One Down by Diana Wilkinson is a mystery set around crossword puzzle and that is what initially drew me to this book. The premise was so promising and unique that I couldn't wait to read it.

Unfortunately it didn't live up to my expectations. I thought that the pace was pretty slow, it took a lot of time for even the smallest significant information to be revealed. I didn't enjoy writing style, there were a lot of unnecessary big words that only made it very stilted and unnatural.

I liked that there were different points of view and we could see what was happening from several characters perspectives , which I always find intriguing.

Also I really couldn't connect to or like any of the characters. I even didn't like the main heroine and I think that unrealiable alcoholic character trope has been a bit overused.

The premise of this novel is so different to thrillers I have read in the past. The narrative was a slow burn at first, slowly becoming more claustrophobic as you read and more details of characters motives come to light. I couldnt put it down and I was on the edge of my seat til the breathtaking conclusion
#booktour

One Down by Diana Wilkinson is a psychological thriller with a linguistic twist.
The premises of the story sounds captivating. The murder is being announced via a series of crossword clues.
If you enjoy cryptic crosswords (or crosswords in general), you will have fun, following the progress of solving each sinister clue. If a wordplay is not your cup of tea, you might find the search for hidden meanings less riveting.
One Down is a slow-paced twisty tale of addictions and revenge, tense and incisive. A gripping psychological thriller. This is a convincing portrayal of an out-of-control obsession.
#BlogTour with Rachel's Random Resources

I’m a little torn with this one. The plot is marvellous - using crossword clues to torment and threaten someone - definitely not something I’ve read before. It was a unique angle for a thriller, and it should have made this a five star read for me.

Unfortunately I just didn’t enjoy the writing style and it definitely made this a hard book for me to get into. The first half of the book has next to nothing really going on, and every sentence felt unnecessarily wordy, like the thesaurus had been overused (Kind of reminded me of Joey Tribbiani writing a letter of recommendation 😋)

The second half was undoubtedly more interesting; the pace picked up, the taunts became more threatening, we found out more about ‘the accident’, and there were several fab plot twists that I did not see coming!

I thought the subject of addiction was well handled; the numerous and varying facets of recovery, the emotional and physical side of addiction and the effects it can have on different relationships were all sensitively explored.

Overall…I like books that draw me in right from the start, take my breath away with a quick sucker punch rather than the slow burns. And this was definitely the latter. However once it got going it was a good read, so if you can wade though the first half there’s a decent reward waiting.

Thank you @rachelsrandomresources and @boldwoodbooks for my copy of One Down 🙏🏻

3.5/5 (rounded up)

One Down is an interesting and original type of thriller. I enjoyed the concept although I found the story a little slow in places. Having said that, I still wanted to keep reading and enjoyed it immensely.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

Complexity and originality, with unreliable narrators and building suspense, make this psychological thriller an intriguing read. Its story is rooted in crossword clues and puzzles, giving it its unique perspective. Told mainly from Amanda's viewpoint, she comes across as an unreliable protagonist. In keeping with the genre, the characters are unlikeable but draw the reader into the story. The plot moves between the past and present and demands the reader's concentration. It is dark and disturbing and decidedly noir but is well-plotted and characterised.

I like the original ideas and the complexity but found the pacing slow.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

When a theme of murder is woven through a crossword grid, Amanda knows she’s the target.
When Amanda’s husband, Nathan, walked out on her ten months ago, she thought she would never hear from him again. But her crossword setter husband has other plans, and toys with her from a distance, using the daily grid, each clue a mocking taunt at her struggles.
As Amanda becomes more and more shut off from her old life, trapped inside her flat with only the haunting memories of that fateful day Nathan left, she becomes increasingly paranoid. Could these threatening clues be the work of someone other than her husband? Could it be someone closer to home?

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

My Thoughts: I thought this story was really cleverly done, the idea that the main character feels her ex husband is communicating with her through the daily cryptic crossword was eerily believable and utterly fascinating! – I didn’t really understand half of the clues even though the author did a bloody brilliant job of explaining how we got to answers.

I loved Amanda as a character and teddy too, although I definitely didn’t trust any of them at all.

Throughout the story an event is hinted at, an event that caused Amanda to have serious anxiety and a bit of a drink problem, you’re left wondering if this is the reason she’s being taunted through crossword & wether her husband is really the one one responsible as she thinks… after all the crossword setters are anonymous and it could be anyone!

This was a good solid psychological thriller, I didn’t know which way it would go & doubted myself repeatedly.

Although the chapters were short which is what I love I did find the book a bit long and repetitive, but that’s just a personal preference. I would still highly recommend you pick this one up!

🐧❤️

Amanda lives in one of three flats in the building known as Silver Birch. Husband Nathan moved out ten months ago, following an accident caused by Amanda's overreliance on alcohol & she is still struggling with her sobriety. One bright spot in her life is her burgeoning relationship with neighbour, Edward, & the fact that she now loves to complete the daily crossword in the paper. Amanda was first introduced to crosswords by Nathan, who works as crossword setter or cruciverbalist, but she has begun to suspect that he is taunting her by using clues which mock her struggles. As the clues start to point to more & more sinister answers, Amanda begins to wonder if it is Nathan or is someone else involved.

The narrative is told from mainly Amanda's point of view, with a few chapters from several other characters including Nathan, his friend & Amanda's AA sponsor Joseph. The chapters are all quite short & keep the pace moving. Now, I did like the crossword element - it was a little unusual at first, but the reader soon gets into it & I found myself trying to work out the clues before reading on. The issue I had with this one is that none of the characters (with maybe the possibility of Edward) are particularly sympathetic, even Amanda is difficult to like as she is rather selfish at times, so it makes it difficult to connect with the story. Also I rather think that the trope of a main character who is unreliable due to an alcohol addiction has been rather overused. I'd have to rate this one 2.5 stars (rounded up).

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Boldwood Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

These Clues! Had me wanting to get in and start getting all the newspapers ahead of time so I could see what was going to happen next. Love that this book has a different way to create a thriller. Definitely not your typical who done it book. Each time I thought I figured it out, there was a new spin. Great book!

I was drawn to this book initially by its cover, then the premise sounded intriguing. I was at first confused and distracted from the story by trying to solve the crossword clues. I was still confused with the backwards and forwards timeline. . However the writing was superb.

2.5⭐

Featuring ~ single 1st & multiple 3rd person POV, differing timelines, alcoholism, infidelity, voyeurism, rape references, death of a child

Amanda is our 1st person narrator and we have multiple 3rd person ones, including her husband, Nathan (I won't name them all as to not give spoilers). No one is very likable and all are unreliable.

Overall, not for me, but I did like the following:
~ unique premise
~ short chapters
~ how Amanda cared for her elderly neighbor, Mr. Beckles
~ the twist I didn't see coming
~ the last sentence

This was very slow going for me and I wasn't very invested in the story until about 80% in. I liked the interesting premise ~ will Amanda really be murdered on May 3rd as the crossword implies? With the multiple POV's and flashbacks within the chapters, it took an awfully long time to find out. And once we do find out it left me with a lackluster impression. Luckily there was a small twist that I hadn't figured out that gave me some excitement. Amanda struggles with alcoholism and she talks a big game of trying to get help, but really it didn't seem like she wanted to quit. I liked the last sentence, but I won't tell you why.

So again, overall not for me, but there are other reviewers that enjoyed this more than I did, so don't let my thoughts stop you from giving it a try if it sounds like something you'd enjoy.

Well that was original. I wasn’t sure when I started this, I am hopeless at cryptic crosswords, even when I have the answers, so I was coming to a halt as I tried to understand the clues. But then I suddenly found myself becoming addicted, a bit like Teddy! The writer is clearly a cryptic crosswords connoisseur as she writes and explains each of the clue suitable for someone like me. The book is written from various POV’s but mainly that of Amanda, the main protagonist who is a recovering alcoholic; she is not a particularly likeable character but she certainly is interesting.

Briefly, Amanda’s estranged husband is a cruciverbalist, yes I know - it’s a crossword setter - and whilst they were married he taught Amanda how to solve the clues. Some months after their separation Amanda notices that some of the clues in the daily crossword appear to be directly aimed at her. Is it Nathan trying to scupper her sobriety and her fragile mental health? Or is someone else involved?

I did get a bit confused when the chapters switched to the past and maybe dates on the chapter headings would help but this is a really tiny niggle. I found this a very enjoyable read and I was completely engrossed with all the reveals and red herrings. As for the ending and the ‘one year later’ it was a complete shock to me. A great read for anyone who enjoys a twisty psychological thriller and if you love a cryptic crossword you’ll love this. 4.5⭐️ rounded up to 5

I was so excited to read ONE DOWN as the premise sounded incredibly intriguing. A murder foretold through crossword clues...but...*yawn*...

Amanda is our main narrator who spends the first good portion of the book slowly taking us through every agonising step of crossword clues. And I do mean every agonising step. Of every clue. Until she had all the words on the grid spelt out in order...giving a name, a time, a place, a threat. But was it real? Or Amanda just paranoid?

Personally I thought she was a bit paranoid. But then we are thrown headlong into her dissection of crossword clues that obviously meant something to her and yet meaning nothing to us. There was no real preamble (unless you count the prologue which gave no indication of anything), no backstory - nothing to give us direction or clues as to what was actually going on.

Then after she has solved and deciphered the entire grid, we are taken back three year previous to her then husband Nathan, who sounded a bit like a twat to me. But the time frame became confusing as he was referring to when he met Amanda and married her three years before in 2018 which add three years from then becomes 2021...but that's only (just) two years ago (from now), not three. So when are we actually talking about? I was thoroughly confused.

To make matters even more confusing, one of the narratives appeared to be a dog's! OK...so I did end up skimming the book after about 15% in so not sure whose narrative is whose, but Merlong was a narrative...and I did note that the (then) narrator referred to Merlong as a dog. So therefore, the narrative was the dog's? OK...from there, I pretty much gave up because if anything were to happen to the dog...I didn't want to know. And I wasn't sticking around to find out.

But one thing is for sure...Amanda is an unreliable narrator. She's completely paranoid - with good reason, I'd say, but she's still paranoid. And I couldn't connect to her and didn't like anyone else. I felt as if I were in an alternate universe whilst reading. Nothing seemed tangible or real. Just weird.

I must be in the minority here as I just couldn't get into the story and my head was exploding with cryptic clues. I was disappointed as ONE DOWN promised to be a chilling and intriguing read but for me, it fell flat.

I would like to thank #DianaWilkinson, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #OneDown in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

I was intrigued by the concept of this novel, but ultimately I found myself disappointed. The prologue had me totally gripped and hooked, but it slowly fizzled out for me soon after. I was not a fan of the writing style. I also found the crossword clues came off a tad ridiculous and were starting to ruin my interest in the plot.

I started to skim the pages til I got to the end.

I loved how crosswords were used within the story, such a unique (for me) premises, whilst I wasn’t a fan of Amanda, I enjoyed following her as she moved on with her life and attempted to work out who was sending the clues.

This is slow paced to start, but gradually build to a fantastic ending that you do not see coming. This book needs to have a sequel!

My first read by Diana Wilkinson, 'One Down' is an addition to the thriller genre. Its plot surrounds the main female protagonist, Amanda, who also serves as the main narrator. Interspersed are musings from her estranged husband, Nathan, as well as other minor characters.

The book begins with a bang, as we realise that a murder has been committed - by whom, we are left to wonder. We are then properly introduced to Amanda, who is a struggling with alcoholism. She has separated from Nathan, and harbors a crush on her hunky neighbour. Due to Nathan's profession as a cruciverbalist, she has become mired in the world of crossword puzzles and enjoys them as they help her find some semblance of peace. However, she has noticed a very disturbing pattern lately: the puzzles lately have been alluding to her death! What follows are twisted and shocking discoveries, some which you never see coming.

What interested me the most with this novel is the subplot of crosswords - as someone who loves them, it was so interesting to see a storyline revolving them. The premise was very different and this kept me reading.

My biggest issue with this was the slow pacing. It took what felt like forever for information to be revealed, which hindered my overall enjoyment of the book. Additionally, Amanda as a protagonist was not likeable; I never felt connected to her, never rooted for her.

In the end, I give 'One Down' a rating of 3 stars because even though the plot fell a little dead for me, I liked the overall uniqueness of it.


*A great many thanks to Netgalley, Diana Wilkinson, and Boldwood Books for this ARC. It is important to note that I was under no commitment to provide a positive review, and all opinions are undoubtedly my own.*

One Down is a well written modern psychological thriller standalone by Diana Wilkinson. Due out 16th Jan 2023 from Boldwood Books, it's 377 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

This is a gritty and tension filled thriller with an unreliable narrator in Amanda, a recovering alcoholic, who is convinced her husband is threatening her through the crosswords he sets as a cruciverbalist. Through flashbacks, he's shown to be a calculating merciless manipulator and Amanda has become isolated from any sort of support network except her AA support group. 

The author is quite adept at ratcheting up the tension unrelievedly throughout. For readers who enjoy crosswords and wordplay, this book is full of them. It bears mentioning that the book is set in, and the crosswords (and vernacular) are UK style (see book cover). For readers who are going the extra distance to figure the clues as they're presented in the book, they are different than many readers will be used to in North America. The author explains them in context in the text, but they're all what crossword solvers in the US refer to as "cryptic crosswords". 

Three and a half stars. This will definitely appeal to fans of psychological thrillers like Gone Girl, Rock Paper Scissors, and The Maidens.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Once started this was really hard to put down, it was nearly impossible not to carry on reading, even long into the night.

Amanda and Nathan seem an unlikely couple. They meet while she is drunk and on a date with a married man. He follows them and is so enraptured by her he follows the man, then cleverly moves him out of the picture. Nathan is a strange character, very complex like the crossword puzzles that he devises. Amanda has made lots of terrible decisions, could Nathan be one of them?

Lots of movement between timelines as we see the fallout of the swift marriage between the two, the reasons that events spiralled them into this decision and updates from both perspectives. I enjoyed the characters of the neighbours as an added backstory to the couple and the creepy house they lived in.

Definitely recommend this and thoroughly enjoyed the quiz setting information and references, I feel I have become more proficient at solving them!

Amanda is a recovering alcoholic, and crossword enthusiast.
However, when her crosswords soon send her cryptic messages it isn't long before she realises she has an enemy.

This novel is mainly told in first person through the point of view, of the character of Amanda, switching to some chapters in the third person; told through a different character. I found this novel to change pace throughout, sometimes making it hard to stay engaged, although I really enjoyed the narrative.

Wilkinson definitely kept me on my toes in this novel as I kept changing my mind to whether I actually liked any of the characters. In the end, I only like the character of Teddy, but this book did teach me to trust no one.

I actually tried to work out someone of the crosswords before I got to the answer and I can honestly say I got zero correct.

This was an overall enjoyable read.