This story takes place in a small English village. Set on Halloween when a teenage girl from the local school ends up getting killed at a party. I didn't see the twist at the end coming! Great book!

"One Dark Night" initially struck me as reminiscent of a teenage Halloween film. I found myself uncertain about my impressions at first. The book certainly exudes an eerie atmosphere, particularly with the appearance of a girl in white and a body adorned with a bird mask. Detective Ben Chase faces a multitude of suspects, and the situation becomes particularly chilling when it involves his own daughter. This novel is a fast-paced read and serves as an excellent thriller for a cozy evening by the fireplace.

I extend my gratitude to Net Galley, Simon, and Atria Books for providing the ARC for my review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC.

It's Halloween night. It's all fun and games until someone, dies. There's a spooky mysterious feeling straight away. A modern day Agatha Christie. A real whodunit mystery, where no one can understand who could possibly have done it. Aside from one but all is not as it seems. I was really kept guessing throughout, thinking this way and that but then evidence appeared that would clear that suspect. I was left wondering and thought perhaps I'd finally got it, anticipating the ending but that was something I did not see it coming. It's well written, great scene building, relatable characters and fast paced. My favourite thriller I've read this year!
TW: Violence, implications of grooming, manipulation, catfishing and miscarriage.

One Dark Night is everything I love in a thriller! Set in the world of a private school, it gives dark academia from the beginning. I really enjoyed the miscommunication troupe between the two main characters story lines. There was plenty of suspense and it was really hard to put down.

This was one of the most exciting thrillers I've read in a while. I could not put it down. Based around a crime on Halloween that mirrors a town ghost story would be a PERFECT read for Fall. Told from multiple POVs, it had my brain working overtime to put the pieces of the puzzle together. I did figure out "whodunit" pretty early on, but there were times when I was like, "well maybe I'm wrong?" And there were parts of the plot I was not expecting. Definitely worth the read.

It starts with a group of teens from the local boarding school around a Halloween campfire that ends in the death of one of them. The situation is complicated by the fact that Ellie, whose divorced parents are the school counselor and the police detective investigating the crime and one of the girls from the part, harbors a secret from that night. Has the local legend of Sally in the Woods claimed another victim, or is there something more sinister going on.'
Avery solidly written narrative, I was sure I guessed the killer very early on, and as various characters and plot twists emerged, I mostly figured them out beforehand. Not that any of that detracted from enjoyment of the story. And the shocking conclusion caught me completely off guard. The only minor issue I had was that characters made some really stupid and avoidable decisions that led to the finale. 4.5 of 5 stars.

This book kept me guessing constantly! Within the first few chapters I was convinced I wasn't going to be surprised. I was wrong. Then I was wrong again!

I found it repetitive at times which made it a slower read than it should've been. The plot was interesting, just dragged out in places.

This author had found a new fan!! Super creepy great read for spooky season! The book pulled me in and I enjoyed it from beginning to end! I did roll my eyes a little because I forgot the characters in the book are high schoolers and did dumb stuff but other than that the book was pretty good!!

Ghost stories! Being chanced in the woods! Dead body the next day! A real who done it! Kept you asking until the end and blew my mind when killer was named! I was mind blown lol

Summary:
When a body is found the day after Halloween, a small British community must reckon with its past and the dangers lurking in its present in this spine-tingling novel from “not to be missed” (Hayley Scrivener, author of Dirt Creek) author Hannah Richell.

On Halloween, a group of teenage students meet in the woods near Sally in the Wood, a road steeped in local lore and rumored to be haunted by the ghost of a murdered girl. By the end of the night, one student will be dead.

Rachel, the school guidance counselor, is trying to keep a handle on her increasingly distant teenaged daughter, Ellie, while students and parents panic and mourn. Her ex-husband and detective Ben, dealing with a personal crisis of his own, has concerns about his daughter’s safety as he investigates the death. Meanwhile, Ellie is keeping secrets from both her parents, including one about where she was that night.

Review:

Went into this book blindly and I’m so glad I did. I was totally sucked into this story. Dark woods, ghosts, and a murder. What more could a thriller reader want?

The beginning of the book was slightly confusing as you are following several perspectives. Overall a great story.

Conclusion:
Would I buy this book for a friend? YES
Would I read more books written by this Author? YES
Would I recommend this book to others? YES

This was so engrossing, I read it in one sitting. The plot pulled me in right away, and kept me turning the page.

An interesting and spooky novel that kept me guessing in a good way. Some of the methods used to keep the story rolling (Ben being frustrating about his phone habits) it was an overall good read that I would recommended to mystery and crime junkies.

The small town of Thorncombe has long been haunted by eerie legends—stories of a ghostly girl in white who lures the unsuspecting to their doom in the silent woods. But when a real girl, dressed in white, is discovered dead the morning after Halloween, her body carefully arranged at the foot of an old stone ruin, the town is shaken to its core.

Detective Ben Chase, a father himself, knows the stakes couldn’t be higher. Was this a tragic accident, a cruel prank that went too far, or something far more sinister—perhaps even ritualistic? As he digs deeper, the case takes a dark and personal turn, forcing him to confront the chilling truth: no one in Thorncombe is truly safe until the killer is found.

My Thoughts:
This is the perfect read for Halloween! The final chapters had my pulse racing—it’s the kind of thriller that grips you and doesn’t let go.

The premise is not only compelling but entirely believable, making the suspense all the more intense. The characters feel real, too—especially the teenagers, whose reckless decisions ring true. Mixing privileged students, a ghost story, a manipulative catfisher, and a Halloween party fueled by alcohol and bad choices? It’s a recipe for disaster—and a brilliant one at that.

I’ve been a devoted fan of Hannah Richell ever since The Secrets of the Tides (a book that still holds a permanent spot on my shelf). She’s a master of weaving intricate plots with vivid imagination, and this book is no exception. With every twist and turn, I found myself racing to uncover the truth—only to be completely blindsided. And honestly? I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This is a good story, best read if Halloween happens to be close, dark woods, ghosts and a murder! A body is found in the woods, these woods have a history of people seeing the ghost of a woman who had been killed there, a group of teenage kids had gathered there for a bonfire and to share booze/pot, like kids do. One of the kids, Ellie, had played her parents off one another, her mom, Rachel, is the guidance counsellor at the school Ellie attends, her father, Ben, is a detective with the local police force and is initially assigned to attend the scene and investigate, Ellie lives with her mom and visits her father (mom and dad are separated) she told her mom she was going to dad's then told her dad that mom wanted her to urgently come home, she didn't she went to the party in the woods. Her parents find out, and because Ben is the detective on the case, he has to excuse himself from investigating. The story is told from multiple points of view, which works quite well in this case, and the story moves along at a good pace, I was invested in it. I also could not guess who the bad person was, I thought someone else was, but when the bad person was revealed, you could totally understand why that person did it. Overall I would recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Atria Books for the ARC.

4.2 / 5 stars

This is my review for One Dark Night by Hannah Richell

I enjoyed this book a lot! From cover to cover, then cover to cover AGAIN, I stayed engaged and curious the entire time. The plot of the story, the grim tale, the relationships (even the rocky ones), and that TWIST? Incredible. They all felt carefully and beautifully written by Hannah Richell. It was always easy to keep turning the pages with this one.

I have to mention that the map at the beginning was a perfect addition as well. I see this type of visualization very rarely in books and feel that it is not only helpful, but incredibly immersive as a reader.

I only have two real critiques.

1.) The story is told from so many different point of views so quickly, that it makes it a little hard to follow along in the beginning. Some of the characters are almost forgettable with how fast it switches to the next point of view without a proper introduction and warm-up to them. I think that either less characters, or at least less switching while still trying to introduce the characters would keep the story much more engaging and understandable. The characters themselves were great! It’s just the pacing that I had a hard time with.

2.) The consistency of the details felt a bit off, especially at the beginning of the story. A few pages would be extremely detailed, especially moments that involved a violent scene, but then the writing would turn almost under-detailed a few pages later. It’s not the biggest issue, but it was definitely noticeable to me. I did notice however that this was mainly an issue in the beginning of the book and leveled out more as the book continued, particularly around the 15% mark of the book. The ‘overly’ detailed writing lessened a bit, and the ‘under’ detailed writing heightened, making for much more cohesive writing.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book! I had a lot of fun with it and am wishing it success. I will definitely be picking up a copy for myself!

I received an advance copy of One Dark Night by Hannah Richell from NetGalley, and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

The pace of this book was one of its strongest points, maintaining a steady rhythm that kept me engaged from start to finish. There were moments when the story's flow slowed down due to repeated backstories of the characters, which I felt could have been streamlined. While these moments did add depth, they occasionally felt redundant.

I found myself thinking I had the killer figured out at several points, only to be completely surprised by a twist I never saw coming. In hindsight, I realize there was a subtle hint earlier in the book that should have clued me in, but it was so cleverly hidden that it took me by surprise when everything was revealed.

One area I wished the book had explored more was the urban legend tied to the story. The legend seemed fascinating and had the potential for a much deeper dive, but it remained somewhat underdeveloped.

Warning, this book will be hard to put down once you start it! I flew through it! What a crazy whirlwind of a story that starts with the tragic death of a teenage girl on Halloween night. The book takes us through the third person views of Ellie (a classmate,) Ben (Ellie's father and police officer,) and Rachel (Ellie's mom and school counselor.) I really enjoyed the writing style and how each chapter started with the date and time to let the reader know where we were on the timeline. This was the first book I've read by Hannah Richell and it definitely won't be the last! Very well written and highly recommend!

On Halloween, a group of teenage students meet in the woods near Sally in the Wood, a road steeped in local lore and rumored to be haunted by the ghost of a murdered girl. By the end of the night, one student will be dead.

Rachel, the school guidance counselor, is trying to keep a handle on her increasingly distant teenaged daughter, Ellie, while students and parents panic and mourn. Her ex-husband and detective Ben, dealing with a personal crisis of his own, has concerns about his daughter’s safety as he investigates the death. Meanwhile, Ellie is keeping secrets from both her parents, including one about where she was that night.

I loved this book, I only took away one star due to how slow the start of the book was but, boy am I happy that I pushed through to the end. The twist was a perfect ending and I loved the pace of the story towards the end. I honestly enjoyed these characters and would have loved to read more of them. The chapters were long, but the changing perspectives kept the story fresh and moving. I particularly enjoyed Rachel, I felt like Hannah wrote the pain and confliction that Rachel was going through really well.

This book is absolutely worth a read and I will be recommending to all of my friends. It was a great mashup of a whodunit and a ghost story

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

Hannah Richell's latest thriller "One Dark Night" delivers a masterful blend of atmospheric suspense and small-town secrets that will keep readers turning pages well into the night.
Set in a seemingly quaint British community, the novel opens with a grim discovery: a student's body found the day after Halloween near the notorious Sally in the Wood road—a place already haunted by local legends of a murdered girl. What begins as teenage Halloween mischief in the woods quickly spirals into tragedy, leaving a community reeling.
Richell skillfully navigates multiple perspectives, primarily following Rachel, a school guidance counselor struggling to connect with her increasingly secretive teenage daughter Ellie. Meanwhile, Rachel's ex-husband Ben, a detective battling personal demons, must investigate the death while grappling with concerns for his daughter's safety. At the center of it all is Ellie herself, harboring dangerous secrets about her whereabouts on that fateful night.
The author excels at creating a palpable sense of dread that permeates every page. Her prose is evocative and precise, weaving together themes of urban legends, privilege, and the long shadow of the past. The small-town setting feels both claustrophobic and authentic, with generations of secrets threatening to surface at any moment. Solid read.

This is my first read by Hannah Richell and I have to say wow! This book kept me engrossed and anxious to get to the end to see whodunnit!!
When a Halloween party at an elite school ends with a dead girl, the local legend of Sally in the wood becomes an unnerving source of fear to everyone living in the small community.
If you haven't pre-ordered this book do so now and thank me later.
Beautifully written and a real twist and tu4n mystery.