Devoured in one day, but what else can you expect from the Queen of Suspense? In this thriller we meet Erin, the host of a ski resort, who welcomes a small corporate group to her chalet for a weeklong retreat. Among the party is Liz, former employee of the Snoop app corporation. We learn a lot about Liz and Erin as they navigate a “who-dunnit” murder mystery indicative of Agatha Christie.

Unfortunately I don’t think this was Ruth Ware’s best. It felt like it was missing a key element of tension, spookiness, mystery, discomfort. I didn’t feel any of that while reading, though I did love the very clear homage with the story built similar to Agatha Christie in And Then There Were None. This just needed more slow tension being built, more of a “creep factor.” Despite people dying one by one I didn’t feel that unease that I should feel reading a story like this. But I will always always read Ruth Ware because she’s one of those “old reliable” types. Fans of Ruth Ware and mystery fans in general will enjoy this

One by One by Ruth Ware is a take on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. A music app company called Snoop brings their staff on an isolated retreat to a French ski lodge in the midst of an impending snow storm. The chapters alternate between two characters’ perspectives: Liz, one of the ten guests from Snoop, and Erin, the girl who works at the lodge. When one of the guests, Eva, comes up missing, everyone starts to panic. But that is not the worst of their troubles. An avalanche traps them in the lodge with no phone service, no way out, and a potential murderer among them.

The writing is very fast paced and the characterization is strong for some characters, like Erin. One downfall is having so many characters to follow and not knowing much about them except for superficial things. I thought the book was going to be from a different character’s perspective each chapter, which would give more insight into what the characters were thinking. I think that would have been easier to read or if it were just narrated from Erin’s perspective. I didn’t really get into Liz’s character too much.

Even though the pace was somewhat fast, there weren’t too many surprises for me. It didn’t keep me up at night wanting to read it to find out what happened next. Although, the fun part of this murder mystery was following along with the characters as they try to figure out who the murderer is among them. The most suspenseful part was about the last third of the book.

I enjoyed the Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware much more than this one as it has a more Gothic feel to it. If you are an Agatha Christie fan or love murder mysteries, then you will eat this one up. I think I just found some parts hard to believe and some aspects of the plot a little too slow. Overall, Ware is a strong writer and I do like some of her books, but unfortunately did not care for this one as much.

Ruth Ware did it again! A home run! Loved this thriller. Reminded me a bit of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None crosses with Shari LaPena’s An Unwanted Guest! I didn’t call it either. I picked out someone and it wasn’t that person. I imagine some people will figure it out, but that’s ok. That’s how mysteries go sometimes!

Like I’ve said before, I think Ruth Ware’s books just get better and better! My favorite trope is one where a group of people are together and there is a killer amongst them. It’s very Agatha Christie! And this plot has so much potential. I was super excited to read One by One, about a group of executives in a mountain retreat snowed in at a chalet in the Alps. What could go wrong?

Getting snowed in at a beautiful, rustic mountain chalet doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world, especially when there’s a breathtaking vista, a cozy fire, and company to keep you warm. But what happens when that company is eight of your coworkers…and you can’t trust any of them?

When an off-site company retreat meant to promote mindfulness and collaboration goes utterly wrong when an avalanche hits, the corporate food chain becomes irrelevant and survival trumps togetherness. Come Monday morning, how many members short will the team be?

I enjoyed this so much and know fans of the authors will absolutely love this book! The story alternates between Erin, the host of the chalet whose job it is to cater to those who rent the chalet, and Liz, an outsider who is part of the group only because she helped when the company needed money. When people turn up dead, Erin puts the pieces together, but her knowledge could lead to her own murder. And when she’s stuck inside with no power and no way out, what can she do? Not to mention the dead bodies rotting upstairs…

This is the suspense I like where it’s not too gritty or scary or horrific, it’s just a good, solid, fun, suspenseful read.

One by One will be published on September 8th, you can pre-order it here!

Another page turner by Ruth Ware. Well paced and a very satisfying ending.
Love this type of books where an isolated group starts getting pared down one by one.
Nice nod to Agatha Christie.

Another solid mystery from Ruth Ware. Will appeal to new and old fans alike. Would be a good introduction to her collection of titles.

This Ruth Ware novel does not disappoint. It is suspenseful. Lots of characters but only three are fully developed so you have to pay close attention when reading. I have enjoyed all books by this author.

Ruth Ware is a writer of mystery and suspense novels like The Woman in Cabin 10. This novel One by One takes place at a posh ski chalet in France during a heavy snowstorm. A corporate retreat attended by a group of young media executives and employees becomes dangerous for more than the weather. Ware ably gives us insight into the machinations and interactions among all the attendees and the chalet staff. Before the weekend is over, some of these people will be mysteriously dead. Good read!

THIS is a locked room mystery for the modern age. Tech start-up turned potential social media giant and the cast of characters that brings: camera-facing partners, the money people, lawyers, media gurus, coders, assistants and secretaries. And the people who work at the resort.

There are a lot of characters in this one and when I read the introduction, I got nervous: 8 people I had to juggle? And then our narrators end up being two additional people not on that list? But these were definitely the two perfect characters to narrate this one. Both on the outside, looking in on the drama, but with more skin in the game than they realize. Unfortunately, there were a few characters who we didn't get to know very well, but I think I could accept that because of the relationship (or lack thereof) between them and our narrators.

The building of tension was flawless. When things started to get REAL, everything from the language to the descriptions to the length of the chapters was in on it. At about 60% in, each chapter was like two pages long and I kept thinking "oh I'll just finish this chapter and then go do X" but then the next chapter was short and the next one and the next and suddenly I was 78% in and there was no way I was putting it down until I finished.

I'm a big Ruth Ware fan, but this is hands down her best yet.

Another thrilling murder mystery written by Ruth Ware whom have yet to disappoint. The story takes place in a breathtaking mountain chalet employed by Erin and Danny. A prestige start-up company decides to take their retreat at this chalet when an avalanche hits and catastrophic series of events occurs with their own group being murdered "one by one".

As always, Ruth Ware's writing is impeccable. The one thing I truly loved about this book was the atmospheric element. Through her descriptive words, I was able to visualize and intake the sensory pleasure of the cozy fireplace, the crisp air with the beautiful view of the snow and mountains. I appreciated the homage to Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" murder mystery premise. This story had Agatha Christie written all over but with a modern spin. The author did an amazing job providing strong character developments. The complexity with multiple layered character imprinted a lasting impression. This was another thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. When the group got stuck in the chalet after the avalanche, the premise of the story turns dark very quickly and the author does an amazing job making the reader experience the vulnerability and the claustrophobia in a helpless situation due to natural disaster. Most importantly, the author heightens our fear by being stuck in a helpless situation with untrustworthy company. The constant suspicion and the anxiety is experienced constantly during the entirety of the book. I truly enjoyed this book immensely and if you're looking for a whodunnit murder mystery with beautiful atmosphere this is a recommended read!

Thank you to Net Galley and Scout Press for this amazing ARC!

One by One by Ruth Ware follows a house party/country house mystery trope. The location, however, is not a British village, but a chalet in the French Alps. The title and plot are reminiscent of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None.

from description: Getting snowed in at a beautiful, rustic mountain chalet doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world, especially when there’s a breathtaking vista, a cozy fire, and company to keep you warm. But what happens when that company is eight of your coworkers…and you can’t trust any of them?

The two caretaker/hosts Erin and Danny meet the members of a tech company who have gathered for a week of skiing and some important business decisions.

From the beginning, an awkwardness and differing opinions are evident among the guests. Then Eva, one of the group, goes missing on a closed slope and an avalanche isolates the group in the chalet. Well, you know from the title what happens next.

Told from two points of view, the book moves from the quarrels and divisions among the tech group to suspicion, distrust, and fear.

I didn't care for Turn of the Key, Ware's last book, but I enjoyed this one.

Read in May. Blog review scheduled for Aug. 21, 2020.

NetGalley/Gallery Books
Suspense/Mystery. Sept. 8, 2020. Print length: 384 pages

This book really reminded me of And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.

Snoop. A new social medium platform that allows you to listen to music in real time to anyone that you follow. Sounds awesome.

The company rents out a chalet for a retreat. The points of view are told from Erin who is an employee of the chalet and Liz who is a former employee of Snoop. The leaders of the company are divided on whether to take a buy out. Liz is the deciding vote.

One by one people are killed. Why? Who did it? I figured out relatively early who the guilty party was but the author did a good job of disguising the motive.

I enjoyed the book.

3 stars for this run of the mill thriller.

I'm always drawn to books with an And Then There Were None vibe, which One by One did deliver. Ware did a great job creating the isolated setting and building the tension, especially in the third act when only two suspects remain. However, I think there were too many characters.

The dual narration was a good choice, but I feel like we got a lot more background and depth from Erin and not enough from Liz. Her character deserved a lot more development.

Ruth Ware's novels tend to be hit or miss for me. Overall, I think this one leaned more towards the miss side. While still enjoyable, there was just nothing special about this story.

Ware is fierce and ferocious in One by One!

When a snowy, avalanche rumbles in while attending a meditation and mindfulness retreat. . . and all of its participants are completely trapped at the resort. . . ask yourself one question: How far would you go to survive?

This book gave me goosebumps! I couldn't fall asleep after reading it. I always found Ruth Ware highly readable and this novel was no different. Five stars!

I love Ruth Ware and will always be a loyal fan of her mysteries. One by One certainly has an Agatha Christie feel, but with Ware's gift of writing, she is able to completely make it her own. As a champion ski racer, I love how Ware captured the feel of skiing and created a beautiful atmosphere in the French Alps to stage her latest novel. So it is pretty obvious that her story spoke to me on many levels. Although I would have wanted to see greater character development (some seemed a bit superficial and stereotypical), I enjoyed the dual perspective that continued to the very end. Overall, Ruth Ware does not disappoint.

5 HUGE STARS!!! I am always blown away by the fact that Ruth Ware consistently writes fantastic novels! One by One is a mystery/thriller that will captivate you the entire way through! The storyline is brilliantly mapped out to maximize your shock factor at the well-timed twists and turns! In true Ruth Ware fashion there is a chilling eerie vibe throughout that most definitely adds to the suspense! One by One is a solid and complete 5 star novel and could quite possibly be my favorite book from Ruth Ware to date!!!! In this crazy world, I have found fantastic books a perfect escape and I highly recommend you put One by One at the top of your reading list!

This one sadly didn’t work for me. I didn’t enjoy the plot and 12 main characters who are equally important! I skimmed over a lot of this book just to see if it would finally pique my interest. I am still a Ruth Ware fan but this one missed the mark for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced ebook copy. This one is out September 2020.

Ruth Ware is always a treat and this is her best offering yet. She is a first purchase author for all adult fiction collections.

Ruth Ware's upcoming novel, One By One, is set in a luxe ski lodge where feuding tech founders combine a skiiing holiday and a contentious board vote. This is a locked-door mystery, or really a snowed-in mystery, when an avalanche cuts off the residents of the chalet, along with the two staffers who keep the wealthy guests fed and the chalet cleaned.

Like in Lucy Foley's The Hunting Party, most of the people snowed in are kind of unlikeably privileged. Their app, Snoop, has brought everyone wealth, but most of the team already started out with private school educations, family money, and good looks. Slight exceptions are Carl, the older, cranky lawyer, and quiet Liz, the former receptionist and office manager. There's a heavy divide between the tech rich having their mandatory-fun group skiing trip, and the chalet staff who actually have to work.

The first death -- it's not exactly a spoiler to tell you that someone's going to die under mysterious circumstances, is it? -- seems like a tragic accident. But the second death couldn't possibly be an accident, could it? And, since the ski lodge is cut off from everyone else by an avalanche, with no cell signal and no one in or out, that means someone staying in the house is a murderer. This locked-door, one-by-one theme seemed like a clear homage to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, without being too derivative.  The tension stays high throughout the book, mixing survival from the elements and survival from a murderer in the group, who's already killed someone to protect their secrets. There were a few moments when I was on Team Nobody, and kind of OK with some of the jerks meeting with mysterious accidents, but that only made all the millions of motives more believable, and meant everyone was a suspect.

I was just delighted to get this one on NetGalley, I really liked Ruth Ware's suspenseful other novels The Turn of the Key,  The Death of Mrs. Westaway, and The Lying Game, and this is another page-turning suspense. I'm reading this in coronaquarantine, so I connected even more with the isolation, and the fancy canapes seemed even more luxurious in these months without restaurants.