Review - 'One by One' by Ruth Ware

I just love a good locked-room mystery, so when I saw that Ruth Ware had written one, I decided to give her one more try.

I'd previously read three of Ware's books, and they were all somewhat disappointing to me. But their intriguing premise always pulls me in and I keep coming back for more, hoping she would work out her story-telling tics—namely, her silly and sniveling female main characters. And she finally has. I had so much fun with this story. It sucked me in and kept me riveted from beginning to end.

We start by being introduced to the executive team of Snoop, an internet startup on the verge of a lucrative deal. But like most startups, they are hemorrhaging cash, and not every member agrees on what they should do next. So they are whisked away to a corporate retreat in the snowy mountains to hash it out. But things quickly take a dark turn when an avalanche hits and not everyone makes it back to their lodge. Cut off from the world, they are unable to signal for help. And it seems someone in their group is dead set against them making it out alive.

I found the internet startup idea of Snoop to be fascinating. I kept thinking whether the idea could be viable, and hope the author got it patented, just in case. The maneuvering and wrangling among the shareholders was another well-executed touch in the plot line. When a story is hinged upon a company, the fact that the company feels real made it that much more believable.

There was so much suspense in this story, almost from the very beginning. It felt tautly-paced, with just the right amount character tension without being quagmired in their thoughts and ruminations. If I had one criticism, it would be that the climax and resolution are too drawn out. It kept going, and then even when it was over, we got some more chapters of explanations that weren't really necessary. Still, I'd rather have more explanation than less, so it's a minor quibble.

Regarding the mystery itself, this isn't really that genre, per se. There aren't actual clues to put together, though I stared to get an inkling of who might be responsible. But it doesn't fully make sense until everything is explained at the end. However, for once, not being an armchair detective didn't take away my fun of reading this story.

I'm so happy I stuck with Ruth Ware, and she finally wrote a story that is to my taste. Looking at the other reviews, it seems a lot of readers disagree with me. They loved her previous books and found this one to be boring, whereas I'm exactly the opposite. Thinking it over, I venture that the reason could be our different tastes in psychological thrillers. I prefer the thriller part (which I find exciting), and want less of the psychological (which I find to be mostly overstrung dithering and second-guessing). But many readers prefer the other way. So do take my review with a grain of salt, and don't let it alone influence your decision to read or not read this story.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars