At a Snoop company offsite in a chalet on a snow-covered mountain, five share-holders are squabbling about a company buyout that is expected to make them millionaires. Then comes a blizzard, an avalanche and death. Suspicion and worry swirls amongst the team who have clearly formed alliances. Is one of their colleagues a murderer? Who do you trust. Time will tell…

One by One is not a bad story but if it hadn't of been written by Ruth Ware I really may have not finished it. It was so slow and I never thought I would say this of a Ruth Ware story but it was kind of boring especially about the shares and profits and technological mumbo jumbo and what each person may or not have. Sorry but I just didn't care about all that. It was far to easy to figure out who the killer was and oh man there were way to many characters for me to keep up with but since I honestly didn't care for any of them that actually didn't even matter much! I'm so bummed about this story. I had such high hopes!

Eight employees of a hot new tech start up gather for a retreat in a luxurious ski chalet. There's tension in the group even before they become stranded on the mountainside and an avalanche partially buries the building -- then members of the team begin to die. This book was chilling, partially from the suspenseful plot and partially from the vivid descriptions of the snow and ice. I don't understand the appeal of Snoop, the app that they all work for, but I really enjoyed the mystery and the way the author conveyed information about the company through the housekeeper. I learned about the company and its employees along with her, instead of in huge chunks of backstory. The ending had me racing through to the end, anxious to know what would happen to the remaining characters. I haven't read many of Ruth Ware's books but I'll definitely be tracking them down as soon as I get the chance.

Well.

I was super excited when I got an arc of this book for my review. But now I feel kinda meh about the whole book.

What I did like:
-who the killer was and their internal dialogue
-kept me changing my mind on who the killer was
-entertaining
-audio author was great! ( I switched from paper to audio to finish)

What I didn’t like:
-any of the characters 😬
-they all were very whiny and whoa is me with out offering a solution

As I read more murder mystery who done it type books I keep seeming super common or an over use of common murder tropes... is this the norm for this genre?

I discovered Ruth Ware and her books several years ago. Since then I have always looked forward to reading her new books when they became available. Her books usually have me seated at the very edge of my seat full of intrigue and suspense. I didn't get that feeling with One by One until almost near the end of this book. It was hard for me to commit, choose and stick to my choice of who I thought the guilty party was in this story. I changed my mind several times and was not expecting who the antagonist ended up being. The setting was perfect. It took place at a ski chalet that was just remote and isolated enough to make the guests feel the desired effects of being secluded during an avalanche. All the characters were unique and well developed. I particularly like Erin and Danny, the hostess and cook for the chalet. Ruth Ware developed the atmosphere, included eight, mostly wealthy, young hip tech men and women from a start-up tech company, an avalanche and a murder to build the tension in this story. The ending had me holding my breath. I enjoyed reading One by One by Ruth Ware and would recommend it highly.

I received a complimentary copy of One by One by Ruth Ware from Gallery/Scout Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Maybe it’s because I grew up on and gorged myself on the Clue novels when I was young but there’s something about murder mysteries with a huge group of people trapped together that gets me going.

Combine that with a besutiful chalet in the Alps, an avalanche that cuts the group off from civilization, oh and murder after bloody murder.

Well that just makes a fantastic time for Amanda.

So yeah I smashed that request button so hard and I do not regret it a bit. Let’s add One by One to the list of must read Whodunnits.

Being trapped with your coworkers on a company retreat sounds like hell. But when you’re trapped on a luxury mountain chalet with all the food and alcohol you can withstand..well, that makes up for it. There’s just a problem. A tiny, slight problem...One of the group is missing and their chance of survival dims as time passes on.
And if that’s not stress inducing it soon comes apparent that there is a killing amongst the group as a murder within the confined retreat occurs. And then another...
Who is doing these killings and why? And can the group survive until they are rescued?
Will rescue ever come?

This was a good book. I’ve seen some reviews stating that it is overplayed and the characters are ynderveloped and I totally get that. For the amount of characters there are there should have been way more development. Instead we only get two narratives. Liz and Erin and honestly they’re pretty boring to solely focus on.

Also the plot. The plot isn’t the greatest. At all and once you get into the story you unravel it pretty quickly and the murderer becomes all too obvious.

However, the writing is fun and the journey makes it worth it. One by One isn’t perfect by any means but it’s good and it’s enjoyable and that’s what I look for in a book.

It’s dramatic, crazy, and full of murder. Honestly, what more could I possibly ask for??

Thanks so much to Netgalley for this copy of my ARC.

Ware takes a classic structure and crafts a modern update worthy of the genre. Her pacing is brilliant — the pages fly by and you stay entranced by the desire to figure out her killer before she reveals them. Even after the revelation, there is plenty of suspense and intrigue to keep you hanging on until the end.

A group of tech execs arrive at an exclusive French Ski Chalet to do a little bonding, some brainstorming, and decision-making on company direction. Of course a sale is roughly divided equally with the tipping vote in the hands of a former employee, Liz, a mousy little thing who becomes one of the two POVs.

They go skiing, even in the face of an imminent nasty French winter snowstorm. The tension is palpable. When the avalanche occurs, it’s a douzy, wreaking havoc on the chalet, cutting them off from services and utilities. And when they count noses, realize one of them didn’t make it down the mountain in time.

Of the two resort workers, chef Danny and Erin, she becomes the other POV. The tech company personnel are mainly entitled brats of wealthy families. No way you’d really care what happens to them and when nine becomes eight becomes seven—do you really care? For that matter, I couldn’t rustle up a sympathetic bone for Liz the mouse either. I’d extend a hearty hoo rah to Erin, but neither would I be shedding a sympathetic tear. The novel would be half as long if it weren’t for all the four letter words.

The narrations of Liz and Erin tend to overlap just a tad where one leaves off and the other takes up the storyline. The killer becomes a bit obvious. The conclusion ramps up the anxiety but adds disbelief to the superhuman feats of Erin. Whoa! She did what? And then the novel inexplicably continues. I thought it finished! Wasn’t that the end? It was for me.

A riveting mystery that I couldn’t put down. I agree with other reviews that the Christie comparison is strong, the suspense is masterfully done. Good character development. Highly recommend

Getting to take a trip to a beautiful chalet in the mountains has got to be a dream for most people. In the case of the Snoop team who visits this seemingly perfect location for a work retreat, everything that could ever possibly go wrong, goes wrong. When a member of the group disappears, everyone begins to realize that no one can be trusted, and secrets are being hidden. One by One is a suspenseful thriller that is sure to keep readers guessing with every new chapter!

I absolutely loved this book! From the very beginning, I was hooked, and I had no idea how it was going to end. I thought I had figured out certain aspects of the story, but ever time I reached a new conclusion, I realized that I was very wrong. The plot was fast-paced and exciting, and I genuinely enjoyed all of the characters that were introduced throughout the book. One by One has officially become my favorite Ruth Ware book, and I will definitely be reading more from her!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Scout Press for providing an ARC of this book!

I am no stranger to Ruth Ware. In a Dark Dark Wood was my first experience with her atmospheric writing style and I didn't hate it, but I did figure it out really early in the game. I did enjoy The Death of Mrs. Westaway.
This book has an OK plot, but I didn't find it as suspenseful as some of the reviewers did: Eight coworkers, a ski chalet, an avalanche, and... (of course, a murder) The secluded chalet in an avalanche made me feel a little claustrophobic and while I was interested in finding out who done it, but I didn't think it was frightening. I got bogged down and a little annoyed at the beginning of the book by all the Snoop app techno-speak, all the skiing terminology (in French), and lots of Brit slang I was not familiar with. I didn't care at all about any of the characters - I didn't dislike them - I just didn't care. I didn't hate the book. I didn't love the book. It was a solid "meh" for me.

—o n e b y o n e—⁣⁣
Let’s play this or that:⁣⁣
Skiing or snowboarding?⁣⁣
Hot cocoa or hot cider?⁣⁣
Hit the slopes or stay in the lodge?⁣⁣
Winter or summer?⁣⁣
—⁣⁣
One by One is an incredibly tense, claustrophobic whodunnit set at a remote ski chalet in France. In the style of Agatha Christie but with a modern twist, the story follows a social media startup on a corporate retreat, but people start mysteriously dying. ⁣⁣
—⁣⁣
Ruth Ware is pretty much an auto buy for me. Her writing is tense, descriptive, and pretty thrilling. In this book, she swaps between perspectives and provides quite a few surprises.⁣⁣
—⁣⁣
The setting adds a tremendous amount here, as does the corporate espionage and tech world context. The twists and turns are fun and genuinely surprising. The dual perspectives worked. In general, this is a fun and bingeable winter-y thriller! ⁣⁣
—⁣⁣
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞: skiing, Spotify, And Then There Were None⁣⁣
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡: cassoulet and a full bodied red ⁣⁣
—⁣⁣
3.5⭐️⁣
—⁣
#bookreview

Any book of Ruth Ware’s is an automatic add to my TBR. One by One begins by throwing a lot of profiles at you — something I’m not a fan of. Just like a map on an inside cover that I have to frequently flip to reference — I’m not about that. But boy did it get it’s act together. As the plot picked up and events began unfurling, I couldn’t put it down. A few more curveballs, and perspectives would’ve made this book more complex. But even still, this fast-paced thriller was exactly the escape I was hoping it would be.

The founder of a popular app and seven of his co-workers go on a retreat at a small ski resort in France. The chalet is remote and only accessible at its high perch in the mountains by a funicular railway enclosed in glass. The views are normally stunning, but when the guests arrive for the week, snow is falling thickly and clouds obscure the vistas. Two employees run the chalet week to week, one mainly working as the chef and the other primarily acting as hostess.

What is planned as an opportunity for the leaders to practice mindfulness and collaborate on possible improvements to the app starts off with some division over changes some want to make, and soon after the visitors get to have their first ski outing, an avalanche hits and everyone is stuck. The group tries to get help from far below even as they lose cell reception and Wi-Fi and then power. To put everyone more on edge, one person hadn’t returned from skiing, even before the avalanche hit, and the remaining nine people try to figure out what happened. Then one more person in the group dies, and it starts to become apparent that one of the people in the chalet is responsible. And then another is murdered.

As hours and days pass, tensions ratchet up higher and higher. No one knows whom to trust, and no one knows when rescuers will come for them. The retreat turns into a fight for survival.

This is now my third Ruth Ware novel, and I think it’s the best that I’ve read so far. The premise is based on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None…, much like The Turn of the Key turned out to be a riff on Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw. Ware pays excellent tribute to those classics by crafting suspenseful novels with care and precision. Each piece of the story in One by One plays an important part, and layers in the plot make this a top-notch mystery/thriller. My one (big) complaint is that this book has, inexplicably, a ridiculous amount of vulgarity. The other books I read, including also The Death of Mrs. Westaway, were rated high, but for far fewer instances of strong language. I am completely baffled about why she thought this assault of profanity was necessary.

Rated: High. There are a whopping 143 instances of strong language in this book, as well as other milder language and about 15 instances of the name of Deity in vain. Sexual content is minimal; it references people having had sex but there are no details. Violence includes several murders, that aren’t gory in any way, and an accidental death that refers to a lot of blood and some gore.

Want to start off by emphasizing how much I enjoyed In a Dark Dark Wood and The Turn Of the Key both by Ruth Ware. However, this one just didn’t really do it for me unfortunately. It was good. It had the “Ruth Ware intensity” and dark plot twists I always enjoy in a thriller, but this one was far too predictable for me. From the very beginning, the 'guilty party' was very obvious/apparent to me. As a result, there wasn't a big surprise twist or revelation. It also took about 35-40% just to get to the plot twist so I found myself struggling to get through the first part of the book. Instead of building the suspense, it gave me a flat baseline story and climax. However, I’ll end with saying that this was not Ward's strongest mystery BUT still highly readable. I have no doubt this will be a best seller and many people will love it.

Brief synopsis: A thriller/mystery novel about a corporate staff retreat at a ski chalet that goes horribly awry, resulting in members of the group being killed off “one by one.”

Recommend for those:
-who want to cuddle up in the winter in front of the fire and read an easy read thriller
-who want Agatha Christie feels
-enjoy a “house of horror” vibe


Thank you to Gallery Books/Scout Press and @NetGallery for this ARC in an exchange for an honest review

*3.5 stars rounded up.

I always enjoy Ruth Ware's thrillers and I am grateful to have been given an arc of this new one from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

One cannot help but compare this story set during a blizzard at a skiing chateau in the Alps to one of Agatha Christie's novels by a similar name. The first death could be a skiing accident but after an avalanche hits the area and strands the party, it's obvious there's a murderer in their midst. Most veteran mystery readers can probably guess the whodunit pretty quickly but that doesn't detract from the delicious fun of figuring out the motive.

The story is told in alternating chapters between two points of view: that of Erin, who is managing the chateau for visitors; and Liz, who is one of the party goers, a former employee and minority stock-holder of the tech company Snoop hosting the event. When writing in that manner, it's not always easy to maintain the proper voice without confusion for the reader, and I did find myself needing to check which character was speaking on a few occasions. A minor quibble though in an otherwise enjoyable reading experience.

One by One
by Ruth Ware
Read an Excerpt
Gallery Books
You Like Them
Gallery/Scout Press
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 08 Sep 2020 | Archive Date 31 Oct 2020

We have a contingent of Ruth Ware fans in my library. They always want to be first on the list when a new book is published. That's why I enjoyed reading the ARC so much. I can read this book first and watch their responses.
For me: it was difficult to keep track of all the characters. I should have taken notes.
The most enjoyable part was nearly 2/3 into the book. That's where the fun began for me
Great book! Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the ARC.
4 star

I automatically read any book that Ruth Ware writes and this one is one of her best. It starts with a corporate retreat at a cabin in the alps. This group is thrown for a loop when an avalanche hits and someone goes missing. The setting of this was amazing along with the locked-room feeling. It gave Agatha Christie vibes while staying fresh with modern themes of technology and privacy. The cast of characters kept me guessing and there was a satisfying ending.

This is my first Ruth Ware mystery. 𝘛𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘦𝘺 is still sitting on my TBR. Sadly, I found it entertaining but not remarkable. Maybe it’s bc it was so reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘕𝘰𝘯𝘦 and more recently 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘵 by Lucy Foley. Unfortunately, this one did not capture Christie’s surprise twist. ⁣
⁣
I found this slow to start though it did pick up once we got to the avalanche. Yet, I never felt completely taken by the book bc I knew who the killer was as soon as they appeared. I didn’t really feel that the separate threads wove together seamlessly. There was a lot going on with the Snoop app, workplace power plays, hints of a shady past and attempted sexual assault. It felt like it was a bit too much and sadly came together unrealistically. Still, while I didn’t love this one I definitely enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more by Ruth Ware. ⁣

Typical Ruth Ware book. I really enjoyed it and kept you guessing till the middle as to what exactly is going on. Loved the settings and also interesting characters and theme.