Thanks to MacMillan Audio & NetGalley for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is my second book by Hank Phillippi Ryan, nee Harriet Ann Sablosky. She wins Agatha awards on the regular, and I was hoping that the previous book I read and didn't like much was an outlier. Unfortunately, this book is overcomplex and confusing to the point of boredom (Sorry, Hank).

Arden Ward is a PR fixer who been done wrong by her old white guy boss, Warren. Arden has been accused, on an extremely flimsy premise, of having it off with her last PR client, by said client's long-suffering wife. Warren is close personals with the roving-eye-and-other-parts client, so he sacrifices Arden to the firing pyre. But of course he's given her ONE LAST CLIENT and will double her severance and give her a glowing rec if she handles this for him ...

Not many likable characters here. Ryan attempts to bring us close in to Arden's deepest thoughts by throwing stuff at us about her disgraced ex-pol dad, who had a platitude for every occasion. Everyone in the book is rich and powerful, save for Monelle, the prosecutor, and Luz, Arden's assistant. The married couple Arden is assisting, hired by the wife but spending tons of time with the husband, seem not to speak with one another and Arden doesn't see anything weird about this. The plot feels very convoluted in an unnecessary way, like it could have been much simpler (perhaps less realistic? I guess?). A shorter book with a less byzantine plot would have made for a much better book.

Gail Shalan's voice acting is quite good, with a little bit of overlap making it confusing when two male characters are in the scene (she really only has one "male" voice apart from the Southie DA); her "old lady" voice is superb.

3 stars

3.5

Arden is a fixer. She is used to spinning problems for her clients. Then, suddenly, a false accusation has her fired. But her boss gives her one more client before she leaves- the wife of a freshly acquitted real estate mogul. Ned hit a man in his parking garage on New Year's Eve. Though the jury acquitted him of wrongdoing, public opinion has not been so kind. So his wife, Cordelia, hires Arden to get their lives back. Over the next week, Arden is trying to find out what is real and what is not.

I had this one figured out nearly immediately. <spoiler> Except for Warren being Pip's father. I really thought it was the dead guy. Warren and Cordelia's affair is the only thing that caught me off guard- until Arden discovered they went to high school together. Since Warren was Arden's mentor, I assumed he was older.</spoiler> However, I still enjoyed the journey to get to the end. There were a few surprises (in the spoiler tag above).

This is told in several POV's. Primarily Arden's, but Cordelia's POV is prevalent in the beginning. Otherwise, the rest are typically brief glimpses.

Gail Shalan narrates the audiobook and does a good job.

This book was just okay for me as I found it to be a slow burn and pretty repetitive. I was not that engrossed in the story. I listened to this audiobook and thought the narrator was good.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the #gifted audiobook!

📖Title: One Wrong Word
📝Author: Hank Phillippi Ryan
🗓️Pub date: February 6, 2024

💙This book was such a fun and quick read!

💙It starts off with a bang as the main character Adren Ward is fired for an alleged affair. When her boss comes to her with one final job, she knows she has no option but to take it, but has no idea how much it will cost her!

💙I thought of so many ways this story could go, but the ending still surprised me (I did guess one twist though 🥨

💙There is so little I can say without spoiling anything in this one, but just trust me, you won't be able to put it down until you know what's fully going on with this crazy cast of characters!

💙This is my second book by Ryan and she is now an auto-read author for me! I can't wait to see what she does next!

The audio performance by Gail Shalan was so well done and I never wanted to put it down! Highly recommend going with the audio version if you can!

Words Matter! That is what Arden, a crisis management expert, will need to remember in this gripping new novel by Hank Phillippi Ryan. This book is full of secrets, lies, deception, threats, and betrayal. This book kept me on my toes trying to figure out who to trust in this twist filled book!

Arden just learned that she is losing her job, but her boss has thrown her a bone, a chance to make some money and to fix a messy situation. Cordelia Bannister asks Arden for help. Her husband, Ned, has recently been acquitted in a drunk driving accident which claimed a life. The court of public opinion has sided against them, and Cordelia asks Arden to help repair their reputation. Arden sets out to find out what really happened that night. She will have her work cut out for her!

This is not an action-packed book but a book packed with conversations. Readers will need to pay attention to the conversations as will Arden. I enjoyed trying to come up with my own theories as Arden tried to get to the bottom of things. I always love trying to figure out who can be trusted, who is telling lies, and trying to read between the lines.

Hank Phillippe Ryan delivers once again! I had both the book and the audiobook which made for an engaging and entertaining read!

Gripping, twist filled and well written.

Arden is on the verge of losing her job in PR after being falsely accused of having an affair with an important client. She is given one last client, Ned Bannister, recently acquitted of murder, and his wife Cordelia.
While working on helping Ned fix his reputation, she realizes things may not be as they seem.
I loved that this story was told from multiple POVs. There are so many unexpected twists and turns that kept me turning pages until the end!

Hank Phillippi Ryan never disappoints! The story was great. Loved the characters. The narrator was perfection.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this audiobook!

Twisty psychological thriller that keeps you guessing!

Arden Ward is at the top of her crisis management game when her boss suddenly terminates her. Apparently, the wife of a prominent client thinks that Arden is having an affair with her husband. Before she can leave with a glowing recommendation for her work, the boss has one last client whose life needs to be restored after an acquittal for vehicular homicide. Cordelia Bannister hires Arden for her husband, Ned, because his reputation is tarnished, and Cordelia has been ousted from her friend group due to his legal woes. Even their two young children are shunned. Arden knows PR and she sees this last rehab as her only chance to leave without suffering her own personal embarrassment. But, this family has some secrets and new information is revealed about the car accident. When his defense attorney is hospitalized after a hit and run, Ned comes under close scrutiny again and Arden becomes increasingly concerned that she is helping a killer.

This was such a fun and fast-paced read that I had to keep listening to it and finished it in a day. The narrative is told from several different points of view and the voice actor did a great job with making them sound unique, including the accents. The plot was convoluted and kept me on my toes trying to guess who, what, where, and when. The short chapters always ended on a note that forced me to go on to satisfy my curiosity. The characters were interesting and well developed. I have read other books by this author, but this is my favorite so far. I enjoyed it and will be on the lookout for new releases.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy to listen to and recommend.

Publication date: February 6th, 2024
Page number: 352
Audio length: 12 hours 28 minutes
Genre: suspense thriller
POV: multiple
Setting: Boston

Likable main character Arden, twists, turns keep you guessing throughout. Felt longer than it needed to be.

I will definitely be reading other books by this author now!

Thank you to author, publisher, NetGalley for advanced audio copy. This is an honest voluntary review.

Read along with the audiobook and wow! So dang good. Have read this author before and enjoyed the writing and style. The characters and plot, the setting loved everything. The twists, gosh so good. Thank you NetGalley for this arc

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for the book #OneWrongWord by #HankPhillippiRyan. This book is amazing and takes you on one heck of a ride. From murder and deceit to secrets and lies, to the final ending plot twist. I highly recommend this masterpiece.

I am a huge fan of Hank Phillippi Ryan and really enjoy her books, and this one was SO twisty and fun! The audio was great, I followed along with the book and thought both were equally fine to read. The story starts off fast, it captured my attention out of the gate and the pace did not let up until it was done. Everyone is unreliable, there are so many twists in here that it was dang near impossible for me to figure out. Every time I thought I was have it, something else would happen and off we would go in a different direction. I never had an issue keeping up which was great, and overall I definitely recommend this one!

This one is out February 6, make sure it is on your list! Thank you to Thriller Book Lovers Promotions, Forge Books and Macmillan Audio for the copies to review.

Hank is a must read author for me and I have loved all of her books. This was my favorite so far although admittedly I think that after each one. This one grabbed me right out of the gate with the interesting characters and dual story lines early on. It was exciting as the stories merged and the twists and turns kept me guessing until the end. Arden was an awesome character and the narrator was spot on. And the title is perfection! Loved listening to the acknowledgments.

My first read by this author thanks to Netgalley but definitely not my last! I love showbiz/entertainment related books so this was right up my alley. I am not going to pretend it wasn't a little formulaic and the ending felt a little rushed, but all in all, it was a fun read and I would give it 3.5 stars.

Wow, I honestly was not expecting to be completely enthralled with this one, but it kept me glued to my seat!

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. 'One Wrong Word' is a twisty suspense thriller with a plot that constantly flipped with each page turned. At times, I felt like there were too many flips and allegiances changed throughout, but I would suggest giving this book a chance.

3.5 rounded up, A twisty psychological thriller that combines a crime thriller voice with complicated interpersonal dynamics.

Premise - a crisis management expert finds herself too close to the case after she is hired by a wealthy man’s wife to rehab his reputation after he kills a man with his car. All is not as it seems…

I enjoyed this. I tend to prefer thrillers where I feel like I really get to know the characters in a way I didn’t feel as much here, but I never wanted to put this down.

📚 Series or Standalone: standalone
📚 Genre: psychological thriller
📚 Target Age Group: adult
📚 Cliffhanger: no

✨ Will I Reread: no
✨ Recommended For: fans of CSI, Law & Order (same vibes but in book form)

💕 Characters: 3/5
💕 Writing: 4/5
💕 Plot: 3/5
💕 Pacing: 4/5
💕 Unputdownability: 4/5
💕 Enjoyment: 3/5
💕 Book Cover: 4/5

Thanks, NetGalley and Forge Books, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🎧Audiobook 4.5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
📔Cover 👍

Make sure to clear your calendar as this audiobook can be highly addictive. 🙌
I would consider it a drama filled and fast-paced suspenseful thriller.

Arden is a respected Crisis Management specialist at her firm, but she has been unexpectedly and unfairly implicated in a scandal. Unfortunately, her boss refuses to listen to her or support her, but insists that she take one final case before departing to dispel rumors and make a significant sum of money on her way out. Feeling forced by her current situation and her boss's authority, she does as he asks.

A wealthy couple named The Banisters are the clients. Ned Banister's wife Cordella is attempting to improve his image and persuade public opinion after he was acquitted of a crime that many believe he is guilty of.

I found Arden to be a well-liked lead character, and I had a great time with all the characters from start to finish. The plot was also well-developed in my opinion.
By design, you'll receive hints about what's to come, which will keep you guessing and entertained. While listening, I never found my mind wandering or becoming bored.

If you're looking for something less dark and disturbing than others, I think this is a great intellectual thriller. The audio was compelling and had a satisfying ending, which you may or may not anticipate, but the writing and narration are outstanding, so I don’t think you will care either way.

This is my first encounter with this author's writing, but I will definitely be looking to read more.

The release date for this one is set for 2/6/2024, so soon.

Thank you NetGalley, Hank Phillippi Ryan, and Macmillan Audio.

3.5 stars

I've enjoyed this author's work previously, and while this most recent effort does deliver on twists, for me, more than just one word went a little wrong here (or, at least, differently than I'd have liked).

Arden, the m.c., is at the mercy of the patriarchy. She's accused of having an inappropriate relationship, and then she has to rectify that with constant concerns about another inappropriate relationship hanging over her head. While I enjoyed Arden's character, I had a hard time staying invested in her success or in several overarching areas of this plot.

The audiobook narration is nicely executed, and that kept me a little more interested, but I really did struggle to stay hooked on the throughline. A quick glance at general ratings on this one suggests that I'm an outlier, so I hope that prospective readers will join the masses and enjoy this one more than I did. Minor disappointments here won't stop me from returning to this author's future work with optimism and enthusiasm.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The pacing of the plot felt good and the characters were interesting. I like the slight twist on the trope of legal professional getting involved in a complex case with Arden being in the PR world. My two big notes for things that didn't work for me were 1) describing Monelle as a "Gorgon" the first time she's introduced. She is the only Black character in the book and while she's certainly Arden's antagonist for much of the novel, the word gorgon has an aesthetic connotation that felt like it played into stereotypes of Black women, which feels particularly of note since she is the only Black character and the writer is a white woman. The other detail that continued to stay with me after reading (that felt like it didn't fit) was the fact that Arden gets into an Uber and talks to the driver through the plexiglass window. Only cabs have that. People doing rideshares are using their own cars and don't have identification up in the car (that comes through the app). This was a moment that totally pulled me out of the story because it rang so false and there's so much that is working really well in this book.

Ned Banister’s small detailed characterization delicately peeled apart by Arden Warden gives the reader an inquisitive way of being a detective alongside all the characters seeking truth. We begin by thinking we know pieces of each character and quickly learn that there’s more under the surface than anticipated. Ryan’s writing style allows a long build up of her characters that leads to various tasty twists and turns as you read the finality of the book. We get the opportunity to choose sides- do we align with the wife who begins fearful and victimized or with the husband whose charm makes us question it all? Cordelia and Ned, both being perceived as hiding truths and slyly weaving webs of lies to throw us off.
Ryan is obviously known for her ability to grip you in tight and not let go until you’ve solved the layered mystery for yourself. However, this newest piece of hers defies limits of what is societally acceptable for the reader to believe about the characters. Ryan keeps us in a game of cat and mouth as we turn the pages, not knowing from one page to next who is responsible for the various crimes throughout.
The only note I have to give is that the audio version is distracting at times due to the narrator’s change in voice for female/male characters. Thank you to @netgalley for the early access to read this book!