Becky's Great Book Reviews One by One by Freida McFadden

Leave it to Freida McFadden to bring a fast-paced, easy to read novel that's bound to have a twist. One By One is a compelling mystery to fill in the spaces between other books when you just want a quick thrill and don't want to think too hard. In this reader's opinion, the trope where characters get killed off one at a time never gets old! One can see the Agatha Christie influence here and McFadden uses it to good effect.

Three couples have planned a getaway to a remote woodsy inn in northern Colorado for a long weekend. Claire, one of the wives, narrates most of the chapters and sets readers up with foreboding when her young daughter begs her not to go. The girl tends to have dreams/premonitions and tells Claire that she dreamt a monster is going to eat up Claire and Noah (Claire's husband). The anxiety Claire feels about going on the trip is palpable, not only because of her daughter's words but because Claire and Noah really don't like each other at the moment.

When the couples are on the drive to the inn things start going wrong. The van they're in stalls in the middle of nowhere. When the six abandon the vehicle to start hiking, they get lost, and characters start falling off one by one. Each of the characters has motivation to get rid of the others and Freida McFadden adds plenty of red herrings to throw us off.

The dynamics Freida McFadden creates between the three couples work to keep readers guessing, and the fact that some of the situations in the plot fall into the ridiculous territory (why was it even a consideration to stay in the van when they think they're only two miles from the inn?) does not take away from the fun. I enjoy and admire the thrillers this author/practicing brain-injury physician churns out! I give One by One four stars out of five.