FTC disclosure: I would like to thank Random House UK, Vintage Publishing for providing me with an advance reader copy via access to the galley for free through the NetGalley program.

I enjoyed curling up with a cozy blanket and a cup of hot chocolate for this one! I think anyone looking for a read that matches what you’d expect from the cover and title will be highly satisfied.

I loved how the author wrote, with the fast pacing, a very in-the-moment, spontaneous, almost fleeting style which I devoured in one sitting.

I liked the short time frame for this one, the straightforward descriptions, the ones used when something thrilling is going on and you can’t wait, speeding up your reading pace, and keep turning the pages.

I loved the ambiance created, the setting, being the snowy mountain, the plot, it was all perfectly aligned to tell such a great story.

I will say I did experience a little ambivalence at certain points, likely because I wasn’t really enamored right away. It actually took me a bit to get into it. I didn’t understand the details, the backstory, the relationships, and their little character quirks. I had a hard time keeping them all straight. I did receive an ARC, so it’s possible that a little rearrangement in between now and final publication could easily offer a little more guidance for readers like me.

And there was one, single line in the book that I just can't anymore. I won't spoil it for anyone, but I know some of my fellow readers are going to cringe much like I did coming across it. My feelings, so strong about it, it's all in good fun though, maybe it's actually becoming a joke at this point.

There was a lot of conversation in the story. Perhaps for the setting, I would have enjoyed a bit more related to the ski activities themselves, as in depicting conversations about what makes good powder, something to that effect to add some more connection and common ground between the characters.

I wanted them to sit around the fire more to warm up, as in also warming up the story, and drink smooth French hot chocolate. Hot chocolate was mentioned of course, but maybe I would have been a bit more captured by the unfolding of scenes if there were more bonding experiences or times of reminiscence, memories, maybe some kind of internal conflict, or application of some stereotypical company team-building exercise, something like that to play into the lovely, yet mysterious scenery and actions a bit more.

Something where the characters, other than the main ones, were a bit more distinguished. To feel drawn to caring about them. And there were a lot of characters to care about, but maybe I would have liked them to be more identifiable, with traits. Traits that would have fed into the scene a bit, and into their dialogue, and to the way they went one by one accordingly. I didn’t expect a deep, emotional connection, but I wanted a bit more dimension to the plot from that standpoint.

The last 20-30 pages had more of this type of character development and I liked the ending as a whole as a result. And though I had my suspicions of the ending bit a little earlier on, it didn’t spoil the rest of the story for me, but, then when confirmed, I was pretty much ready to put the book down. So I suppose for those last few pages, the wrap up was a little lingering than it needed to be for my particular taste in the moment.

But even then it was all done very carefully which made for a very compelling read!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have liked everything this author has written and this was no exception. It had me hooked from the beginning, great storyline, great characters and a great ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc. Ruth Ware's books can be a bit hit or miss for me personally, but I was intrigued by this which has strong Agatha Christie vibes, and I have to say: it blew me away! This is a locked room mystery suspense novel of sorts set on the snowy Alps of France, in a fancy chalet that is becomes isolated after it's hit by an avalanche and looses electricity...and there's a killer on the loose...
This is narrated from the POV of two characters:
* Erin - she works at the chalet, hiding from her past and overcoming past trauma. Alongside with chef Danny the two run the place. They have 9 guests who on a corporate retreat. The company is called Snoop which allows you to follow people on their app and listen to music they are listening to in real life. However on the arrival there's a misunderstanding and there's 10 guests, instead of 9, which already creates tension, and over the course of the day Erin realises this is more at stake here as the company is divided between the owners who are each other's throats caught in a disagreement over selling the company.
* Liz - she was the PA for Snoop, invisible and ignored, until she invested her inherited money in the company and became a share holder. Now that the owners want to sell it, but others don't, Liz is caught in the middle as her vote carries a lot of weight.
They all go for skiing, except one doesn't come back. Eva, the company's co-owner, who wanted to sell Snoop. An avalanche occurs and the group is stuck in the chalet. Until someone else dies...is there a killer amongst them?...
This was a fun read! I loved the claustrophobic setting of the Alps, it created a lot of tension and action. The beginning was a bit tricky to get into, because there was a total of a dozen characters, and over the course of the novel I felt it was too many and perhaps because of that I couldn't connect with the characters. Also during the middle I felt like the plot moved too quickly. I wanted more office politics and tension, and I felt when it becomes a mystery some of the psychological conflict and tension got lost. However I found the reveal in the third act surprising, and the book overall did keep me hooked. This is an engaging read, a gripping locked room mystery set on the scenic Alps. 4/5.

I love Ruth Ware books so was excited to be able to read an ARC of this via NetGalley. Yet another amazing thriller to keep you guessing till the end with plenty of twists to make you realise that what you first thought isn’t what’s happening at all.

An excellent read

A good book with a bit of a then there were none feel to it in my opinion. I normal find it hard to concentrate with books like this but I was pleasantly surprised to find my self really engaged and wanting to know more as the book went on. First time reader of Ruth Ware but definitely won’t be my last.

‘One by One’ follows a tech company called Snoop who go on a company retreat to a chalet in France. There’s risk of an avalanche and tensions are running high in the group, safe to say not everyone’s going to make it home.
So aside from the ten people on the ski trip we have Danny and Erin who run the chalet. The story is told through two perspectives - Erin and Liz, who is part of the group. As the guests start to drop one by one it’s up to Erin and Danny to keep a lid on things until help arrives - if help is coming at all.
I loved this story! The trope of being trapped in the middle of nowhere with people mysteriously dying is one of my favourites. It was the first book I’ve read by Ruth Ware and I thought the writing was really readable, I didn’t want to put it down and the pacing was well done so there was always a tense, suspenseful atmosphere. I really connected to Erin as a character which helped me get more invested in the situation. I personally liked the reveal of the murderer and their motives but I know it won’t please everyone. A really great mystery thriller and one that will be even more eerie when read in cold, snowy weather.

This is a hard book to review because I flew through it while I was reading it. Even though there were elements that jarred with me or that didn't quite work for me as a reader, I still found myself turning the pages at a rapid pace.

However, once the killer was revealed I just felt extremely disappointed in the book. It was far too predictable (to me at least). In fact, I had predicted that to be the outcome from the first 10% of the book. I then found the rest of the book grating.

The stilted dialogue between characters annoyed me, especially as the tension had disappeared altogether by that point, and I found the wrap up of the book to be skin-crawlingly cheesy. Ugh, so disappointing.

I have more thoughts about the ending and character development, in general, but to share them would be to spoil the book for others, so I will keep those thoughts to myself.

I will say, for a mystery novel, there are very few content warnings with this book (see those listed below), so it may appeal to a reader who enjoys cosy, predictable, mystery novels. I love a good twist, myself, and the 'twist' in this book was obvious to me as a reader, so I found it to be a very disappointing read in the end.


Content warnings: references to childhood abuse (parental alcoholism, DV, possible sexual abuse), murder, blood, skiing accidents, poisoning of humans.

I went into this slightly worried. Just because I thought it would have too many POVs for me to keep track. Thankfully this only had two. Although I did keep notes of characters. When and how they died. Just so I didn’t get confused.

This did start a little slow. Which made sense as we had plenty of characters to learn a little about. So it didn’t bother me too much.

When the first person went missing at around 30% the story started to pick up. I had questions and needed them answered. I didn’t want to put the book down.

I tried to make some theories but I felt like all the hints and clues given were to throw me off. I didn’t trust anyone or anything.

I did figure out the killer just before the reveal. I don’t know why I just got the feeling it must be them. They were too quite. Looking back there was something off about the character. There but not there when things happened.

When it comes to the reveal I’m not sure how I feel. I can see why Ruth Ware decided to go with that. But I also feel like it was too soon and abrupt. Like we found out too easily what was happening. I just found myself waiting for the big twist. Because surely with the amount of time left there would be a final twist right? Wrong. We got a motive sure but twist not really.

The build up was great kept me intrigued the whole time. But the ending felt a little weak and disappointing.

Overall I did enjoy it and would recommend.

Well! I discovered Ruth Ware only a couple of years ago and she has quickly become one of my favourite authors. This novel did not disappoint and is even better than her last offering. The tension in this story is perfectly pitched and mounts to screaming point two-thirds of the way through.

I must admit to guessing the murderer early on but I couldn't figure out the motive. Although the temptation is to liken the setup to Christie's 'And Then There Were None', the first murder actually put me in mind of 'Evil Under the Sun' - the scenarios are similar and a joy to read in a modern, freezing alpine setting. However, Ms Ware kept tipping the balance of reality and probability that I ended up with alternative culprits and theories as the story progressed.

This is a gripping read and the French Alps are brilliantly described and the characters expertly drawn. This is on a par with Ms Ware's famous 'The Woman in Cabin 10". If you enjoyed that one, you'll love this novel. Superb.

You know when a book comes along that you didn't know you needed?

When a locked room style mystery set on a mountain and it's snowing an d it's been likened to And Then There Were None but in a modern and tech fuelled environment?

Wonderfully atmospheric and brilliantly entertaining

Although I loved the concept, characters and setting of this book, I found it just to be a bit unrealistic. It was a bit scatty in places, but overall I enjoyed it enough to finish!

Loved this! One of my favourite authors does it again- I couldn’t put this down. A cousin to ‘and then there were none’ with lots of twists and turns to keep you reading. Perfect for someone who loves thrillers and domestic noir.

Based in the alps, a work getaway from company ‘snoop’, it’s all going well until one colleague goes missing and an avalanche strikes, ploughing the chalet into isolation and cutting the electricity.

5 stars from me!

Whodunits are my very favourite kind of book and I have previously enjoyed some of Ruth Ware's other books so I was really excited to read this.

I loved the setting, I thought the ski resort was really well described and you could definitely feel a sense of escalating panic when the weather started to take a turn for the worse. Most of the characters were not likeable but they were believable and I really enjoyed finding out more about them.

I absolutely loved the first half of the book but personally I feel like the identity of the killer was given away too quickly. The official reveal wasn't until about 75% the way through but only a complete idiot wouldn't guess by about the half way point. The fun of a whodunit is being in the dark so although I still really enjoyed the story, I wasn't as invested in the second half as I was in the first.

Having said that, I loved this book and I can't bring myself to give it any less than 5 stars, but realistically it's more like 4.5 rounded up.

The premise for this book was brilliant, colleagues and shareholders of a social media company go on a ski retreat together. It isn't long before there is an avalanche and one of their party goes missing.
Plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes throughout.

The settng in a ski resort with winter weather at its worst gives this book a chilling context. Nine team members,and one former employee,Liz,of a newstart online business arrive for a skiing holiday. it will be no holiday. There is the possibility of a buyout attractive to some of the main shareholders who are part of the group but unwelcome to the founder. The team is hosted by two employees of the ski company,Erin who has a past of her own and Danny the talented chef. Then the group begin to disappear One by One,thus the title of the book. Then it becomes a complicate murder mystery. The perpetrator has to be part of the group. Why are the three victims the ones chosen to die? Is it all connected to the possible buyout or are other factors involved. The skiing weather is used to advantage as wifi,water and electricity disappear. Then a number leave to seek help and Erin is on her own with Liz. The climax takes place in a detailed escape by skiing. The book is well written although the cloistered group leaves little room for a surprise ending. It is well written and keeps you reading.

I love Ruth Ware's novels so was thrilled to get this ARC. This did not disappoint. This could easily be dismissed as a Christie-esque novel and whilst there are definite 'And then there were none' vibes but it's more than that....and it's put me off skiing for life!

Thanks to Netgalley for the preview of this book. It was a good book but I felt it wasnt as gripping it thrilling as Wares previous books & didn't grip me as much as her books normally do. However in saying that it did pass a few hours in lockdown!

Erin and Danny are the chalet 'girl' and chef at an exclusive Alpine chalet, high up a mountainside with a private pool and a hefty price. When a group of senior management from a music app called Snoop hire their chalet for a corporate jolly, things don't turn out the way anybody had expected. With a tragic accident (or is it) early on and a massive avalanche soon after, the group are cut off from the nearest town and soon cut off for power too. A mysterious stomping off in a huff and a couple of deaths follow and it's soon clear that there's a killer amongst them but who is it and why are they killing people off?

The story is presented by two narrators - Erin, the chalet girl, and Liz, the ex-PA and minority shareholder in Snoop. Each of their entries is preceded with their Snoop registration and details which gets really silly very quickly - especially once the power is cut and there's no wifi or mobile signal. For about 2/3 of the book we get blank entries for the Snoop data. Honestly, I'd have just left all of that out as it added almost nothing to the story.

I was surprised to get the big 'reveal' at about 75% of the way into the story. I'd have hoped for a bit more ambiguity about whodunnit and more twists and turns.

This is my second Ruth Ware book - I previously borrowed a copy of 'The Turn of the Key' and it was OK but rather more obvious than this volume. It's nice to get a decent whodunnit that doesn't rely on too much sex, violence and last-minute revelations but I did find it a bit 'obvious' and would have appreciated a few more surprises.

I received a free e-book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I enjoy Ruth Ware as an author and always look forward to her next read. We are taken to a ski resort in France where a corporate group are enjoying a week away. The team appear to be split in two teams and there is Liz in the middle, never quite sure who's side she should be taking. Why is she there? She has a 2 er cent stake in the business and despite not working there for years, Eva decides it's time to sell. Topher, the other main shareholder disagrees however so there is contention in the ranks.
Erin and Danny the hosts can see the disagreements and hear them. When an avalanche hits the resort, and people start to die, it becomes urgent to find out who is the killer amongst them. Who will survive.
I felt there may have been too many characters playing large roles to really connect with the story line the whole time which was a shame. I enjoyed the book, but did struggle sometimes to keep up.

A group of colleagues go to a ski resort to discuss plans for their product. They've developed an app and are in talks about a buyout. After what seems like an accident, it becomes clear they're being picked off one by one and someone is out to get them. This is fine as a run of the mill thriller and it was a quick enough read but its disappointing with what I'm used to from Ruth Ware. She has a distinctive style and I normally find her books super gripping but this was a bit of a let down from her.