Wow! I loved this book!
An exceptional mystery thriller that kept me guessing and I did not..It was so suspenseful and at the same time scary.
I enjoyed reading it and would highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Australia for the ARC.

thank you net galley for the arc!

i loved it!

the pacing was perfect - it didn't feel too fast nor too slow.

the multiple relationships took a bit of getting used to at the beginning to keep track of who was who but eventually it was okay and everything flowed without needing to think twice about characters.

i thought i called the ending but i was wrong!
this has been probably the first thriller i can think of where i didn't pick the ending - i had suspicions but i thought differently

this was the first book of hannah's i;ve read and i'm happy to say i'll definitely be going back to read her other work

The suspicious death of a student at the local private school in Thorncombe has everyone in this small village on edge. Frightened and scared, and knowing something sinister has happened so close to home, no one feels safe.

One family in particular is hit hard by this tragedy - Rachel Dean is the school counsellor at the private school the dead girl attended, her ex-husband DS Ben Chase is the policeman investigating the crime, and their daughter Ellie was classmates with the dead student.

One Dark Night is thrilling and atmospheric, dark and disturbing, with a story that draws you in and the suspense continues right until the very end.

I’m a long time reader and lover of Hannah Richell’s books and I’m liking her writing in the crime thriller genre. I’m also thrilled that it builds on her exploring the theme of secrets and lies, and the deep ties that bind families and friends together.

A gripping thriller, One dark night delivers everything that a mystery reader will love – an eerie atmosphere, relatable characters and a very twisty conclusion. There is an old tale about the haunted woods near the small town of Thorncombe, and locals love to relate it to send shivers up tourists’ backs:
He murdered her at the folly on their wedding day, left her body for the crows. They say she haunts the woods now, a girl in a white dress …
The atmosphere engendered by the story of Sally in the woods makes the haunted woods the perfect place for teens from the local private school to party and to scare each other with Ouija boards and ghost stories. But events turn nasty when a girl in a white dress is found at the bottom of the old stone folly, and the police are brought in to investigate. Detective Ben Chase must track down what has happened. Has something gone wrong at the party, or is it a ritual killing with a sinister murderer still at large?
I read One dark night in a couple of sittings, engrossed not only in the twists and turns surrounding the investigation of the murder, but in the family relationships that Richell describes so well. She outlines the trauma of Ben’s divorce from Rachel with feelings of anger and grief dominating. While navigating life in a split family their daughter Ellie is experiencing difficulties fitting into an exclusive private school where Rachel is a counsellor. Meanwhile Ben begins to wonder if Ellie is harbouring secrets about Sarah the dead girl and must decide where his loyalty lies – with the police or with his daughter.
Complex relationships, a school setting, haunted woods and red herrings make One dark night a riveting read which was so engaging that I immediately picked up another of Richell’s stories, The search party.

WOW! I loved this book. It grabbed my attention initially and was hard to put down. There were so many twists and turns. It kept me on my toes. I liked the multiple points of view from Ellie, Ben and Rachel. There was a lot of mystery and I kept changing my mind on who caused the murder. The themes of grief, parent separation and wanting parental attention were explored well. I would have liked to know what happened after the mental health assessment, if there was a jail sentence and how Ben coped with it all. The ending was a little open after the hospital visit, giving some hope for Ben, Rachel and Ellie. I received an ARC copy and am leaving this review voluntarily

'One Dark Night' follows the aftermath of a teen girls murder on Halloween night. A twisty crime thriller that is hard to put down, I had to force myself to go to sleep so I wouldn't crash the next day. I loved the pacing and the writing atmospheric.

The story heavily focuses on grief, the complexities of family life, classism and bullying, among other themes that head into spoiler territory. The author does a great job of mixing the personal lives of the main characters with the murder mystery in a way that easily draws you in.

Richell keeps you guessing the whole way through and I found myself pleasantly surprised that I didn't guess the ending at all.

A dark wood imbued with a haunted tale - teenagers partying on Halloween - not likely to end well. Hannah Richell has created an truly engaging story with several twist and turns before the killer of a teenage girl, a student at a rather exclusive private school, is found.
Thorncombe has a legend that centres around a folly - a place where 'Sally' was killed and now haunts others driving them to their deaths. Does she really have something to do with this young girl's murder.
It was a good read and while I thought I knew whodunnit - Ms Richell quickly changed directions and lead me down several other paths. The cast of characters were strong particularly the central ones of Rachel, the school counselor and her daughter, Ellie, a student at the school as well as her ex Ben, one of the investigating detectives. This is the first book I have read by this author and she certainly has a great understanding of makes an effective mystery thriller. I will certainly seeking out more of her stories.
Thank you NetGalley & Simon & Schuster AU for my ARC to read and review.

One Dark Night was such a fun thriller.
The setting was the perfect amount of spooky and weird. Every character was tied into it well, leaving me questioning everyone. I was entertained throughout the whole book.
Although, the main reveal was just a little underwhelming. I feel like by the time I got to the end, I knew where it was going but that didn't take away from the experience. I think it added to be believability of the story.
All in all, an enjoyable thriller!

I was excited about *One Dark Night* because of its intriguing premise and promise of suspense. The writing was decent, and the atmosphere was well-crafted, but the pacing was too slow for my taste.

I also found it hard to connect with the characters, which made it difficult to stay invested in the story.

While I didn’t finish it, I think readers who enjoy slow-burn, character-driven stories might appreciate it more than I did.

DNF at 56%.

One Dark Night is a suspenseful mystery centered around the tragic death of Sarah, a teenager from an elite private school, who is found dead in the woods after a Halloween party. The story unfolds through multiple perspectives: Detective Ben Chase, who is involved in the investigation; his ex-wife Rachel, a school counselor at the prestigious institution; and their daughter Ellie, a scholarship student at the school. The story also weaves in a range of other characters, including detectives, teachers, and students, making for a busy and layered story.

While I enjoyed the mystery and appreciated its twists, I felt the book could have benefited from a shorter length and a slightly faster pace to keep me engaged. That said, the unexpected ending made it a worthwhile read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

‘One Dark Night’ by Hannah Richel is an enjoyable and absorbing read. It has an eerie feel to it. The location is an elite school that borders a forest with a history of car accidents or near accidents, a decrepit folly (tower), caves (with endangered bats) and, most importantly, ghostly sightings. The book starts with a Halloween party held in the forest by students. The next morning one of the students is found dead. The investigation is led by the father of one of the students, Ellie, who also attended the party. Ellie is the daughter of divorced couple Ben and Rachel. To complicate matters, Rachel is the School Counsellor, while Ben is a detective. There is friction between these main characters. There are plenty of compelling twists. The book held my attention throughout. I liked the contrasting settings of the moody forest next to the elite school. The ending was entirely satisfying.

Thanks NetGalley for a review copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this dark and twisty police procedural thriller! The focus being on three “main” characters with a wider supporting cast helped the story flow and feel tight. A few red herrings got me and I found this novel hard to put down!

One Dark Night is a bit of a sleeper hit. The story starts a little strange, almost like a collection of folklore about 'Sally' the local ghost, and after the quintessential murder mystery is revealed pivots to the sort of drama that appears to focus more of the person lives (dysfunction) of the MCs than the actual crime investigation.

Something that I felt stood out in Richell's work though is that the personal lives and the murder mystery blended together surprisingly well, it wasn't so much a compromise as a perfect mix of elements.

Other strengths include the fast paced prose, and vivid story telling. There is always something to be appreciated about a piece of writing that never feels convoluted or confusing. Other than a raft of characters to keep up with, I never felt lost or unsure just where the characters were.

Probably only one drawback of the story is just erring a little too far into how many POV character there were, it certainly kept the mystery alive, however without a singular MC to root for it did make the story a little academic almost - the mystery was enough to maintain the tension but I never got a sense of satisfaction seeing where any particular character ended up.

Overall in terms of crime thrillers, I'd highly rate this one!

It is Halloween. Teenage pupils from a nearby private school are partying in a wood with the name of Sally in the Wood. They have gathered around a ouija board and are endeavouring to scare themselves witless, hoping for a message from the above named Sally who, legend has it, was a young bride murdered by her husband on their wedding night when he discovered she had been unfaithful to him. Sally is said to drift through the wood in her white wedding gown, appearing at the top of an old, crumbling tower, known locally as the folly.

The following morning a girl guide troop stumble upon the dead body of a girl in a white dress at the foot of the tower. A rather delicious murder mystery story follows. Rachel is a counsellor at the school and she and her daughter, Ellie, live in a cottage in the grounds of the school which Ellie attends as a scholarship pupil. Ben, the detective assigned to be in charge of the investigation, is Rachel’s ex husband. Ben has a new partner but he and Rachel keep in close contact as they co-parent Ellie. Various suspects begin to become apparent but the red herrings are handled very smoothly and I didn’t guess who the culprit was, which is exactly how I like my mystery stories.

I always summarise a book using the present tense, I prefer books to be written in the past tense, but this is just a little niggle in an otherwise most enjoyable novel. I’m going to look out for Hannah Richell’s other books now.

Published by Simon & Schuster

4.5 stars. This was such a page turner! I was gripped from the very first chapter and the way it was written and revealed kept me hooked.
I love a bit of a murder mystery and suspenseful thriller, and this one delivered it amazingly in a fast paced plot. Kept me guess and I still didnt guess right. Very well done indeed. The only thing I was getting annoyed about was the miscommunication trope which just grinded at me especially near the end. Felt it could have been done in another way.
Otherwise near perfect. Thanks so much Netgalley and publisher for an eARC. Definately one for your 2025 TBR.

I really enjoyed this book. It is the tale of the death of a girl in the woods, dressed like the girl in a local fable of ‘Sally in the Woods’. As the story of the night of her death unfolds, suspects are found, and discarded, as the police try to determine the truth. As will happen in a small town, many of the characters are interconnected so that suspects are related to police, to school staff and to students.

This was a cut above the average thriller. It kept me guessing for much of the story, and I found myself changing my mind on the guilty party as I read further. Some elements were a little obvious, but overall I really enjoyed the book. I would recommend Hannah Richelle’s books to thriller lovers. They always entertain.

4.5★s

Thorncombe was a small English village, nestled in the woods where a private school resided and nearby an old stone folly, dangerous for climbers or adventurous spirits. The night of Halloween saw many youngsters sneak away from their homes to attend the party in the woods, where costumes were worn and jokes were played on the unsuspecting. But it was a small group of girl guides the following day who came across the body of the girl in white, her body arranged to look as though she was sleeping. Who had laid her out to look like Sally, the ghost of the woods?

Detective Ben Chase was on the scene, along with his boss, DCI Khan and forensics. But when the girl was identified as a student at the school, where Ben's daughter Ellie went, along with his wife Rachel who was a councillor, suddenly things became too close to home. Ellie was taken to the police station for questioning - Ben was taken off the case as he was too close to it. Would they discover the killer? The students were frightened; too scared to move around outside - and there were those with secrets...

One Dark Night is another exceptional thriller by Aussie author Hannah Richell which I really enjoyed. Eerie and spooky, the woods and Halloween were a good mix. The old tale of the ghost of the woods blended through to scare everyone more, while in my mind, there were suspects everywhere!! I didn't solve the mystery though... Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley & Simon & Schuster AU for my digital ARC to read and review.

A murder mystery, One Dark Night (2025) by Hannah Richell takes place in the small English town of Thorncombe. Locals believe the woodlands are haunted and are mortified when a teenage girl is murdered at a Halloween party in the old stone folly. The narrative is told by various characters as the town, its secrets and the local teenager's dubious behaviour raise questions. As Detective Ben Chase investigates the murder, he is concerned about his teenage daughter’s safety and the various hidden secrets. A whodunnit with an eerie gothic feel, with the usual surprise reveal and twists makes this an enjoyable three and a half star read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement. With thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes.

Wow this was a real page turner from the very first page.
Lots of twists and red herrings. Just how I love a book to be.
Thanks to Netgalley for an advance Ebook of Hannah Richells latest suspenseful offering.
The description of the folly in this tale was amazing and it felt like I was there with the victims and the protagonists.
I definitely recommend adding this one to you tbr pile for 2025.

‘A body in the woods, Margaret had told her.’

The woods near the small town of Thorncombe are said to be haunted, by a girl in a white dress murdered on her wedding day. It is said that she lures people to their deaths. Everyone knows the story, and (of course) the woods provide the perfect setting for a Halloween party staged by teenagers, many of whom are students at a nearby exclusive school. The next morning, the discovery of the carefully arranged body of a girl dressed in white, throws the small community into turmoil. What happened to the girl? Who is responsible for her death?

The police investigation is hampered by the unwillingness of the teenagers present to share the information they have. This becomes particularly important for Detective Ben Chase whose daughter attends the school and whose estranged wife is a teacher there.

I won’t venture into spoiler territory. Suffice to say that Ms Richell introduces several red herrings, and there is no shortage of questionable characters who might just be involved. No, I did not work it out before the reveal, and yet I was not surprised. Why? Because Ms Richell draws the various parts of the story together brilliantly.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith