One Dark Night is a suspenseful mystery thriller set within the community of an exclusive school in Somerset, England.

Several students from the exclusive Folly View College congregate for a clandestine party in the woods nearby the school on Hallowe'en night, and by morning one of their number is found dead near the base of a dilapidated tower known as the Folly. The surrounding woods are the subject of local folklore, particularly associated with the road, known as Sally in the Wood, reputed to be haunted by the ghost of a local girl who was murdered.

As the reverberations from the tragedy filter through the Folly View College community, school guidance counsellor Rachel Dean tries to balance the demands of her role with her concerns for the wellbeing and safety of her own daughter, Ellie, who unbeknownst to Rachel was also present in the woods on the night of Sarah Lawson's death. Compounding the pressures upon her, Rachel's ex-husband - and Ellie's father - DS Ben Chase is the senior investigating officer on the case.

Using multiple character points of view, author Hannah Richell explores themes around privilege, teen social dynamics, environmental activism and corruption. As members of the school staff come under suspicion, and individual students become increasingly traumatised by events, an atmosphere of foreboding pervades Folly View College. The conclusion, when it comes, is genuinely shocking.

I'd recommend One Dark Night to readers who enjoy their mysteries with distinct gothic undertones and evocatively spooky settings.

My thanks to the author Hannah Richell, publisher Simon & Schuster Australia, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.