When practicing what you preach is easier said than done …

Professor Maxie Reddick has her reasons for being skeptical of traditional policing methods, but, in between her criminology lecturing job and her Criminal Thoughts podcast, she stays firmly on the sidelines of the crime-solving world.

Then a young woman is brutally attacked, and suddenly it’s essential that Maxie turns her words into actions; this is no longer an academic exercise – this is somebody’s life.

But as she delves deeper, the case takes a sickening turn, which leads Maxie to the horrifying realization that the attack might not have been a one-off. It seems there’s a depraved individual out there seeking revenge, and they’ll stop at nothing to get it … little by little … one by one.

Title:  One by One
Series:
Author:  Helen Bridgett
Genre:  Mystery
Published:  January 26, 2021
Publisher:  Choc Lit/Ruby Fiction
My Rating:  4.5 stars

One by One drew me in and slowly, steadily kept me in this world for one reading session.  I could say I couldn’t put it down, and that would be true, but also it kept me wanting to know more so that any time I ‘could’ have gone to sleep became ‘just one more chapter’ until it was done.

Part of my enjoyment was the delivery of the points of view we experience, and the steady, growing obsession that Maxie will develop to find this monster and see them brought to justice.  It takes over her world, and that intensity becomes the reader’s as well.

I will give a possible trigger warning for the sexual assault.

I think what stood out for me in One by One was the sense of normal slowly descending into chaos.  Maxie, her husband, her son – they all had their normal lives that slowly unraveled for various reasons.  Although her son did seem to remain the most in control throughout this story.  I felt bad for her husband’s situation (for a while until he went off the rails a bit), but it was Maxie’s deep dive into finding an attacker who isn’t finished with their sickening crime spree that kept me flipping pages long after I should have been asleep.

As with any Mystery story I’m not giving out details for those should come naturally to you as you discover the clues (or the twists and turns) along the way.  I can say that although I’ve enjoyed this author’s other lighter works, I really hope that she continues in this genre for she tells a fascinating, chilling story.  If you love an excellent Mystery novel then One by One is perfect for you.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, ChocLit/Ruby Fiction. That does not change what I think of this story.  It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Available for your favorite e-reader, mine is the Kindle.