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.

One Dark Night by Hannah Richell

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: 5-Star
Wow, wow wow, what a page-turner this story is. From the first page to the last page, you're so engaged you don’t want to put the book down for any reason for fear of missing something. From the summary it sounded like it would be a fun read, but it was so much more than I’d expected.
I found nothing wrong with the editing, the flow, the character development, everything that goes into making a story great, this one has it. I can’t say enough about this 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

I’m a fan of Hannah Richell and was excited to get this ARC! I love the mystery surrounding a group of teenagers. The cast of characters (and suspects!) create a great dynamic in this thrilling crime read. There were a lot of secrets and lies to untangle, but everything came together in a surprisingly twisted way!

One Halloweeen, a group of teenage students meet in the words near Sally in the Wood, a road rumored to be haunted by a ghost of a murdered girl. At the end of the night one of the students is dead. Rachel, the school guidance counselor, is trying to handle her distant teenage daughter Ellie. Her ex-husband Ben is a detective who is investigating the death of Ellie’s classmate. Will they find out who did it or will all their secrets come to light?

Overall Thoughts:
Wow, what a great mystery/thriller📖. I absolutely loved the multiple POVs and figuring out who the murder was. I loved that I kept trying to figure out if the POV that I was reading was true or if the character was lying. I normally breeze through thrillers that I love, however I really enjoyed this book so much that I wanted to take my time and not push myself when I got tired. I cannot wait to see what other books this author has written. Easy 5 ⭐️ book from this author.


Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The beginning was a little slow for me but when it picked up, I flew through it! This writing style reminds me of Freida McFaddens books. I thought I had the ending figured out but I was wrong…twice! I love books with twist like this!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of One Dark Night.
I totally guessed it. I knew who it was from the beginning. I totally guessed wrong. Hahaha
Reading this was like watching an episode of CSI. A story being played out before the victim is found. The story of everyone involved then the who, what, and why. And let me tell you the why is crazy.
I have no complaints or dislikes about this book. It had manipulation, lies, deception, and the best of all revenge.

Hannah Richell’s One Dark Night is the kind of psychological thriller that seeps into your bones and refuses to let go. It’s gripping, atmospheric, and so unsettling that after finishing it, I found myself double-checking the locks on every door and avoiding windows, just in case something or someone was lurking in the darkness.

What makes One Dark Night so terrifying isn’t just the physical danger lurking in the shadows—it’s the psychological unraveling of the characters; it’s the creeping paranoia. By the time the book reached its shocking climax, I was a nervous wreck. My husband would laugh at me because I would wake him up after reading long into the night because I would want a glass of water but was too afraid to walk downstairs.

This novel isn’t just a thriller; it’s an experience. It’s the kind of book that lingers long after you’ve turned the last page, making you question the safety of your own home. The ending also really makes you double think about who you surround yourself with. If you’re looking for a spine-chilling read that will leave you afraid to look out the window at night, One Dark Night is a must-read.

3⭐️I enjoyed this book for the most part. It was a good, twisty read. I figured out the premise pretty early on but still found myself enjoying the writing and the storyline.

***SPOILERS***

I would have rated the book higher if it didn’t have the miscarriage storyline between Ben and Chrissie. I don’t think it added to the story at all and actually took away something for me. I could sense it was going to be part of the story early on when we were reading Ben’s chapters and was hoping I was wrong. Without this story line I would have given the book a 4⭐️.

WOW. that was wild. I was a little worried when I started it and there were SO many different POV's but it was surprisingly easy to keep up with. It was question after question. Even when you thought you finally figured it out there was another twist. I really enjoyed this thriller.

I'll be honest: last year I read this author's previous novel and I wasn't impressed. And because I'm (nearly) always up for giving authors a second chance, I requested Richell's new novel to try her again.
And it didn't work so well for me, again. Once again, I liked the plot and the mystery itself, but I do not clique with the writing. And that's personal. Also, this book reads - in my opinion - as YA with so juvenile characters, and that bothered me.
I'm sure other readers will enjoy the writing and, consequently, the book as a whole.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with a free copy of this book.

On Halloween night, a group of kids sneak out into the woods to call upon Sally. The ghost who haunts the woods. The next morning, one of them is dead.
DCI Ben is called to investigate the strange death of a teenage girl in what looks to be some sort of satanic sacrifice. But no one from that night is talking. Not even his own daughter who snuck out to be there.
Was this a prank gone wrong, the ghost of sally or is there a dangerous killer on the lose? Can the DCI get to the truth before someone else becomes the next victim?
This haunting story was spooky and intriguing leaving the reader with a great twist at the end they definitely won’t see coming.