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A getaway to a luxurious chalet in the French Alps may sound like the perfect getaway for some: a week of scenic views and fresh powder and gourmet food. But in the thriller One by One by author Ruth Ware, a popular tech company’s dream getaway quickly turns into a nightmare when disaster strikes.
The story travels to the French Alps with eight coworkers from Snoop, a tech company that produces a popular app that allows users to listen in on other people’s music choices. As they settle in and prepare for a week of meetings and skiing, attended by host Erin and chef Danny, it becomes clear that this isn’t just a vacation. The company’s shareholders have been brought together to make an important decision about the future of the company—but their discussions and debates are halted when a storm rolls through and one of the shareholders goes missing.
As the team members are still trying to figure out what to do about their missing shareholder, an avalanche cuts the power and buries the path to the closest town, leaving the remaining employees—and the two chalet hosts—in a cold, dark chalet with diminishing food supplies and no connection to the outside world. Tensions were already high, but this terrifying new situation starts to push everyone over the edge. The remaining guests try to deal with it in any way they know how. Some look for companionship, some lock themselves away, and some try to carry on with their business. The different personalities clash, and things just take one more bad turn after another, upping the tension around every turn of the page.
The story here is told through the eyes of two different characters: chalet host Erin, who’s still haunted by a terrible experience on the slopes, and former Snoop staffer Liz, who’s much less fabulous than everyone else but was invited on the getaway because she’s a shareholder. Neither is an especially strong character, so readers may not get emotionally invested in the characters and their story. But the mystery, with its twists and surprises and suspicions, will easily keep readers engaged.
With its remote setting and its growing tension, One by One is the kind of novel that will keep you guessing—and keep you coming back for more. It may not be especially well-developed, but this twisting mystery still makes for an entertaining read on a chilly night.
Listen to the review on Shelf Discovery:
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