I’m biased but I LOVE this author. Thank you yet again for another fab novel! I devoured this during a well needed break from all things humdrum!

As with most of Freida's books, One by One kept me on my toes with every turn of the page. There were quite a few twists that I did NOT see coming. While the one character I suspected was correct, there were plenty of surprises that left me mind blown!

If you like thrillers that leave you in suspense, snag this one today!

3.5 Stars.

This is my introduction to Freida and I definitely want to read more. If you’re looking for something bingable, this is perfect. It just didn’t stand out or blow me away outside of that.


Thank you to netgalley, the author, and poisoned pen press for the arc.

One By One

By Freida McFadden

Claire is at the end of her rope when it comes to her marriage. Her and her husband Noah haven't loved each other for years and each day is just a haze of arguments and insults. Will a week away from home with just Noah and four friends help? Or after their van breaks down in the woods on the wait to their inn will things just get worse? Or maybe even... deadly?

Do you enjoy wilderness survival horror and murder mysteries? This is a great choice to scratch that itch. With a mixture of a little bit of horror/thriller and a lot of murder mystery, I had a really fun time reading this book. I really enjoy figuring out who did what in these types of books and Freida McFadden did an excellent job of keeping me guessing until the very end.

There were parts of the book that I felt were not very plausible and this temporarily disappointed me, however all but one of those parts were explained and/or justified by the end of the book. Once Claire, Noah, and their friends leave for their vacation the book really gets moving, and once the first death occurs, the pacing of the book doesn't let up and flows very well. It will keep you wondering who or what is stalking the party and who will be the next to die. At less than three hundred pages, this is a quick read and the only thing that kept me from finishing it in one sitting was having to go on a trip of my own. Luckily nobody has died... so far.

Though I can't say I was a fan of any of the characters (as human beings), I could relate to most of them and this helped me sink deeper into the woods with them. McFadden does an excellent job of explaining motivations.

As I write this, I keep going back to how much enjoyment I had with trying to figure out who or what was doing the killing. At one point I had it figured out but then moved on to other theories and, though I pride myself on being able to figure these books out, I didn't stick with the correct theory and only got half right with my final guesses before the big questions were answered. I really enjoyed that McFadden left enough in the book for the reader to be able to figure things out if they really looked and tried. I enjoy Agatha Christie books but one thing that drives me nuts is when the solution is discovered outside of the book and there was no way for the reader (ME!) to figure everything out. As I've said, that was not the case with this book.

Would I recommend the book to friends and family? Absolutely, and I already have recommended a couple people to keep an eye out for it when it releases April 2, 2024. You should put this on your too read list.

Wow! Freida McFadden has done it again. From the minute the mini-van that is taking a supposed collection of friends on a much-needed vacation, breaks down, the suspense begins.
That tension certainly doesn't let up as members of that group begin to disappear and turn up dead. Perhaps the ending was too neatly tied up, but, overall, it was a fast-paced fun who-done it.

“I can tell you my secret right now: At the end of this week, only one of us will make it home alive.”
4★

This fast-paced suspense/thriller by Frieda McFadden had me completely emerged in the story. I could really imagine being stranded in the forest and I felt the fear that the main character described. This book was full of twists and I never knew who to trust, including the narrator.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes this genre/Freida McFadden. Her books have been my gateway into suspense books and I always love how the pieces fall together.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this arc!

Yowzer! This was one creepy and twisted thriller that had me guessing until the end. Claire and Noah both have secrets. Now, they are going away with friends for a secluded get away in the woods. They keep seeing claw marks on trees, hear howling sounds and are lost in the woods with no cell phone service, food or water. This description alone made me worried about what was going to happen next and thankful to be reading in daylight.

Claire isn't sure who to trust. They started out as six people but one by one they are disappearing from the group and dying.

The killer shocked me and that is why I love Freida books as there will always be a twist you don't know is coming to surprise you. I enjoy the fast pace and bizarre childhood that formed a killer.

Claire goes on a week long getaway with her husband and 2 other couples. They start getting killed off one by one and she notices someone is hunting them. Most of he chapters are written from her POV, while others are from an "anonymous" person, week turns out to be the murderer.

This whodunit had me guessing until the end. Can't wait to read more of Freida McFadden's books.

This is the first novel I have read by Freida McFadden and it certainly won't be the last. For me, personally, there is something so incredibly frightening and eery about being lost in the woods, especially at night. It's always been a huge fear of mine although I've no idea why. Probably all of the horror movies and books I watched and read when I was far too young. Nevertheless, this story absolutely bought my fear to life for me, and Freida McFadden did an excellent job of placing me right there in those woods alongside Claire and the gang.


One by One by Freida McFadden opens with an insight into Claire and husband Noah's marriage, and it becomes clear pretty quickly that all is not well between the two. There is talk of secrets almost immediately, which sets a very intriguing tone and it kept me on the look-out for clues as to what could be happening here. It also was not a great basis for Claire and her husband to be heading out on a trip together with their friends, so I was very interested to see how this relationship was going to play out with an audience. There was a lot of angst and frustration simmering between Clair and Noah, and it certainly seemed like things were only going to get worse as their trip progressed.


Once the group have met up, they set out on their adventure and head to their destination. Except, before they arrive, their vehicle breaks down and they are left to walk the rest of the way. With the help of a compass and a map, the group head into the woods, sure that their hotel isn't too far to go.


Honestly, this would be my absolute worst nightmare. Woods hold a certain level of 'the unknown' that unsettles me because you have no idea of what's nestled within. This is where the novel really picked up its pace for me, and the nervous energy I'd already gained from the tension between Claire and Noah only seemed to intensify, because very quickly, things start to go wrong for the group of adults, when they realise that they are, in fact, lost.


From here, it's a crazy game of cat and mouse, it seems. Members of the group begin to go missing, maps aren't being read properly, and it appears they are going round in circles. Not only that, but claw marks found on tree trunks point towards something even more sinister and dangerous following the group as they trek through the thick forest in hopes of finding a safe space.


This was a nerve-wracking read, to say the least. The setting was excellent, the tension was unbearable and progression of the plot had me tearing through this book as though my own life depended on it. It was punchy, pacy and full of deceit, which had me guessing and guessing again. Such an enjoyable novel and I can't wait to read more from Freida McFadden.


With thanks to the publisher for an advanced reading copy.

"One by One" by Freida McFadden is a gripping thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. With its tense atmosphere, relentless pacing, and shocking twists, this book is a must-read for fans of suspenseful fiction.

From the very first page, McFadden hooks you in with a premise that is equal parts intriguing and chilling. The story follows Claire Matchett and her friends as they embark on what should have been a relaxing getaway in the woods, only to find themselves stranded and hunted by an unknown assailant. As the group is picked off one by one, the tension mounts, and the sense of dread becomes palpable.

What sets "One by One" apart is McFadden's skillful execution of the suspense genre. The pacing is relentless, with each chapter ending on a cliffhanger that leaves you eager to turn the page. The remote woodland setting adds to the atmosphere of isolation and danger, while the escalating sense of paranoia keeps you guessing until the very end.

But perhaps the most compelling aspect of the novel is its exploration of betrayal and survival. As the characters grapple with their own demons and suspicions, McFadden delves into the complexities of human nature, revealing the dark depths to which people will go when pushed to the brink. The dynamics between the characters are tense and fraught with tension, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the narrative.

Overall, "One by One" is a masterfully crafted thriller that will leave you breathless and questioning everything you thought you knew. With its compelling characters, pulse-pounding plot, and spine-tingling suspense, it's a book that demands to be read in one sitting. So buckle up, brace yourself for a wild ride, and prepare to be utterly gripped by Freida McFadden's latest masterpiece.

I’m not a huge fan of ‘closed room murder mysteries’ as usually there are such a limited cast of players and this book was no exception in having only six characters. However I did enjoy the depth we got to know Claire, the main narrator, along with Anonymous who isn’t revealed until the end but is obviously what keeps us, the readers intrigued. This is an easy book to read, in fact I read it in one afternoon, but there has been some care put in by the author to make the situation real and credible. 3.5 stars upgraded to 4 because I respect the author.

This is such a good book that I powered through very quickly! Six people load up in Claire's minivan and take off for parts unknown in order to stay at a swanky resort they've heard about. But the further they travel, they quickly realize they are lost in a dense forest and even the hand-drawn map and compass seem to be no help. Alternating in time between the present trip and the past, where we meet an anonymous kid called "Sport," the novel connects the animosity the youngster has toward parents and the frightening events happening on the trip. Creepy and foreboding, the book details the couples' descent into events that would make most of us scream. I love McFadden's works and this is one of her best!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Wow! Once again Freida McFadden does not disappoint. One By One checks all the boxes. This is definitely my new favourite of her books! Right off I was all in. I flew through the short, fast paced chapters. I thought I knew how things were playing out, as the story twisted on, only to be totally blown away but the Epilogue. This is a must read!
Thank You to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and author, Freida McFadden, for the opportunity to fly through/read and thoroughly enjoy this ARC.

I inhaled this novel in the course of a couple sittings, and it was exactly what I was looking for in a "which one of these people is the traitor" type read. Claire and her husband Noah are headed off for a vacation out of town with 2 other couples. All 6 of the characters share a lot of history together--some of it good and some of it bad. All of the characters are flawed in different ways, and they all harbor at least some animosity towards another person in the group.

I liked how quickly the action escalated once Claire's van broke down on the way to the hotel, and I feel like it was balanced well with some entries from an anonymous viewpoint. I truly suspected each and every one of the characters.

This book didn't pull me too far inside my own head as far as the psychological aspect of the thrill, but it kept me glued to my Kindle until the very end.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.
#netgalley

“One by One” is a mystery/thriller by Freida McFadden. In this book the reader follows two narrators - Anonymous and Claire. Anonymous ties a lot of what’s happening in the book to their own upbringing - which I found an interesting take. Anonymous is also very very angry at seemingly everything. Claire came across as someone not always the brightest crayon in the box and also very much moved by “herd mentality.” This book held my attention, but I cannot say that it was necessarily gripping. There are a few plot holes that seem overall minor but really bugged me - such as was one character killed because she was “cold” and no other reason? There were a lot of repeated descriptions - Michelle was cold, Claire loved her kids, and one character’s good looks - and I think the reason why the murders happened was a lot weak, but I did read this in a day so there is that. I don’t think this was Ms. McFadden’s best book (have any of the non-killer characters ever set foot outside of the city - including the Boy Scout?) but it was an interesting idea. Rounded up to 4 stars.

Claire, her husband, her best friend Lindsay and her new boyfriend Warner, and then her husband’s best friend Jack and his wife Michelle all go on a trip to a cabin. On the way, their van stops working and so they all have to rely on a map and compass to get them to their destination. However, one person vanishes like every day. The cabin wasn’t supposed to be far, but it seems like they are going in circles. What happened to some of them? Who is Warner really? Who can Claire trust?

I found it to be kind of slow, but I did enjoy the full story. You don’t really get much of the twist until like the last few chapters. The epilogue was also jaw dropping too. We do figure out why and who and then in the epilogue you kind of wonder what Claire’s husband had in store but then we hear from the killer what happened too. That was shocking and I enjoyed that part even more than finding out who the anonymous person was.

this one was not my favorite of this author.

it’s fast paced and an easy read and thriller brain fluff if that’s what you are looking for but it got repetitive which made the suspense lackluster.

the ending was anticlimactic but still read this whole thing in a few hours so that counts for something.

Thrilling all the way through! Very bingeable read... diabolical and twisty! Not my favorite Freida McFadden book, but still so addicting and suspenseful. Thank you to Poisoned Press and FM for the copy.

Another great Freida McFadden book. I know this is a re-release, but I have never read it before. I am so glad I was gifted a copy to read! I was able to read this one in one day! It was such an easy read and never a lag in the action. I enjoyed reading the anonymous chapters ti try to figure out who or what was hunting this group of friends or are they truly friends??? Just when you think you have everything figured out, Ms McFadden gives you a little twist. I will definitely be recommending this novel for my customers.

While the twist definitely caught me off guard the rest of the book was a little underwhelming compared to some of Frieda's other work. It's my understanding that this is a republish of an earlier work so that may be why. I still enjoyed it and was intrigued by who could be killing everyone. I can't give a half star but it was a 3.5 star read for me .