One by One

The timeline then skips to five days earlier, and the novel is told from two different perspectives. The narrative starts with Liz, a shy woman who arrives at the French Alps with the other staff members of Snoop. It then switches to Erin, one of the hosts of the French ski resort Chalet Perce-Neige (Snowdrop Castle). She and Danny, chef and fellow host, talk about the guests while preparing for their arrival. Danny gets excited when Erin says the company is Snoop, a music application that links with a person’s Spotify account. It allows people to “snoop” on each other and listen along with whatever music they are enjoying in real time. He refuses to share his Snoop ID with her. Erin and Danny take a swim before guests arrive, and Erin thinks, “I should get out, but I can’t. I can’t look away. I just lie there, my dark hair fanning out around me, floating, gazing up. Remembering” (20).

The Snoop team reaches the end of the road and takes a funicular train to the chalet. Rik approaches Liz, who refuses to answer his questions and makes him uncomfortable. At the chalet, Erin prepares to welcome the team and tries to find Danny’s profile before welcoming the guests. She takes note of Liz, a “woman in her late twenties, standing hunched inconspicuously in the corner by the fire, as if hoping no one will speak to her” (29). Erin talks to Topher, Eva, and Inigo about Liz’s presence, telling them that Liz is not on the roster she was given. The three quickly rearrange rooms to hide the fact that they forgot to add her to the guest list.

Liz struggles to get ready for dinner, noting that “it would be nice if [she] could go down to dinner looking like [she belongs] in the same room with the others” (34). Erin arrives to tell Liz about the evening plans, which include an unexpected presentation before dinner. Liz observes Erin’s composure, noting that nothing in her appearance is out of place save for the thin, long scar along her cheekbone. Erin’s assuredness makes Liz feel even more displaced, and she complains, “It’s like everyone has the key to this and I don’t!” (37).

Downstairs, Erin and Danny serve finger food to the guests, and Erin overhears Miranda and Tiger talking about the “Geosnoop” launch and anticipated problems. When Liz arrives late, Erin is surprised that everyone in the room goes out of their way to make her feel comfortable. Topher and Liz share a private conversation in which Topher talks about how proud he is of Liz. However, Liz interprets the conversation as him reminding her of what she owes him. She is saved from trying to respond when Eva announces the beginning of the presentation.

In the presentation room, Liz experiences an intense sense of claustrophobia. Tiger leads everyone in meditation before the presentation, during which Eva explains how the company is doing. She discusses how people would benefit if Snoop accepted a corporate buyout, which enrages Topher. When Rik stands up for Eva, Topher storms out, takes a bottle of whiskey from the bar, and goes up to his room. Dinner is tense, and Liz leaves partway through after Rik asks her a question about money. Erin begins cleaning the living room while Rik and Miranda snuggle on the couch. She overhears them talking about Liz, who owns 2% of the company. Because Elliot will vote with Topher and Rik plans on voting with Eva, Liz has the deciding vote. In the buyout, her stocks are worth £12 million.

Upstairs, Liz snoops on Topher to make sure he is doing all right. Eva arrives to talk to Liz, who thinks that Eva “does not really need to make her case. The facts make it for her. There are twelve million reasons to vote with Eva. She doesn’t need to make it twelve million and one” (63). Liz feels guilty about the vote, briefly thinking about her childhood growing up with an alcoholic father who had a gambling addiction. Eva leaves when Liz confirms that she will vote for the buyout, and Liz struggles to fall asleep as snow falls.