If you like awful people, unreliable narrator’s and a dark and stormy atmosphere then this will be one you might like.
I liked it but am not sure if I loved it. I pretty much figured out the ending. Now that could just have to do with the fact that what I mostly read are thrillers. There were times when I thought I might be wrong but I wasn’t.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early release in exchange for a honest opinion. 3.5⭐️

This reminded me of Clue with a bunch of people invited to a dinner party with a bunch of secrets. Enjoyed the mystery unraveling. Final reveal was a bomb. The location sounded like a great place to visit.

3.5 rounded up!

Ten years after Meghan’s murder, members of her family receive a letter inviting them to a cliffside home in Oregon where they’ve been told they’ll finally be given the truth of what happened that night. Things become tense as a storm tears through the area and they start to question if the person behind the letter is one of their own.

ONE NIGHT by Georgina Cross started off really strong for me - the moment I started it, I was hooked and couldn’t put it down!

The picturesque location and the eeriness of the letter had all of the makings of the perfect locked room thriller, but, unfortunately, the characters didn’t amount to much in this story.


They all seemed to be quite shady at times (adding to the mystery of it all, I guess) and none of them came off as super likable, making it hard to root for them in finding answers.

The big reveal felt messy and the number of conflicting stories held by each of the sisters added to that.

Overall, a fine read, but nothing to write home about.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine and Bantam for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: August 1

Twisty and dark-this is a family drama that will keep you guessing! Watching the dynamics is just as entertaining as guessing how it will turn out.

The multiple POV wasn’t really necessary. The narration was basically omniscient throughout, though having Meghan’s perspective was enticing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam books for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

A tense psychological thriller with a family full of secrets, gathered to a cliff house on the Oregon coast. There is no way out with the storms that have rolled in. The truth is revealed in layers and through different viewpoints. It's a shocker!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bantam Random House for this ARC!

One night was a basically one night read for me. I loved the story told from multiple characters. A mysterious invitation and one night with who killed your daughter/sister.. Everyone has secrets and who has the biggest secret of all who killed meghan ?

Let me just say, I love locked room mystery so after absolutely LOVING Nanny Needed, I had to get a copy of One Night!

This thriller is set at a beach house during one day/night with lots of flashbacks, which I always love. While it was a slower build for me in the beginning once everything clicked together I was hooked. Every time I thought I figured out what happened to Meghan, I would be thrown for a loop. But the ending was mind blowing 🤯 and completely made the book worth the read/listen! If you are looking for a book or audiobook that will keep you guessing until the very end, add this to your TBR!

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a fantastic job!

Thank you @thrillerbookloverspromotions, @prhaudio, Random House Publishing- Ballantine, and Georgina Cross for my gifted copies!

I thought this was a pretty predictable book. Within a few chapters I had already guessed who was really responsible.
At times the story seems a bit wordy to me. If you like psychological thrillers definitely check this book out.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Family members individually receive an invitation to gather at a cliffside house to find out what really happened ten years ago when their daughter was murdered. A locked room mystery stunner that is moody, creepy and way atmospheric.

The anonymous letters arrive in the mail, one by one: To find out what really happened to Meg, meet at this location. Don’t tell anyone you’re coming. In one night, you’ll find out everything you need to know.

Ten years after her murder, the letters tell Meghan’s family exactly when and where to meet: a cliffside home on the Oregon coast. But on the night they’re promised answers, the convicted killer—her high school boyfriend, Cal, who spent only ten years in prison for murder—is found unconscious in his car after it slammed into a tree near the house where the family is sitting and waiting. Is he really the one who invited them to gather?

As a storm rampages along the Pacific Northwest, the power cuts off and leaves the family with no chance of returning to the main road and finding help. So they drag Cal back to the house for the remainder of the night. How easy it would be to let him die and claim it was an accident. Or do they help him instead? As the hours tick by, it becomes an excruciating choice. Half of the family wants to kill him. The other half wants him to regain consciousness so he can tell them what he knows.

But if Cal wakes up, he might reveal that someone in the family knows more than they’re letting on. And if that’s the case, who is the real killer? And are they already in the house?

There are secrets galore in this novel and the big reveal at the end left me gasping. It twists and turns and then twists some more. The first half is so full of tension it's fit to burst. And burst it does in the back half.

The novel will be out for your reading enjoyment on Tuesday, August 1, 2023. Definitely worth your time and energy. Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam Books for the advanced copy.

What happens when you finally have one night to find out what happened to your family member?

An Invitation - Meghan’s family has received an invitation to come to a house to learn about what happened to her 10 years ago.

The Truth - because the truth might not be that her boyfriend did it, even though he went to jail for her death

Secrets - Everyone has their secrets, and each chapter will give you more and more until the end.

This book is told through multiple points of view of the women in Meghan’s life. Her sisters - Sam and Anna - each with their own view on the past and present. Her mother, who will do anything to protect her daughters. Her step-mother, who might know more than she lets on despite not being with the family when Meghan was found. And even Meghan herself. And to be honest, while the present was so thrilling to read, the past dragged on. And when you finally get to the end, you really get the feeling that you knew all along.

What really happened to Meghan? Her family has been invited to a gorgeous house on the coast by a mysterious unnamed person who has promised to tell them at long last. Was it Cal- her high school boyfriend who went to prison largely because of the testimony of her sister Sam? Her mother Maureen has always believed Cal did it. Why isn't her youngest sister Alice responding to calls and emails? Never fear- the whole family, Maureen, Sam, Alice, her father, his new wife Rebecca, and their uncle will all meet for dinner and revelations. There's an unexpected twist here, that should come as a surprise so no spoilers. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. I found the writing for this thriller a bit mannered (and different from Nanny Needed- which I think is a better book). That said, Cross did have me turning the pages for the answers.

Ten years ago, a family was torn apart when Meghan never returned home from a party jn the woods. But now, her ex boyfriend is out of jail and everyone has received invitations to meet at a house that the family holds dear to their hearts. Nobody is sure of the guest list, and what secrets will be revealed, but what they do know is that they want answers into Meghan’s death. Set against the backdrop of a Pacific storm and told over the course of one night, the novel One Night has all the elements of a fast paced thriller.

One Night.......

Meghan was murdered ten years ago, and her family has been reeling ever since. Cal, her boyfriend at the time, was convicted of her murder and has just been released from prison. When the family received invitations to a home on the Oregon coast, they agreed to attend not knowing who invited them as they wanted to know what really happened the night Meghan was murdered.

Soon after arriving a powerful storm hits, taking down trees and leaving the family with no way to get out or call for help. As they are trapped together, they have a decision to make, to save an injured Cal or let him die.

This book had atmosphere, secrets, loss, various POV's and that trapped feeling that I enjoy in books. I had a feeling where this was going and wasn't entirely wrong. This was an enjoyable fast read about a family that was fractured after a devastating loss. They all have secrets, and they want to know who invited them, setting the stage (and the table) for the one night that will give them answers.

Atmospheric, tense and well written

Georgina Cross returns following Nanny Needed with her latest locked-in suspense thriller, ONE NIGHT —Ten years after a murder; anonymous letters arrive in the mail one by one to the victim's family instructing where to meet to determine the killer's fate.

Atmospheric, intense, mysterious!

One night. A family has to decide what to do with the man they believe murdered their daughter, Meghan. Forgive or take justice into their own hands?

Ten years after Megan's (Meg) murder, the letters instruct her family when and where to meet: a creepy cliffside home on the Oregon coast. They are not to tell anyone they are coming. They are supposed to find out what happened to Megan. She was only seventeen when she died, and her body was found in a creek. She drowned.

Cal is out of prison. On this night, the convicted killer, her high school boyfriend, Cal (who spent ten years in prison for the murder), is found unconscious in his car in an accident near the house where they are waiting.

Who is the person who sent the letters? Was it Cal? Or someone else? Is this a trap or a con?

The dinner place cards read: Paul (dad), Alice (sister), Geoff (uncle), Rebecca (stepmom), Maureen (mother), Samantha/Sam (sister).

Prologue: Meghan (the oldest sister)
Told from alternating POV:
Maureen, Sam, Rebecca, Cal (boyfriend)
and one chapter, Alice and Meghan

First, we hear from Meghan ten years earlier- a blow to the head. It is not who she suspected. We also hear from Cal with his letters (journal) from prison to the Chisholm family. Megan was not a nice person. She bullied, manipulated, and tormented others. Who was her killer?

As we hear from different POVs, the storm continues to rage along the Pacific Northwest. The power cuts off, and they are trapped. They bring in Cal. Will they help him or let him die? They do not all agree on his future. Will they believe him?

Secrets will be uncovered. But will ALL the dark secrets be revealed?

MY THOUGHTS: While this was a suspenseful locked room thriller, I felt the setup was more mysterious than the unveiling itself, which seemed a little immature and a letdown. Not sure I liked the ending. This appears to be more of a YA book. I am not a fan of teenage girl drama. No likable characters here, and I was not invested in any of them.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Aug 1, 2023
My Rating: 3.5 Stars

3/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A group has been invited to a secluded cabin by a mystery host in order to bring out all the secrets surrounding the death of Meghan years earlier.

Excellent atmosphere, multi points of view and an extremely twisty ending (which is why I rounded up to three stars). But the middle of the book fell totally flat for me. The fact that Cal wasn’t able to contribute more to the story was disappointing for me. I found myself wanting to skim through the middle as it became repetitive.

The last few chapters were absolutely the highlight of this book and I would definitely give this author another read based on that alone.

A family receives an invitation to meet at a house in a remote area. One of the daughters, Meghan, was killed by her boyfriend, Cal, ten years ago. The family has been shattered since. The parents, Maureen and Paul, have since divorced. Paul has remarried Rebecca. Maureen and Paul's other two daughters, Sam and Alice have also been invited, as well as Geoff, a friend of the family and Cal.

The invite tells them that they will finally have all the answers to their questions about the night Meghan died. The family believes that Cal killed Meghan and he has served ten years in prison for the crime. Cal has recently been released and he has professed his innocence.

As it happens, there is a storm the night they are supposed to meet. Geoff and Cal crash into each other and Cal is seriously injured. The family must now decide what to do. Although cut off from all communication, should they try to help Cal as much as they can, or should they leave him to die, like he did Meghan.

I think we all have thought at one time or another what our reaction would be if someone were to hurt one of our loved ones. This family is placed exactly in that position. There are many other developments that take place over the night that has the family questioning what they think they knew.

A locked room mystery with a room full of unlikable characters.. the story had some nice twists but I wish at least a few of the characters had some redeeming qualities !

3.5 ⭐️

One Night starts off with Meghan getting murdered. No one really knows what happened to her that night. Her ex-boyfriend Cal is charged with her murder. Ten years after the murder Meghan's family gets a letter telling them where to meet, to find out the truth of what really happened to Meghan. Soon Cal shows up and the family is wondering if he invited them. They find Cal unconscious and a storm is raging outside so the family decides to care for him. They are hoping they will find out the truth. But that is easier said than done. 

Georgina Cross is such a hit-or-miss author for me. Nanny Needed was the first book of hers I read. That book was so wild and I loved it. That made me want to read more books by her. This is the fourth book I have read by her and I thought it was just okay. It was your average run-of-the-mill thriller which is totally fine. But I just wish it was better. I do not like when books switch from the past to the present and this book did that. I felt like this book was very slow paced which is also something I did not like. This was just not my favorite book. I do not think I would suggest this one. However, I will suggest this author.

🪨 BOOK / REVIEW 🌧

It has been way too long since I read a book by @georginacrossauthor 😭 I was lucky to grab a copy of her newest novel #onenight thanks to @blondethrillerbooklover from @thrillerbookloverspromotions, who was kind enough to coordinate a #buddyread for this.

I was only supposed to read up til chapter 11 for the first week, but I could not put this down! This book was so atmospheric - I almost wish it were raining in Pittsburgh when I read it so the mood would set. That being said, I had a lot of fun reading this! Its very fast paced, with highly engaging chapters and a nice mix of characters.

I truly enjoyed the ending - there are definitely some moments in the book that have you questioning Meg's killer, but I have to say that the reveal was bigger than I thought.

This would be an excellent summer read or perfect for fall / winter if you're in the mood for something creepy and thrilling. Pub day for this one is August 1st, 2023 (thanks @bantambooksuk and @netgalley for my #ARC).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

For me, this was a slightly less enjoyable version of Daisy Darker (locked room suspense with a somewhat toxic family trapped with each other).

I'm sure many of you are like "WHAT: how is that possible??" but I found it less plausible.

A family (mother, father with his new girlfriend, two sisters, and ex boyfriend) of a girl found dead ten years ago are all invited by anonymous invitation to a remote cabin by (they presume) the victim's ex boyfriend, who was accused of her murder.

And they show up!

If you love a good locked room family suspense story in the vein of Daisy or Knives Out, this one is for you!