The body of a teenage girl is found in the woods near a prestigious boarding school in rural England. This was a slow burn mystery and took a little while for me to get into but picked up on the second half of the book. I liked the different POVs of the main characters and felt they were likeable. This a decent mystery/suspense with some good turns would recommend. I want to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for the advance copy of One Dark Night by Hannah Richell.

I was absolutely enthralled in this mysterious, eerie and atmospheric ‘Who Done It”. It made me long for a crips October night, curled up under a blanket trying desperately to figure out who killed Sarah.

After a secret Halloween party in the woods behind the private school, Sarah’s body is discovered, murdered and posed in a creepy way. Unfolding in multiple POV’s in the days following the discovery of her body the reader follows along with the staff and students of the school as well as the local police department as they rush to figure out what happened that night.

Filled with twists and turns the chapters flow nicely and the characters are likeable and relatable. I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out how it was all going to come together… and then the twist?!?! I honestly couldn’t have wrapped it up better myself!

With themes of:
🎃Murder
🎃Small Town Tension
🎃Red Herrings
🎃Urban Legends

This book would be the perfect addition to your spooky season TBR!!

The body of a teenage girl is found in the woods near the local folly, an off limits but popular party place for the local teens in this small British community. When the body is stumbled upon by a group of girl guides, the story takes over the local media and the police are anxious to solve this incident quickly. What caused this young girl’s death? Did she fall? Or was she pushed… The local detective and his ex-wife are more anxious than anyone to uncover the circumstances surrounding her death - until they discover their own daughter has so much to hide. What happened in this spooky part of the woods? And is anyone else in danger?

PROS and CONS:
This was exactly the type of thriller that I adore - quick, multiple perspectives, hidden motives, local legends, secrets, family drama - it has it all. Rachel is the best type of main character, one who has loved ones to protect but still tries to uncover the truth. Flawed Ben is another good character, running the investigation and not backing down in his efforts. And a little twist at the end! This one is great!

READ IT?
If you love thrillers as much as I do, you won’t want to miss this one!

5 Stars

One Dark Night sets the stage for a tense, atmospheric thriller with a classic setup: teens, secrets, and a local legend that turns deadly. The setting—Sally in the Wood—adds an eerie, folkloric vibe that gives the story its edge, and the shifting perspectives between Rachel, Ben, and Ellie help build intrigue.

There’s a lot to like here: the exploration of teenage angst, fractured family dynamics, and the way urban legends intersect with real-life trauma. The writing is evocative and layered, especially when describing the setting and emotional stakes.

That said, the pacing can be uneven. The mystery unfolds slowly, and while the final payoff offers closure, the tension never fully reaches the heights you’d expect from a thriller marketed as “white-knuckled.” Some twists feel a bit predictable, and a few character arcs—especially the teens—could’ve been fleshed out more.

Still, if you enjoy slow-burn mysteries with a touch of ghost story lore and emotional undercurrents, this one might hit the right notes—even if it doesn’t quite haunt you after the last page.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

👻 T R A G I C T U E S D A Y review 👻 featuring “One Dark Night” by Hannah Richell!

In a small British community there is an urban legend surrounding “Sally in the Wood” who was a young girl who got murdered in the woods. Supposedly Sally lures victims to their deaths …

On Halloween night, some local teenagers meet up in these same woods for a night of debauchery and mischief. The local folklore does not keep them away from the woods. The party explodes with drama, dares and drinking and everyone just wants to sleep it off the next day, until they find out that one of their friends did not make it home 😵!

What transpires is the investigation into the murder of a young girl which is deeply tangled in a web of secrets, lies, manipulation and sinister intentions.

💭 I really enjoyed all the elements of eerie folklore, seedy history and suspense all woven together into a murder mystery. All of the characters are messy and unreliable and a group full of LIARS! I was totally sucked in from the beginning and got a front row seat to old wounds getting ripped open and dark secrets getting exposed over time! If you are a fan of shows like Yellow Jackets or The Wilds, then this read is for you!

Thank you kindly to @hannahrichell @atriabooks @simonschusterca @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This book releases on August 19, 2025!

This was a well-written, tightly constructed novel with one of the rarest kinds of twists: the kind that completely surprises you and still makes perfect sense. I was impressed.

"'One Dark Night' by Hannah Richell is a gripping and atmospheric thriller with twists that will keep you guessing. I love unpredictable plots, and this one completely surprised me.
On Halloween, a group of kids gathers in the woods, rumored to be haunted by a murdered girl. A game of truth or dare turns tragic when one student ends up dead. Rachel, a school guidance counselor, notices her daughter Ellie acting strangely and suspects she’s hiding something. Detective Ben, Ellie’s father and Rachel’s ex, is determined to uncover the truth after learning his daughter was in the woods that night. Was it a prank gone wrong, or something more sinister? Someone knows the truth, and someone is keeping secrets. Can Ben find the killer before another teen vanishes?
This dark and unsettling story was such an engaging read that it hooked me from the start and stayed with me long after. Just when I thought I had it figured out, I was completely wrong. I’m excited to explore more of her books.
Thank you, Netgalley, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review."

Go ahead and add this one to your spooky season tbr ✨

You’ve got a local urban legend about the woods being haunted by the ghost of Sally. You’ve got a murder mystery. You’ve got a creepy setting, you’ve got it taking place on Halloween, all of this screams spooky season read!

I really enjoyed trying to solve this mystery, I thought I had it figured out pretty early on, but that ending changed EVERYTHING. 🤌🏻👏🏻

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you @atriabooks @atriathrillers for the arc in exchange for my honest review. PUB DATE: 8/19

I thought I had this book 100% figured out pretty early on. I read a lot of thriller/mystery/twisty books, and I said yep, this is totally who did it. Boy, was I wrong. As the twist started to unfold I questioned my whole thought process throughout the book! Great read.

What a great, entertaining mystery thriller. This book definitely kept me guessing until the end about who the murderer was. It leads you to believe it’s one person, but then you go through several others until the surprise twist at the end.

I really enjoyed this book. The author did a great job setting a spooky atmosphere set on school grounds. The different characters were all well fleshed out, and the twists and turns made for a very exciting read.

I definitely recommend this for anyone who likes dark psychological thrillers. The perfect read to get you set for Halloween.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy of this book.

This is the perfect spooky private school thriller. It has unreliable characters and so many twists and turns with a touch of paranormal elements. A few great plot twists and some interesting topics that get brought up because of it.

Halloween night a party in the woods turns fatal. A small town is rocked when a young woman is found dead in the most haunted part of the woods.

Through three different POVS from members of the same family, we discover who can and cannot trust and what really happened to Sarah Lawson.

The perfect read for those chilly October nights. This book makes you second guess everything you think you know.

On Halloween, a group of teenage students meet in the woods near Sally in the Wood, a road steeped in local lore and rumored to be haunted by the ghost of a murdered girl. By the end of the night, one student will be dead.

Rachel, the school guidance counselor, is trying to keep a handle on her increasingly distant teenaged daughter, Ellie, while students and parents panic and mourn. Her ex-husband and detective Ben, dealing with a personal crisis of his own, has concerns about his daughter’s safety as he investigates the death of one of her classmates. Meanwhile, Ellie is keeping secrets from both her parents, including one about where she was that night.

A GR review described this as atmospheric and medium paced. I don't really agree with either of those. There are descriptions of the creepy setting, but it wasn't enough for me. I never felt like I was fully there. The location of the crime is great but it's overshadowed by the characters' personal lives. That takes up the majority of the story which makes the pace much slower than one would expect.

Chapters are told from multiple perspectives which took some time getting used to. Internal thoughts filled the pages and since I didn't like the characters that much it made it harder to get through. I just wanted to get back into the woods but the main characters suck at communicating. There are some critical moments that aren't realistic because of this. Some convenient things fall into place to complete the picture.

I was suspicious of the killer from the beginning but alternated with another suspect. The showdown and reveal is dangerous but not quite satisfying. Readers who are a little more patient and like to get into the characters' mindset will like this more than I did.

2.75 stars

A spooky crime novel set around Halloween when a teenage party ends with the death of a girl from the local school. This brings separated parents Rachel, as the school counsellor, and Ben, a local DCI, into contact with each other as their daughter Ellie had attended the party.

It was a good story, well told with lots of suspects and a very surprising ending. I must admit to being occasionally cranky when Ben did not reply at once to Rachel's phone calls. I realise the author was using this as a strategy to prolong the story but I felt she overused it.

Still a good read and one I recommend especially if you like your crime with a touch of spookiness.

Review : 4.5 stars ⭐️

Synopsis:
A murder of a popular high school student leaves a small England town shaken to the core. What started as Halloween fun becomes something far more sinister. What happens when local lore becomes reality? In a twist of fate secrets are revealed and this small town British community isn’t all that it appears and Sally in the wood may not be legend.

My thoughts:
This book is as cozy as it is creepy. The small town Halloween setting gives you all of the fall energy you need to get through this chilling read. The epilogue alone had me so ready to consume this read in a single weekend. Murder, spooky lore, and Halloween? Sign me up please. The story centers around a group of teenagers hanging out around a haunting in the middle of the woods. When one of the friends is found not in her bed, a new murder comes to light.
Secrets become currency as another student is framed, none other than the daughter of the school guidance counselor and a local detective. Loyalties are questioned and even some supernatural answers are offered in this twisted tale. The suspense was enough to have me flipping through the pages as fast as I could. This was a story that I couldn’t quite put my finger on the ending, but it was worth every single guess. The story felt like it had a haunting life of its own. With a diverse cast of characters and important themes of youth discussed, I know this book will be a hit this fall!

Content warnings :
Murder
Grooming
Fear
Gore

Thank you to Atria books for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and promotions posted are completely authentic

It is common folklore that the forest in the town of Thornecombe is haunted by “Sally in the Wood.” On Halloween night, a group of teenagers party in the woods with booze, weed, a Ouija board, and plenty of Dares. In the morning, one of them is found dead!

Ellie is a teenager who attends a local private school on an art scholarship. She is struggling with the divorce of her parents. In her rebellious era, Ellie starts to keep secrets from her parents. Ellie’s mom, Rachel, is a School Counselor at the same school Ellie attends. She is becoming increasingly concerned about Ellie and begins to question what her daughter is capable of. Ben, Ellie’s dad, is one of the lead detectives on the murder case. Ben grapples with being truthful of the knowledge he obtains and protecting his daughter.

The story is told from multiple viewpoints. This book is exactly what I expect when I want a thriller. Hannah Ritcell brings us down a dark and twisty path that will leave you questioning what you think you know. She is a master of keeping the reader guessing until the very end.

I found this book to be dark and suspenseful. I didn’t ever want to put “One Dark Night” down and when I did I was already looking forward to picking it back up again. This book will be the perfect fall read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing this book for review. My review can also be found on Goodreads, http://goodreads.com/sara_chisholm

Book/Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (rounded down)
Book Cover: ⭐️⭐⭐

Trigger Warning(s): Murder, Divorce, Loss Of Child, Loss Of Family Member
POV: Multiple, Third Person
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥
Safe or Dark: Dark ️️️
Release Date: August 19, 2025 ️️️


Quick Take Review 💥:

A gripping thriller set in a small British community and surrounding the people in it.

Engaging writing and short chapters that make this book a quick read and will keep you up late at night.

Characters are overall enjoyable, and the plot will keep you wanting to know more.


In Depth Review 👇


Plot 📖:

A group of teenagers from the local school head to the woods with a spirit board on what they hope will be a creepy Halloween night. They hang out near Sally in the Wood, a road that’s the talk of the town due to its lore and rumors of the murdered girl’s ghost floating around. What’s supposed to be a night of spooky fun takes a turn for the worst when one of the students ends up dead.

School guidance counselor Rachel is trying her best to rein in her teenaged daughter, Ellie, who seems to be pulling further and further away. Her detective ex-husband, Ben, tries to bring calm to the panicked and mourning students and their parents while battling his own personal issues. The more he investigates the death, the more concerned he grows about Ellie’s safety.

Meanwhile, Ellie is keeping secrets from both Rachel and Ben, the biggest one being about that fateful Halloween night and her true whereabouts.

Amid trying to solve the teenaged girl's murder, the inhabitants of this small British community start to wonder if they can truly keep the past from catching up to them.

Writing 📝:

Hannah Richell’s writing is fast-paced, witty, and engaging. The quick but smooth flow makes it easy to get into this story. Sentences were complete and never choppy.

This story is told in multiple points of view, and without even being told, you knew exactly whose head you were in at all times. The author had no problem giving her characters distinctive personalities and voices, which can be difficult to do. This made even some of the longer chapters in the book a breeze to get through.

I found myself very impressed with Richell’s skills as a writer.

Main Character(s) 👫:

Rachel Dean - A guidance counselor at the posh school Folly View, Ellie’s mother, and Ben’s ex-wife. Her character was sweet enough, but there was something about her I didn’t enjoy. She was a good mom and overall a friendly person. I can’t put my finger on what rubbed me the wrong way about her.

Ben Chase - A Detective Sergeant with the local police force, Ellie’s father, and Rachel’s ex-husband. He did his best navigating life with an ex-wife and new girlfriend while still coming to grips with the death of his sister years prior. He had made mistakes in the past and did try to better himself as a man. I enjoyed his character.

Ellie Chase - A student at Folly View, an acquaintance of the murdered young woman, and Ben and Rachel’s teenaged daughter. Ellie was trying to find her at a school she didn’t seem to belong at. She had a hard time making friends and resented her mom a bit for working at Folly View. She was also trying her best to navigate her parents recent split. I sympathized with her character, as I too was something of an introverted teenager trying my best to fit in at high school.

Side Character(s) 👫:

Christopher Easton - Diana’s brother, owner of a development company, and Sarah’s uncle, whom she was living with at the time of her death. This guy was a typical pompous, rich jerk. I didn’t care for his character one bit.

Philippe Easton - Christopher’s husband, Diana’s sister-in-law, and Sarah’s aunt. This lady was an emotional wreck from start to finish. She tried to show up for her family when she needed to, but it was tough. I pitied her character.

Olivia Easton Christopher and Philippe’s teenaged daughter, a student at Folly View, and Sarah’s cousin (more like a sister). Olivia spends the entire book grieving the loss of her cousin. Therefore, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her character.

Fiona Maxwell - A Detective Constable with the local police department, in charge of interviewing students about what happened on Halloween night. I liked Fiona’s character. She was tough as nails and damn good at her job.

Edward Morgan - A teacher at Folly View and Ellie’s art tutor. He was well liked by both the students and faculty. He had an easygoing and kind personality. His character was an overall enjoyable one.

Diana Lawson Sarah’s mother and Christopher’s sister, who was living in Dubai when her daughter was murdered. We only see her once or twice in the beginning of the book when she is grieving the loss of her daughter. So, I wasn’t able to form a true opinion on the character.

Sarah Lawson - Diana’s daughter, Christopher and Philippe’s niece, Olivia’s cousin, a student at Folly View, and the murder victim. Everything we learn about Sarah we hear from other characters. Not to speak ill of the fictional dead or anything, but she seemed like a crap person.

Thoughts 💭:


“They say she haunts the woods now, a girl in a white dress, luring people to their deaths.”


Who doesn’t love a good urban legend? I know I do. In fact, my beautiful home state of Maryland has some of their own: Crybaby Bridge, Goatman, Black Aggie, Molly Dyer, The Demon Truck of Seven Hills Road, The Snallygaster, and Bunny Man Bridge.

Just to name a few, hey, you can't be one of the original thirteen colonies and not have some creepy stories from the past. However, I digress.

I do wish this story really leaned into the Sally In The Woods urban legend more. It wasn’t as predominant a detail in the story as the start of the book makes it seem it will be.

“Terrible things happened in the world. None of the people he loves are immune.”


This book gets right into it. Things open at a teenage party in the woods on Halloween night. We are given a glimpse into what happened leading up to the tragedy that unfolds as the story progresses. I was hooked from page one of the prologue. There is no wasted time here. There’s no slow burn that we trudge through to get right to the head of things. I loved, loved, loved that.

Don’t get me wrong, this is a slow-burn type of book, and although the mystery doesn’t unfold quickly, the pacing is right on target. This didn’t move too fast nor too slow. This was a slow burn without feeling like one. This was a slow burn done right.

Nothing about this plot is far-fetched by any means. In fact, it was scary how plausible it all was. The fact that this is something I could picture happening in real life was unsettling. That only added to the overall atmosphere of the story.

“We all have a propensity to darkness, don’t you think?


I was really into the eeriness and overall vibes of the book. Even after Halloween night, the darkness never leaves. The description of the cold and at times creepy fall weather was great. It’s always hanging in the background, foreshadowing what might happen next.

I really appreciated the fact that this book showcased the realistic dynamics of a divorced couple trying to co-parent a child in the midst of chaos and everyday life happenings. It was nice to see a couple post-divorce who didn’t hate each other's guts and tried their best to get along and co-parent their teenage daughter.

This book had a cast of both likeable and unlikeable characters. The balance of the two was done so well. It’s never fun for me when an author hands us all likeable characters or all unlikeable ones. The mix is important. The tension between them all weaved together so beautifully. It pulled me further into the story. At times, the conflicts felt so real it made me feel uncomfortable while reading. I just had to know how things got resolved.

“Sometimes, terrible things happen— things beyond our control.”


The police procedures were very accurate. The process of the investigation, how suspect interviews were handled, and how evidence was collected seemed pretty true to reality. You could tell that Richell did her homework while writing this book. Nothing law-wise seemed far-fetched, clumsy, or unrealistic.

I enjoyed that this book had a few suspects in Sarah’s murder; trying to figure out where they all fit in and what motive they might have for wanting to get rid of the teenager was really fun. It was nice not having one cut-and-dry suspect. This one really got me thinking, and I enjoyed that so much. Seeing them play off one another and trip up the readers was a nice touch as well. Bravo for that one, Hannah Richell.

Let’s talk about THAT TWIST AND THE ENDING! Goodness gracious, great balls of fire, what was that!? And I do mean that in the best possible way. I ate it up. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I realized that I didn’t. I had fallen for the wild goose chase the author sends us on. That was probably one of the best twists I’ve read in a thriller book in a very long time. So beautifully executed, so beautifully placed, so beautifully everything.

“It’s frightening isn’t it, when the blinkers come off and you understand the world is a chaotic place? No real order. It’s a loss of innocence.”


I was very satisfied with the ending. It came down from the action just slowly enough that I felt satisfied with how everything wrapped up. We get closure in all areas of the plot. I did not leave this one feeling like I was looking or hoping for more.

Final Verdict ⚖️

I would recommend this to readers who enjoy a fast-paced thriller with a good mystery thrown in. I would also recommend this to readers who are fans of urban legends.

One Dark Night will receive a nomination to get accepted into Nicole's Reading Hall of Fame and come close to getting elected in, but just fall short at the eleventh hour.

As always, please remember that reading is subjective, and that’s what makes it so great. 😊

I would like to thank Atria Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

This is my voluntary, unbiased, and honest review.

A great thriller for those who enjoy good twists and turns!

I loved this book. It was a bit slow at the beginning for me and I had trouble getting into the story for the first half, but kept reading because I wanted to know what happened. Then the twists came that I didn't see coming and I found myself unable to put it down.

I loved the detailed writing and could easily picture everything in my mind. Very gloomy and atmospheric, which is exactly the sort of thing I enjoy reading.

I wasn't crazy about any of the characters and found the kids quite annoying (especially Ellie), but that didn't get in the way of the story itself (and was a pretty accurate depiction of a lot of teens).

The twists were what really sold me on this book. I can usually predict the way thrillers will end, but can honestly say that I didn't see this one coming and I love when that happens.

A big thank you to Atria Books for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

“Nothing can prepare you for that moment when life diverts without warning onto a sickening new course, one where you are expected to just carry on without a precious loved one.”

One Dark Night by Hannah Richell
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

QUICK SUMMARY 🖊️
When an unsanctioned private school party ends with one of the party goers dead and more questions than answers.

FINAL THOUGHTS 💭
Okay this one brought me in right away to the story and I was hooked. The exploration of grief hit home in some places for me. This thriller is something you’re not going to want to miss out on!

Read if you like:
🎃 Local Lore
🎃 Haunted roads in the woods
🎃 Halloween
🎃 Teen parties that end in murderrr
🎃 Messy grown ups
🎃 Small towns

This book has been on my radar for the longest time and I finally gave in and read it 😆😆 The premise always intrigued me, a group of school kids decide to throw a Halloween party in the woods close to where a girl was mysteriously murdered not so long ago, so of course the party ends with another unsolved murder.

The police in charge is dismayed to learn his daughter was at the party, her mother is a guidance councellor and this family find themselves in the middle of the investigation. The adults in this book have a lot of their own problems going on so they are a bit distracted and useless when it comes to solving the murder 😆

This book is tense, dark, atmospheric and definitely has surprise twists in store for you by the end.

If you enjoy Halloween adjacent books and murder mysteries I’d definitely recommend giving this one a try :)

Thank you to Atria books for the #gifted copy!!

Publish date: August 19th

Students from a local private school decide to have a little fun on Halloween. They meet in the woods near a stone folly. They are all aware of the legend of the ghost of the girl in white who roams the woods. Supposedly she’d been thrown off the folly to her death.

The school counselor Rachel, whose daughter Ellie, is not dealing well with her parents’ separation and though she is supposed to spend the weekend with her father and his newly pregnant girlfriend, she escapes to the party.

Before the night is over, one of the girls is dead. Ellie wakes up in a friend’s room with a hangover and blood all over her clothes. She doesn’t remember what happened.

Both of her parents are at their wits end trying to deal with Ellie who has become difficult. She was caught protesting a new development in the area recently. She wants to save wildlife and decides to paint graffiti on a sign advertising the development.

To make matters worse, her father Ben Chase is a local police officer.

It doesn’t help that the dead girl is the niece of the local developer.

Ellie becomes the prime suspect. Luckily for Ellie several more suspects are revealed.

Ben and Rachel did not split up amicably but somehow find a way to work together to catch the killer before someone else dies.

This story had great pacing and atmosphere. The storyline pulled me in immediately. I became hooked with the haunted woods. What’s not to like? Marriage problems between a school counselor and a cop, teenagers behaving badly in a haunted wood, and plenty of suspects. This story kept me guessing until the very end.

This is a new-to-me author. I will be checking out more from her in the future. I am an anglophile and love mysteries set in the United Kingdom. If you love a good mystery, you should check out this one.

The expected release date is August 25th.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this advance readers copy for my unbiased review.