One By One
Author: Ruth Ware
As I listened to the first part of this book, I found myself sympathizing with one character so much that it pulled me out of the story. Long ago....in a freshly-divorced nightmare of a life....I took a job where I felt like a fish out of water. I attended seminars and events feeling like I didn't belong in this throng of horrid people. They came to seminars to sleep with each other, get drunk, act like completely over-indulged jerks (one woman sent her plate back at a restaurant we went to THREE times...not because something was wrong with the food but because she decided she wanted something else. In the end, she picked at a dessert instead, while loudly complaining and having another drink or two.) Add in the uncomfortable and incredibly expensive clothing, fake social exchanges, dog-eat-dog power plays and catty exchanges with women in similar positions (any woman in a professional position has had those encounters and understands exactly what I mean).....I exited stage left and moved on with my life as quickly as possible. The weight on my shoulders was immensely lighter and the sunshine brighter the minute I walked away from that nightmare..... I didn't belong. And didn't want to belong.
Liz. A former employee of Snoop (an app that allows you to listen to the music people you follow are enjoying in real-time) is at a retreat with execs of the company. Beautiful location. Lovely food. Completely uncomfortable and anxiety-ridden situation.
I sympathized with her totally from page one. Warily though -- as this is a Ruth Ware novel (see what I did there? ha ha)
Things rapidly go downhill (and not just because they are at a ski chalet). After disagreeing on a proposed buyout of Snoop, an avalanche traps them at the chalet. One by one, a murderer begins picking them off....
Interesting story. I like Ruth Ware's books and Imogen Church is a fantastic narrator. All in all, the suspense was good. The plot kept my attention most of the time. The second half of the book dragged a bit for me, and I have to admit I skipped a few chapters because the story was just taking too long after I knew the killer's identity. I do understand wanting to place readers inside the head of a killer, but I felt I was just in there a bit too long. So.....I just moved the audio ahead a bit and jumped back in at the moment of confrontation.
An enjoyable listen, despite the dragging. I can't wait to see what Ruth Ware publishes next!
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