far as blaming you for something you know deep down in your heart you did not do?

Well, One by One starts with a prologue in which Mary sets the tone for the story and once she has her hands on you she does not let go.

The premise of this book is about a new family moving into an abandoned house, a fixer-upper. The family consists of Alice, Dean, Debra and Frank. Their father has found a house he believes he can fix up and and then flip for a profit. To Alice, the house looks like a giant doll’s house, but something was off she could feel it. The Gothic, Southern mansion is quirky and the moment they step inside and begin investigating the different rooms they find odd hallways, windows that open into another room, and even a crawl space.

It is a non-stop thriller and horror novel that keeps you guessing until the end.

Without giving out too much information I just want to say I enjoyed seeing a summary of where everyone was at the end of the story. This brought some closure to me.

I was provided this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book for anyone who loves a good mystery. 📕👍🏼

I GIVE IT A 5 STAR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thankyou to NetGalley, Flame Tree Press and the author, D.W Gillespie for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of One By One in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I was excited at the prospect of reviewing this book. I was hooked by the premise of the storyline, so was very happy when I received a review copy.
I was hooked from the start. The storyline was well thought out and written with intriguing characters. The imagery was highly descriptive and chilling. I could not put it down until the very end.
Well worth a read for fans of the genre.