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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was a fun and fast read. It is possible you will figure out who is the murderer, but it is twisty enough to keep you guessing. I would recommend for fans of Ware's previous books and anyone who likes exciting mysteries.
Torn between a three and four. But I just keep thinking of issue I have so I think it has to be a high-ish three.
I've read all of Ruth Ware's books and think I liked them all (some didn't stick so well). But I adored The Turn of the Key. And I was super excited by the premise of this one because I love a good Christie homage.
But this wasn't really that. Here are some of my issues:
1. I figured I'd have trouble with the tech side of the book but actually I found it all pretty accessible. On the other hand, all the dang skiing information went right over my head. I found myself zoning out for full paragraphs. Even during the climax of the book! I've never skied and apparently that meant this book wasn't gonna make as much sense to me.
2. The fact that you can see the chapter list on the Kindle meant it was abundantly clear that Liz was the killer since her perspective just dropped off (waaaay too far from the end, but that's another point). Then again, she was so clearly the killer anyway that I guess that doesn't matter.
3. If it's going to be SO obvious that Liz is doing this. Then make her point of view acknowledge it. Make it more cat and mouse. We know who the killer is but when will the others figure it out. As it was, Liz was just saying vague and threatening things but not even admitting what she was doing in her own internal monologue.
4. Speaking of - Liz is the one who mentions that she could only recognize Eva by her coat. Meaning the second someone said they saw Eva skiing down the mountain, it was SO clear it wasn't her.
5. A little out of order but when there was a mysterious addition to the itinerary, I really thought we were pulling the "Ten Little Indians" trick of the presentation being swapped out and a new, incriminating one in its place. But nope. Le sigh.
6. Why introduce us to so many characters that I have to learn to keep track of if they're just gonna head off halfway through the book?
7. Then again, when it was just Erin and Liz I was kind of excited. Clearly one of them was the killer and I was positive it was Liz. But the idea of them circling each other and not knowing who was guilty would've been sooooo much better. Erin is sure it's Liz, Liz is sure it's Erin....surprise! Inigo's back. Would that have been lame? Maybe compared to really good thrillers but it would've been better than the tension building and then Liz simply thinking to herself "it's like when I killed Ani".
8. Every. Single. Thing. Erin discovered at the end of her POVs was predictable and the cliffhanger-y ends of chapters were just not that exciting because we already knew where we were heading.
9. Hell, even Liz' explanation for what she did was kind of lame.
10. And then a chase scene that could've been more interesting if, again I knew anything about skiing. And a brutal and violent end that, honestly was pretty good (though Liz was a really good skier and had HEARD Erin abruptly turn so I don't believe she would've been that caught off-guard but....).
11. But then the book went on for another 40 pages. And literally didn't need to. The Eva video? Exactly what we expected. The Inigo confession? Not even remotely shocking. Those two moments had SUCH potential to be last minute twists and they just didn't do anything at all.
12. And then the last few chapters all felt like they could be the ending. Leaving the group to decide the future of SNOOP. The email from Topher and Erin's response. But nooooooo it just. kept. going.
Okay. I think that's it. And I'm now realizing that this was actually a pretty solid three. No higher. And it's only really that because the setting was good and I read it fast.
I've read all of Ruth Ware's books and think I liked them all (some didn't stick so well). But I adored The Turn of the Key. And I was super excited by the premise of this one because I love a good Christie homage.
But this wasn't really that. Here are some of my issues:
1. I figured I'd have trouble with the tech side of the book but actually I found it all pretty accessible. On the other hand, all the dang skiing information went right over my head. I found myself zoning out for full paragraphs. Even during the climax of the book! I've never skied and apparently that meant this book wasn't gonna make as much sense to me.
2. The fact that you can see the chapter list on the Kindle meant it was abundantly clear that Liz was the killer since her perspective just dropped off (waaaay too far from the end, but that's another point). Then again, she was so clearly the killer anyway that I guess that doesn't matter.
3. If it's going to be SO obvious that Liz is doing this. Then make her point of view acknowledge it. Make it more cat and mouse. We know who the killer is but when will the others figure it out. As it was, Liz was just saying vague and threatening things but not even admitting what she was doing in her own internal monologue.
4. Speaking of - Liz is the one who mentions that she could only recognize Eva by her coat. Meaning the second someone said they saw Eva skiing down the mountain, it was SO clear it wasn't her.
5. A little out of order but when there was a mysterious addition to the itinerary, I really thought we were pulling the "Ten Little Indians" trick of the presentation being swapped out and a new, incriminating one in its place. But nope. Le sigh.
6. Why introduce us to so many characters that I have to learn to keep track of if they're just gonna head off halfway through the book?
7. Then again, when it was just Erin and Liz I was kind of excited. Clearly one of them was the killer and I was positive it was Liz. But the idea of them circling each other and not knowing who was guilty would've been sooooo much better. Erin is sure it's Liz, Liz is sure it's Erin....surprise! Inigo's back. Would that have been lame? Maybe compared to really good thrillers but it would've been better than the tension building and then Liz simply thinking to herself "it's like when I killed Ani".
8. Every. Single. Thing. Erin discovered at the end of her POVs was predictable and the cliffhanger-y ends of chapters were just not that exciting because we already knew where we were heading.
9. Hell, even Liz' explanation for what she did was kind of lame.
10. And then a chase scene that could've been more interesting if, again I knew anything about skiing. And a brutal and violent end that, honestly was pretty good (though Liz was a really good skier and had HEARD Erin abruptly turn so I don't believe she would've been that caught off-guard but....).
11. But then the book went on for another 40 pages. And literally didn't need to. The Eva video? Exactly what we expected. The Inigo confession? Not even remotely shocking. Those two moments had SUCH potential to be last minute twists and they just didn't do anything at all.
12. And then the last few chapters all felt like they could be the ending. Leaving the group to decide the future of SNOOP. The email from Topher and Erin's response. But nooooooo it just. kept. going.
Okay. I think that's it. And I'm now realizing that this was actually a pretty solid three. No higher. And it's only really that because the setting was good and I read it fast.
mysterious
medium-paced
I liked this one.... but.
Yes, there's a big but. A giant but.
The but is - why was I able to guess the ending within the first couple pages?
Now, that being said, the writing style is great. I enjoy Ruth Ware's books and writing style and it hooks me in. I just don't like when it's easy to guess. I also don't enjoy when parts of the story randomly come in and don't matter. For a thriller where we are guessing who a murderer is, I like when tidbits and crumbs are left along the path and then at the end it all adds together. There was a lot of crumbs introduced in this book that were just... I don't know what to call it in the metaphor. Dirt? Dust? Just random things that if you excluded, wouldn't matter.
So, I think this book is okay. It's a nice binge worthy book, but I think it could have been better.
Three out of five stars.
Yes, there's a big but. A giant but.
The but is - why was I able to guess the ending within the first couple pages?
Now, that being said, the writing style is great. I enjoy Ruth Ware's books and writing style and it hooks me in. I just don't like when it's easy to guess. I also don't enjoy when parts of the story randomly come in and don't matter. For a thriller where we are guessing who a murderer is, I like when tidbits and crumbs are left along the path and then at the end it all adds together. There was a lot of crumbs introduced in this book that were just... I don't know what to call it in the metaphor. Dirt? Dust? Just random things that if you excluded, wouldn't matter.
So, I think this book is okay. It's a nice binge worthy book, but I think it could have been better.
Three out of five stars.
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
For the last two years, I’ve really been enjoying the mystery genre. I liked The Girl in Cabin 10, and while In a Dark, Dark Wood felt a little overhyped, I didn’t hate it. So I figured I’d try another Ruth Ware book and picked up One by One.
This one just didn’t land.
More of my thoughts here: https://booksontrains.substack.com/p/one-by-one-by-ruth-ware
More of my thoughts here: https://booksontrains.substack.com/p/one-by-one-by-ruth-ware
This book grabs you from the first paragraph on the first page. Right away Ware’s gift for description is on display – it may still be summer when you read this, but her description of the chalet’s guests arriving will make you try to remember where you put that throw you used last winter to keep warm.
Ware’s world-building is on full display here from the frozen beauty of the French Alps to the luxury trappings of the chalet. Her characters are well drawn, and as the narrators begin to tell their stories and reveal their secrets the reader gets drawn deeper into the story until she realizes that it’s the wee hours of the morning and she’s been reading for a few hours. The reader may suspect she knows who the killer is, but not really.
Ware doesn’t rush her story. She takes her time building the tension until the reader is turning pages as quickly as she can. The ending, too, isn’t rushed nor is the aftermath of an avalanche.
All in all if you like your tension building slowly over a goodly part of the book, this is the book for you. If you like books that have you murmuring, “I did not see that coming,” put this book at the top of your to-be-read list.
My thanks to Gallery Press and Edelweiss for an eARC.
Ware’s world-building is on full display here from the frozen beauty of the French Alps to the luxury trappings of the chalet. Her characters are well drawn, and as the narrators begin to tell their stories and reveal their secrets the reader gets drawn deeper into the story until she realizes that it’s the wee hours of the morning and she’s been reading for a few hours. The reader may suspect she knows who the killer is, but not really.
Ware doesn’t rush her story. She takes her time building the tension until the reader is turning pages as quickly as she can. The ending, too, isn’t rushed nor is the aftermath of an avalanche.
All in all if you like your tension building slowly over a goodly part of the book, this is the book for you. If you like books that have you murmuring, “I did not see that coming,” put this book at the top of your to-be-read list.
My thanks to Gallery Press and Edelweiss for an eARC.