One by One

Rating: 4.6/5There is a slightly different feel about this compared with Ruth Ware's previous novels.Comparisons have been drawn between Ruth Ware and Agatha Christie - and that is evident again here. Swap an isolated island off the Devon coast for a secluded chalet in the alpine ski resort of Saint Antoine. Then replace the cast of characters with the shareholders and directors of a high-tech start-up business, who are in disagreement about a high value buyout. Now you have have the ingredients for a locked room style mystery in the spirit of "And Then There Were None". All you need is for the guests to start prematurely meeting their maker ... et voilà! The scene is set for a classic whodunnit.However, what makes this so good is that it isn't just a whodunnit in the classical style. This story shows a different aspect of Ruth Ware's armoury as it transforms into a taut, tense and suspenseful thriller. The author adds to this by making the most of the environmental factors to create a claustrophobic atmosphere.Ruth Ware has an uncanny ability to create settings and characters that are totally authentic and credible - if not always likeable. Consequently, it is very easy to find yourself being drawn into the scenario that she paints. Once again, she absolutely nails those aspects in "One by One" and enhances it with her own individual and seemingly effortless style of storytelling.If you have enjoyed Ruth Ware's books previously, you will love this one too. If you have read her work and have not, as yet, been won over, then this may make some readers think again.

Having enjoyed Ruth Ware’s previous novels, In a Dark Dark Wood and The Lying Game, I was very excited to get my hands on a copy of One By One. I still need to catch up on some of her books which I hope to get round to doing this year. I thought this was such a tense read and I was racing through it to find out what was really going on here. It was atmospheric and really entertaining. Throughout the book, there was a menacing atmosphere which kept the tension turning up a notch.I’ve really grown to enjoy locked room mysteries, and One By One is a really chilling one. A group of business partners have travelled to the French Alps and are staying in a luxury chalet. They are there to discuss the next proposals for their new app, Snoop, which they plan to roll out. There are already tensions among the group early on. When they venture out skiing, just before an avalanche is about to come crashing down, one of them doesn’t come back. As they try to work out what is going on and if their friend could still be alive, someone starts killing them one by one. This is when the tensions really begin to rise.I couldn’t turn the pages in this book fast enough. The chapters are told primarily from Erin and Liz's point of view, and they are short and snappy. One By One is definitely the kind of book which makes you think; oh I’ll just read one more chapter. As I got to know the characters, the only person I felt sympathy for was Erin. Erin works at the host and is there to accommodate the guests when they arrive, and during their stay. I didn’t like any of the individuals who were staying there. That didn’t stop me, though, from wanting to find out who the killer was. Erin finds herself in the midst of everything that is happening. Liz, the other person whose point of view the book is told from, is one of the shareholders of Snoop.The pace doesn’t drop at all, and it keeps picking up as the novel progresses. I found it a little slow at the beginning, as the group started to arrive at the chalet, but as I got further into it, I couldn’t put it down.I loved the isolated setting, which definitely heightens the tension. I could picture the mountains and the chalet really well in my mind. You feel as though everyone is walking around on eggshells. They know the killer could be among them, but the question is, who is it, and why are they doing this?I really enjoyed One By One. I’m looking forward to catching up on Ruth Ware’s previous books that I have missed. If you’re looking for a chilling, highly entertaining crime thriller which will keep you hooked, then I highly recommend this book.

A company break at a luxury mountain chalet: the chance to do some work and get some skiing in seems like a great idea to the group. Except the group of eight coworkers are snowed in, cut off from the outside world by an avalanche, with no power and no phonelines and their mobiles can't get a signal. They are with the two chalet workers, Erin and Danny, but things between all of them start to deteriorate quickly and the first death occurs. It seems that someone is willing to take advantage of their predicament and it could be any one of them.There's been a heck of a lot of books released recently that seem to pay homage to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. A group of people, isolated from the rest of the world, start to die one by one. This is one of the better versions and I enjoyed reading it. I had the killer down to 2 suspects pretty quickly, and there are clues throughout the book if you are paying attention. Another solid book from the author (apart from what seems like one inconsistency to me which I won't spoil here).

"Now we are ten. Now we are nine. Now we are eight" (p.154).Ruth Ware can be a bit hit or miss for me. This latest novel follows a premise which has been used many times before: a group of people effectively cut off from the rest of the world, with a killer amongst them. How many will die, and why, before the killer is revealed? And will anyone survive?Set within a ski resort, we see ten people gather at an exclusive ski chalet, to determine the future of their internet company. Members of Snoop, a music app, have been gathered to make a decision which could see the shareholders become millionaires overnight, but past secrets and tensions are going to get in the way. Then, when an avalanche hits, one member is missing, soon to be presumed dead. Cut off from the rest of the resort, it soon becomes apparent that a killer is amongst them.The novel is told from the perspective of two characters: Liz, an ex-employee at Snoop, and Erin, one of the chalet hosts. As with many novels in this genre, the chapters are short meaning that you can easily tear through the book. There isn't really anything overly original about this tale; as mentioned, the premise is one which has been used before. The characters are also pretty standard for this kind of novel, as they are nearly all described as being varying degrees of gorgeous, confident, young, and/or 'edgy.' And, as you will find out, there are those who are carrying around secrets which they wouldn't want the others to find out. The setting itself provides an element of atmosphere to the tale, as the harsh weather conditions add to the isolation.Overall, this was an OK read. I have to admit that I did work out who was responsible for the first disappearance, and therefore for the remainder of the story. Daftly, I doubted myself, as I thought that it was a little too obvious (I usually can get swept up in following red herrings), and I think in a sense this is what has stopped me from marking it higher. The person responsible is the obvious one, granted their reasoning behind their actions are not easily guessed, but it still left the big reveal as feeling a little 'blah' for me.

This another solid page turner by one of my now favourite authors. The descriptions are breathtaking and I was quickly immersed into the setting.This isn't one of my favorite books by the author. Something seemed to be missing for me. I don't think there was any massive surprises or twists in this story that took me by surprise. The ending just fell a bit flat for me. I think i was expecting more than there actually was. However this is still a well crafted book that did keep me reading and I love the setting of the book.