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    One of Us
    One of Us
    One of Us
    Audiobook9 hours

    One of Us

    Written by Tawni O'Dell

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    From the New York Times bestselling author of Back Roads comes a fast-paced literary thriller about a forensic psychologist forced to face his own demons after discovering his small hometown terrorized by a serial killer.

    Dr. Sheridan Doyle—a fastidiously groomed and TV-friendly forensic psychologist—is the go-to shrink for the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office whenever a twisted killer’s mind eludes other experts. But beneath his Armani pinstripes, he’s still Danny Doyle, the awkward, terrified, bullied boy from a blue-collar mining family, plagued by panic attacks and haunted by the tragic death of his little sister and mental unraveling of his mother years ago.

    Returning to a hometown grappling with its own ghosts, Danny finds a dead body at the infamous Lost Creek gallows where a band of rebellious Irish miners was once executed. Strangely, the body is connected to the wealthy family responsible for the miners' deaths. Teaming up with veteran detective Rafe, a father-like figure from his youth, Danny—in pursuit of a killer—comes dangerously close to startling truths about his family, his past, and himself.

    In this masterfully told psychological thriller in the vein of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, the past and present collide to put Lost Creek’s long-lived ghosts to bed.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateAug 19, 2014
    ISBN9781491506523
    Author

    Tawni O'Dell

    Tawni O'Dell is the New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed novels Back Roads, Coal Run, Sister Mine, and Fragile Beasts. She was born and raised in the coal-mining region of western Pennsylvania. Visit her website at tawniodell.com.

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    Reviews for One of Us

    3.5/5

    63 ratings14 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      MP3 audio3★" thriller about a forensic psychologist forced to face his own demons after discovering his small hometown terrorized by a serial killer" (publishers note)psychological suspense set in southwest Pennsylvania
    • 4/5
      This was right up my alley. Dark, twisted family drama. A main forensic psychologist who studies serial killers. A town with secrets. Dr. Sheridan Doyle may be a successful & esteemed forensic psychologist now, but he's never completely left behind his previous life as Danny Doyle, a boy from a mining family who had a difficult and at times terrifying childhood. When he returns to his hometown to visit his grandfather, he comes across a dead body and teams up with Rafe, who he knew before he left home and who is now a police detective, to determine what happened. In the process family and town secrets are revealed. And that fine line between mental illness and evil - how do we determine which one we're dealing with when it confronts us? I enjoyed this one a lot. It was dark and atmospheric, and it made me think.
      I mostly listened to the audiobook version and the narrators were excellent.
      My thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for providing a copy for an unbiased review.
    • 4/5
      What did I think? I loved it. Thank you for the opportunity to read the advance copy. I started the book yesterday and just couldn't stop turning the pages. The story just pulls you along looking for more clues. The plot twists and turns and just when you think you have the whole thing figured out another bend in the story line makes you rethink your conclusion. The Appalachian coal mining history weaves its way throughout the story and will leave you emotionally stirred as well. In conclusion I believe there is something for everyone in this book: murder, mayhem, greed, power, poverty and a nice blend of psychoses.
    • 4/5
      4.5 stars.

      Set in a small coal mining town in Pennsylvania, Tawni O'Dell's One of Us is a riveting and complex psychological thriller. This spellbinding story has a richly drawn cast of colorful characters, a very intriguing mystery and a compelling storyline.

      Dr. Sheridan "Danny" Doyle might have escaped his small home town of Lost Creek but the memories of his youth still haunt him. The legacy of his childhood is not one that can be easily forgotten (his mother's battle with mental illness and subsequent conviction for killing her baby girl) or forgiven (the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father). The bright spots in his dysfunctional past are the relationships he enjoys with his maternal grandfather, Tommy, and local police officer Rafe Malloy. After learning that his now ninety-six year old grandfather has recently been seriously ill, Danny returns to Lost Creek, where he is immediately caught up in events that lead to some startling revelations about long ago events.

      One of Us is written in first person and alternates between two very different points of view. Both narrators have escaped Lost Creek but each have returned at around the same time, but for very different reasons. It is also interesting to note that they come from completely diverse socio-economic backgrounds but they both have deep roots in the local community and their families lives are inexplicably linked through the local mine.

      Danny's family has worked in the Dawes' coal mine since his ancestors immigrated from Ireland and until Danny, they were unable to escape their hardscrabble life as coal miners. Danny's success is hard won and his fascination with the human mind has resulted in a very successful career as a forensic psychologist. He delves deep into the psyche of serial killers but interestingly enough, Danny's expertise is lost on himself as he continues to battle the demons of his past.

      Lost Creek is bleak and poverty stricken, but it is the perfect setting for the somewhat dark atmosphere of the unfolding story. The townspeople are hardworking but fighting to make ends meet. It is a town where families are deeply entrenched in a class struggle of sorts with the wealthy Dawes' family and the memory of the long ago hangings of their descendants are never forgotten.

      One of Us unfolds slowly but steadily and the seemingly unrelated storylines gradually combine into a dramatic and shocking climax. It is a somber story but brief snatches of humor lighten the tone. Tawni O'Dell masterfully combines the past and present into an incredibly fascinating mystery that is sure to be a hit with fans of the crime solving genre.
    • 3/5
      [One of Us] by Tawni O'Dell2.5★'sFrom The Book:Dr. Sheridan Doyle—a fastidiously groomed and TV-friendly forensic psychologist—is the go-to shrink for the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office whenever a twisted killer’s mind eludes other experts. But beneath his Armani pinstripes, he’s still Danny Doyle, the awkward, terrified, bullied boy from a blue-collar mining family, plagued by panic attacks and haunted by the tragic death of his little sister and mental unraveling of his mother years ago. Returning to a hometown grappling with its own ghosts, Danny finds a dead body at the infamous Lost Creek gallows where a band of rebellious Irish miners was once executed. Strangely, the body is connected to the wealthy family responsible for the miners’ deaths. Teaming up with veteran detective Rafe, a father-like figure from his youth, Danny—in pursuit of a killer—comes dangerously close to startling truths about his family, his past, and himself.My Thoughts:If any story proves the old saying "You can't go home again", this one certainly does. The main problem was that the mystery had no mystery. From the book description the reader would expect more to the story. It started out to be interesting. The story of a little boy's relationship with his almost /sometimes abusive father and the grandfather that was always there to save him...and then it started a giant roll down hill. The characters were like stand-up silhouettes cut from cardboard. I think the author lost interest in portraying anyone that was remotely likable about the 3rd chapter. I have read other books by this author and I really have to say that based on that I was expecting a lot more.
    • 4/5
      One of Us by Tawni O'Dell is a highly recommended psychological thriller that, although light on the suspense, is extremely well written.

      Famous TV forensic psychologist, Dr. Sheridan Doyle is currently living in Philadelphia, but he grew up as an abused child in a dysfunctional family in a coal mining town. Lost Creek is famous for the gallows where some rebellious miners, the Nellie O'Neills, were hanged in the late 19th century. The mine is still in possession of the Dawes family, the same wealthy family who owned it years ago. Sheridan or Danny as he is known in Lost Creek, grew up hearing the stories from his beloved grandfather, Tommy, the one person who saved him from his father. When he was growing up, Danny's mother was in jail for murder.

      Danny is back in Lost Creek to see 96 year old Tommy when he discovers a body at the gallows. This discovery leads the town to wonder if there is a paranormal explanation for the murder or is something else going on? As in any small town, everyone knows who is related and there are plenty of secrets people are hiding. It's also clear that the town of Lost Creek has obsessed over the story of the doomed miners for years.

      The story is told from the viewpoints of Danny, a descendant of one of the miners, and Scarlet Dawes, daughter of the wealthy family who owns the mine. Clearly, Danny is as psychologically damaged as the killer.

      The writing is excellent and O'Dell does a nice job developing her characters in this very much character driven story. Basically, there is no great mystery here regarding who the guilty party is and even much of the why is not that surprising. This is not a novel like Gone Girl or even one with a great deal of suspense. Rather is is more a novel of psychological insight into several damaged characters. It also brings to light the effects of poverty on the residents of the small coal mining town. It is an imminently readable and compelling novel.

      Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Gallery Books for review purposes.
    • 4/5
      Forensic psychologist Sheridan (Danny) Doyle goes home to the mining town he grew up in to for his sick grandfather. Now soon after he finds a dead body at the ever popular Gallows (where revolting miners, including Danny’s great-grandfather were hung). Since it is famous for paranormal activities; people are saying that the ghosts of the dead murdered the man who has a link to the original family for revenge. Danny is soon working with Detective Rafe to solve the case. This suspense story is not fast paced or a rollercoaster but a psychological tale that has fully developed characters that one feels for. As the story unfolds not only does the reader learn about Danny, he begins to learn things about himself. And the surprise twist at the end just makes it all the more exciting.
    • 4/5
      Is "Gone Girl" going to be the trend now? Terrifically well written crime thrillers that spill the beans in the early pages? I enjoy the classical approach which invites the reader to solve a mystery and so I am not 100% behind Ms O'Dell's early reveal of the killer's identity. I admit, though, that it would be hard to ensnare this particular killer using a more conventional approach. This minor protest aside, I enjoyed the story. Sheridan Doyle and his family are well drawn, as is the community of Lost Creek, PA. I hope we will meet Sheridan again soon. I received an uncorrected advance review copy of "One of Us" by Tawni O'Dell (Gallery Books). I hope the verb "hanged" has been substituted for "hung" in the final edition.
    • 3/5
      The story is told, in turns, by Sheridan “Danny” Doyle, a successful forensic psychologist, and Scarlet Dawes, the daughter of a wealthy mine owner. As children, both lived in Lost Creek; as adults he has relocated to Philadelphia while she calls Paris home. Drawn back to his hometown to care for his ill grandfather, Danny soon finds himself in the midst of a murder mystery that threatens to change everything he and the residents of this small mining town have ever known.This is not a mystery of identifying the murderer but one of identifying the causes looming behind the murders. The crisp writing and fast pace of the story keep the reader immersed in the intrigue and the web of the past that has defined these two families. There is a frustrating misstep in this book, one that creates a constant need for the reader to check the cover of the book for reassurance that it hasn’t somehow managed to morph itself into Fashion Weekly. Never have I read so much and cared so little about what the characters in a story are wearing. The annoying label-naming and extraneous descriptions of everyone’s clothing pulls the reader out of an otherwise absorbing story and instills an almost uncontrollable desire to take a really sharp pair of scissors to all those wardrobes, no matter what label may be sewn inside them.
    • 3/5
      We're all capable of killing someone, although everyone isn't capable of killing just anyone.If you like a book where a psychopath runs rampant throughout it, then this is the book for you. I myself don't necessarily mind reading about psychopaths but this particular one really irked me and I found it hard to believe that no one was doing much to stop them. I won't give away who the psychopath was but let's just say that I did not like that person at all.This book follows Dr. Sheridan Doyle (Danny) and also Scarlet Dawes. Both of them have ties to an event that happened over a hundred years ago in Danny's hometown, Lost Creek. Now once they both return to Lost Creek tragic events start happening that everyone thinks is connected to the events that happened over a hundred years ago.I pretty much didn't like either of the main characters. I felt like Danny had too much fear and seemed kind of wimpy. Scarlet was just a bitch and I couldn't stand reading from her point-of-view. I really enjoyed the secondary characters of this book particularly Rafe and Tommy. They both really were fascinating and complex characters and they brought a lot to the story.The events that happened in the book were definitely interesting. The story definitely builds to a final confrontation at the end. All throughout the story readers pretty much know what is going on but there are a few twists thrown in. The twists and some of the action really made me want to continue reading this book. I enjoyed the ending and felt like it was a good resolution to the story.I would recommend this book for its secondary characters, twists, and some of its twisted events. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the galley.
    • 4/5
      [Cross-posted to Knite Writes]This was an interesting read for me. After spectacularly failing to read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, I’ve been very wary of approaching anything that looks remotely like it. However, I took a chance on this one and was pleasantly surprised.One of my favorite things about this book was the characters. They were very complex and all very well fleshed out; given that the cast is so large, I expected them to be flatter than they were, and I was happy to see their backstories unfold neatly and fully and their development proceed unhindered by the somewhat convoluted plot. My only complaint was that a few of the characters were characterized “too much” — that is, they came off a bit like caricatures instead of actual people. But for the most part, the cast was excellent and interesting, and I didn’t absolutely hate everyone like I did with Gone Girl.The plot was a bit convoluted however, and I thought the town history element was a overplayed. It was important, sure, comparing the town’s history to the present plot, but there were times where the connections were handled in a heavy-handed manner. I think the author could have cut out some of the introspection about the history without losing any of its significance. The murder mystery side of the plot was pretty well done; there were unexpected twists, and while I predicted a major plot twist well ahead of time, there were many twists I didn’t see at all. So that was a plus.Overall, a mixed bag. Some good characterization and a fairly well-thought-out plot, but a bit of mishandled characterization and too much backstory in places.
    • 4/5
      Forensic psychologist Dr. Sheridan Doyle by most standards, has "made good," rising far beyond the expectations for ason of a coal mining family in Lost Creek, Pennsylvania. He is an author, an often called-upon expert witness, and a featured guest on several law-based tv shows. But when a doctor calls to tell him his 90 year old grandfather Tommy McNabb has also exceeded expectations by improving enough to be sent home from the hospital, Dr. Doyle finds himself receding back into his boyhood fears and trepidations. Danny had been bullied as a child, both by his peers and his own alcoholic father. He recalls his fear of the dark and his claustrophobic fear of the coal mines. It was Tommy who had protected and cared for him back then, and now it is his turn to provide care for Tommy.Tommy, a proud and stubborn man, does not feel a need for a caregiver, but welcomes his grandson as a guest in his home. Danny's first encounter with the town's sordid history when he returns is when he sees that the infamous gallows, where Tommy's grandfather had been wrongfully hanged so many years prior, are still the most prominent feature of the small town square. The second thing he notices is a body on the ground near the gallows.It doesn't take long for Danny to become involved in the intrigue surrounding the death. Could the ghosts of those wronged men have risen in protest of the new owner's decision to dismantle the gallows? As Danny seeks to resolve this mystery, another murder occurs and more questions are raised. Is the wealthy family which owns the mine still trying to control the town through fear and intimidation, and is there a connection between Danny's family and the mine-owning Dawes family, beyond the hangings which occurred 140-odd years ago?
    • 5/5
      The past is a living, breathing presence in our present, and more often than not, informs our future. This little thriller examines that concept through two points of view. That was an interesting method of showing us both sides of the events in the story. I was quite taken by the storytelling from the first page.
    • 4/5
      This is the first Tawni O'Dell book that I have read, and I must say that I was really impressed. Her writing is very easy to read and flows nicely throughout the whole book. She certainly knows how to keep the reader hungry for the next reveal and I read the book in two days. O'Dell's depiction of a small town struggling to survive after the closing of the coal mines that created it is haunting and powerful. She does not paint the town with the stereotypical paintbrush of a down-on-its-heels mining town. This town is full of life and more than enough secrets to go around. Despair does not lead the town's story and this is refreshing.O'Dell carefully weaves the shocking treatment of immigrant miners by the coal barons with the present-day people who are still trying to redefine themselves and their legacy after the closing of the mines. She drives home just how trapped those immigrant miners and their families were and she clearly shows how hard, if not impossible, it is to pick up and move away from everyone and everything you've ever known. Her main character, Danny, thinks he has done that, and yet here he is, back in his hometown and up to his neck in secrets and murder.I did find the reveal of the serial killer to be a little early. I would have rather wondered a while longer instead of seeing the person going about their nasty business. After that the suspense is all about the big family secret Danny's father is hiding and about how Danny is going to catch the killer. I felt strongly that the ending was a foregone conclusion, and while the author does throw in a twist at the end, I was a bit disappointed to have predicted it so early.Overall, this is a solid mystery. I looked up her other books to possibly read but when I saw that they are all about small mining towns, I decided to wait and pace myself a bit so that I don't get sick of that atmosphere. She creates it beautifully and I look forward to enjoying it again in the future.