Very run of the mill who dun it that could have been written by anyone. I keep trying this author and have yet to be wowed. I need to quit.

Ruth Ware’s latest crime novel “One by One” is my first book by the author who already has a few books published, in Germany her publisher is DTV. The setting of the novel in a posh French Alpine ski resort during a fierce snow storm suited my mood perfectly as the snow kept falling outside in real life and everyone currently knows what it feels like to be restricted in their movements.
As I started reading I was surprised how quickly the book drew me in and kept me hooked reading at a quick pace. Having read so many thrillers in my professional life, I have to confess that after 70 % of the book I figured out which way the plot would go which was correct but that still left several possibilities for the book to end open which kept me guessing. “One by One” is a cleverly constructed thriller set around some smartass young employees and their shareholding owners of a hot music app who come together for skiing fun and brain storming retreating to a high class ski chalet in France with cook and full service. As the company’s group dynamics begin to unfold, an avalanche cuts off the chalet when the group returns from skiing and they realize that Eva, one of the shareholders, has gone missing. Liz, a young shareholder and the odd one in the group and Erin, the chalet manager, narrate the chilling events as another employees is found dead in his room.. The idea of a group of people caught in a house by some unforeseen event with a murderer on the lose is not a new one, but Ruth Ware has crafted a solid thriller with a special dot com edge which I had great fun reading.

Set in a chalet in the snowy mountains. Music app Snoop travels on a company retreat. What is set to be a week of skiing and business presentations quickly turns into a nightmare following an avalanche that cuts them off from everything. When staff members start being killed survival becomes even more difficult.

I really enjoyed this book and I think it is my favourite book that I have read by Ruth Ware. I really liked the isolated setting and the building tension that occurred as the characters realised that there was a murderer amongst them. Some of my favourites mysteries including And Then There Were None, Sleep, and An Unwanted Guest feature this trope and I love it.

Whilst I did predict the culprit early on I really enjoyed the reading experience and thought that Ruth Ware did a great job of creating tension and suspense. I, however, did not predict the motive for why the character decided to commit the murders.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and thought that the setting and atmosphere was excellent.

I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Okay so while it took me a while to get the concept of Snoop, and the layout of each POV, I now reallllllly want Snoop to be a real app. It's genius.

That aside, One by One is a tension thriller mystery, with an alpine setting and a snowed-in cabin vibe to go with it. The whole thing is a company retreat for 9 posh people who work at a tech firm, one ex-employee with stocks and two cabin staff. It honestly sounds like a nightmare to me anyway, lol!

The narrators do a good job a giving you quick insight into the world of Snoop and how the relationships all work between the staff there, as well as life in the cabin. The atmosphere of the book really leans into the remote and snowy setting in a way that works so well with the creeping threat of a killer being among them. Plus the threat of nature itself - the avalanche is an excellent tension mounter!

Our POVs are Erin, one of the cabin staff, and Liz, the ex-employee. As the book progresses, we slowly sink into their way of thinking a bit more. Liz is clearly remote, possibly hiding things, and struggles to connect with those around her. Erin is easier to read, but we see earlyish that she's maybe not quite what she seems. Unreliable narrators abound! However, it works well enough that you can still make good guesses at what's going on, and also really feel the tension building as the isolation sets in.

I did guess a little bit of the mystery but I don't feel that it affected my enjoyment of it. I was fairly sure I knew who was doing it, but I really liked how the why of it all played out. Especially the much later additions!

My only real quibble is that I didn't like any of the Snoop staff who got serious page time. They are rich and obnoxious and it screams off the page. As much as I like the idea of the app, for some reason it meant I didn't quite enjoy it as much, because I wasn't worried about any of them dying. I'd have been very upset about Erin or Danny dying though!

Overall a good thriller and a very enjoyable read. 3.5 stars

I have never seen snow in real life. It does look beautiful in movies, especially Christmas movies where they show snow falling and families all cozy and warm indoors. In this story, snow is an enemy. An avalanche has guests at a Chalet completely cut off from the rest of the world. The ripple effects had me shivering all the way down here in sunny Africa. Things get worse at the chalet when bodies start turning up and it becomes clear that the snow is not the only thing posing danger

I love a good, claustrophobic mystery. Can you imagine being snowed in with a killer? The story reminded me of one of the author’s previous books, The Woman in Cabin 10, which I enjoyed. However, I ended up not enjoying this book as much as I thought I would. The mystery had my attention and I absolutely loved the setting and the elements. On the downside, the story has quite a number of characters. I believe that they were 10 at the start. I still can’t keep some of their names straight in my mind and I am not sure what purpose some of them served since we don’t even get to know them well. The pace dragged on at some point. I just kept looking forward to the next body as there was nothing else going on. Surprisingly, even after the mystery had been solved, we still had more chapters.

The chapters leading up to the reveal were more intense and moved a bit faster. In the end, as much as I enjoyed the concept of the locked-in mystery, the characterization and pace affected my enjoyment of this story. As I always say when reviewing books that I didn’t enjoy, please do check out Goodreads reviews as there are many others who loved this one. Do not let my negative experience sway you. In addition, if you enjoy locked-in/claustrophobic mysteries, this is one is still worth checking out.

Book Review by Kelly Lacey
I read One by One in one sitting, it was an utterly fantastic two hours. I was hooked and I feel like I took a deep breath on page one and didn’t exhale until the end.

The book is like a Miss Marple or Agatha Christie movie. There are a plethora of characters and the plot becomes a whodunnit. Told from two character perspectives they guide us along as events unfold. We the reader have the chance to try and figure it all out.

When a gathering of Snoop employees descends on the alpine ski resort Saint Antoine. Unsuspecting staff members Erin and Danny have no idea how their lives are about to change. One of the guests is called Liz, she is quite, reserved and she doesn’t seem to fit in with the others. Whilst the others are rich and confident, Liz is from a working-class environment.

The book is so atmospheric that I was absolutely freezing whilst I read. I could feel the imaginary snow descending through my windows and into my room. It is utterly brilliant!

Ruth Ware writes with such a brilliant, clever mind. One by One is atmospheric, thrilling and they leave you wanting more.

Snowy Alps in a private chalet for a week as the group of SNOOP, a new music app, decide what the future will be in the face of a buy out., sounds wonderful. Ten members and two chalet staff find themselves cut off after an avalanche. One of the directors goes missing...... Then another member dies, who could be doing this? Help is slow coming and no one can trust the others, after more deaths there are finally 2 left in the chalet, desperate measures are needed to survive, so who is left alive and who is the murderer? A good read that keeps you guessing until about two thirds of the way through and even then it isn't finished.

This is written in a style that I love- a classic 'whodunnit' set in a ski resort ( well, we can dream!) where one of the group goes missing.

I have enjoyed other books by Ms Ware, and this didn't disappoint leading to tense, stressful, late night reading.

I did suspect quite early on who the 'baddy' is, but wasn't sure why.

I loved the descriptions of the setting and the fast pace of the story moving from one point of view to another. A good novel to read at the moment whilst it's so cold outside, you can almost imagine you are there!

As a skiing fan, this modern-day version of And Then There Were None set in a chalet on a mountaintop in the French Alps was great fun. The characters may not be the most likable, and there were some implausibilities, but it is nice to see proper skiing play a significant part in the mystery.

My favourite thing about this book was definitely the heartstopping climax, it really had me on the edge of my seat. Most of the cast of characters work for a music streaming app and are the kind of people most readers would love to hate, I must say there was a element of schadenfreude when certain calamities befell the group!

Im a fan of Ruth Ware so was excited to have a chance to read this. I always love a mystery set in a snowy backdrop. Full of twists, turns and so clever. There is this sense of dread as you read which means you cant put it down. Recommend

Synopsis: When hipster start up company Snoop took their staff on a retreat to a ski chalet they never dreamed that they would be leaving with four less people than they arrived with.

Review: This book weirdly made me miss skiing which I know is so morbid since there is an avalanche and multiple murders in this book🙈 I read this in a day because it follows Ruth’s typical writing style - easy to read and completely gripping! We hear from three points of view which allowed us to learn more about the chalet, the company and the characters which I thought was cleverly done. Had I not read Shari Lapena’s “An Unwanted Guest,” I might have enjoyed this more because they have such a similar storyline, however I do think this one was the better version (less confusing amount of characters and I liked the company element to this plot) so it’s a shame I couldn’t have read this first because it was great and I reckon a lot of you will really enjoy!

I absolutely adore Ruth Ware but this book fell short for me. There was just so much talk about stocks and the politics surrounding it that I found it more difficult to get into the book.

The ending was predictable in my own personal opinion but I know from friends reading, it seems to be a me thing.

Will I pick up Ruth Ware again? Absolutely!

4 Stars from me

This put me in mind of 'The Chalet' and it's fair to say that if you enjoyed The Chalet then you will love this!

Also, is Snoop / Choon a real product? What an amazing business idea if it isn't!

This is very clever, virtually a locked room murder mystery, with a largely unlikeable cast - I loved it!

The story flips mainly between two of the central characters and you are left trying to guess who (and why) the murderer is as the story unfolds.

One thing is for sure - it doesn't make me want to go skiing!

One by One by Ruth Ware

A luxury chalet high in the French Alps would seem the perfect place for a get together of business colleagues. Work presentations and meetings can be combined with forays onto the ski slopes, followed by après ski delights, all taken care of by excellent chalet staff. It’s just such a pity that the guests aren’t so much colleagues as bitter rivals prepared to put everything at stake. And then the avalanche hits. The chalet barely survives. It is completely cut off from the outside world, with no power and little food or heat. Murder follows.

I am thoroughly enjoying the avalanche of winter chiller mysteries that are being published during these dark months and One by One is brilliant fun. It is a true homage to classic Agatha Christie – a remote, cut-off location (ideally glamorous), a limited number of suspects (growing ever more limited as the murders increase), the revelation of secrets, puzzles. It’s irresistible and it works perfectly in a chalet cut off by an avalanche, a terrifying event in itself and yet about to be outdone.

This is one of those books that you really don’t want to know much about other than that fantastic premise. I loved how much of the story is given from the perspective of Erin, the chalet girl, who can barely believe the nature of the guests she has to look after. It’s almost as if she has to try and hold them all together. There are clues along the way, which are enjoyable to pick up on. I must admit that I did work it out but that didn’t matter. One by One is such an entertaining pageturner and in my opinion shows Ruth Ware at her best, following the tradition of The Woman in Cabin 10 and The Death of Mrs Westaway. It’s an ideal Christmas read.

Other reviews
The Woman in Cabin 10
The Lying Game
The Death of Mrs Westaway
The Turn of the Key

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!