Title: ONE DARK NIGHT
Author: Hannah Richell
ISBN: 9781668081945
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 384
Source: NetGalley
When a body is found the day after Halloween, a small British community must reckon with its past and the dangers lurking in its present in this spine-tingling novel from “not to be missed” (Hayley Scrivener, author of Dirt Creek) author Hannah Richell.
On Halloween, a group of teenage students meet in the woods near Sally in the Wood, a road steeped in local lore and rumored to be haunted by the ghost of a murdered girl. By the end of the night, one student will be dead.
Rachel, the school guidance counselor, is trying to keep a handle on her increasingly distant teenaged daughter, Ellie, while students and parents panic and mourn. Her ex-husband and detective Ben, dealing with a personal crisis of his own, has concerns about his daughter’s safety as he investigates the death of one of her classmates. Meanwhile, Ellie is keeping secrets from both her parents, including one about where she was that night.
Official Summary
28 May 2025
Hannah Richell delivers an atmospheric and emotionally charged mystery in One Dark Night, a novel that skillfully blends coming-of-age tension, family drama, and a haunting sense of foreboding. This was my first time reading Hannah Richell.
Set in a small British town still haunted—both literally and figuratively—by its past, the story begins with a chilling Halloween night gathering in the woods near “Sally in the Wood,” a road shrouded in local legend. What starts as teenage mischief quickly spirals into tragedy when a student ends up dead. The incident sends shockwaves through the community, unearthing buried tensions, fears, and secrets that no one is prepared to face.
At the heart of the novel is Rachel, the school’s guidance counselor, who’s juggling her professional responsibilities with a growing unease about her teenage daughter, Ellie. The dynamic between Rachel, her ex-husband Ben (the detective investigating the case), and their daughter is one of the most compelling aspects of the novel. Richell excels at capturing the friction and vulnerability within fractured families. The emotional weight of parenting a teenager—especially one hiding something—felt achingly real.
This isn’t a high-octane thriller with nonstop twists; rather, it’s a slow-burning, character-driven mystery that takes its time revealing the truth. I appreciated the atmospheric writing and the way Richell weaves in themes of grief, guilt, and fractured trust. The ghost story element, while subtle, adds a chilling backdrop that enhances the story’s mood without ever feeling overdone.
The novel kept me guessing, not just about who was responsible for the death, but also about how far the ripples of one dark night could extend into the lives of everyone involved. Ellie’s secrets, in particular, had me constantly reassessing what I thought I knew.
One Dark Night is a moody, introspective mystery perfect for readers who enjoy suspense grounded in emotional realism. It’s less about jump scares and more about the scars left by secrets, both old and new.
Also by Hannah Richell
THE SEARCH PARTY
Five old friends.
One glamping weekend.
A storm that will change everything.
Max and Annie Kingsley have left the London rat race to set up a glamping site in the wilds of Cornwall. They invite old university friends – TV star Dominic, doctor and new mum Kira, and free-spirited Jim and Suze – and their children for a trial weekend, but the reunion quickly veers off-course.
First, there’s The Incident around the campfire on the first night. The following afternoon, a storm quickly develops off the rugged North Coast. When one of their group goes missing, all hell breaks loose. And as the winds batter the bell-tents, emotions run high and tension mounts for all the characters.
Who is lying in hospital, who has gone missing and who is the body on the beach below the cliffs . . .?
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
I wrote my debut novel, Secrets of the Tides, around the time my first child was born. Since then, I’ve written four novels, with my fifth, The Search Party, to be published by Simon & Schuster in 2024. My work is available in twenty-four territories and has been translated into nineteen languages. My books have been selected for the Richard & Judy Book Club, the Waterstones Book Club, WHSmith Book of the Week, shortlisted for two ABIAs and an Indie Book Award in Australia, as well as shortlisted for the Bonniers Bokklubb Book of the Year Award in Sweden.
While each of my novels is a stand-alone story, what connects them all is my fascination with families and secrets, my desire to dive below the surface and explore the darker recesses of the human experience, the weight of grief and the echoes of loss, the light and resilience that can be found in unexpected places, combined with my ambition to tell you a cracking story that will keep you turning the pages late into the night.
I have written fiction and non-fiction pieces for various media outlets in both the UK and Australia and am a judge on the annual Richell Prize, established in 2014 by Hachette and the Emerging Writers’ Festival in memory of my late husband, Matt Richell. It’s an incredible privilege to be invited to read a writer’s first pages and to support new authors as they take the next steps in their career.
I am a dual citizen of Australia and the United Kingdom but currently live in the South West of England with my family.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for this review copy. Hannah Richell is a “new-to-me” author and I am looking forward to reading more of her books. If you are a fan, which is your favourite book? Please leave a comment below. Until next time… happy reading!
