Take one urban legend toss in a murder and you get Hannah Richell’s mystery/thriller One Dark Night. The urban legend is known as Sally in the woods, the story of a woman murdered by her fiancee. The night after Halloween a body is found. Is it possible she was killed by the ghost of the woods? I have to say for much of the story I thought I the murder figured out, but then Richell dropped some curveballs I didn’t see coming. Excellent book to transition out of the beach read and into slightly creepy fall reads. Thanks so much to the publisher for the ARC.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-dark-night-hannah-richell/1146384396?ean=9781668081334&bvnotificationId=17522e81-7df0-11f0-b332-1292f12bda63&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/354757344

Thank you NetGalley, Hannah Richell and Atria Books for the opportunity to read One Dark Night!

On Halloween night, a group of teens meets in the woods near the haunted road known as Sally in the Wood, a place steeped in eerie local legends. By the end of the night, one of them is dead. As the town reels, guidance counselor Rachel struggles to connect with her daughter, Ellie, while her ex-husband Ben investigates the case and worries about their child’s safety—unaware that Ellie is hiding secrets of her own.

I really enjoyed this book! The multiple POVs kept the story engaging, and I liked the way the mystery unfolded piece by piece. The atmosphere was wonderfully creepy, and the Halloween setting made it even more immersive. It definitely got me in the mood for spooky season, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a chilling, atmospheric read.

Thank you to @atriabooks & Netgalley For my #gifted copy!

This is a perfect book for spooky season!!
In the dark woods lurks a mysterious person, a teenage party, and a ghost tale holds the town! Atmospheric with characters that feel so real, from the teenage angst, family trauma, determination!

Ellie lies to her parents so she can go to a party in the woods, nothing could go wrong right? Nope sooo much happens,and of course secrets and lies because they don’t want to get in trouble. With both of her parents heavily involved with finding out who killed her class mate, it’s make having secrets so much harder. I love we get multiple Povs as we try to solve who the murderer is! Gives you more of the complex feeling of seeing all around the case! It was dark and fun with the town lore of Sally of The Wood and what that does to a town.
I loved how all the pieces came together and I had that oh sh*t moment as it clicked!

One Dark Night is a darkly atmospheric thriller that had me hooked from the very first page right through to the final reveal. Set against the foreboding woods near the small town of Thorncombe, the story draws heavily from the eerie folk tale of “Sally in the Wood,” weaving local legend seamlessly into a modern-day murder mystery. That blend of folklore and suspense created a chilling undertone that never let go.

What I especially loved was the cast of characters—Ben, Rachel, and Ellie—each layered and flawed in ways that made them feel real. Ben’s role as a policeman and Rachel’s as a school counselor brought fascinating perspectives into the investigation, while Ellie’s teenage secrecy and vulnerability added emotional weight. Together, they carried the story through its many twists and red herrings. And let me tell you—there were plenty. The number of questionable characters kept me guessing, though when the reveal came, I had to laugh at myself. I didn’t figure it out beforehand, but once everything was tied together, it made perfect sense. That’s the mark of a good thriller.

Hannah Richell has a real gift for layering tension. The narrative builds with multiple perspectives, thrilling turns, and a twist I truly did not see coming. It’s a page-turner, yes, but also a thoughtful look at family dynamics, privilege, and the way past shadows can haunt the present.

Overall, One Dark Night is an atmospheric, cleverly constructed, and thoroughly engaging read that fans of folk horror-tinged thrillers will devour.

This book was like reading a British thriller/mystery that you watch on Britbox. It had a small town feel, the infringement of a big developer, everyone has a secret, and it’s not who everyone thinks it is, with a twist at the end. I could see it playing out if my head as if I was watching it.

This one was atmospheric and spooky, the urban legend was an interesting piece to include but ultimately didn’t add much for the plot. I enjoyed this one but struggled at times with the pacing, it was by no means a bad book

A small English town, an exclusive private college, haunted woods. What's not to love? The perfect read as spooky season approaches. This was a very eerie atmospheric crime novel with some pretty fun twists.  A quick, fast paced and engaging thriller.

I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. It was creepy and spooky and the perfect read for Halloween season approaching. There were twists and turns that I did not see coming at all. I loved the setting of this as well. What’s better than a book that takes place in the creepy woods around Halloween?

The characters were likable, aside from maybe two of them. I really had my suspicions about a couple of them, but I wound up being wrong. This story is packed with secrets, lies, mystery and a little bit of a folklore tale. This was my first book by Richell and it will not be my last! I highly recommend if you like thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat 💀

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC of One Dark Night!

This was such a fantastic read, the kind of story that sneaks up on you and doesn’t let go until the very last page. It blends a chilling local urban legend with an atmosphere that’s dripping in suspense and unease, making it the perfect book to pick up in the fall or during Halloween season.

Hannah Richell does an incredible job of setting the tone dark woods, eerie silences, and an ever-present sense of something lurking just out of sight. The pacing kept me hooked, unraveling secrets layer by layer while still giving space to the characters and their struggles. What I really loved was how the myth and folklore element felt grounded in reality, which made the supernatural undertones all the more spinetingling.

The characters were engaging, flawed, and believable, and the emotional threads intertwined seamlessly with the haunting mystery. By the end, I was both unsettled and completely satisfied.

Overall, this is a must-read for fans of spooky legends, atmospheric thrillers, and autumn nights. If you’re searching for your next fall read, One Dark Night should absolutely be on your list!

Set in the English countryside and told in multiple POVs, this thriller will keep you up at night. 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.
Did not see that ending coming. I thought I had it all figured out, but this thriller twists and turns and shows you how disturbing grief can be.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this digital e-arc.*

Edgy, atmospheric, and unpredictable!

One Dark Night is a gripping, sinister tale that transports you to a small British town and into the halls of an elite private school that has all the usual fare: entitled teens, hardworking scholarship students, cliques, clubs, ghost stories, sexual promiscuity, envy, mean girls, devious behaviour, and murder.

The writing is tight and intense. The characterization is spot on with a cast of characters that are vulnerable, secretive, and selfish, and a setting, Folly View College, that is a character itself with its eerie buildings and isolation. And the plot is a suspenseful, twisty tale filled with familial drama, neglect, jealousy, hatred, abuse, callousness, desperation, cruelty, obsession, and bloodshed.

Overall, One Dark Night is another clever, tortuous, chilling page-turner by Richell that kept me guessing from the very first page and ultimately left me surprised, satisfied, and eerily entertained.

Tragedy strikes at a Halloween party in the woods, steeped in local lore, by a small English town when a teenage girl dies. Rachel, a local school guidance counselor, deals with the fallout of the tragedy. Meanwhile her ex-husband, a local police officer, works to find a murderer in this small community before anyone else gets hurt.

This is a great book for thriller fans that want the perfect read for spooky season. It is a well crafted twisty murder mystery with wonderful atmosphere. A thriller with a Halloween party gone wrong, spooky woods, a local legend, and very strange happenings. I highly recommend this read for fall for thriller fans that don't want to read horror for Halloween.

First off, I would like to thank Atria Books and author Hannah Richell for allowing me to read this novel, One Dark Night, via Netgalley. All opinions following are my own.

This story is a slow-burn, but that isn't to that it's slow. The story begins on Halloween Night. The local teenagers, specifically the ones from the local exclusive prep school, are partying near an area known to locals as Sally of the Wood. When the teens decide to try to contact Sally, a woman who was, according to local legend murdered there, the teens end up scaring each other. The next morning, a teen is found dead. With many potential witnesses and suspects, the investigation takes many twists and turns.

With many points of view: Ellie (a teen who was there and seems to be hiding something), Rachel (Ellie's mom and the high school guidance counselor), and Ben (Ellie's dad, recent ex-husband of Rachel, and lead investigator), this book makes readers feel like they are in the story and solving the mystery as well.

I pride myself on being pretty good at figuring out the different twists and turns in mysteries and thrillers. However, every time I thought I had things figured out, I was taken in a new direction. My only real complaint was I felt as if the ending was almost too perfect. Therefore, without reservation, I give this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This book is great for readers who like slow-burns but also books that keep them guessing, and it comes out today, Tuesday, August 19!

One Dark Night:⁣
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Thank you @atriathrillers & @simon.audio for my gifted copy! #AtriaPartner⁣
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“Doesn’t matter if it’s kids, colleagues, or criminals. It’s the quiet ones you have to watch.”⁣
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Oh I do love a wild and mysterious town and a crime where we can’t trust anyone. This was a ride from start to finish and I was just vibing along. ⁣
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We have a girl Sarah, and well, she has passed. But who did it? And why? So many suspects that have so many lies. Told in multiple POV, I loved it. I truly felt like. I was getting whiplash trying o figure out who was really being an honest person. ⁣
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Beth Eyre did a fabulous job on audio. I was creeped out, I didn’t know what lore or urban legend to believe. I didn’t want to listen at night in my car because I was convinced Sally was a thing. ⁣
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Out today, definitely add to your atmospheric reads!⁣
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QOTD: What’s your current read?

On Halloween, a group of teens meets in the woods near the haunted road called Sally in the Wood, a place filled with eerie local legends, but by the end of the night one of them ends up dead. As the town reels, guidance counselor Rachel struggles with her distant daughter Ellie, while her ex-husband Ben investigates the case and worries about their child’s safety, not knowing Ellie has secrets of her own. I really enjoyed this book, especially the multiple POVs and how the story unfolded. It had such a creepy vibe and setting it on Halloween made it even better. It definitely got me in the mood for scary season and I think this is one to pick up if you like chilling reads.

WOW!! This book was amazing! I was immediately reeled in and instantly hooked. This is mysterious, absolutely thrilling and definitely dark!

The town lives with the rumor of a ghost in the woods, so what do the teenagers from town do on Halloween night? They throw a party in the woods. The next morning one of their classmates is found dead in said woods. The police are determined to find who did it and then the lead detective finds out his very own daughter attended this party without permission. He’s removed from the case but is more desperate than ever to solve it now that his daughter is a suspect.

The twists and turns in this one had me on the edge of my seat biting my nails all while never putting this amazing book down.

Thank you so much to Atria Books for sending me this advanced copy. Thank you NetGalley for making it possible and of course a big thank you to Hannah Richell for writing such an outstanding book.

A story about an local urban legend that seems to have been recreated. A girl is found dead in a way that mirrors the legend. Could this have been the ghost or ???

This story had some interesting twists and I definitely didn't see the end coming.

This is a slightly spooky, but intriguing mystery. However, it is not as eerie as it may appear from the description. If you are not a fan of supernatural stories, don't let that scare you off. If you are, don't expect too much.

The plot is compelling and unique enough to maintain the reader's interest throughout. The use of several narrators nicely ramps up the excitement and tension. The characters are fascinating and full of compelling secrets. Several red herrings refreshingly keep the actual solution to the story a secret even from the most avid mystery reader until almost the end of the book. The ending is unpredictable and shocking, but also makes complete sense and is satisfying; thus, the book is quite an enjoyable read.

Thank you Atria Books for the gifted ARC!

This scratched the Summerween itch I’ve been having in the best way. A group of teens has a Halloween party in what is believed to be “haunted” woods, and one of them doesn’t make it home.

What follows is a story filled with secrets, lies, and twists that are so well-written I could not put this book down!

And the big reveal had me like 😱 highly recommend to fellow thriller fans, and it’s out now!

This novel is based on the real-life location of a haunted woods and road called "Sally in the Wood" and throws in a murder investigation, making this a chilling, atmospheric read with dark academia vibes. Told from multiple perspectives kept the pacing steady and the questions mounting. I didn't know who to trust and kept suspecting every character that was introduced. This was full of tension and twists at every turn and quickly became a hard to put down read. Perfect for the coming season, this is one that you won't want to miss. Three and a half stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Atria Books, for this ARC.