One Small Mistake Book Review: Sisterhood, Secrets and a Snowballing Lie

One Small Mistake by Dandy Smith is a dark psychological thriller built around someone taking extreme measures to fulfil their dreams. This debut book has an interesting premise. It’s all about sisterhood, secrets and a snowballing lie.

This was the first ever book I requested on NetGalley, and I desperately wanted it to be engaging. It left me with complicated feelings. Not disappointed exactly, but not satisfied either. The problem was that somewhere along the way, the story lost sight of what it was actually about. Or rather, who it was actually about.

My Rating:

❤️❤️❤️🤍🤍

“Sisterhood, secrets and a snowballing lie.”

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What the Book is About

One Small Mistake follows Elodie Fray, desperate to prove herself to her family. She pursues writing after quitting her job, but things aren't quite going her way. Then, her lie about securing a book deal snowballs into a nightmare as she disappears without a trace. And her sister, Ada, starts looking into this mystery.

What Works?

The book carries suspense and a lot of complicated stories. It isn’t exactly a whodunit mystery, but the tension keeps you reading. Much of the story is told through alternating perspectives of Elodie and Ada. Their relationship is at the heart of One Small Mistake – their love, their jealousy and their misunderstandings keep it going.

And the ending was a pleasant surprise. It turned out to be in a heartwarming way that you don’t really see in a thriller story. Could have been better, but at least, this warmth at the end earns it some grace points from me.

What Falls Short?

One of my complaints with One Small Mistake is that it felt more like Ada's story than Elodie's... even though Elodie's disappearance was the central mystery. And the book stretches across more pages than necessary. Parts of Ada's life, which have nothing much to do with Elodie's story, could have been eliminated. I skipped a lot of paragraphs here and there.

I also felt it should have included perspectives of more family members. From what we know through Elodie and Ada, the family was loving and tight-knit – at least, on the surface. Their POVs could have added more intrigue and mystery, and I'd have enjoyed that. After all, Ada couldn't have been the only one questioning everything.

Who Should Read It?

Dandy Smith’s One Small Mistake book is best suited for those who enjoy psychological thrillers. Suspense and mystery lovers might like it as well, but just to be clear... it isn't a whodunit mystery. If you enjoy slow-burn tension in your stories, there's enough here to keep you engaged. However, it isn’t quite tightly plotted and fast-paced.

Final Thoughts

One Small Mistake, although flawed, is a debut worth reading. Dandy has a knack for creating secretive and complex thrillers. It just needed tighter editing. Worth reading anyway, if you want to read something with sisterly emotions, even if the thriller elements don't work well.

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