I requested One Dark Night by Hannah Richell from NetGalley because I thought I’d like it when I read the blurb. And I was right! I haven’t read any of Richell's books before but I’m certainly going to try some of her six earlier novels, all of them stand-alone stories. On her website she describes her work as suspenseful novels about families and friends tangled in secrets and lies. I’m drawn to buildings that creak with stories, to landscapes that shape the characters moving through them, and to the rich and often complex relationships between mothers, daughters and sisters.

One Dark Night is her sixth book, which she says is inspired by a real-life stretch of woodland and an old stone folly near where I currently live, supposedly one of the most haunted spots in England. Yes, it is very creepy.

I loved the spooky, tense atmosphere and as soon as I started reading it I knew I was going to enjoy this book. The settings are vividly described, the characters come across as real people, and the plot is amazing, multi- layered, with plenty of suspects for the murder and numerous twists and turns to throw me off the scent. For quite a while you don’t even know the name of the victim, who was found in the woods, called ‘Sally in the Wood’. It’s a police procedural centred on Ellie, a pupil at the private school, where her mother Rachel works as the school counsellor and her father, Ben, a detective sergeant who is on the investigation team. Ellie is struggling, having just started at the school and also because her parents are newly divorced.

In the Acknowledgements the author explains that the novel is loosely inspired by the place and stories of Sally in the Wood and the nearby stone folly, but the surroundings are drawn purely from her imagination. She had the idea for the novel after her daughter took part in a Girl Guides night hike to the stone folly above the spooky wood.

I found more information about the origins of the road, Sally in the Wood, on the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre. The road forms a curved section of the A363 road on the Somerset-Wiltshire border that cuts through dense woodland near Bath – a perfect place to set a murder mystery. There are a few explanations for the name – one being that a girl called Sally was murdered in the woods or imprisoned in nearby Brown’s Folly, or that she was an actual road accident victim. It has a reputation of being an eerie place, where ‘no birds sing’, so you never know…

I loved it, one of the best books I’ve read so far this year!

I have just finished reading One dark night and wow what a read that was! There were more twists and turns than a rollercoaster. I thought I had it all figured out. Nope it took a whole different turn. I will definitely read more by this author.

A group of private school pupils sneak out into the woods on Halloween for an impromptu party which soon becomes something far more sinister especially when they begin to frighten each other with scary tales. The creepy woodland all contributes to the dark atmosphere and with a sense that someone is watching just heightens the tension. The following morning the body of a young teenager is found in suspicious circumstances and a whole police investigation is launched to determine just what happened at the fateful Halloween party.

This is a really creepy story which made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I found myself jumping at shadows, imagining a dark, dark wood with hidden figures, and the hint of something dangerous lurking in the undergrowth. The characters are well drawn and the fractured relationship between the main characters is done with a fine eye for captivating the nuances of teenagers who all have secrets to hide. The police procedural part of the story doesn’t intrude too much as it’s more about the dynamics between the lead detective whose daughter Ellie has been caught up in the events of Halloween night and his ex-wife who is a member of staff at the school.

One Dark Night is a real page turner of a read and one I couldn’t put down until final clever twist in this dark and creepy tale had been revealed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Simon UK for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely love this book and read it in one sitting. I loved the storyline and the characters. I thought the characters had great growth, I really could not put this book down, I had to know what was going to happen. I would definitely recommend this book.

This is a dark and brooding story set in a woodland adjoining a private school. It is Halloween and some of the students have had a party in the woods. Unfortunately, someone never made it home. Sarah was found dead in an area that has rumours of an unnatural nature.

This is a very clever book that focuses on one family. Ben and Rachel are separated, their daughter Ellie attends the school. Ben is a detective and Rachel a support worker for the school. As the rumours around the school start, it becomes obvious to the police and to others that the students are not being completely honest. Something is going on that they are not disclosing. The way with secrets, though, is that they will come out eventually.

The author has created a story that fits in with the autumnal season of the setting. There is an ominous sense to the woods, the folly and also the local folk tale of the area. There are many people for the police to interview, and some characters that are more prominent than others. I did think these could have been reduced slightly.

The interaction between the staff, police, parents and students was good, and it helped to fill in the gaps in the interviewing. There is a lot of mention of death, loss, grief and not from the death of a student. It seems to be a theme that crops up a lot in various ways in conversations.

The storyline is intriguing and it kept me guessing. There are some great twists and misdirections to keep the reader on their toes. It is a very good-paced story. Some of the characters are at the end of their tethers by the end of the book, as the author has definitely made them work for their role.

If you are a fan of dark, atmospheric and slightly eerie crime, mystery and thriller stories, then this is one I would be happy to recommend.

A truly gripping and suspenseful murder mystery. Characters and settings are contemporary and believable and had me guessing from the outset. A really good twist at the end I did not see coming. A cracker of a read!

I really enjoyed this book! It was very well written and kept me gripped. There were so many twists and turns that I knew exactly who the killer was – 5 times!!! Will be looking out for this author in future. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the early copy. A fabulous read.

I absolutely loved *One Dark Night* by Hannah Richell! This gripping 5-star crime thriller plunges into a small community shattered by a chilling murder on Halloween, echoing a haunting urban legend. The plot is masterfully crafted with constant, surprising twists that kept me utterly hooked. I found the exploration of family secrets and the pervasive influence of the past incredibly compelling. Richell's writing creates a wonderfully atmospheric and tense reading experience. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys psychological suspense and dark, twisty mysteries.

The immersiveness of the writing in this book is insane. I felt like I was there for every minute of it. It was such a nice, cosy feeling to have. I actually miss reading it now that I'm finished. It epitomises the mystical run up to Halloween in the beautiful, autumnal English countryside.
I thought I had the ending figured out, but there was one pretty big twist that I didn't get, which made me enjoy it more.

I highly recommend it for spooky season and for anyone who misses autumn when it's not here.

“A Halloween fancy dress party in the deep, dark woods? Sounds like trouble!”

A Halloween party in the middle of the woods is the perfect place for a killer to go unnoticed – right? When a teenage party gets out of hand and one of the attendees turns up dead, apparently pushed from a folly, everyone is a suspect. The police are eager to find out who was involved so they can avoid a mass panic and perhaps more deaths. The old mining site where the folly sits is already home to the legend of ‘Sally In the Wood’, a ghostly young woman dressed in white who is often sighted in the area, usually preceding a death – and they really don’t need mass hysteria kicking in with a killer potentially on the loose. The fact that the victim was dressed as Sally in the Wood for the fancy dress party just has to be a coincidence, surely?

Local Detective Ben Case is soon on…well, the case. Ben’s daughter Ellie is friendly with the group who were at the party, but he knows that she was at home with her Mum, his newly estranged ex-wife Rachel on the night of the murder. Ellie was supposed to be staying overnight with Ben and his new partner, and Ben is still angry that Rachel called her home and changed their plans last minute. However all is not as it seems. When they finally get chance to discuss this it becomes apparently that Ellie lied to both her parents, pretended her Mum had called her home and snuck out to the party in the woods. Rachel is a school guidance counsellor at Ellie’s school and they eventually realise that not only was Ellie there, but she’s lied about it, and so has everyone else – but why?

The next morning, we also see Ellie dealing with the aftermath of the party the next morning, and heading back to the woods to hide some bloodstained clothes. The story unfolds from several different perspectives covering the police investigation, the school staff, the party attendees, and each one peels back another layer of secrets and confusion. There's the already mentioned urban legend about ‘Sally in the Wood’ that starts off strong in the prologue and continues as a running theme throughout the novel. I enjoyed this aspect of the book as it added to the gothic theme and made me wonder if there was something more sinister about the events of these winter nights than we first thought.

What I enjoyed about this book was that the characterisation was really good – I felt like every character that was introduced had a right to be there and wasn’t just ‘making up the numbers’. I also enjoyed that it was a pretty slow burn until the end when it went a bit crazy heading towards the resolution. There is a menacing undertone that builds with the slow pace and there were a lot of suspects in this novel, many of them with both reason and opportunity. There’s also a couple of red herrings too, which keep things interesting and never really let you feel confident enough that you’re right about who the culprit is. The parents are really unaware of what teenage kids get up to though, and ironically, they seem to let them get away with murder. This is my first Hannah Richell novel, but I’m sure after this I’ll be reaching for more!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sending an advance copy. This is my honest review.

One Dark Night by Hannah Richell was an excellent excellent crime novel from start to finish. This was a book that will grip you from the very beginning with a great storyline and great intriguing characters.

One Dark Night is set in a private school and it involves their teenaged students, the staff and their families......The time of the year is Halloween. Where a group of teenage students all meet in a woods near Sally, which is on a road steeped in local lore and rumoured to be haunted by the ghost of a murdered girl.
It all sounds like fun and a perfect evening partying, especially as it is Halloween!........But by the end of the night, one student will be dead.

A body is found the day after Halloween,
.
The students are not saying a word about what happened last night, when the Police ask them questions, on their whereabouts last night etc. The students are sticking together and carry on as nothing has happened!

I loved this book especially as there was so much going on and it kept you guessing till the very end! Very Clever.

I highly recommend One Dark Night. 4 ⭐️ read.

One Dark Night by Hannah Richell is definitely worth a read—especially if you enjoy atmospheric thrillers with emotional depth and a strong sense of place.

Set in the eerie woods of Thorncombe, the novel opens with a chilling Halloween tragedy: a teenager is found dead near the haunted road known as “Sally in the Wood.” What follows is a suspenseful, multi-perspective narrative told through the eyes of Rachel (a school counsellor), her ex-husband Ben (a detective), and their daughter Ellie—each carrying secrets and emotional baggage that slowly unravel as the investigation deepens

This was a gripping read full of intrigue with many twists and I loved it. The characters. Are so easy to relate to , both adults and teenagers..
New information was given at excellent times which made m think again about who my suspected murderer was.. Hannah is an author that I will certainly look out for in the future as she writes well and ensures throughout that th e reader is following where she wants them to go.

Hannah Richell’s novel, which I was fortunate to be gifted by way of an ARC in exchange for this book review, blends elements of Gothic literature with a police procedural. The imaginative setting is the rural community of Thorncome, whose neighbouring woods are classed as haunting. A teenage girl dressed all in white is found here just after Halloween, with the way the corpse is laid out suggesting a ritualistic murder. Police detective Ben Chase is tasked with shedding light on the mystery, but the fact that he has a teenage daughter of his own means he is often more emotionally involved with this particular investigation than is good for him ….
I would like to recommend this novel to all lovers of contemporary thrillers as well as readers who enjoy Gothic and supernatural elements in their reading.

I enjoyed this book! It unfolds at a slower steady pace than I was expecting however I couldn’t wait to get home to pick it back up!

A teenage girl is found positioned in ritualistic stance, what happened to her and why?

I thought I’d called it early on with regards to a faculty member however I was totally wrong & I liked being wrong as it was a great reveal.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for a digital arc, I will definitely check out the authors back catalogue!

I thoroughly enjoyed this twisty, turny thriller - the multiple POV worked really well for ramping up the tension. Recommended.

In all honesty, I started reading this book with relatively low expectations. For one thing, there are so many thrillers out there and it's rare to come across one that is both well written and really grips the reader throughout. And for another, I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately and have struggled to get into new books. But within a few pages it was clear that One Dark Night was that rare beast of a thriller. The characters were all complex and believable, and my only niggle plot-wise was that quite a bit of the tension derived either from Ben not checking or answering his phone, or from some combination of Ben/Rachel/Ellie not communicating properly. However, that's one small niggle and overall I thoroughly enjoyed this and did NOT see the twist coming until I was right up against it. I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for other books by the author.

This is a well crafted and well written thriller. Exciting from start to finish and just as I thought I’d figured it all out… the ending hit me with force! Such a wonderful twist!

I really enjoyed this book. Told from the perspectives of Ellie, a scholarship pupil at a private school where her mum Rachel is a counsellor, Rachel herself, and her ex husband and Ellie’s father, Ben, who is a police officer. Lots of tension when one of the school girls is found dead in what appears to be a ritualistic killing. Include the telling of the old tale of ‘Sally in the woods’ and there is a lot of fear and secrets afoot. A great read.

What a great read!
This is my first from this author, and it will definitely not be my last.
It is a fast-paced, eerie, and atmospheric read with some great red herrings that will keep you guessing until the end.

Students stealing away at night for a Halloween party in the woods can only lead to one thing... tragedy.
A young girl is found dead at the foot of a stone folly, her body staged. Is this somehow connected to the folklore of Sally in the Wood?
It seems like more than one person is hiding secrets, but was this enough to kill for?

Highly recommend!