My first Ruth Ware! I wish I had read Turn of the Key before this, but hot damn. Bottle mysteries like Orient Express or Hateful Eight are always fun but can vary in quality. This is good.

Ten guests. Two employees. One murderer. All of them stranded in a ski resort.

Ten employees of a tech company called Snoop head off to Chalet Perce-Neige in St Antoine for a corporate trip to discuss the future of the company. After an avalanche blocks them in, it’s not long until the guests and staff discover a murderer is amongst them.

I really enjoyed One by One; I loved getting lost in this murder mystery set in a cold and desolate landscape, with an interesting cast of characters to keep the reader not only intrigued, but rife with suspicion.

The story unfolds through the perspectives of one of the resort’s staff, Erin, and one of the Snoop’s founding members, Liz. The dual narration kept the story moving with a decent pace, and allowed me to profile everyone from an outsider-looking-in but also as a woman-on-the-inside perspective when sh*t hit the fan.

Although, I had difficulty with how the cast of characters were introduced to the reader. They were all clumped together at the beginning and it was initially hard to remember who was who as the story progressed. I actually had to make a list of the characters and their respective rolls to keep up. However, I really enjoyed the corporate company angle as it was interesting to see the power dynamics and it was fun when the juicy corporate dirty laundry began to unfold.

I appreciated Ware incorporating social media into the story. The company, Snoop, is a music app similar to one that rhymes with Notify, but this story’s app allows other users to listen alongside the main user to whatever they’re listening to. It’s meant to capture emanate the whole “where ever you are in the world, music connects us, like looking at the same moon vibe”. I quite liked this, as confusing as it was at first.

Regrettably, I found Erin’s subplot largely irrelevant to the story. It didn’t read as a natural fit, even though it clearly should have considering its context, but instead it felt forced into the main plot when it became a talking point in one of the chapters. It felt like it was to bulk up the content of the book rather than it having any meaningful contribution to the overarching story.

The climax of One by One was truly excellent and full of menace – when I was reading it, it was as if I was in a simulator and was experiencing the fight to survive alongside the characters. I was tense and willing the main character on every step (or ski) of the way.

The setting of the story was perfect, especially nearer the end, as it increased the ominous feeling of the difference between life and death. Snowy settings are used often, and I found Ware’s use of it well utilised due to the characters being cut off from the rest of the world and inaccessible for immediate rescue (or escape!)

One by One is a fun and chilly locked room mystery. I couldn’t put the book down as I was desperate to find out what was going on - who the bad guy was and what the motives were – it was easy to get lost in this book. Ware is a good storyteller, spinning a story full of intrigue and tension that makes it easy to get lost in it all. I’m happy to report that one of my most anticipated reads of 2020 did not disappoint and I 100% recommend it.

I seem to be really late to the party reading this book and it’s not even out yet. Ruth Ware is one of my favourite authors. She usually full of suspense and breath-taking moments but for me I struggled a bit with this one.
Snoop is the new music app where you can see celebrities and other people music playlists and listen to them too. But it is not doing so well. So, when the co-founders and some employees of the app decide to have a weekend away in a Ski Chalet, hosted by Erin and Danny to decide if they are going to sell.
Things don’t go to plan when after a skiing trip Eva doesn’t come back and everyone wonders what happened to her but, when things goes bad to worse when there is an avalanche and some of the group are stranded and some of the group end up dead.
Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book. I get excited to hear new book from this author, but I found this rather slow. Do not get me wrong, it had a good story line and like others have said it had an Agatha Christie vibe. But I thought some instances is went on too long and it only came into its own about the last 20%. Three stars from me.

I have not read anything by Ruth Ware before, but after thoroughly enjoying this new novel, I will be making a point of searching out some of her previous work.

I originally heard of this book via social media when Lisa Jewell tweeted that she had just finished reading and how good it was. Being a fan of Ms Jewell’s writing I put in a request to NetGalley and the publisher Random House UK, Vintage Publishing for a pre-release copy and was pleased to hear their positive response a day or so later. My thanks go to them both for the ARC.

The story revolves around a group of senior management and the owners of a social media outfit called Snoop who are on a break at a luxury ski chalet to discuss the future of the company. The Snoop app offers its patrons the opportunity to snoop on the personal music playlists of other members within and has become very popular. On the table is a multi-million dollar buyout which could make certain members of the ski holiday party very rich indeed.

But when an avalanche cuts the chalet off from the outside world and a member of the party goes missing, presumed dead in the snow, the question is asked was it a tragic accident or is someone actually prepared to resort to murder to get the result they want?

I very much enjoyed the fast pace of the story and the final climax is one of the most exciting ends to a novel I have read in a while. Written in what seems to be an effortless, uncomplicated style, I would say it is one of the easiest reads I have recently undertaken.

I loved the characters who were individual with their own personalities. I loved the plot of this book and found with the first incident that occurred I straight away had theories of what was to come.

I did find with so many characters it was hard to keep a visual of them in my mind. Anyone who reads this book I’d suggest jotting down information about the character to help you remember who is who.

The storyline was great. I loved the setting and really felt the author captured the essence of what a ski break at a mountain chalet in France would be like. I found her description very atmospheric and felt like I should have been reading this in the winter under a blanket with a mug of hot chocolate.

I did guess the killer early on but with the many suspicious characters within the group I changed my mind half way through.

The reduced star is purely because I felt there was a time lapse within the storyline that wasn’t quite explained and I’m left wondering what that was.

A great book by Ruth Ware and superior to the first two books she wrote.

This is the first Ruth Ware book I have read. I chose this due to hearing great feedback about her other books.

As much as i enjoyed the book I didnt really feel like i connected with the characters in a way that I have with other books like this one.

I enjoyed the plot line and there were plenty of lines of suspicion woven into the book to keep you guessing, but I managed to work the out suspect quite early on.

Saying this, I will read another book by this author in the future.

What a cracking read!
The atmosphere Ruth creates with her writing gives you goosebumps. There wasn’t a single thing I didn’t like about this book. The characters, setting and clever plotting all pull together to make this an astonishing read.
What I love about Ruth is that she creates something so different every single time. Brilliant!

A group of colleagues on a work retreat in a beautiful ,if somewhat isolated, chalet on a French mountain... what could go wrong? Lots is the answer - so much I fact that I couldn’t put this book down.

The work group are gathered to bond and try to decide if they should accept a buy out offer for their listen along music app ‘Snoop’.

After the ur first ski session one of the party has gone missing... this is followed by an avalanche casing the party to be stranded and cut off from the outside world. Next, ‘One by One’ the murders started.

This was a great thriller in a fantastic setting, full of suspense. Like mamy others. I think it is almost like a modern day Agatha Christie novel. The final unexpected twist really surprised me and added a whole new perspective to what I had read.

Another great book from Ruth Ware - who has fast become one of my favourite authors of this genre. I’m already waiting for her next book!!

Thanks to Random House UK Vintage, NetGalley & the author for the ARC of this book.

This book was phenomenal. Thrillers aren't my favourite genre, in fact it's been a long time since I last read a thriller book that I enjoyed. I often quess the plot twists and thus find them boring. I'm so relieved to say that this wasn't the case with this book. From the beginning I was intrigued. The characters were well thought out and had their own personalities, which I loved. I really enjoyed the originality, the whole concept of Snoop (a music app created by the company that's staying at the ski resort) is very different. I liked that there was some tension created from the start because of the app, it made the beginning of the story much more interesting which often isn't the case with thrillers. In terms of the plot, I had no idea where this story was going. It developed into a murder mystery and I LOVED it. I didn't guess the plot twists (THANK GOD) and I was constantly second guessing myself, One By One was carefully crafted and at the end all the peices came together like a jigsaw and it was perfect.

For the first time in what feels like years, I've finally read a thriller that I can wholeheartedly recommend. One By One by Ruth Ware is a incredibly crafted book full of suspense and plot twists that will leave you gasping in disbelief. I very very much recommend, and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy.

It felt I’d last read a crime thriller ages ago. Turns out it has been nearly two months (or 16 books, if you will) since my last one. That and I’d read Ruth Ware’s A Woman in Cabin 10, and at one point was convinced I’d die of a heart attack. It was so good I couldn’t recommend it enough. Thus, I decided to bring this to the top of my TBR, even though it isn’t due to be published for a few months.

Snow is falling in the exclusive alpine ski resort of Saint Antoine as the shareholders and directors of Snoop, the hottest new music app, gather for a make or break corporate retreat to decide the future of the company. At stake is a billion-dollar dot com buyout that could make them all millionaires, or leave some of them out in the cold.

The clock is ticking on the offer, and with the group irrevocably split, tensions are running high. When an avalanche cuts the chalet off from help, and one board member goes missing in the snow, the group is forced to ask - would someone resort to murder, to get what they want?

Ruth Ware’s writing gives you the chills. Scenes where the group is cut off from civilization, with no power or cell reception and lingering doubt whether help is on the way – nearly gave me a nightmare.

She lays out a seemingly straight road map, one which is going anywhere but where you expect it. Her plot twists are wicked; the slightest deflection is enough to get your heart racing. The snow laden mountains offer a panoramic view, both literally and figuratively, of surviving in isolation amidst a criminal in hiding.

If you’re the kind to enjoy an adrenaline fuelled, high-stakes, murder mystery, this is for you. Did I mention it’s set in a ski resort. In France. I’ll take my vacations where I get them, as fictional as they may be.

This ARC courtesy of Netgalley and Harvill Secker, an imprint of Vintage Books.

4.5 stars. I am a fan of Ware's thrillers, and always have good fun with them. This especially had a favourite trope of mine, snowed in closed circle mystery.
The employees of a tech start-up goes to a ski chalet to have a meeting/event, and on their first day an avalanche falls and they get stuck in the chalet with no reception.
That's all you need to know :)
This book gripped me from beginning to end. I finished it very quickly turning the pages fast.
Ruth Ware is also tapping into the modern era with her tech concepts in her last 2 books, which makes things more fun and contemporary. I also enjoyed the additional music playlist a nice touch and fun. I must admit I put them on to see what they are :)

It was a highly entertaining thriller with lots of characters, you will have a hard time to decide who did it. Very much recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House and Ruth Ware for this advanced reader's copy in return for my honest review. An unmissable new thriller, this book will appear on many Christmas wishlists. A tense and atmospheric read.

One by One is another atmospheric thriller from Ruth Ware. Snoop is an app combining social media with music streaming. It allows you to listen to the same music your friends or favourite celebrities are listening to. Ten members of the Snoop team arrive at an isolated chalet in France for skiing and discussions about selling the app. The 5 shareholders could become multi millionaires but not all of them are keen to sell. It is all down to shy, awkward Liz who has the casting vote.
I found this book quite difficult to start with as there are twelve characters immediately introduced, some with quite similar short names. I also found a lot of the descriptions of their characters, dress style etc quite cliched. I enjoyed the novel after the difficult start but can’t say its my favourite Ruth Ware book.

Ruth opens by introducing us to seven characters in rapid succession, the founders and employees of tech company 'Snoop'.
On all accounts it was a big info dump in the form of a paragraph summary of each person, I had to read it through twice to let it sink in.

From here we switch back and forth between the perspectives of Liz the outsider of Snoop and Erin the chalet host as a corporate getaway turns horrorshow.

I always like survival thrillers. The tension of impending death from being trapped away from civilization with limited resources heightens the pace. This can be said of One by One however I would have likes a third POV, there are several times the characters split up and we never know what happens with the others.
I know it isn't entirely relevant to the plot but it streamlines the story where I think there could have been more red herrings or better character development.

Compared to previous titles I've read by Ware, the reveals in One By One are not especially thrilling. Erin's in particular left me disappointed.
Yet the concept of Snoop was very imaginative and fantasticaly modern, I even wondered whether Ware could sell the idea!

The ending, as often is with this author, is a neatly tied up package. One By One is a stand alone murder mystery ski trip great for a cosy afternoon read.

I absolutely loved The Woman in Cabin 10 (def recommend it too!) but wasn’t so fussed with her next one and was worried about this. OH MY GOD! This is fabulous. I saw some negative reviews and can’t believe it! It’s not like a book I’ve read before and I have read Lucy Glory’s which is also good. But this is superior. Frankly it even beats Cabin 10. It’s really clever. It jumps between 2 people keeping you guessing and it’s tense. I am really looking forward to her next novel. This is a serious talent.

This review will go live at the link below on 20 July:
Hi and welcome to my review of One By One! Who the hell reads about skiing, frostbite and a chalet in the Alps whilst in the throes of the first heatwave of the year? This gal! And kudos to Ruth Ware for making me oblivious to the heat for a few hours!

The creators of the Snoop app, their employees and one ex-employee have convened in a chalet in the Alps that can only be reached by a funicular. What could possibly go wrong? Well for starters, they have an important decision to make and they’re not quite seeing eye to eye. There’s also history between some of members of this party, and more than a few have something to hide. Then one of them disappears during a ski trip, and there’s an avalanche effectively snowing them in.

One by One alternates between two points of view: Erin’s, the hostess of the chalet, and Liz’s, one of the guests. The shortish chapters and the change in POV keep the story going at a swift pace, as do the many questions that are raised throughout, and the hint of secrets to be revealed.

I have read every single one of Ruth Ware’s novels, and I especially adore The Death of Mrs Westaway and last year’s The Turn of the Key. The reason why I ranked those just a bit higher than her previous ones is the Gothic vibe they both have. It’s this modern-day Gothic feel Ruth Ware excels at and it’s precisely that vibe that I missed in One by One.

One by One is taken in another direction, and especially the first two thirds of the story read like a modern-day Agatha Christie. It reminded me of And Then There Were None (incidentally one of my favourite Christies) but with corporate intrigue and lots more snow. And for those first two thirds or so, One by One stays on the beaten track. Excellently written of course, but still, part of me was waiting for the other shoe to drop and for One by One to sneak off-piste. I would love to tell you a lot more, but I can’t, because spoilers.

Atmospheric, tense and claustrophobic, One by One is a great example of the locked room trope done right. I enjoyed trying to solve the puzzle, and even though my money was on the right person, certain reveals still came as a bit of a shock. Recommended to any and all mystery fans.

Huge thanks to Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

What do you do when you get an ARC of the new Ruth Ware Book? You drop everything immediately and get reading obviously!

The book follows a group of employees from an app called Snoop who travel to a snow chalet for a weekend away. They’re looked after by hosts Danny and Erin.

I really enjoyed the claustrophobic atmosphere and the setting but I have to admit, I love Ware’s books but this missed the mark for me. The book had WAY too many characters - I found it difficult to keep up.

I managed to suss things pretty early too but I did really enjoy the writing, the suspense and the setting.

Not the best thriller I’ve read it ages but definitely worth a read as I think I’ll be in the minority with this one! Definitely one for fans of Agatha Christie and Lucy Foley

One by One was one of my most anticipated reads of this year and i am so glad it didn't disappoint. Writing about people gathered in a closed environment where murders start happening is not new, and therefore not easy either. That's why, it was a great achievememt that Ware pulls it through so spectacularly.

Set in a chalet in the snow covered peaks where Snoop's core group, plus one ex employee, have come on a holiday, this novel is atmospheric from the start. We are given the story from two perspectives- Liz, the ex employee who is uncomfortable being here and Erin the chalet employee with a past she is hiding.

This corporate retreat starts going wrong almost as soon as they reach the chalet because they realise they haven't booked a room for Liz. This, in a way, sets the tone for their entire retreat which gets bleaker and bleaker as people start dying, one by one. To make matters worse, they are caught up in an avalanche that cuts them off from the surrounding world.

This book, like her previous, was high on atmosphere. The tension, discomfiture and the building dread is so palpable, it oozes from her writing. And the skii chase scenes towards the end did set my adrenaline pumping! I also loved how she made it easier to remember the characters, by introducing them Snoop style. In a novel like this, it becomes the plot's demand to have lots of characters and it can be confusing. But Ware minimized this by using the introduction technique.

I did feel though that the book was a tad bit long. The last few chapters could have been shortened, although that would have diluted the moral dilemma and the reader's feelings towards the killer as well. All in all, this is my favourite of all Ware's novels so far.

A huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Random House, UK for their kindness in providing me this ARC! Posting the same on Goodreads as well.

Snoop - the latest app. The hipster staff of this cool London startup set off for a team holiday - to a ski resort in the Alps. The story is told from two perspectives - Liz - a former Snoop employee who doesn’t quite fit with the team’s aesthetic & Erin - the chalet girl. Both of the girls have secrets...but then doesn’t everyone? But who is hiding a deadly secret? Erin & Liz are trying to work it out before it’s too late.
This is the 3rd of Ruth Ware’s novels I have read and it’s probably my favourite. Reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None - a modern day whodunnit. I really enjoyed this one - it did not disappoint. Thanks @netgalley for my ARC.

I'd never read a story set at a ski resort before and i loved the different element this added to Ware's story. It was as if the setting was a character in itself and a dangerous, menacing one at that. I was concerned at first i'd struggle with so many characters being introduced at once but after a few chapters i was following them and their story easily. They were such distinctive personalities it wasn't hard to keep track of them. A group of people gathering at a ski resort with hidden agendas was an intriguing idea for a story and it was even better than i'd hoped. I was constantly changing who i thought was the killer and what the motivation could be. A very, very good book.