Lucinda Berry has this incredible way of weaving dark, impactful topics into suspenseful, psychological thrillers. "One in Four" is another example of her expert writing. This novel is less than 250 pages, but be warned, it is dark. If you are not used to Lucinda's writing, be sure to check the content warnings on this one! These include: narcissism, addiction, murder, trauma, self-harm/suicide, sexual assault, bullying, kidnapping and many more! This is not for the faint of heart--4 stars! **I received a complimentary ARC from the author/publishing company via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

" How many people are walking around in the world with their lights turned off? The switch inside them faded to black? People just like her. Still wearing huge smiles on their faces. Filling rooms with their infectious laughs and bubbly personalities. Still pretty. Still sparkling. Still saying all the same lines. But gone."

One in Four by Lucinda Berry is an unputdownable, twisted, and dark psychological thriller that in true Lucinda Berry fashion will have you hooked from the first page! This book does deal with some very dark topics including: drug and alcohol addiction, SA, self-harm, bullying, kidnapping, violence, and suicide.

Dr. Laurel Harlow is a recovering addict and has made her career as a chemical dependant counselor. Agreeing to be a part of a reality t.v. show about several former child actors facing addiction and recovery, she is in charge of assessing the well being of the clients and helping them on their road to (hopefully) recovery. But when one of the most beloved and youngest star dies, an investigation could expose a lot more than just how the victim died.

At just under 250 pages, One in Four had me in a chokehold and did not let go!! I love all of Lucinda Berry's other books and this one does not disappoint! In true Lucinda style this book is deep and dark psychologically and also wholly relevant. Berry shines a light on the underlining message of how trauma manifests differently in everyone. As a former psychologist, Berry uses her knowledge and expertise to craft a gut punch of a novel and shows that she isn't afraid to talk about the tough subjects. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves deep, dark and thought provoking reads!!

" I used to be one of them, and nobody knows how hard it is to get sober than someone who's had to do it themselves. Or the trauma that's there to meet you when you do. Becoming conscious is so painful."

Thank you to NetGalley, Lucinda Berry, and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC!! Publication date is May 13th 2025.

An inpatient treatment facility for addiction being filmed for the world to see was a story I had to read. Starting off with a suspicious death, this had me in its throes immediately. The characters were compelling yet extremely unlikable, including the protagonist who was supposed to be a professional, but her actions proved her to be anything but. I enjoyed the story for the most part until about halfway through, and then I was just left feeling like it was another read done amongst the hundreds I go through. As a fan of this author, I will be reading her next book and each and every one after that. This, however, just wasn't it for me. Three stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Thomas, and Mercer for this ARC.

This book has such a great beginning story, a reality show for recovering child actors that suddenly goes wrong. I knew there would be a twist to this story but that’s where it lost me. Once the twist is revealed the book continues on a dark and disturbing level in great detail. The ending was rushed and there were a lot of storylines that were started yet never finished. The main character Laurel was given an unjust ending. What happened to the remaining housemates? Maybe there will be a sequel.

I love the mixture of reality show meets murder and danger. It definitely added a level of excitement and intensity for me.

📚 E-ARC BOOK REVIEW 📚

One In Four By Lucinda Berry
Publication Date: May 13, 2025
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer| Amazon Publishing

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, Amazon Publishing, and NetGalley for this #gifted e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

📚MY REVIEW:

I am on a roll lately with a string of unhinged thrillers, and One In Four just made the other recent unhinged reads look like a Sunday afternoon in the park. If you're looking for a completely unhinged and tension-filled fast read, this should definitely be your next book!

Laurel is the clinical therapist working with seven former child stars trying to overcome their addictions in a Big-Brother style reality show rehab, blasted 24/7 online. When one of the stars dies in the middle of the night during filming, Laurel is as devastated as everyone else. But suddenly, police seem to think this young star was murdered, and they seem to be looking at Laurel -- though she has no idea why. She begins trying to solve the mystery of the star's death on her own, and I'm doing so, she just might uncover some long-hidden secrets from her own past. Who can be trusted and who's telling the truth? Can Laurel figure it out before she becomes the next victim?

This book hooked me immediately with a tension-inducing chapter one, and from there, it only became even more unputdownable. The first half of the book was an unhinged murder mystery with oodles of suspense and tension. And then came a twist that had me shook, and this story went from unhinged to UN-HINGED. Told from dual perspectives and in two timelines, I didn't know whose story from the past was being shared until the book was nearly finished. And no spoilers from me, but this one left with me scratching my head a little bit.

This was my first read by Lucinda Berry, and now I'm wondering if all of her books are this crazily unhinged?! I'm definitely going to dig into her backlist and find out! Whether you've read Berry's previous books or not, this is a fantastic read if you're a fan of unhinged main characters, tension-filled mystery, and fast reads that will keep you riveted from start to finish. One In Four is available May 13th!

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This book drew me in immediately and kept me guessing. I loved the characters and how there are several unreliable ones. I figured some of it out about 3/4 through but I still had to read it all to get to the bottom of it. I feel like the "villan" of it all was way to reactive but hey we all can be. I love how a spotlight is shown on addiction, and mental illness in general by this author as well as in this book. That ending was twisted!

I usually enjoy Berry’s books and this premise was so strong but I ended up being pretty bored - we don’t get enough from the characters to really care about what was happening. The victim dies at the beginning of the book and I found it made it difficult to care because we don’t know much about her character.

If you are looking for a lighthearted read, this is not it. This is an interesting premise for a domestic thriller, but the events are so horrific that I’m not sure how I even feel about it. If you have any triggers, this story may touch on them. Again…just not sure about this one!

A reality show about addicted celebrities goes horribly awry when someone dies. I liked the beginning of this book and really cared about Laurel and Maddie. The ending was unexpected and tragic, but the events leading up to it were dragged out a little too long.

This book is messed up!...In the best possible way. If you're into psychological thrillers that make you squirm and question everyone (yes, even the therapist), this one's for you. 👀

We’ve got a reality show, a mansion full of former child stars in recovery, and a murder caught on camera. Dr. Laurel Harlow agrees to lead this absolute circus of a rehab program, but between the egos, trauma, and hidden agendas, nothing goes according to plan. And that’s before someone turns up dead. 🎬💀

This book seriously messes with your head. It digs into the dark side of child stardom; addiction, exploitation, fame trauma, and doesn’t look away. Some of the characters were truly tragic, some were terrifying, and some… well, let’s just say trust no one. 🙅‍♀️

I predicted a few twists, but others genuinely caught me off guard. And the way Laurel’s own past bleeds into the present? Whew. Heavy but handled with care. My only knock? I wanted just a bit more depth in a few of the side characters, but I flew through this one all the same.

If you like:
• Reality TV meets murder mystery
• Messy, broken characters
• Therapy, trauma, and dark secrets
…then buckle up. This one's a ride.

Reality tv, addiction, and murder combined in this quick read. Laurel, a psychologist, must deal with both her past and the present when one of the reality stars is killed. This is too short to get to know any of the characters (including Laurel) and I found it unrewarding. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Over to others.

One in Four by Lucinda Berry is a dark, mad and sad thriller set in the world of reality TV. The idea behind the show is actually fascinating - overcoming addiction. It's a hard one, and do it in front of millions - must be extra hard, but as we know, many will do anything for 15 minutes of fame.
As we can expect, things are twisted, and nothing is as it looks. Things are messy, and someone is responsible for the mess - just who?

Dr. Laurel Harlow is working on a reality TV show supporting contestants overcoming addiction. When one of the participants dies, Laurel finds herself in the middle of this tragic spider web of lies and manipulations.
The ending... I will take a deep breath and exhale loudly... once you are there, you will understand what I mean.

Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this copy.

Berry does it again! This book was so captivating. I genuinely didn't know what was going on at any moment. I stayed up way too late, racing to find out who had done what. The ending of this book was beautifully heartbreaking, reminiscent of Saving Noah. I love how this one was able to cover such heavy topics in such a sensitive manner. So well done.

A complex, heartrending plot, One in Four was the epitome of a Lucinda Berry story. You see, it was dark, gritty, and twisted in all of that deeply psychological way that she’s so well known for exploring. So it was no great surprise that from the slow burn start until the deliciously unhinged conclusion, I couldn’t put this one down no matter how late into the night I found myself compulsively reading. After all, just when I thought I had it all figured out, a twisty revelation would arrive on the scene and destroy whatever surprise I thought that I saw coming on the horizon. To be frank, twisty is an understatement as the revelations were downright mind-blowing in all of their unguessable albeit somewhat over-the-top glory.

I do have to warn you, however, when I said that this book was dark, I really meant it. Addressing some disturbingly serious topics, it explored not only addiction and trauma, but also a handful of other spine-chilling themes. I can’t delve into those, though, without providing one heck of a spoiler. Just be sure to check out my list of triggers before diving in if so inclined. After all, this one had me crawling out of my skin by the time I reached the last page. I just wish there had been a more detailed and less abrupt ending. Somewhat open-ended, it had me wishing for a nice, pretty, little bow to match up with the rest of this riveting novel.

All said and done, between the dual timelines and mysterious second perspective, I was wholly won over by this unputdownable thriller. At under 250 pages, the panic-inducing storyline, suspicious personas, and sinister feel had me flying through the pages of despite the late hour. I mean, who could pass up an addiction counselor protagonist paired with a revenge plot for the ages. Feeling psychologically acute as well as completely unnerving, Berry knew just how to tighten the screws as she delivered an entirely plausible yet delightfully unhinged ending. So if you love a relevant story that will make think long and hard, give this one a try. Just be sure to cancel all plans as you won’t be able to put it down. Rating of 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Lucinda Berry, Thomas & Mercer, BookSparks, and NetGalley for my complimentary digital and physical copies. All opinions are my own.

I was really looking forward to reading this one—the setup of former child stars living together in a house with a murder mystery sounded so fun! But the book didn’t really do much with that premise. There wasn’t enough background on the characters’ pasts, and the house setting felt kind of underused. I normally love Lucinda Berry’s books, but this one just didn’t land for me. A bit of a letdown.

Overall, this was an entertaining read.
I do feel like the description of the book lead me to believe this would be more focused on the reality TV aspect of the story.
I wish we had started the book out earlier in the timeline.

I appreciated that this book did not shy away from heavier subjects and I would highly recommend checking all trigger warnings before going into this one.

It wasn't my favorite thriller that I have ever read, but by no means was it the worst.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

One in Four by Lucinda Berry is a page turning psychological thriller and it kept me wanting to read more and more! The story follows Laurel, who is a therapist for addiction. She agrees to participate in a reality show featuring former child stars who are battling addiction. The filming goes on all the time 24/7 and suddenly, one of the stars is found dead while the cameras are rolling.
When Laurel hears the news of what happened, she is determined to find out the truth of what took place and is forced to confront not only the secrets of her patients, but her dark past comes to the surface.
The book is told in both present and past POV. The present is from the POV of Laurel and the past POV is unclear who it’s from until the end. What I loved about the book is that it is fast paced, which made it a very quick and easy read. I suggest checking the trigger warnings on this book prior to reading it.
Overall, the book was really good, and I recommend this to anyone who loves a good thriller book! Thank you Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer. All opinions are my own.

This one from Lucinda was a little all over the place. I really had a hard time understanding how we got from where it started to where it ended. It really seemed like two completely different stories by the end.

A reality tv show of former child celebrities getting sober, what could go wrong?

When a patient, Maddie, ends up dead, therapist Laurel is thrust into the scene of the crime. It seems everyone on the show is a suspect, what happened to Maddie, was it a relapse and an accident, or something more sinister? As laurel try’s to solve the crime as well, will she ever find the truth?

I found this to be a fun ride. Fast paced as it jumps right in to the story, and enough going on I stayed up reading. Laurel is likeable, real and flaws and just wanting to know the truth about a friend. It took some pretty wild turns, and the epilogue was golden in my opinion. Well done.