One of my favorite things is to go into books completely blind. I see so many different books recommended on tiktok, bookstagram, and amongst the members of the hive that I have begun to just jump into things, and it had become a great adventure. This book is one that I went into with pretty much no idea what it was about, and I was not disappointed. I was transported back to 1930’s New York as I followed Frances through her harrowing journey in the big city. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen in this book, it went a completely different way. It certainly kept me on my toes.

There were some very vivid characters in this book, but they all felt a little flat to me. Frances was meeting all kinds of people, and they were described in great detail, but I never got past the surface with them. I felt like there was more to these characters, which in return could have added more to the story, but the story just never got there. The story wasn’t really about anyone but Frances in the end, so I guess that didn’t really matter.

I absolutely loved Frances’s character. She started out as a scared girl, finally getting away from her father, and blossomed into a fighter. This poor girl went through so much, and every time something was uncovered from her past, I rooted for her a little harder. The only thing that made no sense to me was her relationship with Agnes. Agnes was really the only person who tried to get to know Frances, but when they went from friends to something more, it felt off. It didn’t seem like Frances fell for Agnes, but instead that she just went along with whatever Agnes did or perused with her. Frances never seemed to be truly comfortable with receiving affection from a woman, and I felt like she was only okay with it because she knew Agnes couldn’t hurt her like a man could.


Me, trying to remember the date from the previous chapter
In the end, this was a truly fascinating book! Because I listened to the book, I felt a little lost at times with the dates, but I loved the story line. It went back and forth in time, making the suspense so great that I finished this book in just a few days. There were moments I literally stopped whatever I was doing in shock, just listening to this sad, haunting story unfold.

Narration
This book was narrated by Stephanie Cannon, and she did a great job with it. I always love it when narrators try to give characters their own voice, and who also go out of their way to do accurate accents. My only issue was her voice for Frances. It is clearly stated in the beginning of the book that Frances is supposed to have a thick, hick sounding accent, and the narration doesn’t reflect that. She wasn’t the narrator, but even when she spoke, her voice did not have the accent I feel like she was meant to.

Thanks to dreamscape media and netgalley for an ARC of this book! I listened on audiobook, and I think that impacted my experience with this title. If I had it to do again, I think this would have been a better reading experience!

Firstly, the title made me really excited- there aren't many books that take place over just one day or one night, and this one doesn't either! Most of the book is a build up to the one night, and the one night itself is a very small portion of the book. I think the build up was too long, and the actual carrying out of Agnes and Francis' plan was too short.

I did really like the descriptions and imagery of 1930s NYC. I think the descriptive imagery was my favorite aspect of the entire book. I think this is worth the read, and again I would recommend reading a physical copy instead of listening to this one.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio-ARC of One Night, New York by Lara Thompson, narrated by Stephanie Cannon.
One Night, New York is a fairly fast-paced mystery that takes place in the course of one night. However, the author adds a lot of back story making the book feel like it takes place during three months. The book moved along quickly, but lacked the thriller feel. I was disappointed with the narrator. I felt that Stephanie Cannon's voices didn't always match the character (Ben sounded like an old man, and Angie often had the same sad voice of Frances).

A wonderful debut. One night, and all the NYC has to offer. A fast past thriller where two women who are wronged seek revenge. Set in the 30’s a girl from Kansas leaves behind an abusive dad for NYC. Francis is poor, but needs to get out of this situation. While on the train to NYC she meets a couple who befriend her. They offer her a job and her life is changed forever. Is a positive change or does this put her in danger? Triggers; drug and alcohol abuse, incest, sex, etc.

The description of this book was better than the actual story. The setting in 1930’s New York was the best part. It takes place during the depression. Frances, a naive farm girl, leaves her parent’s home to escape famine and her parents. While on the train to New York to live with her brother, she meets Dickie and his wife who offer to take pictures of her for a magazine article. Frances takes them up on their offer and during the shoot meets Agnes, an up and coming photographer who assists Dickie. The story weaves in and out of speakeasies, clubs, crime, glitter, parties and the elite and important people that run NYC during this era.

Sadly, the characters lacked personality and I had a difficult time connecting to them. There wasn’t much to keep me invested in the story. The plot was flat and I expected more excitement based on the description. There were times I thought about quitting but forced myself to the end. I guessed who Frances and Agnes were waiting for so there wasn’t much of a surprise.

The audio performance was also lacking somewhat. The narration would’ve been more engaging with a broader range of voices and a more dynamic storytelling.

I received an audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say I was slightly intrigued when I began this book but unfortunately, I DNF’d this book at about 100 pages in. I just couldn’t get attached enough to the characters to keep reading(listening). This was more of a historical fiction than it was mystery and intrigue, and I found the characters too flat to stay interested.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really liked this book! Lara does a great job capturing the various characters and documenting their life, including the various activities that led to this one fateful night.

I love the time period aspect of it, capturing old New York between the two great wars. I will say the description made it seem like the entire story is about a single night, which is not the case. It alternates back and forth between the past and "present" day (being that night).

Another thing I loved about the book was that it explored different relationships, and had literally everything - corruption, murder, revenge, and a sense of not knowing who to trust.

Thank you for the early copy of the audiobook!

One Night, New York is a great audiobook! The story itself is well developed and I really connected with Frances. She is a small town country girl moving to the big city where her big brother lives. He tries to protect her by telling her who to stay away from and what parts of town to avoid. Only for this to spark curiosity in Frances and she learns more about her brother than she ever did, in which she discovers his death. Frances and her friend sets off to find his murderer and avenge his death!

This audiobook is a quick listen that will keep you listening to figure out who in New York is behind all the madness.

Thank you to @netgalley and @dreamscape_media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lara Thompson for this Audio-ARC in exchange for my feedback and review.

We meet Agnes and Frances in the opening. They are about to commit a murder. The book quickly takes us back to the farm Frances is from and her journey to meet up with her brother, Stan, in New York City. On her journey she meets Dickie and Jac. Both of them from the big city with important jobs and important friends. Frances is swept up in this city. What brings Frances and Agnes to murder?

This book has been explained as a thriller but more accurately it should be historical fiction. It also does not take place over one night as described. This was a good story and I did find it interesting. However, it did not shock or surprise me at all. I felt like I knew what was coming all along with all of the characters. They didn't feel very flushed out just felt very predictable to me. I wanted to like it more. If you like the time frame and early New York City you will enjoy this one. Unfortunately for me it was just okay.

I listened to the audiobook of One Night, New York by Lara Thompson that was well narrated by Stephanie Cannon. One Night, New York was a fast paced mystery thriller. It was a coming of age debut book for Lara Thompson. It was well written and totally captured the essence of New York City in the 1930’s. Even though the title suggests that this book took place over the course of one night, glimpses back to the time that led up to that night, make it seem like it took place over a longer period of time. The characters were well developed, colorful and believable and the plot was complex and engaging. It was set during the 1930’s depression era in New York City and vividly described the life in the tenements of New York City, the rampant crime throughout the city, the apparent dangers that lurked beyond every corner of the city and the melting pot of diverse immigrants living within the city during that time.

Frances left Kansas to find refuge with her older brother. She escaped her abusive father and a life that she no longer desired. Frances traveled to New York City by train to join her older brother. She was a girl who had known nothing but the confines of Kansas her entire life. Frances had led a strict and sheltered life. She had never learned how to read or write and felt self conscious about it. Even though Frances was illiterate, it was obvious that she was bright and smart. On the trip to New York City, Frances was befriended by two passengers on the train. Dickie was a well known photographer and Jax was a writer for a magazine. Both Dickie and Jax tried to encourage Frances into letting Dickie photograph her and Jax write her story. Against her brother’s advice and warnings, Frances ultimately did succumb to her curiosity and ventured into Greenwich Village to Dickie’s and Jax’s home. It was there that she met Agnes, Dickie’s assistant. Agnes would end up altering Frances’ life in unexpected ways that would culminate on that fateful night of December 21, 1932, the Winter Solace, on the roof of the newly erected Empire State Building. On that terrorizing night, both Frances and Agnes would get the revenge they so desperately sought against a most despicable man that was consumed by greed and profits no matter the cost.

I loved the descriptions of New York City during the years of the early 1930’s that Lara Thompson described in such detail in One Night, New York. It made me feel like I had been transported back in time to a city I know so well. The flashbacks in One Night, New York were able to give good insight into the various characters and their stories that ultimately led to that singular fateful night. It was suspenseful and kept me guessing. I enjoyed listening to this audiobook and recommend it.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media LLC for allowing me to listen to this audiobook through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The premise was great for this Depression era historical novel set in New York City. A country girl comes to the city and gets taken in by a man and woman who seem to be looking out for her best interests. I had high hopes but this one was pretty slow moving and I lost interest half way through. Great narrators though. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Vivid imagery of old New York, a real tribute to a bygone era. Interesting characters and plot. Would recommend to historical fiction fans.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

One Night, New York seemed like it was going to be a great mystery thriller book. Unfortunately, that was not the case for me. The title, synopsis, and even genre seemed to confuse me. At one point, I'm thinking the entire book is all going to happen in one night. Nope. Dead wrong.

It all leads up to one night. I'm pretty sure the entire book happens within a month. In the beginning, we know things are about to go down and a murder is being plotted. We just don't know much about it or why it's happening. Along the way, we know that two people are planning this due to being hurt by the same person. It also doesn't help that this guy has hurt a lot more people either.

So, yes, we know this mysterious guy is bad and probably deserves being thrown off a building. I was all for the revenge and plotting. Yet, I got know mystery or thriller vibes throughout the entire thing. The twists and turns were okay but a smidge predictable (to me). I'll admit that the book was very easy to listen to and follow along with, but I just wanted those thriller vibes.

In the end, it was an okay book. I'm honestly a bit disappointed, but happy that I got the chance to jump into Lara's book. It had potential to be a great mystery thriller in my eyes but ended up being a historical fiction. Which I still enjoy so that's a plus.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for access to the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

I have a lot of feelings about this one. It kept teetering between 3 and 4 stars for me, and I'm leaning toward 3 for reasons I'll mention below... Also, I listened to this on audio, so if I misspell any character's names, that's why.

The writing in this debut novel is absolutely stunning. Thompson has a gift with prose. The story follows Frances, a young girl from Kansas who moves to New York in the 1930s and finds herself entrenched in a world of crime.

The premise is promising, and is more or less executed successfully, in my opinion. While the pacing is not necessarily slow, it did take a couple of chapters to really hold my interest. However, after about 20% or so in, I was hooked and invested, and kept creating opportunities for me to continue reading.

That said, a promising beginning and an engaging middle did not necessarily lead to a fulfilling resolution. While the ending did not leave me unsatisfied, I don't feel as though it sets this book apart from other stories of a similar nature.

I did like that Thompson incorporated an LGBT storyline. Frances and Agnes's storyline in this novel has me craving more historical sapphic romance/mysteries. What I did not super enjoy was the racial commentary this book seemed to tell. I appreciate a novel set in the 1930s not glazing over the issue of race, but there were several moments where I was like.... "Yeah, a white author is telling this narrative." Which isn't necessarily a bad thing -- I wish more white authors moving forward didn't ignore the issue of racism, but it is a tricky line to tread if you wish to do it respectfully. Again, I'm a white person, so my opinion here isn't worth as much as a person or color's, but it did impact my enjoyment of the novel.

That said, I did find the characters extremely interesting, and I would have loved to have gotten to know Dickie and Jax a little more than we did. But still, I found them, and Frances, Agnes, and Ben to be entertaining and I enjoyed following them throughout the story.

This is a well-written historical crime novel, and I'm not usually someone who gravitates toward historical fiction.

I also had the privilege of listening to this book on audio, and the narrator was absolutely wonderful. She was engaging, entertaining, and gave each character a distinctive voice without trying too hard. Everything I want in a narration.

Content Warnings for domestic abuse, racism, xenophobia, and mentions of drug use and sexual assault.

#onenightnewyork is a thriller written by #Larathompson and narrated by #stephaniecannon. This story takes you long on a ride. Based in the thirties, it has a girl coming to the big city and having her eyes opened to the seedy side of things. Interesting read for sure. THanks to #netgalley and #dreamscapemedia for giving me the opportunity of listening to this one.

Not so much a thriller, but a tale of times passed. What would you do for money? What would you do to protect the people you love? While it does come down to what happens on the one night you build up to it. I felt at times we were getting too much and other times we needed a bit more. Interesting read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a chance to review this book.

Agnes has had enough of the abuse from her father! So, she takes off to New York City to find her brother. Agnes is a small-town country girl. So, the big city has many appeals…and many dangers and her brother is tied up into all of them!

Agnes is a character I had big feelings for. She is truly a country bumpkin gone to town. But, it doesn’t take her long to find her niche. And when something happens to her brother, this does not stop her from taking matters into her own hands.

I fluctuated between 3 and 4 stars on this one. The story is very intriguing, I just found a lot of it to be too coincidental. But, the setting and the time period is right in my wheelhouse.

Stephanie Cannon, the narrator, did a wonderful job. I enjoyed how she enhanced all the voices and added the perfect inflection.

Need a twisty tale set in New York City…This is it! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for an honest review.

This was such a good read! Without any spoilers, you’re given two points in time of the same story and are along for the ride from the get-go. How did we get here? Who is this? And lots of “oh wow” moments. Throughout it all, we follow a story of a young woman trying to find her way in this world and in the mixed-up New York mob scene. Loved this story!

Absolutely amazing! Loved every second! The author did a phenomenal job with the story telling! I did want it to end but also needed to know how it ended

With a title such as this, one would believe that the story takes place over the course of one night. This is not true however it is about how one night can change the world. It’s the story of living in early New York with politics and corruption leading the charge. It is a great debut novel and I’m grateful to NetGalley for the advance read.