Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC of this book!
Put this near the bottom of my tbr pile as Netgalley says it isnt released until November, but saw it everywhere and realised it was coming out now so had to read!!
Set in the French Alps, I could picture the scene and the snow, despite having never been myself and having absolutely NO interest in skiing, my idea of a holiday from hell 😂
Took me quite a few chapters to remember who was who, there is a lot of characters to get to know and remember which is which, which did confuse me at first, however I'm glad it only told the story from 2 points of view, as any more would be confusing!
Once I got into it though it was addictive! I changed my mind a few times on who I thought it could be and then was not expecting what happened at the end!
After reading a few thrillers lately that were a bit too predictable, this was a gripping read that I needed!
Would definitely recommend!

I would describe this as a stand-alone mystery thriller. I really liked the setting of this book but it did take me a little while to get into as there are a lot of characters to remember and for some reason I just didn’t connect with them. Overall just an okay read for me. I will certainly be reading more from Ruth Ware as I have really enjoyed her previous books. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is the first time I have read a book by this author and was not disappointed. Intriguing and clever storyline which picked up pace the further you got in the book. Adding the app references confused me slightly but didn't detract my enjoyment of reading the book.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for the opportunity to read and review honestly.

I love diving into cozy mysteries as soon as summer is over and One by One by Ruth Ware just has the perfect setting - A chalet in the Alps 😍⁣
⁣
😕 Overall, I thought this book was OK. It was a bit too predictable and could have done with a few more twists! I also didn’t really connect with the characters which made it more of a harder read for me 😬 Turn of the key remains my number one by Ruth Ware 🤩⁣
⁣
Still, I’m sure it will appeal to fans of Lucy Foley and Agatha Christie! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣

I loved Ruth's previous book, "The Turn of the Key" so was delighted to get a pre-piblication copy of the book from NetGalley.

he did not disappoint again; the book is set in a beautiful and exclusive ski resort of Le Sainte Antooine in the Mont Blanc region of France. The owners of a company called Snoop (a music "snooping" app, gather in a beautiful chalet high in the resort, catered to by Erin and Donny.

The owners are discussing and trying to agree on a multi billion pound takeover bid, but views are split and bickering and arguments ensue.. They need to agree on a solution, but whilst trying to agree and releive the tensions, they have some time to reflect and take to the ski slopes.

Now things start to get tricky, one memebr goes missing, then there is a massive avalanche that cuts off the chalet, but more of the guests are being killed off One by One".

The last third of the book rattles along at a great pace and is also really tension building,

Read the book if you loved The Turn of the Key, another great publication from Ruth Ware.

I always know what I’m getting with Ruth Ware - a compelling read that will keep you up late at night while turning pages constantly. Nothing like an avalanche and a ski cabin where the guests are picked off one by one to keep you guessing. Really liked this one, love a closed circle mystery and this one had enough secrets to keep the story fresh. How long do I have to wait for her next book??!!!

I thought this was utterly brilliant. The snowed-in luxury chalet setting is a winner, but the characters were just as captivating. I was hooked from the opening, and the pace never let up. I was stunned by the way the author keeps you guessing all the way through with an intricate plot you won't be able to guess, and yet doesn't feel overdone by the end of the book. It had me on the edge of my seat - deliciously creepy. Highly recommended by me!

Comparisons are made between this and Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None – which I think is fair comment given the secluded setting and people being picked off one by one. But don’t make any assumptions!

The chapters alternate between two characters - Erin, a chalet worker and Liz, one of the guests giving an interesting narrative that'll keep you guessing to the end.

5/5. It was well written and a gripping read

One by One Piqued My Interest

Being stranded in the snow-covered alps with a group of people that hate each other sounds pretty close to the ninth circle of hell. No spoilers ahead, but that’s pretty much the vibe of Ruth Ware’s spin on And Then There Were None. To give you a quick snapshot, One by One gives us an inside peek at a tech company retreat that goes horribly wrong. And as you might suspect from a book with such strong Agatha Christie vibes, this has some pretty wild twists and turns.

Isolated in at a ski chalet after an avalanche, it’s the perfect setting for a claustrophobic thriller. Even though I was reading it in the summer heat, I caught chills. The atmosphere totally transported me. I was locked into these character’s heads, not knowing who I could trust and where it was leading.

Very quickly, the story freefalls Off-Piste. People start dying. There’s real tension as the pace picks up and the tenuously forged alliances go downhill. The plot plummets over the edge as it races towards a heartstopping conclusion.

Each of the POVs worked for me. They led me down one path, only for me to discover I’d been led astray. My allegiances shifted with the narrative. I loved snooping inside the main character’s heads and thought their perspectives were fascinating. One by one, their secrets get revealed… until there were none.

Speaking of nosing into other people’s business, that’s along the lines of what this tech company does, listening to celebs music taste along with them. While I didn’t relate to this social media aspect completely (I’m much too uncool for all that) I have to admit it added a salaciously soapy dimension. I couldn’t look away.

Ultimately, this ticked so many boxes for me. Thumbs up!

Rating: 4½/5 bananas

I am always such a fan of Ruth Ware's novels and this one didn't disappoint. I loved the setting, I could imagine myself in the French Alps and I'm a sucker for thrillers and mysteries with a cast of likely culprits. The ending careened with breakneck speed and I thoroughly enjoyed the quick pace and clever conclusion.

Whilst I haven't always been the biggest fan of Ware's thrillers in the past, I was still excited to be approved for an ARC of her latest book.

Getting snowed in at a beautiful, rustic mountain chalet doesn't sound like the worst problem in the world, especially when there's a breathtaking vista, a cozy fire, and company to keep you warm. But what happens when that company is eight of your co-workers...and you can't trust any of them? When an off-site company retreat meant to promote mindfulness and collaboration goes utterly wrong when an avalanche hits, the corporate food chain becomes irrelevant and survival trumps togetherness.

So I'll kick this off by saying that I LOVED the wintery setting of the mountains. It was very atmospheric and I did enjoy this aspect of the writing. Unfortunately, this was all I really enjoyed out of the whole book. The murderer was so obvious from the moment they were introduced. I thought the actual plot itself felt boring and quite cliche. I wanted a thriller that was fast-paced and made me second-guess everyone, but this didn't really provide that.
Finally, and possibly the worst aspect of the book, the company at the centre of this book - Snoop. I couldn't care less about this app throughout the entire book and would have probably preferred it if the whole thing hadn't been included.

Overall, I really didn't enjoy this book. I am starting to think that maybe Ware's books just aren't for me. Such a shame but I did love the wintery setting!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of One by One. Anything by Ruth Ware is a huge treat and this book certainly lives up to its hype. Told from dual points of view — Erin, the chalet girl and Liz, socially anxious, fish-out-of-water misfit enables you to get both an inside and an outside perspective to the story. You can tell Ware lives with her imagined characters for a while before committing them to paper. These intricate layers are so necessary to fully enjoy this book.

The writing is fluid and hard to put down. The format in the opening chapters is very different to her past books and begins by introducing nine colleagues of a tech company called Snoop; an app described as ‘voyeurism for your ears.’

These guests are staying in the luxury French ski resort of St Antoine with views to die for. But when a snow forecast threatens to become a snowpocalypse (Snowmaggedon) this desirable setting has the potential to become — yes, you’ve guessed it, a little hamlet with no way out and a group of people trapped together. The only access is via funicular railway or a blue run to the centre of the village. It might well be a beautiful place with its peaks and pistes and great skiing, but not when inclement weather makes it inaccessible by helicopter. I’m already sensing tension and claustrophobia, especially in a low of minus 20.

After a meeting in the den where the employees have a difference of opinion over the future of Snoop, tempers begin to flare, giving us a reason to be on high alert. As the guests are picked off one by one you hope the characters you like survive and the ones you don’t get what’s coming to them. But it’s not quite as cut and dry as that. Each guest is either a have or a have not, sleek, witty, beautiful, born with a silver spoon in their mouths. Whereas one ‘unwraps secrets carried for three years,’ someone underestimated that you think might needs further examination. So much food for thought.

Ware has done a brilliant job of holding these guests hostage in freezing conditions, dwindling heating and food to add to the ever growing list of worries. A terrible sense of abandonment and being cut off from the outside world increases the threat, hostility and suspicion building tension. She always writes about ordinary people in frightening situations and has expert knowledge of the .com boom. Adding a character who allows toxic practices to take root within this company brings a clever variation to the archetype.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author Ruth Ware and the publisher Random House (Vintage Publishing) for the privilege of reading an advance copy.

Full 5 stars for a fun read.
Here's the thing: Ruth Ware's books are a guilty pleasure. I say "guilty" because if you're after high-end literature, this simply isn't for you (for example if you're someone, like my mum, who is a stickler for the meaning of the word "literally", put this down) but if you're after a fast-paced, high-voltage murder mystery, in this case set in the French Alps, One by One is your next read!
Having recently read The Hunting Party and The Chalet, it was clear I had to make this a trifecta with Ruth Ware's latest offering. I really like Ware's books because she weaves a cracking yarn. Simple as that. I finished this book in a day because I couldn't put it down. There are other books I savour and which leave a last impression for days or weeks after closing the cover; novels that are nominated for various prizes, with rich descriptions and which require me to fully invest my mental capacity to follow. Ware's books on the other hand are quick, easy and most of all, FUN.
The idea of being 'cut off" in today's world is instantly unsettling; the characters are all terribly unlikeable (with the exception of Erin and possibly Danny); there are dual narrators, which helps speed the book along; and the French Alps provide a beautiful and dangerous backdrop.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Harvill Secker, Vintage Publishing and Ruth Ware for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Ruth Ware is one of my favourite writers and I was excited to read One By One. I devoured this in a day, unable to put it down. That is always the sign of a great book. This one gave off Agatha Christie vibes and I could not get enough of it. I love a closed room mystery and this one was eerie and creepy. I felt like I was there with the characters, but at the same time very glad that I wasn’t!

Set high in the snowfields of France, we meet the main players of a music app company called Snoop. They are staying in an exclusive chalet with their own chef and hostess. The company has been approached with a massive opportunity to sell and the shareholders will become very very rich. But they are not all keen to sell. The weather is not being very friendly and when an avalanche hits the resort the first of them go missing. If that is not enough the rest are trapped in the chalet with no power and their hostess Erin is injured. The ending is an adventure filled ride.

Thanks to Random House UK and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read.

A very enjoyable book. A group of people with pretentious names gather together in a snowy area of the Alps to discuss a business proposition. The weather closes in, and people begin to disappear and then an avalanche prevents any hope of rescue. A great story and one that keeps you guessing for quite some time. I loved it and look forward to more by this author. Nothing like a snowy story, especially when you are tucked up and cosy.

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed The Death of Mrs Westaway and The Turn of the Key, I came to this novel with high expectations and a great sense of anticipation. Don’t let the opening pages which are a way of introducing the main players, of which there are quite a few, put you off. Realising the latest party to Perce Niege chalet in the French ski resort of St Antoine are all colleagues of the tech company responsible for music app Snoop did make me wonder if this would be my cup of tea. I have little interest in social media platforms but thankfully my fears that there would be a heavy emphasis on a subject I have zero interest in were quickly laid to rest, with the scene nicely set for the ensuing drama.

Members of this group have all gathered in this luxury sounding chalet for a few days skiing and for talks to decide how to take the company forward into the future. Topher,as CEO, has views that are in marked contrast to his co founder colleague Eva. With Elliott, Rik, Liz, Inigo, Miranda, Carl, Ani and Tiger all at loggerheads over which direction Snoop’s future should take, this becomes a perfect setting, against the wonderful backdrop of the Alps for an Agatha Christie type murder mystery to take place. I immediately found myself asking who stands to profit most from a proposed billion dollar buyout? Who is most at pains to prevent this happening? Who has secrets to hide and who is most or least deserving of our trust? Is the killer amongst the ski party or are chalet host and chef Erin and Danny also potential suspects?

Told from Erin and Liz’s points of view, I can see why the author constantly reminds us from the beginning how many snoop followers Topher and his party have, since this adds a very current edge to the storyline and is in keeping with the fact the ski party are all part of a tech company. However it is perhaps an element you skim over as a reader. How significant a detail it may be is up for you to decide! I’ll be honest and admit that the tech side of this thriller goes way over my head, as do the skiing aspects but fortunately there’s not too much unnecessary detail to detract from your overall enjoyment.

I thought this novel began really well, with a great location and plenty of potential suspects to cast your beady eye over. It’s incredibly easy to read and I felt excited to discover exactly who was the cat amongst the pigeons. Once the first death occurs, whether a tragic accident or something more sinister, then the numbers in this ski party dwindle at an alarming rate. What a frightening situation to be in, especially when unfavourable weather conditions confine these people to the chalet. I’m loathe to have to admit to my disappointment in the way the killer is exposed. From the very beginning there’s one member of the ski party who fits the bill of prime suspect. Too obvious, I thought, this clearly has to be a red herring and so I began to create fanciful theories regarding everyone else in that chalet, assuming the author has imagined just that. I absolutely loved the idea of a group of people trapped together, with little chance of escape, being picked off one by one by a killer within their midst. I was intrigued as to how the author would imagine and anticipate each individual’s behaviour in relation to this horrifying predicament. I believe she has captured that element of fear and growing horror as one by one the numbers of this group diminish, with the extreme weather conditions also holding them hostage. Dwindling food supplies, lack of heating and electricity, not forgetting their total lack of communication with the outside world all combine to create a total sense of isolation and a tense, chilling atmosphere. It becomes a game of survival of the fittest.

Perhaps if these characters, other than Erin and Liz had been more fully developed the storyline would have been even stronger. Instead I just saw them as monied privileged people, used to calling all the shots and getting their own way all the time. Of course the friction and dissent within the group caused by the disagreement over the direction their company should take is crucial to the storyline and is evident in their interactions, with simmering animosity and distrust never far from the surface but I don’t know if that is utilised enough. Frankly they are wholly disagreeable characters but do they deserve all that’s coming to them? The only characters I felt I could relate to were Erin and Danny. Although they are worlds apart in their upbringings I liked the way the author has portrayed them as a cohesive partnership, their loyalties to each other remaining steadfast in light of the unfolding drama.

To a certain extent the final dramatic scenes are quite tense, prompting my heart to race,hoping and praying Erin, as well as those remaining characters who form the original ski party manage to survive. I do think the author has captured the sense of danger with a high probability of this foolhardy but ‘no other option’ escapade ending in yet more tragedy. They definitely didn’t make me wish to take the sport up anytime soon, pitting my wits against such hostile unforgiving terrain and I could imagine these scenes playing out on the big screen in a Bond type movie!

I think the author has written the ending as a way for ghosts of the past to be laid to rest and expose (at least) some members of the ski party for the detestable unlikeable characters they really are. It felt like there was a moral in the ending with the warning that wealth and privilege will only take you so far in life and you shouldn’t be blinded by greed, losing sight of moral obligations as some of the characters are. That’s only my opinion and may not be an accurate reflection of the author’s intentions.

Although One by One is enjoyable I have to admit to feeling slightly underwhelmed and disappointed with Ruth Ware’s latest offering. My high expectations on this occasion weren’t fulfilled as the ‘thrilling’ element is weakened by the fact the most obvious suspect from the beginning turns out to be the killer. However It won’t put me off following this author’s work in the future and my thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free ARC of the book in return for an honest review. Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for the opportunity.

I’ve only read a couple of Ruth Ware books but I can already tell she is shaping up to be mistress of the ‘closed room mystery’: whodunnits with a limited suspect pool trapped with a murderer. A good writer can give you the all the answers you need but distract you so doubt your own suspicions.

This particular murder mystery starts with a vignette of the main personnel involved in an app company called Snoop. We then segue into a newspaper article about an incident at a French chalet in the mountains where four people died, so we know it’s going to be a bloodbath. This sets up the tension nicely.

The ten shareholders and employees of Snoop arrive at an isolated chalet, and after rotating through a number of points of view, we eventually settle to two main viewpoints. Liz is the odd-girl out, a minor shareholder from a poor background, uncomfortable amongst the company founders who are clearly from old-monied families. Erin is the housekeeper with a tragic past and an observant eye for interpersonal drama. An an avalanche cuts the group off from the rest of the world, and very soon the first body is found.

What marks this book out most clearly for me is the building level of claustrophobia. The initial near-death feeling of the avalanche, being trapped in the building, and as the power goes down, the drawing together of the characters into a central area had a powerful impact on me, even without the murders. Let’s be honest, just being cut off from the Internet would be enough to frighten most of us. Sometimes a plot turn was telegraphed, sometimes not, so the interest holds, even as the pool of suspects dwindles.

I had a bit of a problem with so many characters being thrown at me all at once, and I have to admit some characters didn’t make any impression on me. There were some interesting little details though, like the guy who eats all of his food, even the venison, with a spoon. I wondered to myself whether this was a real world portrait slipped into a fictional setting by Ruth Ware. I have always found it best not to get attached to characters in a closed room mystery. It’s a generally a guaranteed way to get your reader’s heart broken but I will admit, I did like Erin and was intrigued by the little snippets of background.

Did I guess the murderer? I had an inkling and then I second-guessed myself. I would consider that a sign of a successful whodunnit. I can tell you how much this book got to me, though. I unintentionally read it in a single day. Every time I put it down, I found myself unconsciously picking it up and reading a bit more. If you are looking to lose yourself in a good murder mystery yarn, this is one should be definitely on your list.

I had read some raving reviews for Ware's previous books, so was a little disappointed when this fell flat for me, I DNF at 50% through. I found the characters to be overly predictable and a little cliche, you have the bullys and the meek and mild girl who is in way over her head and wants to please everyone.

I did like the differing perspectives, but Erin's chapters and character were far superior to Liz's, right up until the moment she decided to tell a room full of murder suspects that she figured it was one of them... i'm no sleuth but that seems a little silly to me. The plot was overly predictable and, a apart from the murders, lacked any real stakes.

This closed circle book was exciting and thrilling, keeping me on my toes throughout! I enjoyed the character developments and the scene setting to really create an air of suspense and chill.

The only issue I have with the story is that I guessed the culprit fairly early on. I don’t know if this was a deliberate ploy to explore the character in the way that Ruth Ware did but I would have maybe liked a little bit more back and forth between characters to make it harder to guess!

Overall though this was an excellent thriller and perfect for those looking for a fast, intense and closed circle read!

Snoop is a social media app which lets users listen anonymously to other peoples (celebrities included) music simultaneously.
A group of Snoop shareholders and employees are gathered together for a corporate retreat in the French Alps.
The story is told from the point of view of Erin the chalet hostess and Liz a former employee and shareholder of Snoop.
The fate of the company is up for discussion, a buy out worth millions does not find favour with all the shareholders.
Alliances are formed and the atmosphere surrounding them is filled with tension.
When one of the pro sell out group goes missing on the mountain suspicions are raised.
Then a more natural disaster, an avalanche means they are cut off from the outside world.
You guessed it, then people start to die....
I found this one a little hard to get into, too many details about the Snoop app itself which really didn`t add anything to the plot.
The murderer was easily identified early on for me so sadly this was not one of my favourite offerings from Ruth Ware.
This is only my opinion and I`m sure others may rave about this one.
Thanks to Random House Uk and Netgalley.