This one gave me all the creepy feels when a group of friends get lost in the woods on their way to a hiking vacation. As usual McFadden delivers the twist and turns and the surprises, especially at the end. I've come to look forward to the extra twist at the ends of her books.

“One by One” is only the second Freida McFadden book I’ve read. The first one was unimpressive, but this one kept me glued to my kindle from the first titillating paragraph until the final twisty ending. Three couples go away for a week’s vacation to a remote luxury inn, but as we know from the narrator at the outset, only one will make it home alive. Thus begins our journey wondering who the “anonymous” narrator is and how will everyone else die. Claire and Noah are an emotional estranged married couple who are constantly bickering as Claire wonders how she came to hate her husband. Jack, is Noah’s best friend and is married to Michelle, an uptight divorce lawyer. The final couple is Claire’s best friend, Lindsay and her new boyfriend, Warner. One by one, secrets are uncovered and people go missing.

This was a very easy-to-read novel and kept me captivated to the point that I read it in one sitting. I do wish that we knew a little more about the character’s character as we went along. For example, who was Michelle and why was she the way she was? The same for Noah. I wanted to feel more like O knew who they were. For that reason, I am giving this a 4 star rating, but still, a fun read and definitely recommended. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

One By One by Freida McFadden
4*

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a digital copy of this ARC!

Claire and her husband have booked a week at a luxury inn in the woods, with two other couples. On the way there, Claire's minivan breaks down, and the group decides to head to the inn on foot. What should have only been a 2-mile trip ends up taking longer than expected, and Claire's friends start to go down, one by one.

My thoughts:
Okay, I know what you're thinking. 3 couples, 6 friends, at a cabin in the woods? And they keep dying one by one in a "locked room" mystery? That's what I was expecting... but I was happily surprised!

First of all, in those types of books, I often finding myself mixing up who is married to who, how they're all friends, which character is which, etc. This was written really well that I was NEVER confused about the characters or their interpersonal relationships. Maybe it was the single POV of Claire, or just the fact that it was well-written.

Freida McFadden never fails to deliver a heart-pounding thriller that is easy to devour in a day or two. While this wasn't my favourite of hers, it was still a really intriguing thriller with an interesting premise. Don't miss this one when it releases April 2!

I'm a big Freida McFadden fan, but this one was not my favorite, or even close to it. The adults were a hodgepodge mix of people that didn't seem to want to spend a week together, and their tensions quickly set up the story as juvenile since these 30-somethings were all struggling with themselves.

The story didn't add much mystery/tension/intrigue. Remote woods. No one else around. Clearly you can start to figure out the killer prettttttty quickly, and if you've read any other books of Freida's, then the "twist" is obvious pretty early on. Reading several hundred pages about the same 2-3-4 characters walking gets mundane quickly, so by the time the ending happens, it's well past time.

All that aside, I am still a fan of Freida's writing style, her focus on quick thrillers, and her attempts to utilize epilogues to throw just one more twist into the mix- and I'll continue to read whatever she puts out!

Overall: 2 stars (It was ok)

I'll tell my students about: language, violence/gore/murder, poison, trauma,

**Thank you to NetGalley &Poisoned Pen Press for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Synopsis: Claire and Noah's marriage is quickly falling apart. Claire Hatchett hopes that this much-needed break from their children's work will allow them to repair their marriage. A week-long cabin trip with their good group of friends; going hiking, fishing, and relaxing in a hot tub. A relaxing trip quickly turns deadly after Claire's Mini Van breaks down, leaving them stranded on a dirt road without cell service. With no choice but to walk the rest of the way, the group attempts to navigate the woods. As they get deeper into the woods, each member of their party is struck down one by one. As time passes, it's clear only one of them will return home alive.

The twist at the end was somewhat surprising because we didn't get much background. The suspect was my first initial guess, but I couldn't determine what the motive would have been. While the plot was interesting, as each group member started to go down, there was no suspense. Each person started to go missing with no clue of what happened to them except claw marks. There were rarely animal sounds and no evidence that an animal was near. I only kept reading to see who the killer was. It was interesting enough to keep my attention but fell short in the thriller department. What I did enjoy was the characters. The characters were well developed and relatable.

Thank you to Netgalley and Posionened Pen Press for the opportunity to review this book.

I absolutely love Freida McFadden so I was super excited for this one. I definitely wasn't disappointed; this book had me totally hooked and really flew by. The two POVs kept things interesting although the twists were a bit more predictable than McFadden's other stories. Still, I read it in a couple of days and would recommend it to others who love mysteries and thrillers.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

A group of friends plan a relaxing vacation in a secluded inn. On the way there, the mini van breaks down and they decide to walk the 'short distance' through the woods to the inn to get help.

Then they are lost. Lost and one by one people in their group start disappearing. Who is hunting them? Or what is hunting them? That's the question main character, Claire wants to find out. Will be be next?

I'm going on a bit of a Freida McFadden streak on accident here! Which really isn't a problem because McFadden is a queen of those quick, suspense thrillers. She isn't quite at the level of Harlan Corbin, but I think that could be a good comparison in the future as her writing improves with experience and time. As a reader, I can pick up one of her books, know I can finish in a few hours and know I'll be possibly shocked at the end. I sound a bit like a broken record here, but she write books like a good thrilling Netflix movie. It won't last for years to come, but you would have enjoyed the ride.

This story, based in the woods, creeped me out a bit more than her past novels. I would not recommend reading this while camping or outdoors. She got a bit under my skin and set up her scenes well.

There was a bit more repetitiveness in this story more often than previous McFadden novels. I get the she was trying to build up suspense, but there are only so many times you can mention how Claire is cold, we hate Noah, Meredith is annoying and Warden is so hot. The actual nitty gritty of the characters is glossed over, which I think is fine. We don't need to get too connected with the characters.

I'm not sure if constantly having Claire mention how much she love her kids was an angle to make me like Claire more? It didn't work. I didn't like Claire. I also loved that I didn't like Claire. I didn't like any of the characters actually, but it didn't ruin the book for me. It kind of made me excited to see who would die next or how they would die... I mean, the title is giving away a bit of the plot line ... you know the character are going 'away' one by one.

My last point that possibly 'hurt' my rating for this book... I swear, I just watched this movie. It wasn't an original enough story. Yet, neither are most of the slasher movies and we still watch those. So take the comment with whatever amount of grains of salt you wish.

Overall, McFadden got under my skin in this creepy, lost in the woods thriller. Well done.

***Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press, NetGalley and of course, Freida McFadden, for a  copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Publishing on April 02, 2024.

Amazon Link One By One By: Freida McFadden

Have you found McFadden's pattern yet? Does that deter you from reading more of her stories? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

This book had me addicted and I read it in a day. Freida McFadden's writing is not just addictive but it's also so easily digestible. It flows so nicely... just very conversational and easy. I did not think this thriller did anything crazy and wild but I was really entertained the entire way. I thought the very last twist was a bit silly but might as well just throw it in there. LOL. Freida has these popcorn thrillers down to a science!

3 couples embark on their annual vacation, but this time not everyone returns home. Every person on the trip has a secret they are keeping and when people start dying/disappearing one by one, everyone starts wondering who they can trust.

The best thing about this author is how fast-paced her books are. I read the entire book in one sitting without ever putting it down. My least favorite things about her books is usually the big twist endings, and this book was no different. While I did not see the twist coming, I was disappointed by it and it felt entirely out of left field. The killer's motives were especially ridiculous to me. That said, I will continue to read this author because I find the first 70% of her books enjoyable.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 out of 5*s
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I found this Freida read fairly predictable. There were a few parts that were surprising but I mostly had it all figured out. Of course when you read so many books by Freida, I guess beginning to figure them out is inevitable. Regardless, I really enjoyed this book & flew through it in just a few days. There weren't any parts that got dry or lagged & I was engaged in it all the way through. Id definitely recommend this book to others!

We start the story with 3 couples: Claire & Noah who are having marital problems, Lindsey & Warren who are newly dating, and Jack & Michelle who are also having martial problems. This is a close group of friends who have been involved in each others lives for years and their lives have become intertwined. The couples go on a camping trip, but things quickly go wrong and one by one members of the group disappear. This is a classic Freida McFadden story in which she throws misdirection and keeps you guessing on who the killer is then there is a final twist. It's a perfect story of relationships, family, and death.

Soon, after I started reading I understood where the author was taking me, due to the title of the book. Did this discourage me and did I want to put the book away? Of course not. I wanted to find out more. I wanted to know every detail about the who, why and how. 

Did I have any suspects on my radar? I sure did. Was I right about them? Well, yes and no. This is a strange answer I hear you say and you are correct about that. If you want to find out what I mean, there is only one thing for you to do: read the book and I think you will like it too.

Was there still some doubt left in our main character's head? Yes, there was. They author kindly explained everything to us. For Claire though, it's a different matter.

I started it yesterday and if I had not had to do some chores, I would have finished in one go. On the other hand, now I still had a few chapters left to enjoy today.

A book by this author equals a good book. No, that's not entirely correct. It equals an amazing book and this means a 5 star rating. 

Thank you

4/5!!

The Queen of twisty thrillers is back at it again! I loved this one. Specifically the dual POV perspective. Trying to figure out who the anonymous narrator was kept me on my toes. I finished this one quickly and just like Freida’s other novels, it didn’t disappoint!

Although I read this book in a few hours, I am unsure as to whether or not I enjoyed it. I found the characters unlikeable but maybe that was the point. I don’t think there was enough story development and there were a lot of parts that were quite unrealistic. I I didn’t find the reasoning behind the book matched the level of drama. That being said. It was a quick read and mostly entertaining. 4 stars.

One by One by Frieda McFadden is a gripping thriller that follows a group of six friends on a trip for some relaxation. However, their plans take a sinister turn when their van breaks down, leaving them stranded without cell service. Forced to hike to their hotel, they encounter deceit, murder, and a series of unexpected plot twists that keep readers on the edge of their seats. Just when you think you have it all figured out, McFadden throws in another twist that leaves you reeling. It's a thrilling ride from start to finish, perfect for fans of suspenseful storytelling.

Freida McFadden's latest, One by One, is a thriller that will grab you right away and have you not wanting to put it down. 6 adults leave for a vacation in a remote area and things do not go as planned. A lot can happen in a few days and does! Who will survive this latest adventure? You may guess correctly, but don't count on it!
Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

I am a "Freida Read-a' for life. Anytime I get to pick up a new title by Freida McFadden I know I am in for a treat. "One by One" is the perfect mystery-thriller binge with a vacation, serial-killer, and true McFadden twists.

One by one they all fall down. It was an interesting concept however it lacked true depth. The book was very cheesy and immature in parts. Like honestly how did they not figure it out? They wander aimlessly for days and no one thinks to question the others or sit down and strategize. It was very unrealistic.

The first rule of Freida is no, you haven’t figured it out half way through! This one had me guessing throughout the entire book!

Thank you Netgalley, Freida McFadden and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC

I have become a huge fan of Freida McFadden. Her books are always on point and keep me on the edge of my seat. If you are looking for a twister I highly recommend this one.!!