How much did I love this book!

It was the perfect wintry gripping read and reminded me of Agatha Christie, Shiver and The Chalet - a total Lockdown 2 must read!

I’m a sucker for a locked room whodunnit mystery so I was excited to get stuck into One by One. Although slightly predictable, it was still an enjoyable read and had me hooked. Another great book by Ruth Ware, already looking forward to her next! 

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

I really like Ruth Ware’s writing. I love her ability to write so many different voices and different personalities. I loved the isolated incident and a group of people trying to figure out what’s happening. This is also why I loved in a dark dark wood. Even the snow setting was like that book maybe it’s a theme Ruth likes writing. The concept of the app was so good (why isn’t this real?!)  

This maybe wasn’t the most difficult mystery to figure out and maybe the reveal speech wasn’t my favourite however I think this is a solid read. I don’t think this is the most advanced murder mystery but I enjoy the simplicity of it. There’s a motive and small group of people and an isolated location. That’s all you really need so I can’t fault it for that. 

I will always pick up Ruth’s work and I recommend this read!

Ruth Ware hits the slopes in One by One, a nail-biting thriller, which sees a corporate getaway at a luxury mountain retreat turn deadly, as an avalanche hits, a power cut ensues, and then people start to die, one by one…

Online streaming platform Snoop is a modern day success story, downloaded millions of times, loved by celebrities and ordinary people alike. Ever wondered what songs Lady Gaga likes to listen to as she does the ironing? Snoop on her to find out! Now Snoop is at a crossroads, on the cusp of a major buyout which will see the shareholders become multi-millionaires, if only they can all agree to sell. Snoop founders, Topher and Eva, can’t come to an agreement, and so it’s up to the other shareholders to cast the deciding votes. 

Danny and Erin, caretakers at the luxury chalet Snoop has chosen for its ‘mindfulness and collaboration’ getaway, have seen all the bad behaviour that untold success brings. Nothing much shocks them. So when Eva goes missing after a day of skiing, and then an avalanche hits, they keep calm and carry on as normal. However, when two more members of the Snoop team turn up dead, seemingly murdered, it seems it might be time for panic stations. After all, they are snowed in. They can’t leave the chalet. And it looks as though there is a murderer in their midst.

An exciting thriller that builds to a breakneck crescendo, One by One, though entirely predictable, nevertheless kept me on the edge of my seat, with plenty of entertaining twists and revelations throughout.

Anther fabulous Christmas Noir thriller that deserves to be talked about along side Lucy Foley's excellent Hunting Party. I adore novels with unlikeable characters. There is a real talent in creating those kinds of people who press your buttons but still garner your sympathy from time to time and that's exactly what Ruth Ware has created in One by One. Snoop a music app  founded by the annoyingly hip and egotistical individuals we can all imagine. The founds Eva and Topher take their colleagues and core team to a remote chalet for a week away which is ultimately decision time. Do they sell out and make five shareholders very rich? Or do they risk everything and push on. Two shareholders face off against the other two ... the deciding shareholder is the mousey and underwhelming former PA. But before they can vote, someone goes missing, An avalanche causes the remaining nine and their chalet staff to be trapped. By the end of the week more people will have died...but why? No one is who they seem in this fabulous offering. Enjoy!

First of all, I loved the high-tech idea introduced in the novel. Snoop’s founders developed an app where you can listen to the music someone else is listening to at the same moment they’re listening to it. It’s a bit invasive right and it felt perfect for this locked-in mystery type of novel where you don’t know who has eyes on who. Leading man Topher wants to sell his wonderful company in a buyout that’s on offer, his ex-wife Eva is opposed, ex-employee Liz and Snooper founder Rik are caught in the middle, having to choose sides. And then, suddenly, one of them goes missing and the cards are reshuffled… 

I love the guessing game in this type of novel and I don’t mind a big cast at all, it makes it just a bit more challenging and who’s not up for this kind of challenge eh? Unfortunately, this time there wasn’t much guessing because at about 60% into the novel it was pretty obvious who the killer was and I felt it was too soon to be done with the joy of sleuthing. I had a marvelous time up until then and it all became clear going from one scene to the next. You’re not going to believe it, I know, because there are 11 people at the cabin at the start of the novel. Nine of them are guests and two act as cabin staff. Even so it’s nearly impossible to miss which one the killer is. The author also gave away how many are going to be killed quite early in the story and that didn’t go unnoticed so yep I was making check marks as we went along. Fear not, there’s still a very enjoyable time to be had because you might know who it is but you definitely don’t know why. The underlying reasons were far from obvious from the beginning and this is where I recognized the true brilliance of Ruth Ware in again.

I love the way she writes but aside from Topher (the alpha dog and main man), Erin and a few others, I didn’t find the other characters very interesting and I thought some of them could definitely have been developed more, like Ani and Tiger, because they remain rather vague figures without any real identifiers.   

It was a good read but I simply didn’t love it the way I loved the first novel (The Lying Game, remember) and it was wayyyy too easy for a sleuth who loves a good challenge. I do look forward to her next novel though and in between I’ve already decided to pick up one of the backlist.

It took a while to get in to this book as the first few chapters are a little dreary  and I was quite willing to give up  I'm so glad that I didn't because it's brilliant.  
After the initial introduction and purpose of the group being in the ski resort, One By One quickly delves in to an addictive 'whodunnit'.  
I did have my suspicions on who the killer was quite early in the book, but the mystery of finding out if I was correct was just as fun.

Well, who knew? Agatha Christie appears to be living in the French Alps and working as a chalet host! Perhaps a little unfair to both Ms Wade - and Ms Christie.... However, what Ms Ware has done is to create a murder mystery tale with a classic whodunnit feel. Victims mount up in circumstances where the group of central characters are effectively cut off from outside help by an avalanche. Reading that cold does make it sound like it could all be too much of a cliche but the pace of the author’s narrative and the fluency of her writing mean that the thought isn’t prompted whilst reading. Indeed, the developing pace and tension make this a genuine hard to put down book. 

Ms Ware tells her story largely through two key characters; like all the book’s characters these are well drawn and convey subtleties of personalities and individual traits very well. The plot doesn’t require any great suspension of disbelief and the eventual denouement ties up just about all loose ends. For fans of this genre there are plenty of clues to be picked up, but this is also a fun read for readers with wider tastes, too.

All in all, a book that does not short change the reader. Strongly recommended.

This was a great read, enjoyed it thoroughly, was hooked from the first page, loads of twists & turns, would recommend it x

The perfect winter thriller, grab a hot chocolate and snuggle up under a cosy blanket for this who done it showing that knowledge isn’t always power. I especially loved the use of Friends do they know we know they know haha.

Probably the strangest book I've read this year. My first by this writer so I really didnt know what to expect. A group of colleagues from Snoop get bumped off in a snow-filled winter wonderland in this modern day Agatha Christie-styled thriller. The story was slow to start, in part while I got used to the writing, but soon speeded up to a gripping finale.

I had high hopes for this  modern day murder mystery set in an Alpine ski resort where the directors and shareholders of a new music app meet to discuss the impending buyout, which will potentially make some, but not all, of them millionaires. 
But I'm afraid I didn't get very far at all with 'One by One'. I found the beginning section, reading like website entries didn't engage me at all, quite the opposite.  I found the hip, urban style not to my taste but I can see that it might appeal to a younger metropolitan audience.

Ruth Ware has written mysteries and thrillers involving dysfunctional families, toxic friendships and twisted romance. With One by One she wanted to explore a different sort of relationship – that between work colleagues – and how this type of relationship might come under strain when there’s a murderer in the company.

Full review here: https://westwordsreviews.wordpress.com/2020/11/23/one-by-one-ruth-ware/

Although not my favorite Ruth Ware, she's done it again! This novel focuses on a group of 8 people who are all on a work trip in a beautiful, rustic mountain chalet to discuss and plan the future of Snoop, the company they're all working in, steered by Eva and Toph, founders of Snoop. 

Then something happens and one of them is lost in a ski accident, but when another turns up dead, how much of an accident was it? Everyone is a suspect with something to win or lose.

"Now we are ten.
Now we are nine.
Now we are eight.
The words chant inside my head, a kind of gruesome countdown, edging closer to zero, one by one."

The beginning is much slower, it takes a while to take flight, but it sets the scene and the strange dynamics between the characters. The story follows the perspectives of Liz who used to work at Snoop and Erin, the chalet girl, and it moved the pace at a good pace. Initially I did struggled to remember all the characters, however slowly got to know their individualities better and know who was who. 

The second half of the book was magnificent - Ware is brilliant at endings and keeping the reader to the edge of the seat! I had no idea how it would all end once it was all revealed. The mystery element was spot on and the whole book felt like a game of Cluedo set in a winter escape.

Die Gründer und Top Angestellten einer aufstrebenden App Firma fahren Mitten im Winter für eine Woche Erholung und Arbeit in ein einsam gelegenes Chalet in den Bergen. Zwischen ihnen steht der mögliche Verkauf der Firma und die finanziellen Auswirkungen.
Die Geschichte saugt einen mit ihrer winterlichen Atmosphäre sofort ein. Wetter, Umgebung und Einsamkeit werden zur eigenen Gestalt.
Nach und nach lernt man die verschiedenen Protagonisten und ihre Positionen kennen. Es ist mir zu Anfang etwas schwer gefallen die verschiedenen Figuren auseinander zu halten.
Nachdem eine der Skifahrerinnen vermisst wird und eine Lawine das Chalet trifft, entfaltet sich die spannende Handlung. Fesselnd geschrieben, aber mir etwas zu viel hin und her und zu viel Deuten der Ereignisse durch die Beteiligten. Zu viele verschiedene Möglichkeiten werden langwierig durchgespielt.
Auch Ruth Ware hat sich hier an einem beliebten Agatha Christie Setting/Plot versucht und es recht passabel gemeistert.

High in the Alps a ski chalet prepares to receive the latest batch of guests. They are expecting a group who are the creators of a best selling music App called Snoop. They are a diverse group. Most come from moneyed backgrounds, stylish & entitled. Only one, Liz, seems out of place. Parts of the story are narrated by her & the rest by Erin, the hostess. After a mornings ski-ing a storm is threatened but one guest does not return. An avalanche hits & the group are marooned. With one missing & another found dead. Who will be next?

This was a cracker of a thriller. It was full of action & kept me guessing. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

I was able to whisk through this book as I found it a reasonably quick read, and there were elements I enjoyed.  The dialogue was written well and conveyed the characters and their emotions and the overall plot was an entertaining one, however, I found it slightly repetitive. Not just the part which which recounting an event by another character but some of the actions and words used were often repeated also.  The recounting of episodes were not always needed and seemed just to be there to pad out the book.   I found the landscape, snow, coldness well described but didn't get the same for the house. The characters weren't very likable and I found the whole book a little rushed An easy and OK read but not one of her best.

10 top executives of a company called Snoop + 1 chalet high up + treacherous paths of skiing + 1 lost in snow + 1 ran away + 3 killed = few barely alive survivors. What happened in the chalet?

This was a classic whodunit which kept me completely involved in the story, trying to find the clues and detect the lies in each one’s story. The writing was smooth like the newly fallen snow but quite slippery where I couldn’t catch the lies.

I loved Erin the chalet girl, who looked after the guests along with Danny the chef, but with secrets on her own. Her intelligence and powers of detection shone through. Even though the plot arc was familiar, there was always the excitement of wanting to be right.

Guessing the perp and the motive to kill became a game which kept me occupied on a sleepy afternoon.

Thank you very much NetGalley and Harper Collins for an advance copy off One By One by Ruth Ware in exchange of my honest opinion.

This is the third book that I read by Ruth Ware and, so far, I have liked them all!

I had heard very mixed reviews about this book before I started it so I was aware it was kind of controversial and my expectations were not too high.

This book gave me all Agatha Christie vibes and it also reminded me of An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena and The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley.

Once said that, I found the start to be very slow. I liked the premises and the setting but until more or less 100 pages in nothing really happens.

I found that the first pages, like I said, a bit too introductory. It all had to do with the company Snoops, and I couldn't be less interested in this tech company, their shares, their financial problems and the workers.

Regarding the characters, I didn't especially like any of them. I found most of them to be selfish, not sensible at all, career focused, money driven and just very superficial.

Erin and Danny, though, the chalet hosts were quite nice to read about and more well behaved than the rest of the cast.

Once said all the above and once we got past the first 100 pages, Oh My God! What a ride this book was!

I could feel the tension, the fear, the questions everyone was wondering, the fact that one of them was the killer and they had no idea, the deaths coming without anyone being able to stop them... Amazing!

Because I didn’t especially liked any of the character that worked in Snoops, for me, from the outside, was quite “fun” to see the killings, their reactions, their theories, their suspects and their behaviour to one another!

There is a scene, quite late on the book, in the Chalet, with just Erin and Liz that Wow! I loved it! I couldn’t stop reading, I had to keep turning pages and find out what the hell was going to happen next!

Definitely a good, fun and entertaining book!

Hurrah! A new Ruth Ware which is a)a real treat to review and b)one of my favourite tropes, a locked room mystery!
At the start, a newspaper article makes it clear that the treacherous weather conditions have resulted in holiday makers being snowed in at a remote chalet, some have died and two survivors have made the dangerous trek to get help. Following this, there are social media-esque profiles of the owners/managers of an app named 'Snoop', a music palying app that lets you listen to the same music concurrently, borne out of the owners(once partners) attempts to make a long distance relationship less difficult.

All the characters sound bloody awful, by the time you 'meet' the two housekeepers/chefs of the chalet they are heading to, you are hopeful that they are the ones who die. The funicular ascending with the members of Snoop for a make or break holiday away, creaks with unspoken menace, the isolated setting perfect for those trying to get away. Except, when you are trapped with little to no chance of escape, there is every chance that lashing out might reveal potentially deadly secrets...

And herein lies the fascination,for me, with the characters and situations that Ruth creates. I read the Snoop profiles and thought 'UGH. How dreaful'. And that is the point, those social media profiles are designed to deflect, whilst simultaneously bringing the public 'closer' to the objects of their affection. Artifice, self-deception and intrigue abound when trying to create a persona that is so far different from your own, and the longer that you try to keep this up, the more chances of secrets being revealed present themselves.
It is a pressure cooker situation where levels of innocence and guilt are peeled away , as the numbers dwindle and the snow piles up outside the door. This is a perfect weekend read, preferably in a blanket fort with plenty of hot chocolate and a do-not-disturb note on the door. There is a blurb on the cover of the hardback which describes Ruth Ware as the 'queen of one more chapter.'

I would have to say that I agree.