“Words could be as deadly as a gun or a knife. If your reputation is murdered!”

In Hank Phillippi Ryan’s 16th psychological thriller ONE WRONG WORD, she brings to life Arden Ward, a savvy crisis management expert, who is falsely accused of having an affair with a client. She is given two weeks to leave. Now Arden needs to redeem her reputation and save her professional life. She is aware that her flaw is caring too much, which can be a curse in her profession. Plus, her father has instilled in her the idea of using conscience as her north star. So, she is angry at and heartbroken with her boss, her mentor, Warren Carmichael, who sacrificed Arden’s good work and loyalty to keep his wealthiest client who accused her of the affair based on nothing but the smell of perfume.

Carmichael offers her a deal: take on a special client, Cordelia Bannister, and save Cordelia’s husband’s reputation in two weeks. Arden believes that if she accomplishes this, Carmichael will keep her on at the firm.

Cordelia’s husband Ned was accused of murder but acquitted. He drove drunk after a New Year’s party, and as he was exiting the private parking garage, he hit Randall Tennant who was skateboarding. Public opinion, however, has ruined him. A distraught and publicly shunned Cordelia wants Arden to clean up his reputation.

Arden is so focused on saving her own job, however, that she’s lost her professional insight and doesn’t see how much she’s being manipulated by the people around her. When Ned’s lawyer, Naomi, is run down in a parking garage, the coincidence is too much to ignore, especially for Detective Monelle Churchwood who thought Ned was guilty of Randall’s death from the beginning.

To finally figure out who is pulling strings and putting her clients in danger, Arden must focus and use her expert skills in reading people. When she does, she suspects the worst and finds her life in danger.

From Phillippi Ryan’s many years as an investigative reporter, she expertly digs into the world of greed, power, manipulation, and secrets and then twists them into a tale of life and love gone horribly wrong. Arden and Monelle are strongly drawn characters who must learn that instead of being at odds, they must work together to find out the truth.

Phillippi Ryan’s writing, as in her other novels, shines with details that bring the story to life such as how she uses her beloved Boston as a setting. She creatively gives Arden a large tank of fish instead of a cat or dog. The perfume JOY lingers with its scent throughout and is the cause of the accusation against Arden. Arden’s backstory is rich with possibilities as she is the granddaughter of the mayor of Boston and lives in an 1885 house bequeathed by her grandparents. At times the story slows with repetition, but otherwise, ONE WRONG WORD gives us the fascinating world of Arden and how she manages crises and what that entails. Public opinion is a “beast to be controlled” and that is something everyone can relate to. Arden Ward and her professional world in ONE WRONG WORD would make an intriguing start to a series.

Thanks to #NetGalley, Hank Phillippi Ryan, #OneWrongWord and #ForgeBooks for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I had such high hopes for this book because I love Hank so much, but ultimately this fell flat for me. The pacing was very slow and the overall mystery did not excite me.

Thank you to @NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group and Forge Books for my free copy!

Wow. What an excellent, THRILLING, suspenseful read! I thoroughly enjoyed this book as I flipped from one page to the next! UNPUTDOWNABLE! Page-turner!

This kind of read like a legal thriller, which I've come to love. Chock full of surprises and a really good conclusion. I became immersed in Arden's life and LOVED her tenacity!

If you loved Michelle Campbell's 'The Intern', you will LOVE this!

This book was thrilling right from the start. When crisis manager Arden gets fired unjustly and then talked into doing one last case, she didn't realize just what a mistake taking that last case would be. This book was exciting although some slow areas at parts. i would definitely recommend this to thriller lovers.

Did you read that book?

One Wrong Word
By Hank Phillippi Ryan

Plot: One wrong word can ruin your life. And no one knows that better than savvy crisis management expert Arden Ward. Problem is, she's now forced to handle a shocking crisis of her own. Unfairly accused of having an affair with a powerful client, Arden’s life and dreams are about to crash and burn. Then, Arden is given an ultimatum. She has just two weeks to save her career and her reputation.

Review: The writing style of this book is exceptional, Hank is a wonderful author with a strong voice! I love the short fast chapters, which make you feel like you are "flying through" the book. And the different character perspectives keeps you engaged. The storyline was a little predictable but that didn't make it any less enjoyable! I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a solid read with strong characters and a hint of mystery!

Thank you for this ARC for my honest review!

A thriller that was told in such a way that I could almost see everything unfold in front of me like a Netflix series! Arden is a crisis manager who takes on a high stakes case, only to find it bleeding into her own life.

The author does an excellent job of making us doubtful of so many different characters, making it difficult to know who exactly would be the culprit in the end. It was fast paced and yet also lingered a bit in the middle - I think this book would have been just as compelling if it had been 50-75 pages shorter. Regardless, a fully enjoyable read! I was excited to see that the author had a back catalog - will be checking that out for sure!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this e-ARC. I am anticipating reading this soon and reviewing on my socials.

I’m in awe.
There’s so much I want to say but I can’t spoil this absolutely incredible psychological thriller! Hank Philippi Ryan has hit gold with One Wrong Word! It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time! It’s one of my favorite reads! Hank is so deserving of all her accolades, a #USATodaybestselling & multiple award-winning author!

Thank you, Hank P Ryan, Forge Reads, & netgalley for my copy! All opinions are my own.

One Wrong Word has so many RIGHT words to describe the story.
Suspenseful, riveting, mysterious, courageous, tenacious, strong, lovely.
You CAN'T GO WRONG reading this book.

In One Wrong Word, we see that it often doesn't matter what you say. People will make their mind up no matter what the truth is.

Arden is unjustly fired at the beginning of the book, but then asked by her boss to take on one last important case. While she is not thrilled about doing this, she agrees to do the job. While it initially seems like a fairly straightforward job, she soon realizes that it is anything but straightforward, and finds herself entangled in a web of deceit.

While I guessed part of what was going on, there were some twists that I was not expecting. It was fun to be kept continually guessing as I read. I completely enjoyed this novel, and could not wait to get home each night and continue reading.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This is my first book by this author, and after devouring One Wrong Word, it won’t be my last!

I haven’t read about an MC being a crisis manager, so I found the storyline fresh and unique. Our MC Arden is just that … until she faces her own crisis and needs to go into overdrive to save herself.

Arden has been wrongly and unfairly accused of wrongdoing with a powerful client. Her boss makes the decision to believe the client and lets her go … but not before giving her one final client to work with. The socialite client is on trial for murder, and while Arden searches for evidence to protect her client, she realises that not only is there a web of deceit being strung but also if she is protecting a killer.

Full of secrets, lies and betrayals and subterfuge, I found myself rooting for Arden - she’s such a likeable character. Just when I thought I may have figured it out there was another wickedly clever twist. I love the whole rich people behaving badly and this novel has all the salacious, entertaining, cleverly plotted storyline to draw me in hook line and sinker.

The audiobook, narrated by Gail Shalan was fantastic. With clear, distinct voices it was easy to follow.

❤️ Many thanks to @macmillan_audio @forgereads @netgalley for ALC 🎧 and e-arc 💌

The build up for this one was very slow going for me. At some points, I was just wondering how long it would take to get to the good part. Which was at about 2/3 of the way through the book. However, the copious amounts of twists in the last 1/3 of the book kind of made up for the first part. And I wasn’t expecting the final outcome of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing and Hank Phillips Ryan for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the premise and was excited to read the book. I found parts of it to be a bit confusing, especially towards the end. The pacing was a bit slow at times and felt like the book could have used a bit more editing. Overall, I enjoyed the story and writing.

I am surely in the minority for this one, I DNF the physical book and then tried the audio. I was highly invested in the beginning, but it was just so slow for me. I felt like nothing truly happened until 80% when things start unfolding. It just left me feeling unsatisfied, I read a lot of thrillers/mysteries so it was a little predictable for me. I really wanted to love it.

🎧 The narration by Gail Shalan was okay. I was happy that the character names were said before each chapter or I would've been highly confused. She had the same voice and tone for each character. I think it would've benefited from a bit more emotion.

One Wrong Word was a twisty, fast paced story about a crisis PR expert who is hired by a man accused of murder. Even if he's exonerated, he and his family want to try to figure out how to navigate the storm. Enter Arden Ward, who is happy to help. But is her client telling her the truth? Can she trust him? On top of that, she is being wrongly accused of having an affair with a client!

I enjoyed watching Scandal and One Wrong Word definitely had that same vibe. Ryan has a very breezy, conversational writing style that makes the book a quick and easy read. She seems like a very gregarious, open person (for a thriller writer) and I feel like I can get a sense of how she feels about her characters, which was a bit of a spoiler. But still an enjoyable read!

“Money. Money and greed. And making the world be the way you wanted it to be. But she, Monelle Churchwood, wanted the world a different way. She wanted justice.”

This is a story about a man’s innocence or possibly lack there of. A story of a man not being convicted of a death and all the ramifications that come after that. Is he guilty or was he framed. Can his new crisis management expert, Arden, help he and his family return to their lives after the judgement is handed down? Or will fate intervene and keep convicting them?

I have to be honest here, I began really reading this yesterday during my lunch break – I made it to about 17% in AND it sucked me in! I got home and had to keep reading until I finished it shortly before 2am. It was SO good and really that’s no surprise for me. Hank is truly a wonderfully gifted writer. She exudes mystery, suspense and thrills in just one page. She knows how to bring you into her stories and keep you intrigued. I loved it and that’s why I’m giving it five stars!

Customer Review
aljsmom
5.0 out of 5 stars Hank Phillipi Ryan has done it again!!
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2024
'One Wrong Word' is a masterfully crafted Mr. Toad's Wild Ride of suspicion, intrigue and deceit. Your brain won't be tempted to wander off while reading this book as it demands your attention while it twists and turns its way through two life changing weeks. I was absolutely sure I had figured out who did it and how but my smug smile would fade more than once as another twist proved me wrong.
Hank had my mind spinning and racing to keep up till the end.
The characters and plot keep you reading straight through to the end. I didn't want to put it down.
As a longtime Bostonian I loved being able to picture the locations in my mind through Hanks ability to describe details that bring vivid pictures to your mind.
This book would make a great thriller/ whodunnit movie and should be filmed in Boston.
I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the chance to read a digital ARC of this amazing book.
Customer image

After reading some of the other reviews, I'm not sure I read the same book as everyone else. It had promise with an interesting plot but the characters were unlikable and kept making stupid decisions that made no sense. Plus I had the villain pegged early on which resulted in the twists falling flat. All in all it just didn't work for me. My thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

EXCERPT: 'Are we really having this conversation?'
'Yes,' Cordelia said, 'yes, we are. I'm trying to at least. What happened to Ned . . .'
The corridor almost froze with Bethenny's demeanor.
'What happened? To Ned? What happened to him?' Both careful eyebrows went up. 'It's hardly what happened to him, is it Cordelia? It's what he did. Your husband drank so much he was completely drunk. That did not 'happen' to him. And then he drove his car. That did not 'happen' to him. That was a decision your husband actively made, an imprudent and deadly decision. That poor man could have been any of us.'
'The driver could have been any of us.' Tears were coming to Cordelia's eyes, bitter and baffled, but she could not allow herself to look weak. She had been waiting for this verdict for a year, a solid year, and the jury had said not guilty, and that was certainly, definitely true. Cordelia was sure of it, had always maintained her husband's innocence.

ABOUT 'ONE WRONG WORD': One wrong word can ruin your life. And no one knows that better than savvy crisis management expert Arden Ward. Problem is, she's now forced to handle a shocking crisis of her own. Unfairly accused of having an affair with a powerful client, Arden’s life and dreams are about to crash and burn. Then, Arden is given an ultimatum. She has just two weeks to save her career and her reputation.

Is Cordelia Bannister the answer to her prayers?

Cordelia needs Arden’s help for her husband Ned, a Boston real estate mogul. Though he was recently acquitted in a fatal drunk driving accident, his reputation is ruined, and the fallout is devastating not only to the Bannisters' lives, but the lives of their two adorable children.

Arden devotes her skill and determination—and maybe her final days on the job—to helping this shattered family, but soon, revelations begin to emerge about what really happened the night of the accident. And then—another car crash throws Ned back into the spotlight.

This case is Arden’s final chance to protect her own future and clear her name. But the more she tries to untangle the truth, the more she’s haunted by one disturbing question—what if she’s also protecting a killer?

Gossip. Lies. Rumors. Words like that can hurt you. And Arden knows the reality. Sometimes one wrong word can kill.

MY THOUGHTS: I love a good conclusion, and One Wrong Word has it in spades! And there is nothing so tempting as a good secret - One Wrong Word has more than one; lots more than one! That's not to say that all the secrets are true . . .

The characters in One Wrong Word are every bit as strong as the plot. Everyone lies. And I mean everyone - except maybe the children. And speaking of the children, I absolutely adored Pip. Who wouldn't love him after this? . . .
'You don't really think you're in trouble, do you?' he asked. 'You just want to get their license plate.'
Arden didn't know quite how to answer that. 'Why would you say that?'
'I read books,' Pip said.

Arden had my head spinning with her multiple theories. What starts out as a simple job of handling the 'rehabilitation' of the newly acquitted Ned Bannister into society, becomes anything but. Although he was acquitted by a jury, the general population see him as guilty; as the man who got away with vehicular homicide. Is he guilty? THAT is the million-dollar question. He has never denied running over skateboarder Tanner; just saying he never saw him.

This is a fast-paced and crazy read, which I have come to expect from this author. Once Arden begins investigating, motives simply ooze out of the atmosphere, fueled by rumor, innuendo and half-heard telephone conversations. There are a plethora of red herrings and twists and turns. It is impossible to know who to believe. My brain was twisted like a pretzel and my heart beating overtime as I read. The tension and suspense grows with each page turn culminating in a more than satisfying ending.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#OneWrongWord #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Hank is a founder of MWA University, host of CRIME TIME on A Mighty Blaze, and co-host of First Chapter Fun and The Back Room. She is also on-air investigative reporter.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Tor Publishing Group, Forge Books, via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of One Wrong Word by Hank Phillippi Ryan for review. All opinions expressed in his review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hank Phillippi Ryan, and Tor Publishing Group, Forge Books for an ARC copy of "One Wrong Word".

"One Wrong Word" by Hank Phillippi Ryan delves into the intricate world of crisis management and the devastating consequences of rumours and false accusations. Arden Ward, a skilled crisis management expert, finds herself at the centre of a scandal when she is falsely accused of having an affair with a powerful client. With her career and reputation on the line, Arden is given a tight deadline to salvage her future.

Forced to salvage both her career and reputation within a tight timeframe, Arden takes on the case of Cordelia Bannister, whose husband Ned's life has been shattered by a fatal drunk driving accident. Despite Ned's acquittal, his reputation lies in tatters, affecting not only his own life but also that of his family, including his two children.

Throughout the novel, Ryan masterfully builds tension, introducing twists and turns that kept me guessing until the final revelation.

Overall, "One Wrong Word" is a riveting and thought-provoking read that is hard to put down. I highly recommend adding it to your list of must-reads. I cannot wait for Hank Phillippi Ryan's next book!