Ruth Ware has carved out a distinctive niche in contemporary thriller fiction, and One by One stands as perhaps her most accomplished work yet. This snow-bound nightmare transforms a corporate retreat into a masterclass in psychological tension, where the real danger isn’t the avalanche that traps the characters—it’s the secrets they brought with them.
The premise is deceptively simple: a tech company called Snoop takes their dysfunctional team to a luxury Alpine chalet for a “mindfulness retreat.” When an avalanche cuts them off from civilization, the corporate power struggles become matters of life and death. But Ware’s genius lies in how she peels back the layers of Silicon Valley toxicity to reveal something far more sinister beneath.
The Snoop App: More Than Just a Plot Device
At the heart of this thriller is Snoop itself—a music streaming app that allows users to “snoop” on what anyone is listening to in real time. What begins as a clever social media concept becomes something far more unsettling as the story unfolds. The app’s secret location-tracking capabilities serve as both a plot mechanism and a commentary on modern privacy concerns.
The founders, Eva van den Berg and Topher St. Clair-Bridges, represent the worst of tech entrepreneurship—charismatic, manipulative, and utterly ruthless. Their supporting cast of employees, from the anxious Liz to the yoga-obsessed Tiger-Blue, feel like real people trapped in a corporate hellscape. Ware’s background research into startup culture shows, creating an authentically toxic work environment that feels lived-in rather than caricatured.
Dual Perspectives: A Structural Masterpiece
Ware employs a dual narrative structure that proves devastatingly effective. The story alternates between Liz, the former employee turned reluctant shareholder, and Erin, a chalet worker with secrets of her own. This approach allows Ware to slowly reveal crucial information while maintaining suspense, as each narrator knows things the other doesn’t.
Liz’s chapters crackle with insider knowledge of Snoop’s corporate machinations, while Erin’s sections ground the story in the immediate physical reality of survival. The technique of opening each chapter with a character’s Snoop profile—complete with their listening habits—is a brilliant touch that adds layers of characterization while advancing the plot.
The Alpine Setting: Character and Threat
The French Alps setting transcends mere backdrop to become a character in its own right. Ware’s descriptions of the snow-covered peaks are both beautiful and menacing, creating an atmosphere where nature itself feels complicit in the unfolding horror. The claustrophobic chalet, with its luxury amenities rendered useless by the power outage, becomes a perfect pressure cooker for the characters’ worst impulses.
The avalanche serves multiple narrative functions—it’s both a literal threat and a metaphor for the secrets that come crashing down on the characters. Ware’s depiction of survival in extreme conditions feels researched and authentic, never sacrificing believability for dramatic effect.
Character Development: Beyond the Corporate Stereotype
While the premise might suggest a simple “ten little Indians” structure, Ware’s character work elevates the material significantly. Liz emerges as a complex protagonist whose desperation makes her both sympathetic and dangerous. Her background as the scholarship girl from Crawley trying to fit in with her posh colleagues adds class dynamics that feel genuinely observed rather than performative.
Erin’s parallel journey from staff member to survivor showcases Ware’s ability to create authentic working-class characters without condescension. Her relationship with Danny, her fellow chalet worker, provides genuine warmth in a story otherwise filled with corporate coldness.
The supporting cast, while necessarily limited by the enclosed setting, each gets moments to shine. Even the most seemingly superficial characters, like the influencer Tiger-Blue, reveal hidden depths when stripped of their digital personas.
The Music Element: Soundtrack to Madness
Music plays a crucial role beyond the app’s functionality. Each character’s listening habits become a form of psychological profiling, revealing their internal states and hidden desires. The way Ware uses specific songs to mark emotional moments—from James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful” to Kraftwerk’s “Autobahn”—adds layers of meaning that reward close reading.
The concept of “snooping” on others’ musical choices becomes a metaphor for the invasive nature of modern technology and the voyeuristic tendencies of social media culture. It’s a clever way to explore themes of privacy and surveillance without being heavy-handed.
Criticism: Where the Snow Melts
One by One isn’t without its flaws. The reveal of the killer’s identity, while cleverly foreshadowed, relies on a somewhat convoluted backstory that strains credibility. The corporate buyout subplot, while providing necessary motivation, occasionally feels overly complex for what is essentially a survival thriller.
Some readers may find the alternating perspective structure initially confusing, particularly as both narrators withhold crucial information. The pacing in the middle section slows as Ware builds tension, which may frustrate readers expecting constant action.
The ending, while satisfying, wraps up perhaps too neatly given the chaos that preceded it. The epilogue, in particular, feels somewhat rushed after the careful buildup of the main narrative.
Comparative Analysis: Ware’s Evolution
Compared to Ruth Ware’s earlier works like The Woman in Cabin 10 and In a Dark, Dark Wood, One by One shows a maturation in her approach to the locked-room mystery. While her previous novels sometimes struggled with pacing, this book maintains tension throughout its 320 pages.
The corporate setting distinguishes it from her more traditional Gothic-influenced works, showing Ware’s range as a thriller writer. The social commentary about tech culture and workplace toxicity gives the book more substance than a simple survival story.
Technical Craft: The Mechanics of Suspense
Ruth Ware’s prose style in One by One is notably assured. Her descriptions of the alpine environment are vivid without being overwrought, and her dialogue captures the distinct voices of her characters. The way she reveals information through seemingly casual observations demonstrates masterful plot construction.
The use of the Snoop app as both a plot device and a thematic element shows sophisticated storytelling. The app’s hidden tracking capabilities serve the mystery while commenting on real-world privacy concerns, making the book feel both contemporary and timeless.
Cultural Relevance: Silicon Valley Meets Agatha Christie
The book arrives at a moment when tech industry criticism is at its peak, and Ware taps into genuine anxieties about startup culture and surveillance capitalism. The toxic work environment of Snoop feels all too familiar to anyone who’s followed Silicon Valley scandals.
The #MeToo elements, while not overplayed, add another layer of authenticity to the corporate setting. The power dynamics between employers and employees, particularly the sexual relationships between executives and assistants, feel ripped from recent headlines.
Recommended Reading: If You Enjoyed This
Fans of One by One by Ruth Ware should explore:
- The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides – for psychological complexity
- The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley – for group dynamics and isolated settings
- The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman – for clever plotting and ensemble cast
- Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty – for group secrets and class dynamics
- The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn – for unreliable narrators and psychological tension
Final Verdict: A Thriller That Hits Every Target
One by One by Ruth Ware succeeds as both a page-turning thriller and a commentary on modern corporate culture. Ruth Ware has crafted a story that works on multiple levels—as a survival narrative, a murder mystery, and a social satire. The alpine setting provides the perfect backdrop for a story about people whose digital lives have disconnected them from basic human survival.
While not without minor flaws, the book demonstrates Ware’s growth as a writer and her ability to evolve beyond her Gothic influences. The combination of contemporary relevance and classical mystery structure makes this a standout entry in the thriller genre.
For readers seeking intelligent entertainment that doesn’t sacrifice psychological depth for plot twists, One by One by Ruth Ware delivers exactly what it promises—a thrilling ride through the snow-covered peaks of the French Alps, where the real danger comes not from the avalanche, but from the secrets people will kill to protect.
This is Ruth Ware at her most assured, creating a thriller that feels both timely and timeless, rooted in recognizable anxieties about technology and workplace culture while delivering the pure escapist pleasure that makes for a perfect weekend read.