This was a perfect read for my cruise, compelling enough to want to go back, easy read and the perfect length. Kept me going until the end with a surprise. Would recommend and seek another book from this author.

Wow! I wrapped myself in a blanket so tightly, like a low-fat human burrito (an obvious result of feeding myself with books and forgetting to eat), even though the calendar shows it's summer! This book sent chills down my spine. As the biggest fan of locked room mysteries, I was immediately drawn into the main plot from the beginning. The formula was similar to other claustrophobic, trapped-in-one-place plots: a group of people gathering in an isolated house out of nowhere as a storm starts and blocks the roads. Eventually, the power goes off, and, of course, the cell reception fails. The pressure escalates with each moment, as the spine-tingling possibility that a killer is out there to hunt them or that the killer may be one of them lingers.

This book follows the standard formula, but its mind-bending execution, the guessing game until the end of the mystery, the revelations after revelations that punch you in the face unexpectedly, and the jaw-dropping final twist that leaves you in awe are what make this book unique, addictive, and unputdownable.

My contact lenses were literally glued to my eyes, getting drier with each passing moment, but I couldn't move an inch to change them. I kept flipping the pages faster, realizing that my instincts, which usually warn me before the twists hit me in the face like a warning train horn, didn't work this time. The author was literally a few steps ahead of me, making my guesses unreliable.

The plot revolves around several points of view (POVs) as they gather at a rental beach house on the Oregon Coast. A grief-stricken family receives an invitation from a mysterious host, inviting them to this place to share the big secret about the murder of the family's elder daughter, Meghan, ten years ago. The timing is extra suspicious, considering Meghan's convicted murderer, Cal, who was her boyfriend, has just been released. Could he be the mysterious host, inviting them to prove his innocence?

Maureen, an overprotective mother who still misses her daughter and suspects from the beginning that this is entirely Cal's doing, has every intention to punish him for what he's done to her daughter. She is one of the guests. Sam, their youngest daughter, is adamant about finding out the secret behind their invitation and still questions whether Cal is innocent, despite her testimony that sent him to prison.

The middle daughter, Alice, cuts ties with her family after a big fight between her and her father's best friend, Geoff, at Christmas dinner. Reluctantly, she joins them, looking haggard, thinner, and more fragile than before. Their father, Paul, divorces Maureen to marry her colleague, Rebecca, after Meghan's death. They are the other guests of the house, along with Paul's longtime friend, Geoff, who once saved Meghan's life and became the family's hero, being called "Uncle Geoff" as a part of the family.

When they gather in the house around the dinner table, with placards and shelves filled with things they'd enjoy consuming and things they've found that belong to Meghan, questions arise about the identity of their host. However, as Geoff appears with Cal, whom he accidentally hit with his car, covered in blood, they realize he's not the one who trapped them in this house.

Nowhere to run, they are stuck inside together in the middle of the storm, with no cell reception or electricity, and more questions than they had before. As the pressure builds and secrets come out, each of them may discover that nothing is as it seems.

Overall, I loved the concept! Even though I hate the guts of the characters, their flaws and irritating traits served the entire execution well. I devoured it in one sitting, and I highly recommend it to lovers of locked room mysteries and psychological thrillers!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The characters and suspense in this book are both really good, I found parts of it hard to believe. But I would read another by this author. Very intense story.

If you kill a murderer, is it justice or murder?

Meghan was hit in the head & left to die in a creek over ten years ago, but one night her family gathers in a house on a cliff by the ocean to get answers about what really happened at the time of her death. They were all invited there by anonymous letters, & though some of them really didn’t want to come (a few afraid they might have to face Cal, Meghan’s recently-released-from-prison ex-boyfriend who was convicted of her murder) they couldn’t resist the explanation the letters promised.

But as a storm picks up & begins to rage outside, the reluctant guests are trapped in a house with no power & Cal is discovered unconscious. Some family members see this as a gift-wrapped opportunity for revenge, but others aren’t even sure that the time Cal served in prison was for a crime he actually committed. But if Cal didn’t kill Meghan, who did?

I enjoyed this new-to-me author’s most recent work & found the gradual revealing of information from the past to be perfectly timed with events in the present. Things definitely weren’t as they seemed at first between Meghan & her family members, & the wild storm as a backdrop heightened the intensity of the night that many secrets came to light. The final twists were not what I expected, & all in all this was a solid & entertaining thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley & Bantam for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One night can change everything......

Thank you ever so much to @thrillerbookloverspromotions / @blondethrillerbooklover / @georginacrossauthor / @randomhouse for this ARC!!!!

➡️ Swipe for synopsis 👉🏼

MY REVIEW::
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I went into this book blind.🫣 I havnt been reading alot of the synopses for the books coming from @blondethrillerbooklover because I know they've got to be amazing since she picked them - AND they're thrillers, so I know they're already in my wheel house.
I guess you'd say I've put alot of trust and faith into the process, but frankly, I haven't been disappointed yet!
This is a PRIME example!👌🏼 This book is everything I love about #lockedroom thrillers! Suspense, twists, whodunit, breadcrumbs of truth, all wrapped up in multiple POVs and alternating timelines. ** I'm in heaven **🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻.
And that ending.... oof....what a gasp I made.😱

This family is super messed up, but for good reason. Maybe?! Did they find the real killer, or make someone's life hell? Can you really trust everyone?

You HAVE to read this one, I can't give anything else away, but I PROMISE 🤞🏻 you will love it!

QOTD:: Do you have any siblings? Have you ever had any rivalries?

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#thrillerbooks #suspensethriller #thrillerreader #thrillerlover #thrillerobsessed #bookrecs #bookreview #bookstagram #bookaholic #booklover #bookstagrammer #booklove #bookcommunity #bookobsessed #bookworm #booksbooksbooks #booksofig #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookishfeatures #tbr #tbrpile #bookbuzz #mysteryandthrills #BookstaBFF23 #thrillerbooklovers #georginacross #onenight

The Chisholm family is invited to a Bach home set upon a cliff one night during a dangerous storm. They were all invited with the expectation to learn the truth about what happened to their beloved daughter, sister, and stepdaughter, Meghan, who was murdered allegedly by her boyfriend, Cal, ten years ago. The evening begins eerily as place cards are set up with the names of each guest as well as other items belonging to Meghan. Was it Cal who sent the red envelopes inviting the family to the home, or someone else? What are the secrets being hidden and what actually happened to Meghan?

This novel is engaging and thrilling from the very first page. The chapters move at a quick pace and the characters are well developed. There was more than one twist in the book that did not make it a predictable one to read.

Thank you to the publisher and Georgina Cross for this amazing e-ARC.

This is the book I needed to get me out of my reading slump. Locked room thrillers are my absolute favorite, and this book was excellent!

It has edge of your seat tension throughout, sibling rivalry, a big storm, a family trapped inside a house, and it keeps you guessing.

I partially guessed some of the ending, but even if you think you might know, you don't, bc there's more to it than a simple explanation.

I need more books like this in my life and I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did.

I was lucky enough to get an email invitation from and editor, to read this book from random house and netgalley in exchange for an honest review! One Night is a great tale of who done it! One girl dies 10 years later the family gets some mysterious information when all this time they just knew the boyfriend had done it. Things are never that simple. I loved the way Cross wove this story together one stormy night in a beach house. It was a beautiful suspense that keeps you turningbthe pages until the full truth comes out!! I'll definitely be looking for more from Georgina Cross

I love novels like this one with multiple POVs. I loved trying to figure out how everyone was connected and was thrilled to still be caught by surprise at the end!

"One night. That's all the time a family has to decide what to do with the man they believe murdered their daughter: Do they forgive him, or do they take justice into their own hands?

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?"

It's like Clue meets Murder on the Orient Express!

There is an incredible expanse of emotion packed into this relatively short domestic drama covering just one fateful evening, with a few essential flashbacks. I live where excessive heat advisories are normal so, I sat under fans and easily read it in a day. The setting along the rugged Oregon coastline is a place I’ve always wanted to visit. Made me wish I was there, despite the raging storm.
This average family with three lovely daughters needs to work on their communication skills. Their family is in distress, still mourning the death of their eldest daughter. It’s been a decade and her convicted killer has been released from jail. As in many such cases, the loss of a child also meant the marriage dissolved. The pain doesn’t go away, it doesn’t get better or easier. This family still harbors animosity, some of them have doubts about the man’s guilt and the circumstances of her death. Forgiveness hasn’t ever crossed the mother’s mind. They all have secrets, none of them has shared the pain and they are miserably broken. Will one night when they can’t escape being together heal the wounds?
The story will make you think, wonder what you would do, how you’d feel or react when faced with the possibility of an alternate version of facts. I was confident about the “who done it” part, but surprised by other aspects.
Thanks to NetGalley for the digital advance reader copy of “One Night” by Georgina Cross, published by Random House/Ballantine/Bantam. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

One Night will grip you from the beginning until the end. A family, whose daughter was murdered, is invited to a house on the Oregon coast. The house is remote and neighbors are far away. The person accused of the murder is now out of jail and claims to be innocent. The family is hoping for answers. A storm blows in and they are trapped in the house until the storm ends. Who murdered their daughter?

As the story unfolds, you will be trying to figure out what really happened on the night of the murder. The twists and turns will keep you guessing until the reveal at the end. It is a fast paced, taut thriller.

Thank you to #netgalley, @GeorgiaCrossAuthor, and #Bantam for a copy of this book.
#OneNight

I had a rough time staying with this book. Once I got to the third chapter I had to know how it ended! It kept me guessing until the end.

One Night is a good suspense/mystery story. Cal spent the past 10 years in prison for his girlfriend’s murder. Once he is released, Cal and Meghan’s family are invited to a dinner party to discover the truth.. Who invited them all? What is the truth of Meghan’s death?

3.5 stars

This book was a “did not finish” for me. The premise was too implausible that anyone would go somewhere without knowing who invited them. I do not publish reviews of books I do not finish. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book but it wasn’t for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Imagine being invited to a secluded house on the Oregon Coast and when you and your family members arrive, you found a table set for an elegant dinner with place cards indicating where each family member should sit and the beautiful homecoming dress of your murdered daughter. Dad Paul, Sister Alice, family friend Uncle Geoff, Stepmom Rebecca, Mom Maureen and sister Samantha are all there. The absentee is Meghan who was murdered years ago by Cal. But then Cal arrives bloody and battered and oh by the way, he is fresh out of prison as your daughter, Meghan's, murderer. Do you let Cal live? Who would know if you did not? What really happened on that night many years ago when Meghan was killed and your family was ripped apart???

This is a great, atmospheric, locked room thriller! I thought I knew who did it but was surprised by the ending. The only part I did not like is upon the arrival of Geoff and Cal, the story drug a bit as the family tried to figure out what to do with Cal and the storm hampered their efforts. Otherwise, This is a twisty mystery that publishes August 1st!!

3.5 stars rounded up.

2 mysterious stars

This one had a great premise and set-up but ended up falling flat for me. As the title suggests, the action happens one night as various family members gather to find out the truth of what happened ten years ago when Meghan died.

The whole family has received an invitation to a remote cabin in Oregon. They arrive to find stocked food and a table set for dinner with place cards for everyone. A big storm kicks in outside, ratcheting up the action.

Meghan’s sister saw her arguing with her boyfriend Cal and testifies against him. Now that Cal has served 10 years, he’s out and invited to the fateful night.

Family friend Geoff arrives, dragging Cal, who has been injured outside. As rumors and secrets swirled, I kept waiting for something more to happen. This part of the book dragged for me.

The writing in this one didn’t keep me engaged and I found the ending predictable. Others have really enjoyed this one, but it didn’t work for me.

This was a locked-room type mystery that kind of worked for me. It centers on the family of Meghan, who was murdered 10 years prior at the age of 17 at a bonfire party. Her boyfriend Cal was jailed for the murder but has recently been released when her family (mother, 2 sisters, father, stepmother, and family friend) receive invitations from an unknown person to meet at a beach house to find what really happened. They all assume that it’s Cal who brought them together, but secrets are revealed that make some of them question his actions as well as his intent. The story is told in alternating POVs from many characters intermingled with flashback chapters.

There is a definite creepiness in the setting as well as the storm that keeps them trapped in the house. Though there are a lot of characters and the POVs alternate, it’s not hard to keep everyone straight. That being said, I still never figured out the motivations for some of the decisions that the characters made and couldn’t help but think that a lot of the mystery would have been solved if people just talked to each other. I can’t say the ending was a huge surprise but I do think the author could have done a better job in giving the reader more background to help lay the breadcrumbs for the ending. That being said, the story was still fast paced and I was invested in learning what happened.

Overall, ok story but I don’t love when the motivations for people to do what they did are not made clear as the story continues, and when people just talking to each other would have solved a lot of the problems. It is a quick read, though, that never made me bored. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review.
Excellent thriller with so many twists, turns & shady characters! Absolutely loved it and the ending was a shocker!

This was my first book from this author and she didn't disappoint! It keeps your attention throughout the whole book! I will definitely be reading more of her books!