Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. The plot of the story seemed intriguing. A man recently released from prison after serving time for the murder of his ex girlfriend. But something was off immediately with the characters and it didn’t involve the recently released Cal. I think 75% of the story took place while a Cal was incapacitated. I did not like any of the characters- in terms of themselves as people. The author did a great job of creating these arguments that were so mean, you couldn’t help but dislike the sisters. They were an unkind group of sisters and it made me sad to see that.

Book Title: One Night
Author: Georgina Cross
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Bantam
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pub Date: August 1, 2023
My Rating: 4+ Stars!
Pages: 320

I have read only one other Georgina Cross mystery - The Niece".
That story involved a fire and the only survivor was –the niece – hence the title. .
I love stories with twists that keep me guessing. In that story Ms. Cross did not disappoint!

Meghan Chisholm was seventeen years old when she was murdered 10 years ago. Her boyfriend Cal Hereford was convicted of the crime and has spent the last 10 years in prison and is out now!
Story starts when an invitation in a red envelope is sent to each member of the family: Mom- Maureen, sisters - Alice and Sam, Dad-Paul and stepmom Rebecca, plus Uncle Geoff Billings (not a relative but a close friend the girls think of as an uncle).
The invite is to a home on the Oregon coast with the following message~.

Don’t tell anyone you are coming.
In one night you will find out what happened to Meg.

Everyone immediately notices the name ‘Meg’ as Meghan only allowed a few people call her Meg - Cal was one of them

Ten years ago, youngest sister Sam was only fourteen and Alice sixteen. Sam snuck her way to where Meghan and her friends were partying. Sam saw Cal and Meghan arguing on a cliff overlooking the creek. Sam didn’t want to get in the middle of things so left and never saw Cal push her but her testimony was enough for the jury to believe he did.

Maureen wants to know what really happened that night she does not want to go but Sam does and Maureen certainly isn’t going to let Sam go alone.

They do go to the Oregon mansion where secrets are revealed.

As a fan of thrillers ~ what’s not to like about a Family Drama Thriller in a Gothic Victorian Mansion during a dark and stormy night?
I truly could not put this down. I did have my suspicions but certainly did not know the secrets nor the details.

I always love reading the ‘Author’s Notes’ and/or ‘Acknowledgements’ as in most cases the author will tells us the motivation for the story.’
In this case, Georgina tells us before she and her husband David were married; they rented a large three-story home on the Oregon coast where the family could gather to meet her. They had a wonderful time.
She got thinking that this would be an amazing setting for a thriller - a family trapped with a terrible storm blowing. As the family reveals secrets, they need to decide what to do with the man they believe murdered their daughter; would they or should they take revenge or forgive.

Hmm sound familiar? Yep. Her author imagination took over and the idea for this story was born.

Want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Groups – Ballantine Bantam for granting me this page-turning thriller. Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 1, 2023.

The synopsis gave me high school horror movie kinda vibes like last house on the left, cabin fever, etc. you know the kind of movies I mean. This was a perfect thriller while still maintaining just some overall literary fiction with the form of the main characters conscience and the decisions they have to make throughout the plot

Whoa so much can happen in just one night.... both in the past and in the present in One Night by Georgina Cross. The family lost their beloved Meg and now they have this one night to find out what really happened. Such a suspense novel wrapped up in family drama and who actually killed Meg. I really liked the layers in this read, complex characters and a plot that moves swiftly toward a dramatic ending! Definitely the setting was interesting, weaving the storyline between past and present was seamless, and the characters were astonishing in how developed they are!

Cross has a way of allowing the character to unravel so that the reader sees under the surface and into the heart and mind of a killer.

Thanks to #netgalley and Random House for giving me the opportunity to read "One Night" by Georgina Cross.

This is the first book by the author I've read. Great thriller when I thought I knew what was going on, it changed. The ending was WOW.
The story and characters are well created. There are a few times in the story that it was slow but it didn't stop me from reading it.

So if you like a thriller of family secrets, then check out "One Night".

I received an ARC of this book from Random House via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. I am a fan of locked room mysteries, plus I find that most thrillers I read are set in England. It was a refreshing change to find one set in the US. The author does a great job creating the Pacific Northwest atmosphere, especially once the storm sets in. The characters were well-developed, so the alternating chapters from alternating viewpoints made sense and were easy to follow. She also effectively throws suspicion on virtually everyone, meaning I did not predict the outcome. However, I also did not like the outcome. It was kind of eye-rolling and made the main action rather pointless.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

I had some high hopes for this book but in the end, there really was only one way it could could go and still make sense.

I would have liked more about how Meghan actually was as well as the other girls during their childhood. And their parents. Did the dad suspect something because he never believed Cal, the one arrested and incarcerated did it? The book just ends.

I loved Nanny Needed - it was wildly unhinged and such a fun, fast read, so I was very excited to read One Night.

Unfortunately, this book did not work for me. The beginning felt very slow and tedious, so I found myself skimming ahead to get to the end.

That said, a lot of early reviewers have really enjoyed this, so I'm an outlier and would still encourage fans of Cross to check it out. I'm looking forward to reading more by Cross in the future, despite not loving this one.

One night is by far my favorite Georgian Cross book yet. I love the way she keeps you guessing and turning every page to see how the book ends. I read the book in one setting. A family agrees to all meet in Oregon at a home to find out what really happened to Meg.Meg was a sister and child that lost her life. Her thought to be killer went to prison but wants to meet with all of the family the explain what really happened. The uncle and Cal are I involved in a wreck and they drag Cal back to house to keep him alive all night and call for help. They could have let Cal die but each family member is seeking closure. A great book to read.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC of Georgina Cross’s latest, One Night.

Ten years ago, the oldest Chisholm daughter, Meghan, was suspiciously murdered and her then boyfriend, Cal, went to prison for it.

Fast forward to one stormy night—(it’s always one stormy night, isn’t it?)- the Chisholm family ends up at a rental home after receiving an invitation in the mail from an anonymous sender. This book keeps the reader’s attention by all of the twists and turns. Who sent the invitation? How did Cal end up at the rental house? Did Cal really kill Meghan?

Georgina Cross kept me on the edge of my seat, constantly wanting more. If this book isn’t already on your TBR, go add it immediately. One Night will be on shelves on August 1, 2023.

One night, teenager Meghan is murdered; leaving her two sisters and parents behind. The blame falls on her boyfriend, Cal, whom has been released after serving a prison sentence. However, everyone gets invited to an isolated beach house one final night to find out what really happened.

This was well put-together and I like multiple POV’s, but it often felt slow to me in the middle. The start was strong, and there were small pieces that let you pick up on tense family dynamics interwoven throughout. Overall, it was okay and worth the read, but not my favorite due to its pacing for me.

Secrets, secrets, secrets. Distrust, suspicion, mystery. What happened to Meghan the night she died? Did her boyfriend, Cal, kill her or was it someone else? Perhaps someone in the house they’ve all been called to for one night? Each invitee arrives seeking answers about what happened, but what if the answers were already right in front of them and they didn’t want to see them.

The story reminded me a bit of the 1980s movie Clue where they are telling each person’s storyline in how they were somehow connected (involved?) in Meghan’s death. Everyone invited to the house had something to hide, whether it was turning a blind eye to what was going on, covering for someone, or involved in the murder. I wouldn’t say any one character was a standout. I know I caught on pretty early as to the who it was in the whodunit. By the end of the one night, we know who did what, who knew what, and who was blamed. I give One Night by Georgina Cross ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book is set for publication on July 31, 2023.

#netgalley #arc #bookstagram #georginacrossauthor #onenight #randomhousepublishing

One Night - Georgia Cross

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

This book was unique, captivating, and frightening from the first page through the last; I can't wait to read more from this author.

This book begins when a family travels to a beautiful, stormy beach getaway after all receiving invitations promising to tell all about the night a treasured family member was murdered.

An atmospheric and detailed almost gothic thriller, with excellent character and plot development, this book should appeal to a wide variety of readers, perhaps especially those who enjoy Ruth Ware, Jane Casey and Hannah Morrissey.

Until next time, remember, the true story isn't always revealed in the courtroom...

Such a wonderful thriller! Some parts were predictable, but I was mostly surprised. The characters were well developed. I really enjoyed this one!

Parts of this really worked for me, but . . . The man who spent ten years in prison for the murder of their daughter/sister Meghan only spent ten years in prison and has gotten out. The other family members have received letters to meet at a cabin on the Oregon coast and they’ll get answers. The mother, father, uncle (not related by blood), and younger sisters arrive to the cabin and are hit with a rampaging storm. Cal, who was convicted of her murder, is gravely injured in an accident. The family pulls him to the house and are torn with the decision to keep him alive so they can get answers and getting revenge they don’t feel the justice system meted out.

You know that it’s probably not Cal because why would there be a novel? Sure, it’s possible that now that he’s served his time he wants to apologize or explain or get rid of his guilty conscience, but it seems unlikely. The mother in particular really does not want him to survive the night. But because she’s so convinced that he did it, she comes across as unsympathetic—how do you make the mother of murdered girl unsympathetic? It’s not an easy trick. I have more thoughts on other family members but can’t tell you so as not to reveal the partial twist at the end.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES AUGUST 1, 2023.

WOW! This was a really fun book! I actually read this in like one day! I think a lot of people will guess the ending but I didn’t! I thought it was awesome! I really liked the story and the pace at which it was revealed! This is going to be one of the good thriller/mysteries this year for sure! Totally recommend!

I love a good locked room thriller and ONE NIGHT rates at the very top of my list. Set during a rainstorm in the Pacific Northwest,, this tense page turner will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. You will not know who to trust, you will think you have the story figured out, then bam you are hit with a twist. The story was perfectly paced, with red herrings galore and a shocking ending. It takes a lot to shock me, and the ending made me gasp out loud!

I have no doubt this book is going to fly off the shelves in August!

Thank you @thrillerbookloverpromotions for offering me early access to this read, and for having me on this promotional tour.

Thank you to @netgalley for this ARC copy. True to it’s genre this is a decent mystery/thriller read. While I got the ending wrong ( I normally do not try too hard to predict endings because I want to be surprised) it wasn’t jaw-dropping for me. It’s not a bad book but it’s not great either. If you like a fast-paced read or a whole entire story that unfolds/happens in one setting then this is the book for you.

I completely ignored my family for a weekend because I couldn’t put down ONE NIGHT by Georgina Cross. The premise grabs you from the beginning—ten years after the murder of a teenage girl, her family is invited to a cliffside home on the Oregon coast with the promise that the real killer’s identity will be revealed. Cross is a master of intricate plotting and suspense. Each turn of the page brings a shocking surprise keeping you on the edge of your seat. This is a must read!