The four members of the Easton family have varied responses to their new sprawling manor home. Fallen into disrepair and seemingly following the plans of a madman architect, it is markedly different from their previous terraced and uniform abode. It also seems to hold many secrets in its shadowed alcoves and youngest member Alice isn't sure they should be uncovering them.

This begun like many haunted house horrors of its like, but that was exactly what I was anticipating and never seem able to get my fill of them! The house became almost the fifth member of their family and the other four responded to its altering moods as though fearing of unsettling it further. It was a tense and spooky read that hinted at mysteries that were both supernatural, familial, historical in nature.

Whilst my intrigue and the suspense remained high, the spooky elements were lessened as the book progressed. This still had me eager to read through to the surprisingly twisted conclusion but the central portion was lighter on the horror than originally anticipated and thus lost some of my early admiration.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, D. W. Gillespie, and the publisher, Flame Tree Press, for this opportunity.

One by One begins like thousands of other stories about houses that are haunted by the past, but it certainly doesn’t end like most of them.

There are things within the plot that bring to mind The Amityville Horror and numerous other well-known tales, but the author managed to keep this from being a liability. In fact, the book is quite the page-turner and definitely has a few tricks up its sleeve you won’t see coming.

Although nothing is ever expressly spelled out, there is a very disturbing aspect of the book that deserves a trigger warning for victims of molestation. As one myself, this aspect left me feeling unsettled, but it was handled in a way that advanced the plot without any gratuitous details being shared.

All in all, this was a solid horror novel that thankfully infused some fresh life into a basic set up that’s been used countless times.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

I received a free copy of One by One from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not what I expected exactly. This story was so much more than what I thought it would be.
I was hooked from the first page. Great story, very real and amazing characters.
I loved how deep Alice's feelings were. It definitely shows just how much thought and heart the author put into this book and these characters.
At one point I thought I knew what was happening and how the story was going to end, but I was mistaken. The twists and turns were just starting...
I happily recommend this book!

This was an unexpected read. The story gripped me from the blurb itself. It was a slow burn horror mystery where the author D. W. Gillespie had set up a great aura of horror and creepiness. Frank, Debra, Dean and Alice moved into a new house which was the beginning of their end. Soon family members started disappearing and it was left to the youngest daughter Alice to get to the truth. A diary found led her slowly and surely down a path of investigation.

Wow. I enjoyed the entire feel of the book. The twist at the end was expectedly unexpected. The author's writing had fear creeping into my veins as the pages turned. I read the book with all the lights switched on. I found myself so immersed in the horrific vibe of the book that it shocked me.

Family dynamics were explored in such a setting. Alice was brilliant in her role. The book kept me at the edge wanting to know everything that was written in the diary. There was a desperation in me which forced me to read this book at one go. Fabulous!!

ONE BY ONE was a fun read with a slow build but a satisfying ending, with or without the Epilogue. Gillespie does a great job keeping you guessing throughout, with a conclusion I didn’t predict.

Thank you to Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy for review.

Thank you so much Netgalley, Flame Tree Press and D.W. Gillespie for allowing me to read this in exchange of an honest review.

WOW!! This has to be the most atmospheric book I've ever read. The descriptions of the house were so real and spooky I felt my heart race every time someone walked down the darkened halls or walked up the rickety staircase. When the snow storm came in, I found myself reaching for my favorite throw blanket and cuddling up...not sure for warmth or security!

Frank, Debra, Dean and Alice moved into fixer upper that was just another one of Frank's "great" ideas. Debra (mom), was never to happy with his decision but went along with it. Dean (typical teenage son), was more interested in video games than helping out with the new move. Alice (young daughter), who was very curious about everything and thankfully never gave up until she had answers.

As the days go by, members of the family as well as the pet cat start disappearing. Everyone becomes suspicious of each other and the family starts changing. Alice finds a mysterious diary on her bed stand table and seeks the truth as to whats really going on with her family and this house.

Loved this book and can't wait to read more D.W. Gillespie!

I received a free advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

10-year-old Alice Easton and her family are moving to a new house. While she and her father are excited about the new house, her mother is a bit worried while her big brother does not care (typical teenager). However, her excitement slowly changes to fear as certain unexplainable events occur. The main worry is the picture the family discovered in the main hall. The picture, which was clearly drawn by a child, matches their family. Horrifyingly, members of the family start disappearing with an X drawn through each new victim immediately after they go missing. Alice finds a mysterious diary and is trying to find out who’s targeting her family before they all end up vanishing.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a true horror with a surprise that I truly was not expecting at the end. I actually found myself getting little frissons of unease throughout the book. The author started creeping me out from the first night the family spent at the new house and when the first X appeared in the drawing, I found myself racing forward to see what was going to happen.

The shift of the family’s dynamic is clearly shown as the story unfolds and I found myself wondering if it was caused by the house. I was surprised particularly by the change of Alice’s father, Frank. It shows clearly how people change when scared out of their wits.

The strained relationship between Alice and her mother, Debra, is something every mother and daughter can relate to. Every mother of a daughter knows that it can sometimes be hard to relate to our little girls at that age, no matter how much we love them. And, normally Alice can depend on her father as an ally but with his unstable moods, she finds herself drifting away from him as well. As a result, she found it easy to relate to the diary’s writer, Mary, who is writing about her own tumultuous relationships with her parents. The only person she feels close to is her brother even with his teenage moodiness.

D.W. Gillespie adeptly wove her tale of horror while manipulating the characters’ relationships so that I was kept constantly fascinated by the story. I read this book in a matter of hours. I obviously cannot give away the ending but I can say it was quite unexpected. Based on this book, I would definitely try more of this author’s books.

10 year old Alice and her family are leaving behind suburbia and moving into an old farmhouse type house. Her father, recently under-employed, believes the house will be their financial saving grace. His enthusiasm for the house passes to Alice. However, Alice quickly changes her view of the house after unearthing a drawing in the downstairs hall. Hidden under old wallpaper is a child’s drawing of 2 parents, 2 children, and a dog. Just like Alice’s family, except for a cat replacing the dog.

A mysterious knocking at her bedroom window in the middle of the night followed by the appearance of a diary leave Alice believing there is more to the house than meets the eye.
The diary belonged to Mary, who lived in the house prior to Alice’s family. It starts as Mary is a young girl, just about Alice’s age. Mary is the kind of girl Alice would like to be more like; outgoing, confident, a badass. As Mary grows older, the stories she writes become grim and angry. Something terrible must have happened to her, but what? Alice’s parents deny any knowledge of who lived in the house before or what may have befallen Mary. As time goes by Alice’s father becomes more and more agitated and mean.

A once in a decade snow storm covers their Tennessee town and leave Alice and her brother home alone with their parents having difficulty making it home from work. The kids explore the woods behind the house and discover the shed Mary mentioned in her diary. Daddy’s Place, Mary had written. Alice knew something bad happened there. Something is definitely wrong at the house, but 10 year old Alice can’t figure it out and is alone in her fear and distrust. As one by one, her family disappears; their likeness on the drawing in the hall is marked out by a black X. Little Alice must figure out what is going on and how to save her family…..and herself.

I loved this book. It was especially scary as it was told through the eyes and mind of a 10 year old girl. I finished this book in two sittings. I would have finished it in one if I hadn’t started so late in the evening. By 2 AM, I HAD to put the book down and go to sleep. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book. The detail and descriptiveness were excellent. I was able to completely visualize Alice’s surroundings. More importantly, the depth of which the relationships between Alice and her family members were detailed was amazing. You could feel the love between each member of the family as equally as the tension and fear. Well done! I would recommend this book to any of my friends or family.

I love a good horror novel. The creepy ones which make me want to sleep with the lights on.

The Easton family just moved into a new house. It has its problems, needs fixing but its theirs. Alice and her father are excited about the house, but when she finds a strange drawing on the wall her excitement slowly turns to dread. The picture is of a family of four and their pet. Just like Alice’s family. The fear starts when the family cat goes missing and Alice discovers an X over the drwaing of the pet. And that is just the beginning. The family members start to disappear too and it is up to 10 years old Alice to get to the bottom of all this.

After reading the book’s description I had high hopes for this book. I expected a supernatural explanation but what happened was so mundane, so realistic. But I enjoyed the book, kept me interested all along.

It is not every day that the narrator is a 10 years old so it was interesting to see how a little girl experiences events like that. I actually liked her, brave little girl she is. The other characters aren’t that interesting, they aren’t well developed but I don’t think the were ment to be so it was okay.

Thank you to Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for my copy. One by One is highly recommended to horror story lovers.

This is the first book that I have read by D.W. Gillespie and all I have to say is Wow!! Reading this was like watching a horror movie and being in the edge of your seat the entire time just waiting for that jump scare. It had it all, creepy girl, bumps in the night, mystery, and a disturbing dinner scene.. I will definitely be reading more from this author. Many thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this.

This book had me hook from the start, If you are wanting a good creepy book this is one for you. I felt the book was just the right length, it stuck to the story and didn't drag on.

Would recommend to read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
This is the 1st book that I have read by D. W. Gillespie and I loved it.
It was a very well written, creepy and tense horror/thriller.
The author did a nice job of leading this reader one way, making me think that this book was a simple haunted house/ghost story only to then knock me off my feet with an unexpected twist and turn his book it into a psychological/suspenseful thriller.
I will definitely read another book by this author.
I highly recommend this book to everyone.

One by One, the new novel by D W Gillespie is a strange one that works on so many levels but tends to fail slightly on character development outside of the main narrator Alice, the youngest member of the Easton family.

We start out with a prologue and then into the main story of a never-do-well dad, deflated mother trying to make good of a bad situation, a typical teenage son and a daughter that constantly daydreams, as they try to rebuild their lives in the exciting aspect of an old house that is a fixer upper. This is where we start the story and Gillespie does a very good job developing this premise with the anxiety of moving and getting used to house sounds in a new place. The plot moves on and we are introduced to a story where everything isn’t exactly what it should be which is quite standard for this type of novel. Gillespie keeps the tension taught and then more than half way through the story makes a hard right and we find ourselves in a new kind of novel. This is where it doesn’t quite work for me but it is intriguing and kept me interested until the end.

The characters are not very interesting outside of Alice but I think this may have to do with Gillespie telling the story through Alice’s own eyes and experiences. If you look at the story from this point, it is quite ingenious but if you read the story and looking for in-depth characters it makes you not too concerned about them although you worry about Alice. For me, this works quite well but would have loved to have the tension of the outcome of the family in general. This by no means that this is a horrible thing but this is a review.

The plot is very well developed and Gillespie keeps their hand on the pulse when driving the tale forward. The sudden turn and the reasoning for the tragedy that pursues and it did leave me scratching my head. It did add a whole new tension and kept me on my toes so I am not sure if I enjoyed this or not. I do know that I did what to read more and I kept reading until the early hours of morning as it really gripped me. The epilogue was a little overlong and probably could have been a bit shorter as I started to lose interest only at this interval of the book. It gave me the information I needed but a bit too much.

Overall, this is a good novel and it did keep my interests piqued until the end. The mystery was well handed with good plot twists though does suffer from some under developed characters. The framework does make more sense which we have a fuller understanding through the epilogue which brings it all together. I would recommend this to read to most people and although I enjoyed it, parts of it left me a little cold.

Wonderfully terrifying! A new twist on favorites in the likes of the Amityville Horror and The Shining. Fast paced, well written characters and a terrifying plot that has you holding your breath and jumping at every noise (real and imagined!)

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley.
What a fantastically creepy horror story.
well-written, well-described characters, and spooky storyline.

This is one of those book you cannot read at nighttime if you want to be able to sleep.
It's creepy, well written and it kept me hooked till the last page.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Now THAT is a horror story.. Great story, good characters, an ending I didn't expect.. Very well written.

A very creepy read! This book had me hooked from page one. I have been reading a lot of horror and thrillers lately and this one was very good. I liked the supernatural feel of the book and how it kept me guessing

This book surprised me! I was expecting a run-of-the-mill haunted house/creepy kid story and One by One definitely features a creepy kid, but the haunting is not typical.

The suspense built up slowly and the atmosphere got wicked tense the last 75% of the book. So tense that I stayed up later than I intended because I couldn't stop reading an had to know what would happen to Alice.
Alice is the main character of the book, also a ten-year girl who loves reading and references Pet Sematary in the story--which I loved. I love when characters in books read and talk about books they read because it makes them seem more real. Alice definitely felt real to me and her relationship with her brother also seemed real.

I don't want to give anything away, but there's a CreepyPasta twist to this story that creeped me the heck out! And a certain "dinner" scene near the end had me repulsed and shuddering. Takes a lot to get a physical reaction from me and this book did it. This was my first book by this author and I'm going to keep my eye out for more work by them in the future.
4.5 stars! Another great read from Flame Tree Press

Two and a half stars. This was just a run of the mill read. I thought that it was supposed to be a scary book but it missed the mark. I can't say that I would have any desire to read it again.