One At A Time: gripping and terrifying, and hailed by reviewers as 'the ultimate locked room thriller'

by Will Dean

400 pages, Paperback

Published July 31, 2025

About the author

Will Dean grew up in the East Midlands, living in nine different villages before the age of eighteen. He was a bookish, daydreaming kid who found comfort in stories and nature (and he still does). After studying Law at the LSE, and working in London, he settled in rural Sweden. He built a wooden house in a boggy clearing at the centre of a vast elk forest, and it's from this base that he compulsively reads and writes. He is the author of Dark Pines.

Reviews

[Kelsey Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really interesting idea in terms of setting which seemed very thoroughly researched. Sadly I guessed the killer early on in the book.

[Louise Ridout · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read this as I had seen a lot of hype about it but sadly it missed the mark for me. I found the characters are a bit over the top and irritating, and I wasn’t really rooting for any of them to survive if I’m honest. There were a few interesting bits but overall it wasn’t for me unfortunately.

[Sailaway · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good! will become a fun!

[Dave P · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 3 words - interesting, claustrophobic, repetitive.

[Nick Dudley]

Dnf

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrilling