One by One

We’ve all had to get used to isolation this year, but I think you’ll be relieved not to find yourself isolated in the middle of a snowy wilderness with these characters as they find themselves cut off from the rest of the world and, one by one, each meet their grisly fates…

Ruth Ware’s latest mystery takes place in a fabulously escapist setting: a mountainside chalet in the French ski resort of St Antoine, so atmospherically depicted that it's like a character itself. There, we follow the chalet’s guests, the shareholders and employees of a sexy new music app called Snoop, who are vying, perhaps dangerously, for a stake in the company’s future. Things begin to pick up when, one at a time, the guests begin to go missing.

One by One gave me all the joy of reading a classic whodunnit but with a thoroughly modern sensibility. I particularly loved the glamorous roster of characters, each keeping their own secrets close to their chests, especially the chalet's staff, who provide a fantastic upstairs/downstairs dynamic as the tensions among them all begin to build. In classic Ruth Ware style, there’s much delightful “Golden Age” inspiration here, but also a modern freshness and all the pace and compulsion of a psychological thriller. This is the perfect read to hunker down with as the nights begin to draw in—preferably beside a roaring fire with a blanket over your knees and a wary glance or two over your shoulder…

Getting snowed in at a beautiful, rustic mountain chalet doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world, especially when there’s a breathtaking vista, a cozy fire, and company to keep you warm. But what happens when that company is eight of your coworkers…and you can’t trust any of them?

When an off-site company retreat meant to promote mindfulness and collaboration goes utterly wrong when an avalanche hits, the corporate food chain becomes irrelevant and survival trumps togetherness. Come Monday morning, how many members short will the team be?