This is a fast moving mystery that kept me guessing til the end. Hannah Richell is becoming one of my go to authors. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

The chills I got from reading this book was insane. The first 3 chapters sold me on continuing my reading, my heart was pounding since it opened up with a scary story around a campfire fire and a dark Halloween night. I would say One Dark Night was very suspenseful and I was not expecting that plot twist at the end. Told in multiple pov on what happened Halloween night, readers will be enthralled with the storyline and plot. All the povs really integrated and were all interesting and important to what happened that night. .

I would definitely recommend this book to mystery thrillers fans who love to be kept at the edge of their seats and love a good Halloween story.

Sadly, I spent the first half of this book thinking that it couldn't really be that obvious and lame. I was so wrong and never saw it coming. Well done! Rachel is the counselor at the boarding school that Ellie, her daughter attends. A student, Sarah, is found murdered in the woods following a party. Ellie was at that party. Ben is a detective and also Rachel's ex and Ellie's father. Ben is also living with his pregnant girlfriend. Lots of messed up dynamics there! Well, who killed Sarah? Everyone at the party is lying and there are also faculty and admin suspects. I enjoyed this dark, twisty, atmospheric tale. Perfect Halloween read!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Hannah Richell and Atria books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other retail and social media sites upon publication day of August 19, 2025.

One Dark Night focuses on the gruesome murder of a teenage girl after a Halloween party out in the woods.

The story is told from the perspectives of Rachel, school counselor, Ben, police officer, and Rachel's ex-husband and their daughter Ellie.

I thought I had the whole plot put together and was a little disappointed. However, the plot twist came through. I was 100% WRONG

Great murdery mystery, suspense thriller
4.0☆

First, a huge thank you for this ARC. It's an honor and privilege to be an ARC reviewer.

This book is a dark story about a body of a teenager found the day after Halloween. Detective Inspector Ben, and his team have to unravel all of the sordid lies that have been told by all of the suspects, including his own daughter's. Did his daughter, Ellie do it? She tossed bloody clothes. Was it the older boys who showed up to a party? Was it the strangers in the woods? The ending is built up nicely and executed flawlessly. A twist you won't see coming.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good thriller. A new to me author, and one that I've given 5 stars to!

One Dark Night is an atmospheric, spine-chilling thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat with every twist and turn. The blending of psychological suspense with supernatural folklore creates a haunting tension, and it is brilliantly written. I couldn’t put it down.

This was a fantastic quick read with the right amount of twists. Some that were an easy hunch, but definitely on ENORMOUS twist that blindsided amd delighted me all at the same time.

I enjoyed the family dynamics in the book. Books with "perfect" families always are more difficult for me to relate to. The dysfunction made the characters more likable, and a couple just down right despicable.

The side of student life was represented well also. The things kids face these days are dramatic and sometimes scarring, but also resilient.

This did take me a minute to get into, just because there was a lot going on right from the beginning and it felt like I had to catch up to what was happening. Once the story got going, it kept me guessing who did what till the end.

This book was spooky and it hard to figure out who the “bad” guy was. It was a little over descriptive for me, I ended up skimming multiple paragraphs just because of all the descriptions. Good ending though, really tied it all together!

Thank you for the ARC!

One Dark Night starts with a bang when a teenager is found dead in the woods—woods rumored to be haunted by a ghost from the past. Hannah Richell does a brilliant job weaving together local legends, family drama, and teenage secrets. Guidance counselor Rachel struggles to protect her distant daughter, Ellie, while her ex-husband Ben investigates the crime. Everything’s tense, messy, and fascinating, and the mystery just gets creepier as it goes. If you’re in the mood for a haunting thriller that keeps you on your toes, this one definitely delivers.

*Book Review: “One Dark Night” by Hannah Richell*

Hannah Richell delivers a compelling and twist-filled story in “One Dark Night” a novel that hooks you early and keeps you turning the pages well into the night. This isn’t just a mystery—it’s an exploration of relationships, hidden truths, and the fragile connections that bind people together.

From the start, Richell introduces a web of suspects, each with motives, secrets, and enough complexity to keep you second-guessing. Just when you think you’ve pieced it all together, she pulls the rug out from under you. The final twist is genuinely unexpected—the kind of reveal that makes you want to go back and reread earlier chapters to catch all the subtle clues you missed.

What really sets this book apart, though, is how Richell balances the intrigue of the plot with beautifully crafted, fully realized characters. These aren’t cardboard cutouts designed to move the story along—they’re messy, flawed, and achingly real. You feel their pain, their fear, and their hope, which makes the stakes feel personal and the story even more gripping.

“One Dark Night” is more than just a mystery; it’s a story with heart. Richell knows how to keep readers guessing, but she also knows how to make them care and feel empathy for characters. Hannah Richell proves yet again that she’s a writer worth watching


4.25/5 Stars!

A masterful chiller that I could not put down. This is an author who is adept at creating imagery that keeps you reading into the wee hours. I am a fan and will read her other works. Highly recommend.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Set against the eerie backdrop of a small English village, “One Dark Night” by Hannah Richell is a gripping thriller filled with secrets, lies, and tragedy. Combining a chilling murder mystery with family drama and a hint of folklore, the book keeps you guessing until the very end.

The story unfolds in Thorncombe, a quiet village overshadowed by a sinister woods known as "Sally in the Wood." According to local legend, Sally was murdered there long ago, and her spirit still haunts the area. On Halloween night, students from a nearby private school hold a party in the woods. The next morning, the body of a teenage girl, Sarah, is discovered, eerily arranged as if she’s sleeping — a scene reminiscent of Sally’s tragic tale.

The book alternates between three main perspectives: Ben, a detective assigned to the case who is soon removed due to personal connections; Rachel, a school counselor and Ben’s estranged wife; and Ellie, their teenage daughter, who becomes a suspect. This structure allows for a nuanced exploration of the characters’ emotions and relationships, though the cast of characters was a bit overwhelming at times as different people and events were introduced with each change in perspective. It was sometimes difficult to keep track of all the different twists and red herrings.

Richell masterfully builds tension through the secrets held by both the teenagers and adults in the village. From Ellie’s defiance and grief over her parents’ separation to Sarah’s mysterious personal life and the questionable behavior of a male art teacher, the story is rife with red herrings and unexpected twists. While some revelations—such as a twist involving Ben’s sister or a subplot with a teacher—feel implausible or unnecessary, the major twist about the killer’s identity is both shocking and satisfying.

The atmospheric setting is a standout feature, with the haunted woods providing a sense of foreboding that permeates the narrative. However, the incorporation of the “Sally in the Wood” folktale feels underutilized, serving more as a gimmick than a central plot element. I wanted more of this supernatural element and fear this story provided to the different characters.

Despite a slow start, the pacing accelerates as the story progresses, culminating in a fast-paced and engaging finale. Richell ties together the various threads of the mystery with a resolution that, while slightly cliché, is satisfying. Overall, the suspense is well-crafted and the atmospheric setting enhances the eerie tone. “One Dark Night” is an engaging thriller that offers enough twists and an eerie atmosphere to satisfy fans of crime and mystery. It’s a quick and absorbing read, ideal for those who enjoy complex whodunits.

What a twisty winding tale! Enjoyed how the chapters are broken down and how they went in chronological order. It took me a bit to get familiar with all the characters and remember them but by the end they all came together beautifully. The book kept me changing my theories with each chapter and even then i was not expenting the end!

The legend tells of a man who murdered his wife on their wedding day. Now she haunts the woods, flitting around in her white dress.

After an unauthorized party by the quarry near the folly in Thorncombe, a girl wearing a torn white dress is found dead at the base of the folly.

Det. Chase is on the case. For a bit. Until his own daughter becomes a suspect.

These kids were typical teenagers. They all lied. They all had secrets and some may get them killed.

This was a twisty one and had quite a lot of red herrings, which I love. A ghost story and a murder and a folly? I’m there.


NetGalley/ Atria August 19, 2025

Sally in the Wood, based off a true place in the UK but working with creative liberties, is an ominous bend in a small town near Bath. One Halloween night, a girl is murdered but word won’t spread until the morning. The book takes place all within a week, with each chapter bringing a day and timestamp. I thought I knew who the killer was, but at the last second I was thrown for a loop. A good one, too.

I disliked about all of the characters except the killer, but I want to go easy on Ellie because I was a teenage girl once with newly divorced parents who didn’t get along….that being said, I also felt the writing was pretty juvenile at times. There’s one instance where Ellie’s father and policeman, Ben, is having a heated discussion with Sarah’s father and Ben refers to the two men as “alpha males,” and if you all know me, knows that puts a sour taste in my mouth. I’m not familiar with police procedure in the UK, although I feel like I should since half the books I read are from British authors, but sometimes it felt very unrealistic and borderline police harassment…… That being said, having a book full of characters I don’t like doesn’t turn me off because I looooooove when I hate main characters in a book. It adds spice!! Despite that, I still really enjoyed this book!

In accordance with FTC guidelines, please note that this ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book I’ve enjoyed by Hannah Richell. The book starts off with the murder of a teen student at a local boarding school. One of the detectives investigating the murder also has a daughter in the same class as the murdered girls. The character development is good and comes from different points of view. The story delves into the family life of the detective and his ex wife and of other students involved. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes crime novels and great characters.

This novel is a captivating blend of a ghost story and a real-life murder mystery, set against the backdrop of Folly View College. The chilling narrative is sure to send shivers down your spine and keep you out of the woods forever! One of the standout features of this book is the depth of its characters, making it easy for readers to form connections with them. I found myself deeply invested in the personal struggles of Ellie and her parents, which added an emotional depth to the eerie atmosphere. The plot is filled with twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end. The unexpected conclusion caught me off guard, but it was immensely satisfying. The incorporation of rumors, superstitions, and the mysterious caves where the homeless often camp adds layers of complexity and intrigue.

3.75 ⭐

Hannah Richell's One Dark Night weaves a tale of suspense, secrets, and emotional depth. This was my first time reading Richell's work, and her ability to craft a vivid, atmospheric setting immediately drew me in. The tension builds slowly, revealing layers of complex characters whose lives are irrevocably altered by a single, fateful night.

While the story’s premise was gripping, I found the pacing uneven at times, with some sections dragging while others were packed with intense drama. The character development was a mixed bag; while certain characters felt multi-dimensional and relatable, others lacked the depth needed to make their actions fully convincing.

Richell’s prose is undoubtedly beautiful, but it sometimes overshadowed the plot, making it harder to stay fully engaged in the narrative. That said, the themes of grief, betrayal, and redemption were explored with sensitivity, leaving a lingering impact.

Overall, One Dark Night is an intriguing read with compelling moments, but it didn’t entirely meet its potential. I’d still recommend it to fans of atmospheric, character-driven novels and look forward to exploring more of Richell’s work in the future.

One Dark Night, by Hannah Richell is a novel worth reading! It flows well, has a great plot and keeps the reader engaged and pondering who the real killer is right up until the very end!

As urban legend would have it, there is a certain part of the woods surrounding a small British community and an elite private school that is said to be haunted by Sally in the Woods. Close to the school there is a folly, a tall stone tower, where the students from the school gather to have parties. The folly is full of folktales of murder and ghosts. Sally was said to have lost her life near the folly and is believed to roam the woods in a long white dress. On Halloween, a group of students dressed up in costume and proceeded to the folly to party. Unfortunately, for one young girl, who dressed as Sally in the Wood, she lost her life in a most horrible fashion.

Enter Detective Ben Chase. To Ben it’s obvious that the victim didn’t jump from the folly tower as she is laid out in a serene position that someone has obviously taken great care to put her in. To Ben this is not just any case, his daughter Ellie attends the school and his ex-wife is the school psychologist. He certainly has a vested interest in solving this case before anyone else gets hurt. There is a whole little sub plot here regarding his family and their dysfunction.

The whole atmosphere of the novel was perfect for this story. It was creepy, both outside in the “haunted woods and the folly” and even inside of the elite school. It really set the tone for the entire novel.

What was really enjoyable was all the red herrings that Richell used. Just when the reader thinks they know who is responsible for the killing, this author takes the reader in a whole new direction and the ending was so unexpected and surprising. Well done! This is an author I would look forward to reading more of her literary works.

I rate this novel a 4 out of 5 stars and thank NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Publishers for the ARC to this novel and I give a voluntary and honest review.

This book seems very popular on Goodreads...just not with me...it's the story of a party gone wrong. A girl ends up dead and the entire book is the solving.