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.

“People always want to find a reason why bad things happen.”

There is rumor that Sally, a young woman, haunts the woods by the local folly, luring unsuspecting victims to their death. One Halloween night a group of students arrange a meet there but when they come back one short, the small community must reckon with its past as secrets come to light. Ominous and suspenseful with characters and atmosphere that feel so real you can touch them. I greatly enjoyed the writing; so many thrillers now-a-days feel cheesy and cheap to me but not this one. Told through multiple perspectives, One Dark Night offers up the perfect murder mystery, revealing twists at just the right time.

Thank you Atria Books for the early copy in exchange for an honest review! Available Aug 19 2025

If you're only going to read ONE book for Halloween in 2025, this book better be your pick. It is one wild and twisty ride of a whodunit story involving a gathering on Halloween night. I will be reading this one over and over because I cannot believe the ending! What a jaw dropper!

Based on a real urban legend of Sally In The Wood, this story takes place on Halloween.
A group of teens meet for a Halloween party. One of them is dressed as Sally. By the end of the night, she is dead.
What happened that night? What secrets are being hidden and by whom?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and liked reading as each new clue as to what happened was revealed.

I absolutely love the ride this book took me on! It had its twists and just when you think you know something and figured it out, nope the author threw a wrench in.
The dynamic between divorced mom and dad felt so awkward yet so accurate. Then dealing with a teen daughter who may know more about the body and navigating the aftermath of divorced parents...changing schools...fitting in, or not. This book just had layers.

Hannah Richell’s One Dark Night is a masterfully crafted thriller set in a small English town, home to an exclusive and prestigious boarding school.

When a teenage boarder is found dead at the town’s infamous haunted folly after an illicit underage party, the community is thrown into chaos. No one knows what happened that fateful night, but the school counselor is brought in to speak with the students, while her ex-husband, a local police officer, is assigned to investigate the case. Their personal history adds a layer of tension to an already chilling story.

Richell excels at creating a rich atmosphere, weaving suspense through every page with her vivid descriptions and intricate character dynamics. The haunting setting of the folly is as much a character as the people involved, adding a sense of unease that lingers throughout the novel. The small-town secrets, believable yet unsettling scenarios, and a plethora of potential suspects keep readers guessing.

Told through multiple perspectives, the story moves quickly and smoothly, with each voice adding depth and complexity to the narrative. Richell has an undeniable gift for storytelling, seamlessly blending the mystery with deeply human moments of vulnerability, guilt, and betrayal.
The twists and turns build to a jaw-dropping conclusion. One Dark Night is a perfect blend of psychological intrigue and thrilling suspense—a must-read for fans of clever mysteries and dark, atmospheric tales.

Prepare to be shocked!
#Atria #OneDarkNight #HannahRichell

I was caught up in the book from the start! Not what I was expecting and lots of twists and turnsI

This book reminded me of the fun I had reading psychological thrillers in young adult fiction. If you enjoyed R.L.Stine's books like Silent Night as a teem this booked will bring you back to those days!.

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: August 19, 2025
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

This was my first read by Hannah Richell and I loved it. We have a fast paced thriller with twists, turns and uncertainty around corners while hunting for a k!ller from a Halloween party. I enjoyed the characters and how they all works so well together in this story, the way you try to figure this eerie mystery long the way as well.

When rumors, secrets and speculation joins the story it’s all a race to find out ‘whodoneit’. I enjoyed this and cannot wait for more from our author.

Large thank you to our Author, NetGalley as well as Atria Books.

I enjoyed this book. The lure of the tale of "Sally of the wood" gave an almost supernatural undertone which I liked. Seeing how everybody reacts to the death of this schoolgirl and how the town collectively reacts added some great layers. I also have to say that as someone who regularly guesses endings and twists this one had me bamboozled!

Ellie’s bully, Sarah, is murdered at a party on Halloween night. Before the story is done, almost everyone in town has been a suspect. Don’t believe anything about anyone!

I really enjoyed this book. It definitely kept me turning the pages long after I had planned to go to sleep.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

On Halloween night, a group of high school students gather in the woods in a small British town, and by morning one of them will be dead.
Small town mysteries with all the right ingredients always get me: start with some spooky woods by a private school, add in a guidance counselor, her cop ex husband and their rebellious teen daughter, and from the first few pages you know you’ll be up reading late into the night. I devoured this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

4.5⭐️

Wow! I was not expecting that ending! That was a whole twist I did not see coming! Although, YOU LEFT US ON A CLIFF HANNAH😭

3.25 stars. This is an ARC from NetGalley. Overall, this was a well written story with a good twist at the end. I couldn't get fully invested into the characters, and everything felt just a tad underdeveloped. Maybe there were too many storylines with no true focus. Not a bad read, but nothing memorable. #netgalley #onedarknight #mystery #thiller

One Dark Night centers around the gruesome death of a schoolgirl and the police investigation to find the killer. With a beautifully written cast of characters and a foreboding setting, it had me hooked from the very first page, till the very last. Everyone takes the news of Sarah's death differently, but someone knows the truth of what happened and they will stop at nothing to keep their secret from surfacing, even if it means lying to the people they love the most. I thought I had it figured out at about the 70-80% point in the book, but the author threw a twist in that even I did not see coming a thoroughly enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a book to prove your theory’s wrong. Fantadic surprises!

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book. This is one of my most anticipated reads of the new year. The book was filled with character development and plot development that I love. The book had elements of suspense that kept the story flowing and I enjoyed it from beginning to end.

I think this book was a good one! It is a good Halloween spooky season read for sure. It had a lot of suspense and thrill to it, so it kept me on the edge of my seat while reading it! I liked all of the twists and turns that came throughout the whole book.

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Suspense readers will enjoy One Dark Night. Hannah Richell wrote an entertaining book that will keep you reading until the end.

One Dark Night by Hannah Richell is a haunting and atmospheric novel that draws you in with its rich, emotional depth and suspense. The story, centered around a tragic event that haunts a group of friends, is filled with tension and mystery as the past slowly unravels. Richell's writing is beautifully evocative, capturing the complexity of relationships and the weight of secrets. I couldn’t put it down, as each page brought new revelations. If you love psychological dramas with a strong emotional pull and unexpected twists, this book is an absolute must-read.

This book definitely keeps you guessing! What a fun and gripping read. It is extremely well written, wonderfully paced, and has really great twists. Would definitely recommend this thriller!