Wow! Another great hit by Freida McFadden! This author just never ceases to amaze me. Fantastic writing style with a big handful of of tension, secrets and creepiness. Loved the characters. (Or loved to hate them). Nonstop action that kept me flipping pages long into the night.
Thank you NetGalley, Freida McFadden, and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Frieda McFadden never fails to write a binge-worthy thriller and One by One is no exception. I thought I had figured out the twist early on, but the ending definitely surprised me.

This was such an easy and enjoyable read! The ending fell a little flat for me, but overall I really enjoyed this read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Claire, and her husband, Noah are going on a road trip with two other couples in their friend group for a weeklong getaway. As Claire and Noah are preparing for the trip, their daughter Emma informs them that she is afraid something bad is going to happen.

Besides the normal bickering between Claire and Noah, everything was going well. Suddenly, Claire’s minivan breaks down in the middle of nowhere, and the couples are lost in the woods. Without sufficient food, water, or cell phone service, will they make it to their destination? Or is Emma’s premonition right, and everyone will be murdered one by one?

You will have to read the book to find out!

I want to preface this review by saying I prefer to read thrillers that have lots of twists all throughout the book, with a tornado at the end that I don’t see coming. Unfortunately, I did not experience that with this book.

Initially, I liked how the author made the reader sympathize with Claire. The nasty interactions between her and her husband did keep me engaged in the story. While Noah is portrayed as a villain, we quickly learn Claire is no saint, and that we can’t completely rely on her point of view to understand what is truly going on.

Some of the writing was redundant. Claire missing her kids. Emma predicting something bad was going to happen. The characters being lost in the woods for the majority of the book. Michelle having so much work to do. It just went on and on at times.

Freida was clever with dropping red herrings to keep us off the scent of the anonymous character. Her description leaned masculine, but because she used gender-neutral terms, I figured out quickly it would be one of the female characters.

Overall, I felt more could have been done to create drama in the story. When people read a Freida McFadden book, they are anticipating events with a huge shock value, but this book fell flat.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This one had potential, who doesn’t love a locked room mystery. I found the main character to be too dumb to follow or support, it was also a really slow burn

HOLY PLOT TWIST! Frieda does it again! This book had me on my toes. Every time I thought I knew who it was she would totally throw me off. This book was a great thriller that will have you at the edge of your seat all the way to the Epilogue. Definitely a must read!

This is my third book by Freida McFadden and that tells a lot about how much I love her writings!!
I thought it was a normal cozy thriller but the psychological dimensions couldn't surprise me more!
Next time you should believe your daughter when she says that she dreamed about a monster eating you in the forest.👀
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC.

Frieda McFadden does it again with another shocking twist that was unpredictable! This book kept me hooked from the very first page and was unputdownable ! The story follows Claire who is on a trip when she ends up broke down and has to venture in the woods her circle of friends slowly starts to get smaller and her dream trip quickly turns in to a horrific night mare !

Freida does it again!

I can never predict an ending if a Freida McFadden book and this one was no different! I'm absolutely obsessed with her writing. This one definitely spooked me a bit but I kind of love that! I would highly recommend!!

One thing about Frieda McFadden she’s gonna have you guessing and guessing confused as hell trying to figure out what happens and even when you think you know what happening you still don’t know what is happening till you’re at the end of the book and I love that so much about her She keeps you guessing till the end of the book and you’re still shocked at the revelation.

Thank you Net Galley for giving me a copy of this book! One thing about Ms. Frieda is that she will throw in a twist you never saw coming EVERY TIME!!!!! One by one had my jaw dropping!!!! Everything I thought I knew was completely wrong! I think that Frieda’s writing is very simple (I’m not usually on the edge of my seat while reading her work)- but the twists at the end of all her books is what keeps me coming back for more!

I knew the “who done it” from early on so that kind of stunk but the fast pace of this book kept me so interested from start to finish. I’ll be reading many more from this author FOR SURE.

A well-written, attention holding, adventure mystery thriller. Three couples are bound for a vacation stay at a secluded cabin retreat. The characters, four of them long time friends, do not seem compatible with one couple arguing from the start. They end up having to hike through woods to get to their hotel after their minivan breaks down. With little food or water, signs of animal tracks, no cell phone power and an unhelpful map, the real adventure begins when people start dying. There is an anonymous narrator who tells us in the prologue that there will be only one survivor.
The story moves along quickly and is suspenseful and full of tension. There are plenty of twists and turns until the final shock when the truth is revealed.
It is an exciting mystery. I found the use of the anonymous narrator to feel contrived and somewhat cheesy but the plot, characters and setting made for a good read.

I usually really enjoy a Freida McFadden book, I have read at least four others, but this one wasn't for me. The plot and the characters were ridiculous. I can't believe 6 smart, professional adults would act so dumb.

TITLE: One by One
AUTHOR: Freida McFadden
RELEASE DATE: April, 2024
PUBLISHED BY: Poisoned Press
FORMAT READ: Kindle ARC
# OF PAGES: 295
RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
RECOMMENDATION: I enjoyed this book. It did feel a little different from some of her others but it was good. All of Freida's books are quick reads with lots of twists. She's an automatic read for me!

Why did I choose this book?

As stated previously, I automatically read anything Freida puts out! I discovered her books last year and read all of them back to back. I recommend her to everyone!

Thank you to:
Freida McFadden
Poisoned Press
Netgalley

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
One by one, they will get what they deserve...

A night spent sleeping on dirt and leaves is not how Claire Matchett expected to spend her vacation.

She thought this would be a break from the stresses of work and raising her young children. A chance to repair her damaged marriage. A week of hiking and hot tubs with two other couple friends. It sounded like heaven.

Then Claire’s minivan breaks down on a lonely dirt road. With no cell reception, the group has no choice but to hike the rest of the way to their hotel. But it turns out the woods aren’t as easy to navigate as they thought.

Hours later, they are lost. Hopelessly lost.

And as they navigate deeper into the woods, the members of their party are struck down mysteriously one by one. Has a wild animal been hunting them? Or is the hunter one of them?

But as more time passes, one thing becomes clear:

Only one of them will return home alive.

I read this book in one day. I couldn't put it down once I started! I was hooked from the beginning. The chapters with the anonymous narrator had me guessing who they were until the very end - I kept changing my suspicions as I kept reading. The plot twist was perfectly executed and I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who likes a good thriller/murder mystery.

Claire was insufferable at times, but her character was realistic and I felt as confused as her. The determination she had to survive for her babies was exactly what I expected from a mother like Claire. I did get frustrated with some of the things she did/said, but I ended up loving her by the end of the book!

Unfortunately I am not able to give a review. I received the email March 30,2024 but there was no deadline. When I went to read the book on April 7, 2024 the book had already been archived. Is it possible to resend me the book? I will not be able to give feedback.

So, I was genuinely excited to dive into One by One by Freida McFadden, especially after enjoying The Handmaid. However, this book left me feeling a bit disappointed, to say the least.

Let's kick things off with the premise: it is a tough sell. Are we really expected to believe that six intelligent individuals would willingly isolate themselves in a questionable hotel without even doing a basic Google search? It strains credibility from the get-go.

As for the characters, they felt somewhat flat and uninspired, lacking the depth and complexity that would make them truly compelling instead of making them feel like mere caricatures. Their interactions felt forced and unnatural, detracting from the overall immersion of the story.

And then there is the plot. Unfortunately, it didn't fare much better. It followed a predictable trajectory, with twists and turns that felt more like recycled tropes than genuine surprises. The end twist is a prime example of this; it introduced a revelation that felt contrived and nonsensical. While I didn't see it coming, that's sadly not a testament to its greatness; rather, it's a reflection of how poorly executed and disconnected it is from the rest of the narrative. It's a twist that adds little to the overall story and leaves readers feeling more baffled than satisfied.

That being said, McFadden's writing itself was solid. McFadden's prose is easy to read and flows at a brisk pace, making for a quick and relatively painless reading experience. However, the strengths of the writing are overshadowed by the weaknesses of the plot, which ultimately fails to deliver on its promise of intrigue and suspense.

As I understand, I may be wrong, the earlier editions of One by One have many continuity errors and irrationalities, but in this edition, I didn't come across them. Or, perhaps I simply didn't care enough to notice them. That's also a possibility worth considering.

In conclusion, while One by One may appeal to readers seeking a light, easy read, it falls short of delivering the depth and intrigue expected from a mystery novel. It's not without its merits, but ultimately, it failed to leave a lasting impression. In the end, I couldn't help but feel relieved when I finally reached the last page.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Freida McFadden and Poisoned Pen Press for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

“One by one” is a thrilling book. It kept me on my toes. I couldn’t stop reading this once I started. The ending was definitely a surprise!!!

Well holy crap….
This was a wild ride!
I had the chance to review this book and let me just say, I love Frieda’s books and how you will never be able to guess what is going to happen or what twists there will be!
I had thoughts all along of who was involved or what was actually happening, but I’m always wrong because she just knows how to mess with your head!
Well done!

A couple with marital issues embark on a weekend away with friends. Clare and Noah's relationship is going through the ringer, and they don't feel the spark anymore. But they join their four other friends on a trip to the Colorado wilderness, hoping it might change things.

It changes things, but not in the way they expected. Before making it to their hotel, their car breaks down. Forced to hike and try to find civilization, the group faces a lack of food, water, and someone trying to kill them. Clare is in a race against time to try to figure out which of her closest friends is a murderer, and why.

Overall, this was a good thriller with lots of tension. The dynamics between all the friends unraveling was one of my favorite parts, especially learning all of their backstories and trying to guess who was the killer. The only criticism I have is that some of the nature stuff seemed a little unrealistic, but I was willing to overlook that.

If you like a quick read and a classic "locked room" mystery, check it out!