I've had mixed experiences with CM Ewan's thrillers so far: I thought both The Interview and The House Hunt were incredibly silly, but loved A Window Breaks. Luckily, One Wrong Turn, his latest, is much more like A Window Breaks, which makes me think that his strength lies not in spinning out plot but in writing real-time crisis situations, as both those books take place across a matter of hours. In One Wrong Turn, Ben and Abi are driving home from a holiday in Cornwall cut short: it's a dark foggy night, and Abi loses her way. On the deserted country road, they spot a broken-down car, and a woman with a baby carrier who needs help - but should they stop for her? The twists in this one are easily guessable, but that didn't bother me one bit - I was glad Ewan didn't try and add anything too unbelievable. It's gripping throughout, the dark and the mist are evocative, and we also get another of my favourite thriller settings - the isolated petrol station! Love a driving thriller, and I'd definitely recommend this one, alongside Noelle W. Ihli's Run on Red and Riley Sager's Survive the Night.

Abi and her boyfriend Ben are on their way home after a weekend getaway. On their way there they spot a couple who appear to be stranded on the side on the road due to car troubles. Ben is willing to be their knight in shining armor, stopping and offering them assistance. Abi, however, is a little more hesitant until she spots the woman holding a car seat. Begrudgingly, Abi decides to let these strangers into her car despite the gnawing feeling of unease she is experiencing.
With tensions high and her unease increasing, Abi can't help but feel that she made the worst decision of her life by letting these strangers into her car.

One Wrong Turn was a suspenseful, tense, unputdownable, atmospheric and binge worthy book. I flew through this in less than twenty-four hours. Immediately I got a sense of foreboding; you know something is wrong, but you can't quite put your finger on it. The way the story unfolded was nothing short of thrilling and the way the author builds up the tension was captivating. Told from three different perspectives and dual timelines, I was able to get a better sense of who our characters were and exactly what they were hiding. They were several twists and turns along the way, making for an even more exhilarating read that I couldn't look away from.

This book was everything I want in a thriller. The pacing was excellent, there was no unnecessary family or relationship drama, the flashbacks were short, quick and to the point, skillfully leading up to the present and the ensuing chaos. The characters were well written and developed, something that I always look for in all my reads.
Overall, a highly enjoyable psychological thriller that has left me intrigued about this author and their other work. A well-deserved five-star rating from me.

Thank you to Netgalley, Pan Macmillan and C.M Ewan for my eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Pub Date: July 18th, 2024

I flew through this in a day but mainly because I just wasn't sure what I was reading! It starts off very normal and then this tension starts building where you know something is wrong but you have no idea what..... and the more nothing wrong actually happens the more wrong it all feels!! Once things start clicking into place then the pace speeds up and the plot really progresses and blossoms into a really enjoyable thriller

I loved The Interview and The House Hunt by C.M. Ewan so I was very excited to read this and it did not disappoint. Just like the other books this book hooked me right away and I stayed up late to finish it. Overall it was very tense and thrilling !

Driving down a country road late at night, Ben and Abby are having an argument when they come across what appears to be a family in distress.

Initially unwilling to stop and take the strangers into their car, the couple reconsider when they realise that there's a baby in the car that has broken down.

But is the situation really what it seems? Abby's instinct tells her otherwise.

The problem is, with the strangers now in their vehicle, it is too late to ask whether letting them in was a wise decision. Because good intentions can sometimes lead to bad decisions!

This is a suspenseful and nerve wracking story with a high level of tension that's maintained for the duration. An absorbing read that gets 3.5 stars.