Never having read anything by Ruth Ware before, but hearing remarkable reviews of her previous work, I went into reading this title with big expectations. I was NOT disappointed! Very rarely have I ever given a murder mystery, inspired by the Queen of Crime Agatha Christie, a 5 star review! However, this one broke the mould. What a read!

“And Then There Were None” has formed inspiration for many modern day writers but few successfully achieve what Agatha Christie was able to do. Ruth Ware and her latest title “One By One” very effectively achieves the same drama, suspense, and twist that we have loved from Christie over the years. This is not a title to skim through and write off with predictability, it’s a must read to the end and watch it evolve title!

I have to admit I am not sure I want to go on a skiing holiday anytime soon after reading this. The idea of being isolated in a luxurious chalet, atop of a mountain within the French Alps, without the basic necessities to survive after an avalanche is terrifying enough. Add in the closed circle murderer picking the guests and staff off one by one is beyond frightening!

I was fidgeting on my seat as I read through the final chase scene – a situation you would only expect the adventurous Jason Bourne to pull off! This scene is a favourite of mine, and one that will stay with me for some time to come.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harvill Secker & Penguin Random House UK for the opportunity to read such an incredible title.

UK Publication Date: 12th November 2020

Fantastic!
Absolutely loved this fast paced, intriguing thriller - kept me guessing til the last minute.
Ruth Ware is fast becoming one of my favourite suspense authors.

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.

After really enjoying Turn of The Key I was looking forward to this and it is another tension filled atmospheric thriller from Ruth Ware.

I'm a bit torn. On the one hand, this is by far my "favorite" book from Ruth Ware, on the other, that still means a three-star read. I just couldn't connect to the characters since we didn't really get enough to go on to feel for them and thus what happened to some of them left me cold because I didn't care about them? Like, they could have all dropped like flies (and some did) and it wouldn't have bothered me.
I did like the tension-filled atmosphere though, and the setting in general appealed to me!
I mean, you have to credit Ware because I keep picking up every book because I just really enjoy the writing style even if I'm rarely if ever invested in the mystery or the characters.

This is my first book by Ruth Ware and I can say I really enjoyed the setting was great the characters were likable and the story was something that felt quite fitting for the modern years of apps and social media.

The story is set in a ski chalet in the Alps where a group of developers all embark on a company business trip to discuss their buyout of the app called Snoop . But then things start to go wrong from an avalanche to people dying they suddenly see there might be murderer amoung them.

It's well-paced and full of kills and chills a reall whodunit mystery its a great book for any winter holiday even if most of us will be staying home this winter...

One by One tells the story of what happens when a work getaway to a rustic mountain chalet to ski and talk business turns deadly.

This isolated setting provides the atmosphere and desperation within this book. There are some pretty unlikeable characters. With dual perspective you get the point of view of both one of the guests at the chalet and one of the staff. This provides you with an insight into the company while also giving observations on the characters.

Ruth Ware's books always seem to be quick to read.

This was my first novel by Ruth Ware and overall it was a very enjoyable read.

The setting is a ski chalet in the Alps. The senior employees and shareholders of the social media company Snoop have rented the chalet for a break but also because they have to make an important decision about the future of the company. One decision makes the shareholders millions and the alternative is risky and could mean the company doesn't survive. The people who get to vote are divided and it is unclear which way it will go. And then someone dies and the 'holiday' descends into chaos!

The story is mainly told by two narrators. Erin is employed by the holiday company and along with Danny, they host, clean and cook for guests at the chalet. Liz is a former employee of Snoop and is a minority shareholder. I liked the way the narrative switched between the two characters. Erin's narration in particular is where you learn about the others in the group as she is observing and considering their characteristics all of the time.

I found the book to be a reasonably fast read, but I wouldn't say the plot was particularly fast paced. The main storyline takes place within a week, so at times that made it feel a little slow - you need a lot of detail to fill a book with things that happen over a short space of time. That said, there is a great sense of place. The isolation of the chalet in the Alps is well described. The snow and wintery setting and the ski details (for a non skier) all seemed very realistic and atmospheric. However, there were two small things that I found irritating, which prevented me from rating this a 5 star read. One was the subtitle of every chapter, giving the person's snoop id, what they were listening to and how many subscribers they have. For the bulk of the book, this alternates between Erin and Liz, in offline mode, so is the same every time. I didn't feel as though it was adding anything. The other was Danny speaking - every time, his spoken word was written in a colloquial way which I found awkward to read. The conversation in my head would be 'people wouldn't say that' and then 'yes they would, if they speak badly'. I found it distracting and irritating, when actually it probably wasn't important to the storyline.

Overall, a very good, atmospheric thriller with a strong theme and sense of place.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ruth Ware does it again with this chilling tale set in a ski resort. I couldn’t put it down and it had me hooked.

Snoop is an app and the developers of the app are treating themselves to a skiing holiday to discuss the buyout. But then strange things happen and coupled with an avalanche, it all goes very wrong.

This story reminded me of And then there were none, by Agatha Christie, slowly whittling down the suspects, but still not quite making sense.

This is a great winter read, that will make chills run through your spine. Highly recommended

Another brilliant page-turner from Ruth Ware. Compelling main characters, claustrophobic setting. The perfect winter read.

A well-paced murder mystery with a pretty impressive body count and a touch of unreliable narration for good measure. Would be a great holiday read (as long as you are not on a skiing holiday).

I felt like the characters were well suited to the plot, I do wish there was more development because the thing is I didn’t really care when they started dying of simply because I wasn’t given enough information to care about them as people. I think the two cared most for was Danny and Erin one of the main POVs was Erin and I think it was great because she made me care for her and Danny but the rest of them not much feeling either way.
I love the atmosphere of this book, cosy yet luxury villa in the alps surrounded by snow and fire places with a built in chef whose food sounds amazing. It would be a great vacation if people weren’t dying. Which changes the setting to aww that would be a lovely get away to get me the hell outta here.
It’s not secret Ruth Ware knows what she’s doing, I mean I’m not normally interested in plots surrounding a company or business but she made me care about snoop, and when I thought things were going slow it turn a page and bam fire would be added.
I’m a sucker for a plot that involves a group of people who go to a out the way place only to get trapped with a murderer. The escape room type feeling, the claustrophobic atmosphere creating for the perfect setting for a plot to unfold this can be boring or predictable which at point this book was but it was done well.
As I said I have very little interest about business and plot lines that follow companies but this book made me care, it made me care about the staff and yes even some of the residents and trust me not all of them were exactly likeable or my cuppa tea. The intrigue really kicks off with the first kill after that I was intrigued.
They all go a trip to figure out what they are going to do with the company, then people start dying. Yes it’s logical that this could happen but I just think if we got more about the characters and there past together the reveal would have been more shocking, I think it was made a little to obvious who the odd man out was.
I did enjoy this book overall, i think the atmosphere and the plot really made it for me. The mystery was a little to simple and the murders a little lack lustre. An easy read maybe better for people new to the genre.

Ruth Ware is a queen in the mystery genre. She has written yet another phenomenal thriller with inspiration from Agatha Christie. This novel bares similarities to And Then There Were None with the whodunnit aspect in a locked room mystery. Set at a ski resort cut off from society after an avalanche, a corporate retreat deciding the future of a music app is playing out. That is until the bodies start piling up and they realize one of them is a murderer. The plot is gripping and will keep readers guessing. If you enjoy whodunnit mysteries, One by One is not to be missed!

I loved every bit of this book. Lots of tension and suspense, with the story never dragging for even a moment. While I was pretty sure who the "perp" was fairly early on, I had no idea of the depth or of all the reasons why and how. Very well written.

After reading Turn of the Key I was delighted to be approved for One by One.

This book is a highly atmospheric 'whodunnit' set in the mountains. The characters are all work colleagues who have designed and created the new music app, Snoop. After an avalanche, they are completely cut off and realise one of the team is missing. After initially thinking this was an accident, the bodies start mounting up and they are being killed one by one.

This was a real page turner and I thoroughly enjoyed the setting and the complexities between the characters but unfortunately, I knew who the murderer was pretty early on. I was waiting on the twist but it just wasn't there.

After having read a few of Ruth Ware’s books in the past I was super excited to receive an ARC for One By One.

This thriller is a classic ‘who’s done it’. We follow the Snoop team, a music streaming app that lets you snoop on what your friends and celebrities are listening to in real time, as they get snowed in on their company retreat. And then stuff goes down!

This book is super atmospheric. I could picture the chalet and it’s surroundings immediately.
Unfortunately I could also guess the killer very early on. I kept waiting for the book to trick me but sadly that didn’t happen.

I do still think this is a solid thriller, especially if it’s not a genre you read a lot of.

I’ll definitely be picking up Ruth Ware’s books in the future, even if this one wasn’t my favourite :)

I really enjoy Ruth Wares writing and although I just received the beginning of this book, I now will be buying it once its released. Another super book that will have you turning the pages quickly.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK for the ARC

One By One is a locked room mystery, one of my favourite tropes ever! The setting of a cabin high up in the snowy French Alps is atmospheric, descriptive and adds to the sense of danger. I love that the characters are co-workers instead of family and friends. There aren’t enough thrillers about the dark side of working relationships! There are financial disputes, hidden agendas, and all the uncomfortable feelings that comes with working with people you don’t particularly like. I’m fascinated by stories about the tech industry so I really enjoyed this aspect. I thought the characters feel believable, even if not entirely likable.

While I enjoyed the setting and the characters, I thought the mystery is too predictable. I guessed the perpetrator halfway through the book. I was waiting for a reveal or something surprising in the plot, but the story just continues on familiar grounds. This is less a thriller and more about characters struggling with trauma and resorting to extreme measures. The ending is pretty good in retrospect but I wish there’s more originality. But I thought this is still an enjoyable read, and will appeal to fans of locked room mysteries and the tech industry.

One by One is a modern take on a classic locked room mystery with some major Agatha Christie vibe. I must admit I love a good mystery so my expectations are always high.

A book centres around a group of people trapped in the remote chalet in French Alps when the avalanche strikes down. But that’s not their only concern - soon they start dying “one by one” and it becomes clear one of them is a killer.

A locked room mystery theme was done many times before but what makes this novel different is an incredible atmosphere the author created - dark, chilling and claustrophobic. I could almost feel the isolation and fear of the characters myself so Ms Were did an amazing job here.

However I found the book to be predictable from the first pages which is a shame. I guested the killer identity from the second they were introduced to us and was waiting for their motive to be revealed which turned out to be a little far-fetched to me. I would lie if I said I wasn’t disappointed with the ending. I was waiting for some major twist at the end which I loved so much in her previous books but I was left with nothing.

Overall it was a very enjoyable read for me and while it didn’t blow my mind I still liked the book and would definitely recommend to people who are new to this type of mystery novels.

Ruth Ware is always a hit or miss author for me but this was still one of my most highly anticipated books of the entire year and I read it as soon as I was accepted!

First off, I’ve heard a lot of comments about the company talk in this one being ‘boring’ but I actually found this one of the most interesting parts! I loved the idea of Snoop and the stakes being raised by shares held by each person! I just wish that Snoop had fed into the plot more (I hoped this would be an integral part but it was more of an extra detail which served no real purpose but did make the chapters a bit more eerie!)

Overall, this one definitely had an Agatha Christie feel to it, along with a Lucy Foley feel too! I loved this setting, it was so atmospheric. But I found the ending very underwhelming and the killer and mystery was extremely obvious. I think it had such potential and if snoop had been involved etc. it could have been a favourite!