Book Summary and Reviews of One Wrong Word by Hank Phillippi Ryan

One Wrong Word by Hank Phillippi Ryan

One Wrong Word

A Novel

by Hank Phillippi Ryan

  • Published:
  • Feb 2024, 352 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

A heart-racing new psychological thriller from USA Today bestselling and multiple award-winning author, Hank Phillippi Ryan.

One wrong word can ruin your life. And no one knows that better than savvy crisis management expert Arden Ward. Problem is, she's now forced to handle a shocking crisis of her own. Unfairly accused of having an affair with a powerful client, Arden's life and dreams are about to crash and burn. Then, Arden is given an ultimatum. She has just two weeks to save her career and her reputation.

Is Cordelia Bannister the answer to her prayers?

Cordelia needs Arden's help for her husband Ned, a Boston real estate mogul. Though he was recently acquitted in a fatal drunk driving accident, his reputation is ruined, and the fallout is devastating not only to the Bannisters' lives, but the lives of their two adorable children.

Arden devotes her skill and determination―and maybe her final days on the job―to helping this shattered family, but soon, revelations begin to emerge about what really happened the night of the accident. And then―another car crash throws Ned back into the spotlight.

This case is Arden's final chance to protect her own future and clear her name. But the more she tries to untangle the truth, the more she's haunted by one disturbing question―what if she's also protecting a killer?

Gossip. Lies. Rumors. Words like that can hurt you. And Arden knows the reality. Sometimes one wrong word can kill.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Ryan has built a solid repertoire of unique thrillers, and this one is no exception." ―Booklist

"Ryan builds the pacing of One Wrong Word skillfully, keeping both Arden and the reader spinning amid the flurry of lies, shocks and escalating danger. It's a thrilling ride." ―Boston Herald

"Driven by astutely drawn characters and fueled by a masterful plot, One Wrong Word had me guessing until the very last page. Hank Phillippi Ryan knows how to keep readers on the edge of their seats, and she does it again with this pulse pounding thriller. Bravo!" ―Wendy Walker, bestselling author of What Remains

"I have one right word for One Wrong Word by the amazing Hank Phillippi Ryan - fabulous!! A gripping rollercoaster of a read that will have you switching allegiances with every turn of the page. This is Hank at her very best―another brilliant book!" ―B.A. Paris, New York Times bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors

This information about One Wrong Word was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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More Information

USA Today bestselling author Hank Phillippi Ryan has won five Agatha Awards in addition to Anthony, Macavity, Daphne du Maurier, and Mary Higgins Clark Awards. As on-air investigative reporter for Boston's WHDH-TV, she's won 37 Emmys and many more journalism honors, and her work has resulted in new laws, criminals sent to prison, homes saved from foreclosure, and millions of dollars in restitution for victims and consumers. A past president of National Sisters in Crime and founder of MWA University, her novels include Trust Me, The Murder List, the Charlotte McNally series (starting with Prime Time), and the Jane Ryland series (which begins with The Other Woman). Ryan lives in Boston with her husband.

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