A review by madisonwfairbanks
One Wrong Word by Hank Phillippi Ryan

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

4.5

One Wrong Word by Hank Philippi Ryan

Mystery, psychological thriller. 

One Wrong Word can ruin your life. Crisis management expert Arden Ward knows that fact a little too well right now. She’s been fired from her job after being unfairly accused of having an affair with a powerful client. Arden agrees to take on an investigation case of Cordelia and Ned Bannister. He’s on trial for murder. Cordelia wants her family protected and the case investigated. Th more Arden searches and analyzes evidence, the more tangles. She has to question if she is also protecting a killer. 

Twists and turns, sabotage or lies? The more she untangles, the deeper the threat. 

🎧 I listened to an audiobook version of this story, narrated by Gail Shalan. The performance is well done with the mounting tension clearly being heard and felt. There are distinct voices for the three main voices as well as several secondary characters and all are clear and easily followed. The only one not quite believable was the young boy, but it’s a short part. The timing was average to most audiobooks and I ended up listening at 1.5 which is my preferred. This story has only one POV, which makes the audiobook easier to follow. The twists, turns and reveals of the mystery had me backing up a bit twice while listening to clarify a point. 

Drama and suspense and twists kept me reading to figure out what really happened.

Overall a wonderful suspenseful read. 

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.