This was a slow suspense . I didn’t connect with any of the characters .
Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, Netgalley, Hannah Richell, and Atria Books for the eARC. I was completely hooked by this psychological thriller—it’s everything I love in the genre! A shocking crime, a small-town backdrop, eerie woods, whispers of an old town legend, and a long list of suspects that kept me second-guessing at every turn. Twists piled on twists, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. An absolute must-read!

📚 ARC BOOK REVIEW 📚

One Dark Night By Hannah Richell
Publication Date: August 19, 2025
Publisher: Atria Books

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
(Rounded Up To 5⭐)

A huge thank you to Atria Books & Atria Thrillers #partner for this gifted ARC as a part of the #AtriaInfluencers program, and to NetGalley for the e-ARC too -- this is my honest review!

📚MY REVIEW:

One Dark Night is a creepy, atmospheric thriller that centers around the murder of a teenage girl in a spooky woods on Halloween night. This teen's death fuels rumors because of its eerie similarity to the local folklore about Sally In The Wood, a murdered girl whose spirit is said to haunt the woods.

This book was immediately creepy and it didn't take long for the story to pull me in. The narrative moved fairly quickly -- it seemed one minute I was reading Chapter 2, and the next minute I was suddenly beginning Chapter 11. The mystery unfolds through multiple POVs, which kept up the suspense from start to finish.

The death of the teenage girl on Halloween night really impacts Folly View College, the expensive private school nearby the woods where the body is found. Ellie is a student there, and she snuck out to attend a secret party in the woods that night with her friends -- including the soon-to-be-killed teen. Ellie doesn't want her parents to know she was there that night, and for good reason: Ellie's mom Rachel is the guidance counselor at the school and Ellie's dad Ben is a detective for the local police, part of the team investigating the teen's death. Nothing is as it seems, as secrets are revealed about what REALLY happened Halloween night.

Richell did such a great job of creating multiple potential creepers who could've been the villain in this read -- I loved it! This was one of those books where I was constantly yelling at people to stop making stupid decisions. Seriously, there's an unknown murderer on the loose and you think there's multiple creepy suspects out there nearby! Why are you walking through spooky woods and dark pathways in dense fog? And why are you leaving your teenage daughter home alone on dark, rainy nights or letting her walk to school alone in said spooky woods? Come on, make better choices people.

The twists and turns in this one really kept me on my toes. And that twisty ending?! I thought I had it all figured out -- but I was so busy patting myself on the back about how smart I was to have guessed correctly in the beginning, that I didn't even realize I HADN'T figured it all out until it slapped me upside the head in the final chapters. Silly girl. 🙄🤣 An unexpected twist is my favorite kind of ending in a thriller, and One Dark Night delivered!

If you're a fan of atmospheric thrillers, spooky woods, creepy folklore, and really twisty reads -- I think you're going to LOVE One Dark Night. And the best news is that you don't have to wait because it's OUT NOW!!

#OneDarkNight #HannahRichell #AtriaBooks #AtriaThrillers #AtriaInfluencers #thrillerreads #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #atmosphericthrillers #bookreviews #bookrecs #booklover #bookaddict

📱One Dark Night 📱⁣
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⁣One Dark Night is the set the day after Halloween when the body of a teen is found murdered near a folly. This book was dark, creepy and mysterious. I enjoyed the forest setting and appreciated that this story was told with multiple POVs. ⁣
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⁣Unfortunately, the pacing felt off and I never really connected to the characters. I needed more to make this a memorable read! Three stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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⁣Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of One Dark Night. This one is out now!

In a small private school near Bath, England, students love to see what they can do to get away with breaking some rules. On Halloween, they gather at a wooded area known as Sally in the Wood. The next day a girl is found dead and the investigation is under way!

I certainly changed my mind a few times as I read through the book and it kept me guessing until almost the end.

My thanks to Net Galley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of this e-book.

3.5 stars! One Dark Night by Hannah Richell had a great setup that instantly drew me in. A Halloween gathering in the woods, a local legend about a murdered girl, and the shocking discovery of a student’s body the next day—everything about the premise promised a chilling, atmospheric read. The multiple perspectives, especially from Rachel, her ex-husband Ben, and their daughter Ellie, gave the story layers of family tension, secrets, and grief that felt very realistic.

The writing is atmospheric and often beautifully descriptive, really capturing the eerie small-town setting and the unease that lingers over the community. That said, the pacing didn’t always hit the mark for me. Some parts moved slowly and lost a bit of the suspense, while other sections felt more engaging and full of tension.

Overall, I’d call this a solid thriller with strong characters and a haunting atmosphere. It wasn’t edge-of-my-seat the whole way through, but it was compelling enough to keep me invested and curious about how everything would unravel. Definitely worth a read if you enjoy slow-burn suspense mixed with family drama and urban legend vibes.

A Halloween party in the woods turns deadly

The small English town of Thorncombe has few attractions of note...one is the elite Folly View College, another is an eerie abandoned folly set deep in the woods, and the third is the legend of Sally in the Wood, a section of the forested area near the folly that is supposedly haunted by the ghost of a young woman. For teenagers in town, be they locals or students at Folly View, that strange place in the woods is the perfect spot for a secret Halloween party. Few are there with the permission of their parents or the school faculty...there will be alcohol, maybe some drugs, and certainly raging hormones...but illicit though it may have been it should have ended with no more harm than a few hangovers. Instead one of the guests ends up dead, murdered and seemingly posed at the base of the folly, The local police are called in, including DS Ben Chase from Avon & Somerset Police who is shocked to discover that his own daughter Ellie was at the party too...he thought she was with his ex-wife Rachel, who in turn thought Ellie was with him. Ellie isn't the only person not telling all she knows about what went on that night, which makes the investigation more difficult. Things between Ben and Rachel are not good; Ben is in a new relationship with a much younger woman (who has just announced she's pregnant), Ellie has been acting out for months...but Ben has no choice but to set aside his personal turmoil to find out what happened Halloween night and bring the family of the dead girl some measure of justice.
One Dark Night is a psychological thriller with plenty of tension and an almost gothic setting. Rachel, Ben and Ellie are an intriguing group of protagonists, and it is from their alternating and very different perspectives that the story's narration is given life. All is not as it seems in this small English village...the school has its share of teenage drama, cliques and class distinctions, while the families involved have their own measure of dysfunction and unique family dynamics, all of which play in to what happened at the party that terrible night. The pacing is steady, author Hannah Richell weaves in plenty of twists, turns, and red herrings to keep the reader turning the pages, and while there are some elements that seem a bit clichéd (the handsome young male teacher who may be grooming some of his female students, the town vs gown tension, etc) I found it to be a well-developed and satisfying read. Fans of Stacy Willingham, Sally Hepworth and Lucy Foley should grab a copy of One Dark Night for their nightstand. My thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me access to this gripping story in exchange for my honest review.

From page 1, Hannah Richell sets the scene for murder. Halloween night, a group of teens gathers in an area with a "haunted" reputation. You can almost hear the young men trying to scare the girls, but to one girl, the scare is real enough. In this small town, the death of a teen is a shock to everyone. The whole town has seen these children grow up, now one is dead. When Detective Ben Case learns that his daughter, Ellie, is one of the group there on Halloween, the tension surrounding the investigation ratchets up a notch. Ellie's mother, his ex-wife, is a school guidance counselor who knows each of these teens personally. This back story sets readers up for a journey through some backwoods legends that may be true or could just be a cover story for murder. Either way, Richell expertly pulls us into the investigation where the clues seem to point one direction, then quickly jump to another. This book was very easy to become engrossed in and keep reading long after "just one more chapter".

One Dark Night by Hannah Richell is a moody, atmospheric thriller that feels tailor-made for fall reading. The haunting setting, small-town secrets, and eerie folklore created a tension-filled backdrop that kept me hooked. I loved how full of red herrings the story was; I definitely didn’t see the multiple twists at the end coming! While one of the storylines felt a little unnecessary and left me questioning why it was included, overall, this was a clever, twisty thriller with plenty of surprises. Perfect for readers who enjoy suspense that blends mystery with an autumnal vibe.

Hannah Richell’s One Dark Night opens with a striking image: a teenage girl found dead beneath a crumbling folly, dressed as the ghostly bride of local legend. It is an arresting start to a thriller that blends folklore, family drama, and crime with sharp atmosphere.

The setting is a triumph. The woods feel oppressive, the folly looms like a Gothic sentinel, and the village of Thorncombe seems steeped in menace. Richell structures the novel through multiple narrators, including Rachel, a school counselor, her husband Ben, a detective, and their daughter Ellie, a teenager caught between vulnerability and defiance. These shifting perspectives add layers of tension and secrecy, although at times they slightly dilute the story’s momentum.

What elevates the novel is its thematic depth. Privilege, bullying, and the corrosive effects of secrets give the story weight beyond its central mystery. The climax, however, arrives a touch too quickly, leaving the killer’s psychology underexplored.

Despite these quibbles, One Dark Night is an atmospheric and thoughtful thriller, as sinister as it is smart, and one that lingers long after the last page.

There are so many great books releasing over the next couple of months, and this week’s lineup includes One Dark Night by Hannah Richell. I was #gifted this one by @atriabooks back in April. It’s so perfectly creepy, a twisted tale in the English countryside that involves a murder following a prep school Halloween party. I practically felt the fog as I read, and it has the perfect mix personal, familial, and legal drama to be intriguing. It’s a perfect fall transitional read. Not the I need much encouragement, but it kicked off my Halloween decor shopping.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster | Atria Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this thriller by Hannah Richell. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

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 guidance counselor at the school, and her ex-husband, Ben, a detective in the town, have concerns about their daughter, Ellie, who is keeping many secrets.

Halloween night, creepy ghost stories, and urban legends? Check. Creepy dark woods? Check. Teenagers keeping secrets and family drama? Check. So you know that this one hit all the marks for me and I loved it. Told from multiple POV, I thought I knew where it was going but was so wrong. A great mystery with realistic characters that kept me turning the pages. Go into it blind and enjoy - maybe with the lights on?

I enjoyed reading this book. The atmospheric/dark setting vibe and the multiple POV narration gave the storyline depth. It’s a quick, engaging read. Only downsides were how some of the sub-story lines were conveniently wrapped up and the ending was fairly predictable.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book!

On Halloween night, a group of students from an elite English boarding school gathers deep in the woods. Among the bonfire and music, the story of Sally in the Wood makes its way through the friends. Sally is said to be a spectral bride haunting the area and is a local legend. But by morning, one of the girls is found dead, eerily posed like the ghost herself. As shock ripples through the privileged community, Detective Ben Chase is called in to investigate, only to discover his own teenage daughter Ellie was among those in the woods that night. As the pressure mounts and secrets began to unravel, Ben must navigate a tangled web of fear, privilege, and loyalty while Ellie struggles with a truth she's too terrified to reveal.

One Dark Night is an expertly crafted psychological thriller that blends haunting folklore with the
emotional intensity of a family under pressure. What really stands out is Richell's ability to intertwine suspense with human complexity. Told through three different POVs, Detective Ben Chase, his ex-wife Rachel, and their daughter Ellie, the story balances police procedural with layered emotional stakes. Richell's prose is taut but immersive. The setting, the foggy woods, old stone buildings, and creeping dread, is richly atmospheric. The pacing is perfect, layering clues and red herrings without the story dragging. Overall, if you love domestic thrillers, layered family drama, and creepy local legend stories, definitely check out One Dark Night!

Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Richell, and Atria Books for this eArc! Publication date was August 19th 2025.

One Dark Night by Hannah Richell is a great suspenseful thriller about urban legends, privilege, and how the past continues to haunt us.
I was super excited to read ODN! And it did not disappoint.
This story had me hooked from the very beginning.
It was well-written and kept me interested all the way through.

Thank You NetGalley and Atria Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

One Dark Night is a haunting, atmospheric thriller that sinks its teeth in from page one. Set in a small British town, the novel weaves urban legend and chilling reality together when a group of teens gather near the infamous “Sally in the Wood” on Halloween—and one doesn’t make it out alive.

Hannah Richell excels at building tension through multiple perspectives, layering a sense of dread with every chapter. Rachel, the school guidance counselor and mother, is caught between professional responsibility and personal fear as her own daughter, Ellie, grows distant and secretive. Ben, Rachel’s ex-husband and the detective on the case, brings a raw emotional edge to the investigation as he balances grief, suspicion, and parental concern. And at the center is Ellie, holding secrets that could unravel everything.

The prose is moody and evocative, perfectly capturing the weight of folklore, privilege, and the way the past never truly stays buried. While some pacing moments lean into slow-burn rather than edge-of-your-seat thrills, the payoff is worth it, with twists that keep you second-guessing until the final reveal.

Dark, gripping, and beautifully written, One Dark Night is a reminder that sometimes the scariest ghosts aren’t legends—they’re the secrets we keep and the truths we avoid.

This was my second novel from author, Hannah Richell. I really loved "The Search Party" and was so excited to read this latest novel. I have to admit up front, this one went by VERY slow.

It wasn't until half way through the plot that the story even got remotely interesting. I really had to convince myself to pick up this book daily, as the characters weren't that interesting and the plot moved at a snail's pace.

I completely missed the alternating character points of views until almost 2/3 of the way through. I am not sure what that says about the writing.

The ghost story aspect had so much potential, but in all honesty it could have been taken out of the story completely and not made a bit of difference in the overall plot. It was like it was a great set up but then an afterthought.

The story itself had some good twists and turns, and because it had so many characters there were some good side stories that caused confusion and overall surprise in the ending.

I think this should be listed more as a young adult mystery. Had I known going in there would be so much teen drama I would have gone in with a different mindset.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for allowing me a digital copy to read and give my honest review. It was a 3 star read!

"One Dark Night" is available now in the U.S. so get your copy now!

Happy Reading!

One Dark Night opens on Halloween, a group of teens sitting around a bonfire near a stretch of road known as Sally in the Wood. They're discussing Sally. Is it just a stupid story? Or, is there some truth to the urban legend of a local girl murdered at the folly on her wedding day? They set up a makeshift Ouija board and ask if anyone is out there.

The next morning a group of Girl Guides are hiking up to the tower where they make a gruesome discovery.

From there, Hannah Richell gives us a rich cast of characters and a narrative that shifts between their different perspectives as her prose propels us through the aftermath. From the looming folly, which is a tower or gothic ruin, through Thorncombe Woods, to Folly View College where privileged youth receive their education, the investigation into the murder will reveal secrets that people and the town would prefer stay buried.

I am a huge fan of Richell's writing and narration. Whether it is moody, atmospheric descriptions of place, like the arched opening at the top of the folly yawning like the black, toothless mouth of a giant, or short observations about people, like one character trying to monetize his misogyny, her prose is beautiful and not easy to put down.

4.5 stars

A creepy thriller to get you in the mood for fall! This book kept me on my toes; there were so many good suspects, and I was wrong about every single one. I enjoyed the British private school setting, the urban legend aspect, and the multiple perspectives. I especially liked Ben's perspective—I found him a very compelling character, and I always love a perspective from the police's perspective.

The ending was satisfying and a little shocking—honestly, I didn't see that coming. I also like that the book left off on a bit of a hopeful note. You know what? I'm rooting for them!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for early access of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A local haunted legend, a halloween party gone wrong, family dynamics at play? Yes please.

This book follows multiple POVs from Ellie, a teenager at the local private school; Rachel, her mother that is also the guidance counselor at her school; Ben, her father-- a local detective. I loved seeing the dynamics between the three as a case of a death is being investigated.

This was a fast read that wrapped up nicely. I will definitely be reading more by this author