I was so excited to read this. I loved the plot. But it fell flat . . .

I loved the cross word clues. But I hated the writing style. Unnecessarily big words one after another, forming overly long winded sentences. It was choppy, jumping from one thing to the next with explanation or flow. There was too much flowery purple prose. The pacing was slow, too slow. I just could not get into this at all.

One Down by Diana Wilkinson is an intriguing and exciting read. It tackles murder through the lens of cryptic crossword puzzle clues. Nathan and Amanda's relationship has ended; Amanda thought he was out of her life for good, but Nathan appears to have other plans. He uses the crossword to send clues about her indiscretions, struggles and relationship milestones. Each chapter unveils how their relationship ran through multiple timelines, which sometimes got confusing. The crossword clues, the champion plot point, got repetitive, with identical hints used numerous times. I have to raise a trigger warning flag of alcoholism, addiction and rape. Furthermore, it is relatively easy to decipher who the culprit and potential suspects are. Still, Diana does an excellent job of connecting the dots and delivering a satisfactory ending.

Thank you, NetGalley & Boldwood Books, for giving me an ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.

One Down by Diana Wilkinson is about the theme of murder, which is woven through a crossword grid, and 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.

I really wanted to like this book and heard such good reviews, but I struggled to even finish it. The crossword clues were fun, but I had to push myself to finish the book. The writing style and how the story unfolded were not to my liking. I had difficulty connecting to any of the characters. The ending was good, though, and not what I expected.

#OneDown #NetGalley @BoldwoodBooks

I usually love this authors books but unfortunately for me it did not deliver. At first I enjoyed the cryptic clues but they soon became repetitive and boring. I am glad I stuck with it and it did get better. Still a good read let's hope her next book is a five star read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Overall I did find this a good read, it did take me a while to get into the storyline and I found the different timelines a bit difficult to follow although the crossword clues were well thought out.

The characters were good but for me personally it wasn't an edge of seater but I did enjoy the read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

I found following Amanda's timelines in this novel a bit difficult. It seemed to jump between present, close past, and distant past, but it was hard to distinguish exactly when was when in her narration.

I will give it to the author, the crossword clues were excellent and also provided some great tips for solving clues! I wish there was more clarity on the part of the narrator to understand the timelines, as I believe the plot could have been very, very strong otherwise.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Diana Wilkinson for the opportunity to read an advance copy of ONE DOWN, to be published 16 January 2023. This Domestic Thriller was extremely cerebral throughout. It revolves around crucibalists, the relationship of a husband with a wife who was a blithering alcoholic, and two other main characters, introduced later in the novel. The suspense was unending in that I really wanted to know who was to be the victim and who the perpetrator would be around all of the clues, red herrings, and paranoia involved. It was quite a ride and the end nearly upset the apple cart.

One Down
by Diana Wilkinson

I’m not being paranoid. It’s all there in the crossword clues…in black and white. There’s no doubt the threat is real. Today, the answers spell out my murder.
May Third. Amanda. Silver Birch. Noontime. Assassination.
I just felt like I was reading someone delusional (maybe). The puzzle clues seemed original, the book was a bit tedious and I pushed through. It was one you had to pay attention to or the thoughts and rhyme got lost. I am sure many will enjoy it in a big way.

I was so excited when I came across this that it went straight to the top of my reading pile. The concept is so unique and has so much potential! I love this style of thriller that plays on childhood games or well known games etc so I was so excited. And then I started it. The opening chapter just absolutely made me cringe. The writing style of the book is just so out there and random. I know the book is based around a play on crosswords but it really does feel like the author wrote a book and then went through and replaced every second word with an alterative picked from a thesaurus because its just not a natural speaking tone or natural narrative and it completely blocks and flow for the reader. Noone wants to be having to Google words each chapter lol.

For example " the pitted driveway, it's yawning chasms of neglect, tells me off. Slovenly reproof of my disinterest. A rampaging weed, thick, lush with sharply pointed talons, taunts with a strangulation grip as it waves at me through a crack"

No offence but tone down the shakespear and just say the garden had gone to hell!! However, thankfully the writing style does change after that awful introduction chapter and it becomes a lot more readable! There's still a lot of narrative on irrelevant things but if you do persevere then it does turn into a better book than it initially appears.

It's obviously based around the crossword premise and a lot of time is dedicated to actually breaking down how the cryptic crossword clues are created and solved which I found really fascinating! Whilst I do love words and puzzles, I had no idea so much went into it and that there were little rules and giveaways when it came to the clues!!

The hubby is set up from the start as a complete weirdo since he did hunt down and manipulate a complete stranger to try n get a date and shes literally spying on her neighbour and looking into his kitchen without consent but each to their own. We also don't need reminded every time the word "cruciverbalist" is used, that it means comeone who creates crosswords!! We can remember that from the 1st 4 times it's mentioned so stop adding in the definition!

Other than that, it's actually quite a good thriller! It had the twists and turns. The characters are odd but it gives quite an accurate description of someone who struggles with addiction etc. I actually really enjoyed it.... but please just skip the intro and don't let it put you off!! Its actually a really cleverly written thriller lol

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Although the story was enticing…I just did not get into the crossword clues…who was guilty? Secrets and red herrings…characters who are realistic…enjoy