One by One – by Helen Bridgett. # BlogTour

When practising what you preach is easier said than done …

Professor Maxie Reddick has her reasons for being sceptical of
traditional policing methods, but, in between her criminology
lecturing job and her Criminal Thoughts podcast, she stays
firmly on the side lines 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
realisation 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.

My Thoughts

I have to say, this book really did intrigue me. I always find it fascinating when an author whom you have previously enjoyed releases a new novel in a different genre, and this is something than Helen Bridgett has done wonderfully.

One by One starts off with a pace that really draws you in. When a young woman is raped, Professor Maxie is recruited by her friend who is trying to convince Georgina to report it to the police. It is obvious that the woman is traumatised and is struggling to open up to others about her terrible ordeal. That is where Maxie really comes in to her own. She has such a calming, reassuring way with words which allows Georgina to provide her with small snippets of what happened leading up to the attack on the night of the wedding party.

Maxie is a Criminology Professor, and this certainly provides her with a different perspective, that allows her to notice things that others might simply gloss over. Maxie is determined to help the victim find justice, and try to solve the case as to why someone would commit such an awful crime.

However, the case suddenly takes a much darker turn, and as she continues starting to work on this case, she realises she could possibly be putting her own family at risk too.

This was such a wonderfully written story full of suspense from the start. I loved how the story was given extra depth by varying between the story being told from Maxie’s perspective, to also being given the contrasting perspective of the criminal himself, and explores some of the ways in which he tried to justify his horrendous crime, and even going as far as to place the blame on the victim themselves.

The storyline was perfectly paced, with the perfect amount of tension and drama throughout as the story began to unfold. As we get closer to the time of the attack, the story takes us through so many different twists and turns that you are on the end of your seat throughout.

This was an incredible book that had me captivated to the very end, and is without a doubt a book that I would recommend to others.

About the Author