Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of One Dark Night.

I read the author's debut, The Search Party, last year and though I wasn't a fan, I did like her writing.

Her second book focuses on Rachel, a school guidance counselor at a private school and her teen daughter, Ellie.

Rachel and Ben, her detective ex-husband, are recently separated but their lives collide when a student is found dead on school grounds.

First, I love the police procedural aspects of the case.

Ben is a competent detective, alongside most of his colleagues; they pound the pavement interview witnesses and potential suspects.

Second, the narrative is divided into multiple POVs, which I'm not a fan of. There are no chapter headings as to who is speaking but once you start reading, its easy to tell who is speaking.

Third, the narrative is padded with too much filler, too much background on the suspects and witnesses, shady characters

What could take one or two sentences to explain, the author takes paragraphs or a few pages instead.

As a result, the book felt much longer that it really is. Never a good sign,

There are plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing and when the murderer is revealed, it feels anti-climatic.

I wished the author had utilized the Sally in the Wood urban legend to add suspense and fear into the narrative.

Overall, there's a lack of urgency and drama even though a young woman has been murdered and the school and community are on edge.

It took too long to get to the point of the story since there are many secondary and minor characters with personal issue of their own the author felt needed to be explained.

I felt the inclusion of the mentally ill man was too much if only to throw in another red herring to shock readers.

I'm not sure why the author wanted to keep bringing up Ben's deceased sister, if only to press how devastated he was after her unexpected death that led to the end of his marriage.

OK, we get it, his inability to mourn and seek help led to him cheating on Rachel.

Sounds like an excuse to excuse his infidelity but that's just me.

I really enjoyed this book and hope there are more to come! Great story telling and twisted ending made it a great and easy read.

This book was easy to get sucked into. It’s set in the woods where a group of teens are having a party and telling ghost stories of the local girl who haunts the woods they’re in. All fun and games until the next day one of the teens ends up dead.

It’s told from multiple POVs, which I always love. And you’ll think you have this book figured out and stay up all night reading to the end to see if you’re right… but there’s a twist you won’t see coming!

I give it 4 solid ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the advanced copy of One Dark Night!

This book has a lot of promise, but I do think it's trying to do too much. Too many POVs early on, for example. I had a very hard time feeling connected to any character in particular because it felt like I was supposed to care about so many.

I ended up dnfing around 35%. I wasn't hooked or pulled in.

Author: Hannah Richell

Genres: Thriller/Psychological Thriller/Horror

Rating: ⭐️

Summary: The morning after Halloween, a body is found near Sally in the Wood—a creepy spot tied to old ghost stories. In a quiet British town, the news shocks everyone. School counselor Rachel is worried about her daughter Ellie, who might be hiding something. Her ex-husband Ben, a detective, is in charge of the case and growing more concerned about their daughter’s safety. One Dark Night is a spooky, twisty story about secrets, urban legends, and how the past can still haunt the present.

Tropes and Themes: urban legends, how the past hunts the present, psychological suspense.

Character: I didn't have a favorite character to focus on.

Thoughts: One Dark Night had a strong start and an interesting idea, but I found it hard to stay connected to the story. The book is told from a lot of different points of view, and while I can see what the author was going for, it ended up feeling a bit all over the place. The constant switching between characters made it hard to keep track of what was happening.

It also starts off really fast, which I usually like—but only when I’ve had a chance to get to know the characters first. In this case, I didn’t feel like there was enough time to really understand who they were or how they fit into the story. Because of that, I found it hard to care about what was going on.

I ended up putting the book down at around 30% because I just wasn’t feeling pulled in. The story didn’t flow well for me, and I lost interest.

Clever, sinister and juicy, this atmospheric crime novel is set at Halloween when a local teenager dies after a party in the forest. The school's counsellor, the local detective, and their daughter, who was attending the party, all play pivotal roles in a thriller that revolves around the legend of a ghost who roams the woods.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Simon & Shuster for the advanced copy of One Dark Night!


"When a body is found the day after Halloween, a small British community must reckon with its past and the dangers lurking in its present in this spine-tingling novel from “not to be missed” (Hayley Scrivener, author of Dirt Creek) author Hannah Richell."

This book is set during Halloween so it is expected to be eerie. This was a good thriller, I thought I had predicted the what had happened, but I was wrong!

Thank you once again!

Dark, mysterious, and thrilling. What happened that dark night in the woods on Halloween Night???? First off, going into the woods where the ghost of a murdered girl is rumored to haunt on Halloween sounds spooky, eerie, and dangerous. For one young student, it will be deadly!

A party on Halloween turned deadly and the police are desperate to come up with a killer. Detective Ben Case is called in to investigate and quickly learns that his daughter, Ellie was one of the students at the party. His ex-wife, Rachel, a school guidance counselor, is worried about their daughter and the other teens at the school where she works.

The mystery of the teen's death swirls as the adults in this book are coping with their own issues. As the police being to form a suspect list, a sense of dread begins to seep from the pages. Old wounds will be opened, secrets will be exposed, as a hunt for killer is underway.

I loved the atmosphere in this book as well as the tension between many of the characters I also enjoyed how the author pulled the wool over my eyes. I thought that I had been so clever and figured out whodunit, to be left shocked when the culprit is revealed.

Dark, tense, atmospheric and eerie.

This book surprised me in all the right ways. Though it started off a bit slow, the pace picked up steadily and kept me engaged through every chapter. I was constantly guessing, rethinking, and second-guessing—exactly what I want from this kind of genre. The reveal wasn’t jaw-dropping, but it still managed to outmaneuver me, which I appreciated.

The writing style stood out to me—smooth, atmospheric, and easy to fall into. Some scenes did drag, while others flew by too fast, but overall, the prose had a rhythm that carried the story well. The use of multiple POVs added interesting layers, though at times it felt like the book tried to juggle too many threads at once. A bit more focus on the core storyline might have made a bigger impact.

The characters were hit or miss—some moments I connected with them, other times they felt just out of reach—but they were never dull. The abundance of red herrings definitely kept things lively, though a few too many made it hard to take any single clue seriously after a while.

One missed opportunity was the ghost legend. It had great potential to elevate the tension and atmosphere, but it felt underused—almost like an afterthought rather than a true backbone to the plot.

Still, this was an enjoyable read with strong moments and clever misdirection. It may not be one I’ll return to, but I’m glad I read it—and I’m curious to see what the author does next.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦-𝘈𝘙𝘊. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.💐

When a body is found in a carefully described Britiah setting, you are quickly drawn into this fast paced mystery. With a wonderful stellar cast of characters and determined detectives a storyline with deep dark secrets keep you riveted. Not to be missed.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Hannah Richell for this advanced reader’s copy of One Dark Night.

This was a really great thriller that had a spookiness to it which I really enjoyed!

I love stories like this with tellings from multiple point of views, and the character development was great!

I had some suspicions throughout with different suspects and predictions, but there was still a good twist at the end with the truth of what really happened. The story was well written and had you racing to the end to figure it all out!

I definitely enjoyed this read and would recommend it to anyone looking for a spooky thriller!

I found this book to be just alright. I appreciated the eerie, atmospheric setting and the intriguing premise—it had all the elements of a compelling mystery. I liked the way urban legends were woven into the story, adding layers of suspense and history to the unfolding drama. However, I struggled with the pacing. I felt like certain sections dragged, and I found myself waiting for the tension to build in a way that never quite delivered. While the multiple perspectives added depth, they sometimes made the story feel slower rather than more immersive. Despite that, I thought the twist at the end was strong. It tied everything together in a way that surprised me and added impact to the overall narrative. While the book didn’t completely grip me, I can still appreciate the clever storytelling and the way it explored themes of privilege and secrecy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this ARC. A new author for me and the storyline grabbed me immediately and kept me hanging on til the end. Very suspenseful story with interesting characters all contributing to a great read. Highly recommend.

Wow! This book was fantastic! I literally could not put it down. I felt like I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough- I needed to know what was going on! And the twists! Amazing. I thought I had it all figured out and then wham! Totally wrong. These are my favorite types of thrillers so if you’re looking for a tense thriller that is constantly throwing you for a loop, and add in some teenage angst and a bit of spookiness, look no further! Pick this up asap!

3.5⭐️

I did enjoy the story and the reveal - I didn’t see it coming which I always like! The author did a great job of dropping little red herrings to throw the reader off track. I did find that there was quite a bit of filler information and pages of internal dialogue that I could’ve done without

I won't lie, this one scared the hell out of me, but in the best way -- I grew up in Appalachia and have always been a sucker for creepy urban legends, and even though this book is set in the UK, it still reeled me in and spooked me (complimentary). It was deliciously creepy and dark, and I really liked seeing the events unfold from the girls' POVs. A perfect read for a dark and rainy night!

One Dark Night is a moody, atmospheric thriller that weaves together family drama, small-town secrets, and local legend. The setup is compelling—a teen is found dead after Halloween near a road haunted by folklore—but the story unfolds slowly, with tension that simmers more than boils. The multiple POVs offer depth, especially through Rachel and Ellie, though at times the pacing and emotional stakes felt uneven.

While the mystery kept me curious, I found myself wanting a stronger payoff and a more cohesive grip on the suspense. Still, readers who enjoy character-driven thrillers with layered family dynamics and a touch of the supernatural will find this a worthwhile read.

I really wanted to like this book. But for me personally, if it doesn’t pique my interest in the first 100 pages, I often get bored. And that’s exactly what happened with One Dark Night. It was a struggle for me to get into.

This thriller missed the mark for me but I still enjoyed my time reading it. Some of the twists surprised me but the majority were very predictable. I think someone newer to the genre would enjoy this more.

One Dark Night - Hannah Richell
He murdered her at the folly on their wedding day, left her body for the crows. They say she haunts the woods now, a girl in a white dress...
The people of Thorncombe know what they say about those woods, where the birds don't sing and a girl in a white dress roams, but when a group of girl guides stumble upon a horrifying scene at the folly, the town is left reeling.
Police officer Ben is torn between dad mode and police mode when he hears of his daughters classmates murder. When clues start leading back to his own daughter, he's thrown off the case and left to his own devices. Upon discovering her lies, Ben digs in deep to clear his daughters name and give the town back their sense of safety.
I was so grateful to be given an advanced copy of this thanks to Netgalley because I absolutely devoured it. I loved the eerieness of the woods, the stories of the girl in a white dress, and I could completely see the appeal to kids who were just trying to have some fun. Not only did this book give off eerie vibes, but it was a murder mystery with so many twists and turns that you're truly left guessing until the very end. I gave this goodie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5!