“It turns out that I might’ve been right about us being hunted. But it wasn’t an animal hunting us.”

One by One by Freida McFadden is a thriller set in the woods with no cell service – that will leave you quickly turning the pages to find out what in the heck is going on?!? Claire has a lot going on in her life and just wants a nice, relaxing vacation. The mother of two, she can’t remember why she fell in love with her husband and has informed him that on their group vacation with two other couples, she has got them separate rooms. But while heading to this getaway, all 6 in Claire’s minivan, her seemingly newer minivan breaks down several miles from the hotel. Now, they are left to walk in the woods to find the hotel with no GPS . . . and one by one they are being picked off it appears. But by what? or by who? Or maybe, they are just finally getting what they deserve.

I am a BIG McFadden fan! I went into this hoping maybe it would be a little like 10 Little Indians – which it was a little bit – but you knew with Freida she would have numerous twists and turns along the way. I fully enjoyed how there were chapters by “Anonymous,” adding to the suspense of who this person might be (you will probably guess wrong) and what the motive is behind this “hunt.”

I definitely wasn’t a fan of the characters in this novel – but I think that was intentional. I couldn’t believe how “smart” they were supposed to be but then how dumb they acted . . . but I’ve never had to survive or sleep in the woods.

Just like other McFadden novels, this was a quick-paced, easy-read – and at only 295 pages you can finish it in a day or two. I love her psychological thrillers and will continue to read anything McFadden writes! However, this one was probably my least favorite by her; I am quick to recommend The Housemaid or Never Lie, but I’m not sure if I would be rushing out to recommend this novel. The writing is addictive, the mystery compelling, but the plot with these characters got repetitive and the overall motive didn’t match the crime. I give it 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 since I have to pick 3 or 4!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC; all opinions are my own!

“Two people can’t keep a secret . . . [n]ot unless one of them is dead. It’s just a fact.”

Omg this book had me at the edge of my seat page after page. This is what I love about Freida McFadden is her writing is so suspense that you don't see the next act coming. Totally blown away at the end as I never guess the outcome but that's the best part is it's always a shocker to me. Definitely worth the read and can't wait foenkkre from Freida!! Thank you NetGalley for giving me this great opportunity! On to the next!

One by One by Freida McFadden is another great case of "quick and easy mystery", but making it difficult to guess what the plot twist(s) will be. While reading One by One, I found myself constantly questioning everything I was reading. Being familiar with Freida's work, I knew it was never as it seemed on the outside. This kept twisting right up to the very last page.

The characters all brought their own element to the story. The main character was flawed, which made it feel even more real.

I would always recommend Freida McFadden's books to listeners, and this one is high on that list!

One by one was an exhilarating quick read. This book kept you guessing the whole time. And of course that Emily came in with that extra!!

This was a good book but not one of my favorites. It was a bit predictable, and the reason I usually read Freida's books are because they are shocking and very unpredictable. It was still a fun and fast paced read, but took a bit longer for me to read than most of her other books. Overall, it was an okay read.

Just like all of Freida’s books, I finished this in one sitting. I found this book to be “un-put-downable” and HAD TO KNOW the twist.

Venturing on what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation with her husband & friends, Claire finds herself stranded when her minivan breaks down. One by one members of her group find themselves in life or death situations. I was shocked by the ending!

Thank you to NetGalley Poison Pen Press for the arc of this re-release.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. I am all aboard on the Freida McFadden train so was happy to get to read this. I really liked the idea of this book; six friends go on vacation together, but their vehicle breaks down and they get lost in the wilderness. One by one they are killed; but by who or what?

Overall, I thought this was a good, quick read but there were a couple of things I had issues with, mainly how they remained lost and the ending. I liked how you weren't sure if it was a monster or a person killing people off...and if it is a person, who and why? See below for specifics...small spoilers ahead...
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I wasn't a fan of how they stayed lost, they didn't think to use the sun as a reference at some point? Several people realized they were going in circles, but no one did anything about it? Also, then the ending. I liked who it ended up being but found the reason to be super lame.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this!

Description: FMC Claire hates her husband. She really doesn’t want to go on their annual trip with their college friends, especially after her daughter begs her not to go after dreaming a monster ate her parents. She decides to attend on the condition that she and husband Noah have separate rooms. When Claire’s minivan breaks down in the middle of the woods, the group has no choice but to set out on foot to find civilization. Once character has a map, another has a compass, and nobody really has any trust for one another as the story moves along. As members of the group start dying & disappearing, readers try to figure out who’s anonymous memories we’re consuming and who the murderer is.

My thoughts: So far this is the best Freida McFadden novel I’ve read! I didn’t find this predictable and I was making notes and scrambling to decide who I thought was responsible because nearly everybody has questionable morals. I loved the flashbacks to “anonymous” and trying to pick out little details in those to see who it was. I absolutely love a good And Then There Were None retelling and this one didn’t disappoint me. The red herrings were done well and it was fun to solve the mystery. I was totally wrong about who I thought anonymous was and I didn't even consider the perpetrator until they were revealed. This was a super quick read, I think some of the climactic scenes could have been fleshed out a little more but it was very enjoyable.

One by one grabbed my attention from the very start, I had a hard time putting this book down. It was a quick read that kept me interested to the very end. Frieda McFadden books never disappoint. A group of friends go on a trip they are looking for their lodging and end up in the woods. One by one they start to die and no one knows who is doing it.

Whoa Freida does it again! Shocking? Not at all

BUT what is shocking are the under the radar twists Freida is able to convey to the pages!

This one had me going back and forth with WHO is it? And the *casual* ending was the icing on the cake.

Happy that this is being reprinted so that it gets the attention it deserves!

I was excited to start this book from the simple motive that it was another one of Freida McFadden thrillers. I knew it would be good when I started it, however, it still managed to succeed my expectations.
I loved the storytelling in between the present action. The friend group was another dynamic I enjoyed, it allows the reader to understand everyone a little bit better by the way they are with each other. The ending was something that I did not expect at all. Halfway through the book I had my mind made up on how it was going to finish, but Freida managed to twist it in a way I did not see coming, at all.
Another factor I loved was the different emotions different characters evoked in the reader. At the beginning, it all seemed normal, but with time, terrifying personalities were uncovered and that made me question everyone's principles.
I would also like to admit that I read the entire book in one sitting. I could not separate from it.
All in all, it was really good and entertaining.

I love all of Freida McFadden’s books and this one didn’t disappoint! The story is a little cliche but there were so many twists and turns. With characters, it was hard to tell who to like and not like but that made it interesting. The setting was detailed and created a spooky vibe. There wasn’t one thing I didn’t like about this book and it was an easy, fast read.

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for letting me read and review this book!

The story follows Claire Matchett, who embarks on a much-needed retreat with friends to mend her strained marriage and escape the demands of everyday life. However, what begins as a promising getaway quickly spirals into a nightmare when their minivan breaks down on a remote dirt road, leaving them stranded without communication. Forced to trek through the dark and ominous forest, their situation turns dire as members of their group start to mysteriously vanish, leaving Claire and the others terrified and desperate for answers.

McFadden masterfully builds tension with each turn of the page, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as the characters grapple with the looming threat lurking in the shadows.

As the plot unravels, secrets come to light, and alliances are tested, Claire must confront the chilling realization that an unseen enemy is hunting them. The tension mounts with every twist and turn, leading to a heart-stopping climax that will leave readers breathless.

Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press, for the digital copy!

I loved this book! It was so fun to read and definitely kept me guessing the whole time. I had my suspicions but in the end was still bamboozled. It felt like watching a murder mystery movie in my head and I enjoyed this read!
Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the e ARC in exchange for Mr honest review.

One by One
by Freida McFadden
Publish Date: April 2, 2024

What a simply fun quick read by Freida McFadden. Three couples head out on a trip for a get away from everyday life. They head off with their luggage and many hidden secrets between them all. As they travel they know that the phone service is shady and as they turn off the main road onto a dirt road the phones have no service and then bam the newish van just quits running and they have no way to get to help. They decide walk to the place they are staying since it is only 2 miles from where their car broke down. If this was a horror movie we all would be yelling don't go in the shed or toward danger but there they go hiking to the unknown destination. The fate of them all is doomed or is it? We all should listen to our little ones who often are tuned in to what is going on in the world more than the adults.

This one kept me wondering how they had so much bad luck with the car breaking down and then going in circles. Enter anonymous to the book and adding a story from the past. I went through each person and was really surprised with who is to blame for this outdoor adventure from hell. I like how the person we don't know is the narrator gives their background and making me wonder who this character is and what the end game is and am shocked by the person in the end. Freida does an amazing job of taking us down one rabbit hole and then we realize that is not the whole story. Man I love her style of writing and love reading her fun, could be true even as messed up as it is story!!

I was able to read this book in one setting and is super twisty as one will expect with McFadden books and it did not disappoint at all!! Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the advance copy in return for my honest opinion. Keep finding your next adventure in black and white and see where it takes you.

Definitely not my favorite Freida McFadden book but also not my least favorite! I feel like this book deserved more time while writing because I know how amazing her books can be!I found this book to be kind of tedious and redundant. The characters were not likable, and I started getting annoyed with them. The plot was very predictable and I wish I couldn't guess any of the twist and turns. This book was fast paced and shorter.
Thank you Freida McFadden and NetGalley for this ARC.

As far as Claire is concerned her marriage to Noah is all but over. They’ve been doing nothing but fighting for a solid year. Claire is going to use their vacation with friends to let know Noah know that she wants a divorce. Noah is hoping that this vacation is a way for them to reconcile their relationship. He loves his wife and is willing to do almost anything to win her back. Claire and Noah started dating in college.

Jack and Michelle are the loving blissfully married couple anymore either. Jack regretted marrying Michelle almost immediately. Michelle is married more to her career than Jack. She’s an extremely successful divorce attorney and the only thing that has kept Jack from filing for divorce is that he’d end up with nothing. Jack is Noah’s best friend from college. However, Jack and Claire have been having an affair for several months. Apparently Noah and Michelle are both aware of their spouse’s infidelity and with whom.

Lindsey was Claire’s college roommate, her best friend, maid of honor at her wedding and the Godmother to Claire’s children, Aiden and Emily. Lindsey and her boyfriend, surgeon Warner, are joining the other 2 couples on the this vacation to a resort in Northern Colorado.

Things start to go terribly wrong when Claire’s van breaks down in the woods supposedly not far from the resort. As the group wanders around trying to find the resort, they are picked off one by one. It starts with Lindsey who eats what she thinks are blueberries but turn out to be Nightshade or Belladonna that is highly poisonous. Things only get worse from there. Who survives? Who doesn’t? Who’s behind all the deaths? Do Claire and Noah manage to reconcile amongst all the death and blood?

» 2 stars ᯓ★

➞ i love how fast paced freida's books are but i saw somewhere that she publishes 2-3 books every year basically and honestly that makes a lot of sense. someone tell her to take more time to write a solid thriller instead of trying to force out so many. quality over quantity babe.

🧸┊the plot: six friends go on a little roadtrip to get away from life for a bit, but then they start dying off one by one. that's basically it. don't ask for more detail bc i can't explain thrillers without spoiling them.

💐┊my thoughts: again this was just messy. the story was a little all over the place and everything felt very convenient. like when you're watching a horror movie and a girl's in bed when she gets attacked and she just happens to have a knife on her bedside table? the sort of scene that causes an eye roll so major that it gives you a headache? yeah, that's this entire book. it wasn't thrilling, it was aggravating. at no point was i on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happened next. i struggled through a literal 280(?) page thriller. that tells u everything.

this is only my third freida mcfadden book but i've noticed that her writing is very blunt. it goes like: this happens. this character feels this because this. that happens. character says something. end of chapter. i appreciate how easy it is to fly through, combined with the short chapters, but it's very mediocre and can be annoying.

➞ pick this up if you enjoy freida books. that's all i've got really. 2 stars for the fact that i wanted a quick read and i was in a thriller mood but i really do think i got a headache from the eye rolling and i wish i was exaggerating.

🏷️┊tw: murder, cheating, minor abuse. keep in mind there may be more that i forgot here! ur mental health matters <3

One again Freida has done it. This book kept me on my toes the whole time. There were so many twists and turns, I did not expect any of them. The ending made my jaw drop! I read this book in one sitting, and it sucked me in from page 1. It is never a happy ending when 6 “friends” who each have a secret go on a camping trip. Only one comes out alive, or do they? 5 star read from me!!

3.75 stars rounded up.
Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

One by One was, in typical Freida fashion, a fast-paced and tense psychological thriller. I was supremely freaked out during the night time in the woods-not knowing who/what was going to get them in the beginning.
I love that Freida has the ability to make you not trust any of her characters. It took me a really long time to semi-figure out the plot twist in this one-which is the only reason why I knocked off a point- because I actually (for once!) figured out what was going on.
I didn't like the relationship between Claire and Noah. I especially didn't like how they quickly they made up at the end without any explanations as to what exactly went wrong. I feel if you're going to write in a problematic relationship, at least resolve it fully.