Overall, I found this to be entertaining but unoriginal.

Reminiscent of The Guest List: locked room suspense with coastal setting during a storm, secrets gradually come out. Also with elements of “What Lies in the Woods”/ other suspense reads where the crime in question happens in the woods with multiple witness/ suspects.

I predicted almost the entirety of the plot twists, but may partially be due to how much of the genre I read. I think this is pretty crowd pleasing but not necessarily the most “unique” given the borrowing of multiple common tropes.

The set-up of this locked room mystery is fast paced as family members are all gathered by a mysterious person who has promised to reveal what happened when Meghan the oldest of three daughters was killed just days before her high school prom. Once the set-up is finished, the completion of the story loses the pace and doesn't do the set-up justice. Still will be an interesting read for locked room mystery fans.

I think if you’re new to the thriller/mystery genre, you’ll really enjoy this one. A dark and stormy night, a family full of secrets all stuck in a house together, it’s definitely a great set up. Character wise, I liked reading from Rebecca and Sam’s POVs, but Maureen was reeeeeeally hard to get through. I know she was a grieving mother and I tried to give her all the grace in the world, but she was insanely unpleasant. I did enjoy this one as far as the writing style with its multiple POVs and flashbacks, but I guessed the ending pretty quickly which did take some of the fun out of it. Which, the ending as far as who did it, was great and made perfect sense to me (hence why I figured it out so quick). The ending for the present timeline was very abrupt, which I kind of understand, but at the same time felt a little jolted like “Oh! We’re done? Okay…” Overall, this one was fine and my interest was kept, but it didn’t knock my socks off. I’d still recommend it to readers who are newer to this genre though.

TW: death, violence, self harm, bullying

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.
Not much of a mystery when you figure it out 95% of it in the first chapter. This really dragged and I found myself skimming a lot. It just didn't hold my interest and I didn't care about any of the characters. There was no suspense in it for me.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Megs family is surprised to receive a letter about Meg who was murdered years ago. This book grabbed my attention from the start.

Ten years ago, seventeen-year-old Meghan was killed and her boyfriend, Cal, was sent to prison for her murder based on the testimony of her younger sister, Samantha (Sam), who saw them arguing the night of her death. Cal has insisted he is innocent, and Meghan's father (Paul) and "uncle" Geoff both have their doubts regarding his guilt. Meghan's mother, Maureen, on the other hand, never thought Cal was good enough for Meghan (her firstborn and "perfect" child) and has not doubts about his guilt.

However, one fateful night will unravel everything, exposing numerous secrets and misunderstandings, including at least some of the truth about what really happened the night Meghan died. Someone (with Cal being the likely suspect) has invited the members of the Chisholm family -- Maureen, Alice and Sam (Meghan's sisters), Paul (and his wife Rebecca, as his marriage to Maureen fell apart soon after Meghan's death and he has since remarried), and Uncle Geoff to a seaside home in Oregon with a promise to reveal what happened to Meg. Relations among the family are strained already, with Maureen basically pretending that Rebecca does not exist, Alice and Uncle Geoff having had some sort of falling out two years ago and Alice distancing herself from the family. When they arrive at the house, they discover that someone has set up a dinner party, left provisions, and left a memento of Meghan's to which the mysterious host should not have had access. This puts everyone on edge and makes people suspicious of each other. Adding to the tension and mystery, a powerful storm is hitting the Oregon coast, and will knock out the power and damage the house. Cal's appearance is not in the manner that anyone expected, and this will have significant ramifications for the family.

The author does a great job of keeping the reader guessing, as she switches between characters, revealing their suspicions and aspects of their past, as well as information about Meghan's past, and as the characters begin to realize that the location and other details seem to reference another important event in the Chisholm family's past, one that has nothing to do with Cal.

Welp...Agatha Christie is my least favorite writer, and Georgina Cross is trying hard to also fight for that title. For fans of Christie, this is the book for you.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my honest review.

No one wants to think about being in a room where’s there’s a seriously uncomfortable situation on the table – unless you’re reading a thriller.

Meghan, a senior in high school, died ten years ago. The jury charged her boyfriend, Cal, with murder when she was hit by a rock and drowned in a creek. He spent ten years in prison. The book begins when he was released.

Meghan’s parents, two sisters, stepmother and father’s friend were now invited to a beach house to find out the details of what happened to her that dark night when she died. The host of the gathering wasn’t identified. They assumed it would be Cal but weren’t sure. Everyone shared a curiosity. The idea of going to a beautiful Oregon coast beach house with those they loved seemed like a decent idea. One night together seemed harmless.

However, for me, it wasn’t difficult to predict the plot with a few hints early on. And after that, my mind was drifting. It was easy to keep track of and visualize handful of characters. I felt sorry for the stepmother, Rebecca, who was only there to support her husband. Of course, it was a night when there was a big storm brewing.

My thanks to Bantam Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of August 1, 2023.

I was so excited to have my wish granted to receive this eARC! I preordered this book already, but didn't want to wait until August to read it.

Meghan was murdered when she was 17 and her family has trying to make sense of the loss of their daughter and sister. Her high school boyfriend, Cal, is charged with manslaughter and serves 10 years in prison. But after he is released, the family receives mysterious invitations asking them all to come spend one night at a secluded house without telling anyone- promising they will get answers about Meghan. And so they all go. Arriving at a house that is set up just for them and has some of Meghan’s personal belongings, the family is weirded out. The food and beverages stocked for them are some of their favorites. The delivery name on a magazine is one of theirs. So who really arranged this one night of answers? When a storm hits, they’re left isolated with no way out and no way of calling the police. What happens next explores the dynamics of the Chisholm family and leaves the reader anxiously anticipating the reveal of who killed Meghan and why.

I enjoyed this locked room mystery with a closed circle of suspects- someone in the house has to be the one who killed Meghan, right? I enjoyed the multiple POV and flashes between past and present, it gave the reader a lot of insight into the motivations of certain characters to read what happened 10 or 15 years ago. 10% of the way into the book, they introduce a dog into the story and I remember thinking, 'Now I have to worry if the dog is going to be okay for the rest of the story?!' (Spoiler: the dog is okay!) The reason I didn't give this book five stars is because I wasn't completely sold on the ending. I personally felt that the motives behind the drastic actions taken by some of the characters were somewhat unrealistic. Even though the conclusion tied everything together and answered a lot of questions, I didn't feel totally satisfied at the end of the book. The first 75% of the book built up so much suspense and kept me turning the pages to see what happened, but I didn't feel that the ending twists lived up to the hype throughout the rest of the story.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, Georgina Cross, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. The publication date for One Night is set for August 1, 2023

Intriguing thriller with a closed population. The scene is set in a secluded area, during a thunderstorm of course!
Lots of mysterious going’s on that lead to the intrigue and drama, but overall a little predictable (as most thrillers are when you’ve read enough of them).
Very suspenseful though and kept my attention throughout.

This was a fast-moving mystery - basically one of my favorite locked room types, where we have a set cast and nobody can leave. A family who lost a daughter/sister is gathered with the convicted killer, the scene is mysteriously prepared, and accusations fly. Everyone was suspicious to me!

I certainly felt compelled to pick up the book and see what was happening - I think most readers would feel the same way. However, I felt like a lot of the suspicious behavior was never explained. I think I must be used to that in my Agatha Christie books :)

Don't want to give too much away with this review but the end twist I was shocked! I went into this one pretty blind and I think that was the way to go. This was basically a closed room mystery to figure out what happened ten years ago when teenager Meghan died. I really enjoyed the alternating POV this was a quick moving suspense/mystery. This was going to be a 3 star for me until the last few chapters and decided to move it up to 4. I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

One Night by Georgina Cross is a fascinating family mystery that keeps you guessing until the very last chapter. The family dynamics itself constantly lends to blame toward each member but the final conclusion is still a pleasant surprise. Thanks for the advanced reader copy.

The Chisholm family was left reeling when the oldest daughter, Meghan, died. She was at a bonfire party with her boyfriend, Cal, and in the present, he has just finished serving ten years in prison for the assault that led to her drowning.

Soon after Cal is released, Meghan’s family gets invitations to a house on the ocean - a dinner party, if you will. The guest list consists of Meghan’s sisters, Alice and Sam, their mom, Maureen, their dad and his new wife, Paul and Rebecca (can’t forget their dog, Bella!) and Paul’s best friend, “Uncle” Geoff.

They all go, even though this seems shady as hell and none of them have any desire to be there. When Maureen and Sam arrive first, they find the dining room table set, complete with name cards and a creepy item from the past. One card is missing, though their place is set. Who will be their mystery guest? Is it the one who invited them to come together?

Uncle Geoff is the last to arrive, and he arrives carrying - you guessed it - Cal. The Pacific Northwest is in the middle of a raging storm, and he got into an accident with Cal’s car on the way to the house. A tree now blocks access, and emergency services say it may be hours before they can get someone out to assess Cal’s injuries.

Now this family is sitting in the house, attending to the man found guilty of Meghan’s death, and the idea of just getting revenge while he’s unconscious is definitely on the table. We do get to hear from Cal, in the form on letters he sent to the family while incarcerated, but at present time, he’s out like a light. The curiosity of why he brought them all there is killing them though - will he die, or wake up and tell them the truth?

I’m putting this in the popcorn mystery/thriller category because this entire book was completely implausible from beginning to end. The plot was decent, there were good red herrings and those who like locked-room mysteries will probably enjoy this one. It’s the actions of the characters, along with some medical inaccuracies and the convoluted ending that make this completely unbelievable. If you don’t mind that though, you’re in for a book that can be read in one sitting. Three stars.

(Thank you to Bantam, Georgina Cross, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on August 1, 2023.)

This is my first book by Georgina Cross and I really enjoyed this suspenseful thriller. Holy cow, the twist, turns and the ending will have you shocked! A delightful tale of so many suspects …you think you know, but the. There is another twist. I was in the edge of my seat reading this story and really enjoyed Georgia’s writing style. Highly recommend if you love books that will Make you keep the lights on!

This story is told in two time frames - current day and 10 years ago. A family lost their oldest daughter 10 years ago and a young man was charged and sent to prison. Current day, he is released and he and the family of the girl are invited to a beach house for one night. Why?

While I wouldn't necessarily call this book fast-paced, it was a pretty quick read despite the plot feeling slow at times. A family gathers in an isolated house per a mysterious invitation promising to shed light on a girl's death years before. Lots of mysterious elements, lots of questionable characters and motivations. While this wasn't a typical mystery for me and parts felt too drawn out, I did really enjoy the twists and the way the author flips tropes on their heads. You start to see bread crumbs and think the reveals will go a certain way...until they don't. I thought the family dynamics between the sisters was the best part of the book and the most fun to read as they revealed themselves. I really, really liked the ending! Overall, a compelling read!

From the very beginning this book has strong Agatha Christie vibes. Unfortunately for me, I can’t stand Agatha Christie books. The story fell flat for me - it was obvious the author was pointing us in a direction that would prove to be a dead end. There were some hints along the way of who the real killer was - but I will say the ending threw me. I did not expect the last few pages to turn out the way they did.

Available everywhere August 1, 2023, be sure to grab this one if you enjoyed “And Then There Were None.”

I really enjoyed this thriller! The end was nothing that I could have predicted. I couldn't put it down!!!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review!

“One Night” by Georgina Cross ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Domestic Thriller. Location: Bandon, Oregon, USA. Time: Present.

“Everything had to be perfect for Meghan.”

High school senior Meghan (Meg) Chisholm died shortly before her homecoming dance. Her boyfriend Cal Hereford was convicted of her murder and spent 10 years in prison. He’s out now. Family members receive anonymous letters telling them: To find out what really happened to Meg, meet at a cliffside home on the Oregon coast, and don’t tell anyone.

When they arrive, the house is staged for a dinner party, with Meg’s homecoming dress draped over a chair. A terrible storm hits, and Cal is found unconscious in his wrecked car. The power goes off and they can’t get to a hospital so they keep badly injured Cal in the house. Half of them seriously want to kill Cal, and the other half want him to wake up so he can tell what he knows. But if Cal wakes up, will he tell them secrets about someone in the family? Who is the real killer?

Author Cross starts the book quietly, then dramatically ups the tension as the storm hits and people’s hidden secrets begin to emerge. I wish there was a layout of the house and map of the surrounding area. Tip: The cabin near the creek and the house on the ocean cliff are not in the same town. It’s easy to get them confused. Cross creates diverse characters from Maureen (Meg‘s mother) who sees only what she wants to see about Meg-and wants to kill Cal, to Sam (youngest daughter), sweet and anxious-who wants to save Cal. The labeled flashback chapters add context to the characters’ motivations.

It’s definitely an atmospheric, twisty, dramatic, fast-paced thriller. By the end, we learn what happened, but not what happens next, so there’s no real wrap-up after all the discussion of suffering in the past 10 years. That makes the ending a bit off for me. It’s 3 solid stars from me🌵📚💁🏼‍♀️ Thank you to Random House, NetGalley, and Georgina Cross for this early ecopy. Publishes 8/1/2023.