Author: Ruth Ware
Publication Date: September 8th 2020
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Format: Hardcover
Find it on: Amazon, Goodreads
Synopsis
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Turn of the Key and In a Dark Dark Wood returns with another suspenseful thriller set on a snow-covered mountain.
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 coworkers…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. Come Monday morning, how many members short will the team be?
From Goodreads
Review
TLDR; A cozy modern murder mystery
Ruth Ware’s One by One is a classic ‘who dun it’ read with a modern spin, perfect for cozying up on a cool winter night. We’re introduced to the inventors and high stakes players of the “Snoop” app, away for a special retreat. Their innovative service allows you to not only listen to your preferred music but ‘snoop’ on what friends, family, and celebrities are listening to real time, building a community around common interests and a shared listening experience.
But as popular as the app has become, a decision looms for the group. Snoop’s stakeholders are torn amongst themselves whether to entertain a buy out or hold out to see where the traction takes them. The relaxing atmosphere of the beautiful French chalet is a thin veneer over the stress of the impending vote. Alliances form, the chalet caretakers are caught up in the storm, and only a few make it out alive. Everyone appears to have motive, but who has been driven to such an extreme to take matters into their own hands?
This was an engaging read. The chapters felt pretty short, and Ruth Ware’s writing was easy to consume. The story plot felt familiarly modern yet followed archetypal isolated closed circle mystery patterns. Time seemed to pass very quickly while reading and I found myself easily reading for long periods of time. When I got to the reveal at the end it did feel pretty obvious, but there were quite a few motives at play so while I had a strong inkling of the killer I don’t know that I would have 100% committed to my suspicion. All in all it was sufficiently exciting and distracting from this year, and had nice wintery vibes 🙂 I’d recommend this if you’re looking for a cozy murder mystery as this year comes to a close 🎄❄
Renee Reviews 