I would like to thank Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me an ARC ebook of One Dark Night which is schedule to be published on August 19 2025. I appreciate the opportunity to read Hannah Richell’s newest release in exchange for my honest review.
This book could also be titled One Dark Night… when absolutely everyone miscommunicates with each other. This book would have been maybe 10 chapters long if everybody would have just SPOKEN to each other rather than sending vague text messages or not asking more direct questions. That being said, it was a pretty fun ride. I had basically sorted it out before the ending but it was still such a great sense of mystery and creepy thriller vibes. The setting of a foggy school surrounded by a possibly haunted forest set such a perfect stage for the unravelling of a whodunnit.
Detective Ben Chase, his soon to be ex-wife Rachel, and their daughter Ellie are our main narrators and it was fun if not frustrating to see how the story progresses from their points of view, especially having details from other’s chapters that our current narrator is not privy to. Very clever trick to keep us engaging to see how they all try to be on the same page. (Just talk to each other people, make a phone call where you have service for the love of all that is unholy)
One Dark Night takes place over Halloween night and is a great read to curl up on your couch with a hot cup of tea and maybe a few extra lights on while you play detective along with Ben and his colleagues.
Do you have a favourite Halloween season read? If so let me know in the comments – I’m trying to curate a spooky reading list for October.
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