Snoop has taken over the music industry, allowing users to “snoop” on other listeners and their music preferences. The company is poised to go even higher so when the company’s employees take a work trip to a remote ski resort in the French Alps no one expects anything to go wrong. But former employee Liz knows better and when the group is stranded in their chalet things slowly begin to unravel and will continue to until everyone is gone, one by one.
I picked up this snowy thriller during a heavy snowstorm and it was the perfect atmospheric read. If you live in a place where you get snow I would highly suggest picking it up when you experiencing snow or cold weather. It helps one get into the story more but even if you live somewhere where you don’t get this, One by One is still a worthy thriller to pick up. The story is told from the perspective of two characters; Liz, a former employee invited to the company retreat for unknown reasons at the beginning, and Erin, an employee at the chalet who finds herself in the middle of a power battle between Snoop’s two executives, Topher and Eve. Both women don’t seem to be behind what is going on but as the hours tick by and the situation becomes more dire, everyone begins to become a suspect.
I liked the setting of this thriller as it does expose itself to be the ideal situation for anyone wanting to take out a couple of individuals and the killer does an excellent job of disguising themselves. Again, as I mentioned previously, I loved the atmosphere Ms. Ware creates in this book and it reminded me of my other favorite Ruth Ware book, The It Girl.
Admittedly, I have had a love-hate relationship with Ms. Ware’s books, with the last one I read ending up with only two stars. But in this story I felt Ms. Ware was in great form, creating a compelling story with flushed out characters. The only note I would make about the characters is that it does seem like there are one to many and perhaps one or two could have been cut. I wasn’t also a fan of the twist involving the character of Erin. I think when it comes to surprise secrets being revealed about characters Lucy Foley does that the best but I appreciate what Ms. Ware was trying to do, make everyone a suspect and keep the reader guessing until the end.
The last 25% of the book is the best as we are locked in the chalet with two characters. It becomes clear only one of them is going to survive and the nail biting conclusion to who that person will be was very well done. Ultimately, I would say this is a superb thriller that should absolutely be picked up in the dead of winter.
5 out of 5 stars
Sisters Mickey and Kacey could not be more different. Mickey is quiet, shy, a single mother, and a police officer. Kacey is bold, outspoken, living on the streets, and addicted to opioids. In Philadelphia, rocked by the opioid crisis, this is not uncommon and Mickey is forced to watch her sister’s struggles from a distance until she is goes missing and a string of murders begin to occur, targeting addicted women living on the streets. Despite orders from her superiors and those who love her, Mickey can’t stop herself from getting involved because she too has an addiction and, as history has shown, that is her sister.
Overall this was a good book. Ms. Moore tackled a very difficult but real topic in this book which is the growing opioid addiction plaguing much of the United States. This is the main focus, to the point where the murder mystery is a second plot point, something I didn’t mind at all. I found Ms. Moore’s portrayal of Mickey and Kacey’s dysfunctional relationship to be very interesting and, from the little bit I know about how addiction affects familial relationships, accurate. The two women have a co-dependent relationship. Kacey needs Mickey for money, emotional support, and for her to pick up the pieces. Mickey needs Kacey because she is the last chance she has at having a real family, something that drives many of Mickey’s actions in the book. Truly, it is their relationship that makes this book stand out amongst the rest.
Though this book is long, it doesn’t feel that way and reads fairly quickly. As I previously mentioned the murder mystery featured is a second story plot but Ms. Moore doesn’t let it fall to the waste side. It repeatedly comes up and is the main driving force as to why Mickey is desperately searching for Kacey when, if these murders weren’t happening, Mickey would shrug it off and assume Kacey would show back up on the streets soon enough.
That being said there is surprisingly a lack of events that occur in the book and at times I felt like I was reading something that had already been covered. I did like the flashbacks Ms. Moore featured but at times it felt like we were rehashing something already addressed. Perhaps that was a creative decision as it reflects the ongoing cycle of addiction. My other criticism of the book and this is more of a grammatical preference, is that Ms. Moore didn’t use quotation marks when characters were speaking. It was either dashes or included in long chunks of paragraphs, which can be a little frustrating as you might be reading a description of something and then suddenly someone is talking and you have to go back and reread. But, this is a personal preference and not something I would say should drive you away from reading the book.
Ultimately, this is a well crafted story centered around an epidemic that is very much present in our society and this book is a strong start to the 2024 reading year.
And here it is! My favorite book of 2023. Did you guess right?
The honor goes to Alex Michaelides’ oh my God I still cannot BELIEVE that twist thriller, The Silent Patient.
What is it about? Years ago Alicia Berenson was a successful artist with a husband who was making a huge splash in the fashion photography world. To the outside, Alicia has everything; a good career, beauty, and a successful, handsome husband. So when she shoots her husband five times, London is more than taken aback. What’s even more startling? Alicia hasn’t spoken a word since. Not to the police officers, not to the investigators, or even to the hundreds of reporters and psychiatrists desperate to understand what happened that night. But criminal psychotherapist Theo Faber is set on changing that. Like so many others Theo has become obsessed with the case and desperately wants to know what happened. So he accepts a job at the forensic unit Alicia is being kept in. As Theo attempts to uncover the secrets behind Alicia’s quiet facade, the truth turns out to be more shocking than anyone could have suspected.
Why did I love it? The ending. Need I say more (and if you have read this book you know exactly why no more has to be said)? That twist at the end and the reason why Alicia killed her husband is still something I think about it. And I read the book almost one year ago! I don’t think I have ever chosen my favorite book of the year from the start of that year. The book has to pack one hell of a punch to crack not just the top three but even the top five.
Yet Mr. Michaelides does just that in this debut (a debut on top of it! What the hell am I doing with my life?) by crafting a story that is constructed so well it almost makes my head spin. Theo is a fantastic character who takes the trope of unreliable narrator and brings it to another level. Alicia too is unreliable and when you have that many characters you can’t trust, you know you are in for one heck of a ride. I do want to say more of why I love this book and why I will continue to scream about this book from the rooftops but the truth is I would be saying too much. Just take my word for it and read this book. Please, please, please!
With that my list for best books of 2023 has concluded. Were any of your predications on the list? What books did I miss? What was your favorite read of the year? Make sure to comment below and I look forward to seeing you in 2024 where we can start all over again. Happy New Year!
The silver medal for best book of 2023 is awarded to Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano.
What is it about? Finlay Donovan’s life can’t get much worse. She’s recently divorced, practically raising her two children by herself, has a horrific case of writer’s block, is late on paying her bills, and has an ex-husband who seems determined to make her life a living hell. Oh, and he just got rid of the babysitter without telling her. Great. But Finlay’s life is about to get much more complicated. As it turns out, Finlay does such an excellent job at verbalizing her next book to her editor that a woman listening nearby thinks she is a hitwoman, and she’s got a job for Finlay.
Why did I love it? This book is the funniest thing I have read in a long time. From the first sentence until the very end, I found myself laughing and having a good time, which isn’t always very easy. Despite Finlay’s less than ideal situation, her antics and the situations she finds herself in are a thrill to read. It doesn’t take long for the reader to fall in love with Finlay and her eventual accomplice, Vero. The friendship these two women have is a major plus to this book and Vero always brings the humor when things get a bit too serious.
I said this in my review and I’ll say it again. If you are going through a hard time or getting a bit depressed about the current state of the world (don’t blame you in the slightest) than pick up Finlay Donovan. It transports you away from whatever trouble you are having and let’s you have a bit of fun for a few hours. And I know I’m going to sound like a broken record when I say this but Ms. Cosimano’s book is something that can be devoured in one sitting. I never wanted to put the book down and when I had to I made sure to hurry through whatever I was doing just to get back to it. So what more do you need to know? If you haven’t already go and pick up this one hell of a good time. You are not going to regret it.
If you do need more convincing check our my review at https://rachelrheil.com/blog/2023/06/finlay-donovan-is-killing-it-by-elle-cosimano-review/.
The top three books of 2023 are here! The bronze medal goes to M.L. Rio’s classic dark academia novel, If We Were Villains.
What is it about? Oliver has spent the last ten years in prison for a crime that former investigator Colborne believes he didn’t commit. Now freed, Colborne meets with Oliver one last time to find out exactly what happened. As one of seven students studying at an elite college that specializes in Shakespeare theater, Oliver is happy and mostly content with his life. He has friends that have the same passion as him and he is away from his arguing, bickering parents who don’t support his dreams. Despite the friends normally being typecast with the same roles, they seem satisfied and happy. That is until the teachers decide to switch up a few things and the once peaceful friend community collapses, resulting in murder. Who fell victim and who was responsible?
Why did I love it? In 2023 I read two cornerstones of the dark academia genre. Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, which is credited as starting the genre, and Ms. Rio’s, often considered the runner up for best dark academia book. I’ve already made my feelings about Ms. Tartt’s novel be known (and if you missed it you can read about it at https://rachelrheil.com/blog/2023/09/its-all-greek-to-me-a-deep-dive-into-hyped-books-with-the-secret-history/) and to put it simply it wasn’t the book for me. Ms. Rio’s, on the other hand, was everything I could have possibly wanted.
As an English major, I loved that this story was set at an elite school that deals with Shakespeare’s plays. And in all honesty it was the perfect setting for a group of friends who are consumed with being the best actor and wanting the best roles for themselves. The friend group and their dynamics is truly the best part of If We Are Villains. Despite having the same interests and wishes, the group is very competitive and one gets the feeling earlier on that they would be willing to do anything to secure a better role. This Machiavellian atmosphere carries throughout the book and the twist for why Oliver went to prison is surprising and catches you off guard. This, combined with the book’s dark atmosphere and well written dialogue, makes it a very worthy book to pick up if you haven’t already.
Read my full review of this dark academia staple at https://rachelrheil.com/blog/2023/09/if-we-were-villains-by-by-m-l-rio-review/.
The 4th best book of 2023 goes to What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall.
What is it about? When they were children, best friends Naomi, Cassidy, and Olivia would go into the woods and play “the goddess game.” It was good, harmless fun until one night Naomi is attacked and Cassidy and Olivia barely escape, alerting authorities that their friend has been murdered. But a miracle occurred; Naomi survived her attack and she was able to identify her attacker. Now an adult Naomi has a career as a photographer and has just learned that her convicted attacker has died in prison. It seems to be the end of a decades long journey but when Naomi receives a cryptic call from Olivia, she is forced to go back home and confront the ghosts of her past. Did everything that happen that night really occur in the way Naomi remembered it? Or was she looking at the wrong person the entire time?
Why did I love it? Loosely based on a true story, What Lies in the Woods is a gripping thriller that hooks you quickly. Ms. Marshall doesn’t take much time to through the reader into this mystery, particularly with Naomi beginning to question what did and did not happen that fateful night. Like Dark Places‘ Libby, Naomi isn’t a perfect character. She has several flaws but also many pains that makes her sympathetic to the reader. As the story unravels, Naomi finds herself questioning her allies and if she truly knows the people she grew up with. This leads the reader to question if anyone is telling the truth, including Naomi. This is a particular strength of the novel as slowly everyone begins to become a suspect in some matter.
I really enjoyed the fast pace of the novel. It’s by no means a short book but it is easily something that can be digested in one sitting. There is also a sense of claustrophobia, suffocating both Naomi and you as the reader, as more secrets and inconsistences are revealed. I also enjoyed how Ms. Marshall took this seemingly innocent, small town and made it a bit more nefarious. Was the attack on Naomi and her friends truly a random act of violence or was it a part of a much darker plan and, if so, why would the person behind it attack three innocent girls? Finally, is Naomi herself reliable? I love a good unreliable narrator and Naomi fits this mold very well. Ultimately the reveal is shocking and very well done. I had come up with many possibilities of what could have happened that night but the true reason caught me off guard. Surprise endings can be very hard to do and that’s why I have selected What Lies in the Woods to be my fourth favorite book of the year.
Read my full review at https://rachelrheil.com/blog/2023/10/what-lies-in-the-woods-by-kate-alice-marshall-review/.
We are now on to the top five best books of the year. Taking the fifth spot is The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule.
What is it about? In the early 1970s Ann Rule is a divorced mother of four children who is struggling to establish herself as a crime writer, or just as any writer for that matter. Despite her struggles, Ann volunteers for the night shift at a 24/7 suicide hotline and on her first night meets her one single co-worker. His name is Ted Bundy (queue instant shivers down your spine) and his killing spree would define not just an era but Ann’s career.
Why did I like (I can’t just bring myself to use the word “love” in connection with a serial killer book) it? Coined as not just the definitive biography of one of America’s most notorious serial killers but also a defining work in the true crime genre, Ms. Rule’s book was hard to resist despite the brutal nature of the subject. Ms. Rule’s story is without a doubt unique, simply because she became good friends with Bundy before he began his killing spree and even remained his friend when the first accusations started to come out that Bundy might be behind the murders of several young women on the West coast (don’t worry, she eventually sees the light). He was her friend, confidante, and biggest supporter, making the revelation of him being a sadistic killer who targeted young women all the more difficult for Ms. Rule to accept. Nonetheless, Ms. Rule slowly begins to realize the chilling truth and learn that the friend she thought she once had never even existed. This last part in particular was most interesting to read about as the reader can sympathize with Ms. Rule’s situation. After all, if one of our closest friends were accused of a heinous crime, wouldn’t we immediately dismiss the claim and say that the authorities have the wrong person? It’s a dilemma that many of us would want to put ourselves in and it was very interesting to learn how Ms. Rule handled this and eventually seeing that the facts didn’t lie.
One point I have to applaud Ms. Rule on is that she didn’t just focus on Bundy but actually on the victims as well. They weren’t just names in a book or on a long list of women in the wrong place at the wrong time. Instead, we learned their names, their passions, their goals for the future, and the people who loved them. They were real people whose lives were horrifically cut short and are now associated with a garbage of a human being. For that, I could not justify not having this book on my list and am look forward to reading Ms. Rule’s other books.
Read my full review of this terrifying true crime story at https://rachelrheil.com/blog/2023/09/the-stranger-beside-me-by-ann-rule-review/.
The sixth best book of the year is In My Dreams I Hold A Knife by Ashley Winstead.
What is it about? It’s been ten years since Jessica graduated from college but being the most successful, pretty, and intelligent person in her class remains her number one priority. When she receives the invitation to her class reunion, Jessica accepts it without reservation to show all her former classmates that she has achieved her dream. Not even the memories of the brutal and unsolved murder of her friend Heather can dampen her mood. Soon, she reconnects with her old circle of friends and Jessica seems to have achieved her dream. But not everyone is so willing to party the night away. Heather deserves justice and one person will make sure that her murderer is revealed as well as the former friends’ dirty little secrets.
Why did I love it? Dark academia has exploded as a genre since the pandemic three years ago and I’ve been hooked on it ever since, without actually reading a book that could be classified as dark academia. What can I say? I’m on Pinterest and Instagram too much. So one of my reading goals for 2023 was to pick up a couple dark academia books and this one by Ms. Winstead was the first one I decided to read. Perhaps because it was my first, I loved it immediately and guess what? Nine months later, I still love it.
The characters in this book are not particularly likeable and this can either be to the book’s advantage or to its detriment. But Ms. Winstead was able to navigate this tricky concept and create a story where we don’t necessarily cheer on any of the characters but also want to see justice be served for Heather. A lot like Lucy Foley’s The Guest List, which, coincidentally, I also selected to be in my top favorite books in 2022. Maybe I like the troupe? The ending sealed the book’s success, and it’s position on this list, by the author leading the reader to one conclusion but then revealing a different one, only to throw in one last twist in the final two pages. Mind blown.
Read my full review on this twisty thriller at https://rachelrheil.com/blog/2023/05/in-my-dreams-i-hold-a-knife-by-ashley-winstead-review/.
In the seventh spot we have The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
What is it about? Evelyn Hugo is a Hollywood legend. An Academy Award winning actress and fashion icon, Evelyn is known throughout the world not just for her glamour and beauty but for her seven publicized marriages. Now in her twilight years, Evelyn grants no interviews and seems content on living out the rest of her days in her New York City home and raising money for charity. So it’s no surprise that when journalist Monique receives an email from Evelyn, asking her to write her biography, the young reporter jumps on the opportunity. But as she sits down with Evelyn and attempts to answer the question we all want to know, who was the love of Evelyn’s life, Monique learns that Evelyn’s life is far more complex than the tabloids led us all to believe.
Why did I love it? The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has become a phenomenon in the book community and it seems that nearly everyone has not only read the book but loved it. Since I try to avoid over publicized books, I didn’t pick it up for some time and when I finally did, I attempted to lower my expectations. As it turns out, all the people who hyped up this story were right. It is a beautifully written, well crafted story about a fictional Hollywood legend, blended with the stories and legacies of real Old Hollywood stars. This might have been one of the reasons why I loved it so much but one cannot deny Ms. Reid’s ability to write a compelling story.
I won’t reveal the big surprise/twist of the book but I will say that The Seven Husbands, to me, was much more than a love story. It was an examination of our fascination with Hollywood, how quickly we are to judge women and make assumptions about their love lives, and the great depths many public figures have to go in order to keep a “devastating” secret quiet. I also found the relationship between Evelyn and her daughter one of the strongest elements of the book. Don’t get me wrong, the love story is done well too but if I have to confess, I cried more over Evelyn’s daughter than Evelyn’s true love. It would seem that the hype lived up to my expectations and that is why Evelyn Hugo is sitting pretty at number seven.
Read my full review of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo at https://rachelrheil.com/blog/2023/05/the-seven-husbands-of-evelyn-hugo-by-taylor-jenkins-reid-review/.
The eighth best book of 2023 goes to Marina Osipova’s The Drau River Flowers to Siberia: The Victims of Victory.
What is it about? In 1945 the Soviet Union was one of the victors in World War Two. It was supposed to be the end of repression, genocide, and tyranny but for those who found themselves under Soviet rule that was far from the truth. Told from the perspective of Anna and Zakhary, two individuals who are labelled as “enemies of the people” for different reasons, we learn about the victims of victory, whose stories have been hushed and silence in the decades after they happened.
Why did I love it? Having studied and written about World War Two for a long time now I have, of course, learned about the many crimes committed by the Soviet Union both before and after the war. Stalin is among one of the worst mass murderers in history and it should come as no surprise that he would continue his reign of terror after peace had been restored in Europe. Yet, despite this fact and the opening of Soviet archives in the late 1980s and 1990s, the stories of people arrested, tortured, and imprisoned after World War Two is surprisingly few and far between. One would be hard pressed to find many books focusing on these crimes, particularly ones focusing on what has been coined “the betrayal of the Cossacks.” Case in point, I only found out about the Cossacks and their betrayal while flipping through some decades old documentary that mentioned the incident in passing. I did a Google search and while you can find a Wikipedia article about it, there aren’t many other sources.
But Ms. Osipova set out to change that. In extraordinary prose, Ms. Osipova weaves together a heart wrenching story about two people who exemplified the victims of Stalin; Anna for the Soviet citizen caught in the crossfires of the Communists and the Fascists, and Zakhary for the person who viewed Stalin as the greater enemy and chose to fight for the Axis forces. While I won’t get into the complexities of their decisions, particularly Zakhary’s, I will say that as the reader I could not help but feel immense pity for them and many, many other real life people who suffered under Stalin. The Victims of Victory is, unsurprisingly, a very difficult book to read but that is no excuse to not pick it up. Writing and teaching about history is about learning from the past and how can we ever expect to learn about it if we refuse to read books like Ms. Osipova’s? It is easier to pick up a historical fiction story in which we know the ending is happy but it’s just as important to read the difficult stories as well. And that is why I have selected this historical fiction for the number eight spot.
Read my full review of The Drau River Flowers to Siberia: The Victims of Victory at https://rachelrheil.com/blog/2023/09/the-drau-river-flows-to-siberia-the-victims-of-victory-by-marina-osipova-review/.
