I received this as an arc from netgalley. Once again, quick read and you just don’t want to stop. Freida is amazing at capturing an audience and hanging on her every word. I loved this one. Still not a million mind blowing twists but kept me guessing and I enjoyed it. Would recommend!!

It was a little short, but better than the average book. The outdoorsy angle was a nice change for McFadden, but I figured out what was going on fairly early (thank you, Agatha Christie.) A good, quick read - unless you're in the woods at night. Then pick a different book!

I’m not quite sure exactly how I want to rate this book so I’m giving it 3 stars because for the most part I was intrigued and it kept my interest. However, by the end I thought, this is ridiculous and I wasn’t at all surprised by the “twist.” The pros, great plot idea, I liked the anonymous POV although it threw out some interesting tidbits which makes you think it could be one person, which then makes you think, nah, that’s too easy. Cons, didn’t like ANY of the characters. At least in her other books there’s at least one character that’s somewhat likeable. This one, I could have cared less if they all died. The other con, terrible villain origin story and just didn’t seem that plausible, although what do I know about serial killers 🤷🏽‍♀️. So, overall, if you like this author, you’ll most likely like this book. Not as good as The Housemaid (the first one), but entertaining enough.

Thank you Net Galley/author/publisher for the eARC. I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a very quick read for me and I didn’t see the ending coming at all. It was fast paced without any lulls. The only thing that could have been better was the character development but then I don’t think it would have been as quick a read as it was.

What can you do when a the prospect of an heavenly week turns out to be your worse nightmare? This thriller captivates us and keeps us guessing!
Claire goes to this vacation with her husband and 4 friends, and trough the week we can see through her perspective things going sour and people are dying.
We also have some perspective to backgroud of the 'annonimous', who we believe is responsible for the killings. We only discover who it is in the end!
I really enjoyed the story and was glued to my kobo screen to see what happended next. Some turns I can say I predicted but the main twist at the end?? Well, I can trully say I did not see that one coming!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kept me wondering "who done it"! It was a fast read with lots of twists and turns. I think the downfall I had was that I really didn't feel invested in any of the characters. They were all kind of terrible. The suspense and thrill were spot on and kept me going.

I found this to be fairly unremarkable. I didn’t find it tedious as some other reviews suggest, but it’s not the strongest or most engaging of Freida’s books.

4 Stars
An unputdownable fast-paced story about a couples trip gone wrong | Freida McFadden never seizes to surprise me - all my theories were wrong | The creepy setting adds to the thrill, but the characters lack some depth and complexity | Recommended for suspense lovers, but not my favorite Freida book

This review has been posted on Goodreads and Instagram.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

One by One is the latest Freida McFadden thriller, and as someone who is a huge fan of the author, I was excited to crack this one open. It is a mystery/thriller about a group of three couples -- Claire & Noah, Jack & Michelle, and Lindsay & Warner -- on a getaway to a remote cabin when things begin to go horribly wrong.

First, the minivan breaks down. Then, when the group decides to walk the rest of the way, they get lost. Very lost. Then, there is no phone signal or GPS, and the compass seems wonky. An then, something begins killing the members of the group one by one. At first it seems like an animal, but as everyone's relationships and secrets begin to come out, everyone begins to look like a suspect. Noah and Claire's marriage has fizzled out. Claire had an affair with Jack, who is Noah's best friend. misogynistic and controlling jerk. The reveal of the "anonymous narrator" (i.e. the killer) is shocking. I definitely did not have that one figured out!

One by one is a great, twisty, suspenseful read. I really liked the big reveal at the end and thought it was very well done. There is lots of foreshadowing and clues sprinkled throughout the book, which really makes you want to figure out "whodunnit" as you go along. In the vein of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, and Ruth Ware's One by One, so fans of those types of mystery/thrillers and Freida McFadden's other work will love this one. I will definitely be recommending this book to my book clubs!

I really enjoyed this book!
The characters were extremely unlikable which made it all the more fun.

Six friends lost in the woods, where secrets and tensions escalate, made this book a "can't turn the pages fast enough" experience.

The writing was brisk and engaging, keeping the pace moving quickly and keeping me hooked.

I've added McFadden to my auto-buy author list!

Loved this book. Freida does it again with an amazing book! I was seriously questioning the whole time. When I thought I knew who did it, can something else would happen! I couldn’t put this book down.

Claire and her friend's decide to vacation together along with their spouses/boyfriends. Then Claire's van breaks down and that's when everything starts happening. One by one a person either dies or disappears. Then only 2 are left. It was very intense and I was on the edge of my seat to fin out exactly what was going on.
Thank you to NetGalley for the arc to review.

This is the 9th book I have read by Freida McFadden. I personally consider myself a Freida fan. This was a quick, fast-paced read but it wasn't my favorite. With that; I feel like I should say, i am not a "cabin in the woods, everyone dies one by one" girlie and that is exactly what this is.

I will say, it was a really short novel; so I was glad it didn't drag out too long. Overall, it was well written, there is a twist (pretty predictable) but a twist no less. Overall, i think this is a decent palette cleanser but not Freida's best book.

Rating: 2/5

Review:
As a reader seeking a thrilling and suspenseful experience, "One by One" by Freida McFadden fell short of my expectations and failed to deliver the gripping narrative I had hoped for. From start to finish, the story lacked the authenticity and tension necessary to immerse me in its world of mystery and intrigue.

From the outset, I found the premise of six friends stranded in the wilderness, facing a mysterious threat, to be intriguing. However, as the story unfolded, it became increasingly evident that the plot was lacking in believability and substance. The characters felt flat and unconvincing, failing to evoke any genuine empathy or investment on my part. Their actions and motivations seemed contrived, and I found it difficult to suspend my disbelief long enough to become fully immersed in the story.

Furthermore, the much-touted plot twist failed to deliver the shock and surprise I had anticipated. Instead of keeping me guessing and on the edge of my seat, the twist felt predictable. As the story progressed, it became increasingly clear where the plot was headed, leaving little room for genuine surprise or revelation.

Overall, "One by One" was a disappointing read that failed to capture the essence of a compelling thriller. The writing was nice. I enjoyed the dynamic between the characters, but the genre was lacking. The lack of believability and predictable plot twists left me feeling underwhelmed and dissatisfied. While some readers may find enjoyment in its easy-to-read prose and fast-paced narrative, for me, it ultimately fell short of the mark.

3.5 stars
That PLOT TWIST though. (Or should I say multiple plot twists?)

To be completely transparent, this is my first thriller/suspense read, as well as my first Frieda McFadden book, so that might differentiate my review from those of the more ~seasoned~ thriller readers. But from scanning through some other reviews, I don't think I'm alone in my opinions.

The publisher description of the premise of the book is very accurate: six friends lost in the middle of the woods, "struck down mysteriously, one by one."

The writing is easy-to-read, and fast-paced; there is not much thinking power required to get through the book, which is great for someone who was about to fall into a reading slump (like I was). In fact, I finished the book in the span of a few hours split between two days.

At first my review was teetering between a 3 or a 4 star rating, just because I thought I could see a lot of the plot points coming. But I think that was Freida McFadden's intention: lull the reader into a false sense of security only to pull the rug out underneath them at the last second. When the reveal finally happens in the last couple chapters, my jaw actually dropped. Again, maybe more experienced thriller readers would've seen the ending coming, but I highly doubt it. And the more ingenious part was the fact that the plot twists just kept coming, all the way through the epilogue.

For those wanting to find their first easy thriller read, One by One is definitely a great place to start. It's especially good for those who don't care for supernatural elements in plots, like me. But don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean this book won't keep you on edge. Let's just say that I will definitely be avoiding the woods for a while in the foreseeable future.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for sharing this digital e-ARC with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

6 people
6 days
6 person minivan
666 is the number of the devil. And so it begins ...

This was a quick, fun read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Six people start off on what should be an east journey and it ends up anything but. Chapters alternate between Claire and “Anonymous”. Anonymous is the problem, but we don’t yet know who that is. I guessed only part of the end. I thought Claire was a bit whiny, not the sharpest pencil in the box. I found most of the characters likable and one character I wanted to shoot myself. The pace was steady, but started a bit slow. Overall, I liked the book and I’d recommend it if you aren’t looking for a complex, intellectual thriller.

3.5 ⭐️'s
As a huge Freida McFadden fan, I was disappointed in this book. The twist was grand, per usual, but I felt like I was being drug along and didn't get a strong sense of the individual characters.
Anonymous was really a great surprise.

Three couples plan a week at a remote hotel in Northern Colorado. Claire and her husband, Noah, take a break from parenting their 2 children and their distressed home-life. Noah's best friend, Jack, and his workaholic wife, Michelle, attempt to get away from the hectic schedules they have. Lindsay, Claire's best friend, college roommate, and Godmother to her children, brings her boyfriend, Warner, to round out the group.
Tension is high from the start as Claire and Noah have been fighting, driving her to have an affair with Jack. While Jack is unhappily married to his disagreeable, divorce attorney wife no one likes. Lindsay is excited to get away with her new love, feeling like he may just pop the question on this wilderness getaway.
When the van breaks down just a couple miles away from their destination, tragedy and terror are not what's expected as they 6 begin to trek through the unfamiliar remote area trying to get to the hotel.
No one predicts that 6 will not return when the drama unfolds. Friends are not who they seem, loyalty is not where at the core, and the secrets shared are not all forgiven.

First Freida McFadden book I’ve read, and WOW! The last quarter of the book, I could not put it down. It also read pretty quick once you got into the plot. What a plot twist at the end! I honestly was not expecting any part of that, which is hard for me to find in a book. I ended up not knowing who to root for at one point - there are no particularly lovable characters in this book, so although I didn’t feel any which way about each person, I just was itching to know what the heck was happening and who was going to be affected next. I know this is a popular author, so I’ll have to pick up more of her other works and give them a try!

I have read several Freida McFadden books and unfortunately this one was not one of my favourites. I found myself slugging through this one and found the twists predictable. I was craving Freida’s typical blindsiding plot twists, but felt disappointed by this one. I will still read everything she comes out with because I love her easy to read writing!

I absolutely devoured this book, one sitting and done. I loved it.

I did notice that this is an older Freida book that's being re-released, and the page counts are different. I did go back and read the existing version but I found no differences, thank goodness, because this book is perfection.

How much can you trust your friends? Your partner? Yourself? A group of friends sets out on what's supposed to be a romantic vacation that turns deadly as they are picked off, you guessed it- one by one.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am a total sucker for these types of books. This isn't a locked room, but it might as well be because the wilderness begins to feel inescapable. It had me in a chokehold.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the digital ARC. My opinions are my own.

And my opinion is that if you are even the slightest thriller fan, this book is a must.