The Hunting Party: A Novel by Lucy Foley

(Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss+ for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

For fans of Ruth Ware and Tana French, a shivery, atmospheric, page-turning novel of psychological suspense in the tradition of Agatha Christie, in which a group of old college friends are snowed in at a hunting lodge . . . and murder and mayhem ensue.

All of them are friends. One of them is a killer.

During the languid days of the Christmas break, a group of thirtysomething friends from Oxford meet to welcome in the New Year together, a tradition they began as students ten years ago. For this vacation, they’ve chosen an idyllic and isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands—the perfect place to get away and unwind by themselves.

They arrive on December 30th, just before a historic blizzard seals the lodge off from the outside world.

Two days later, on New Year’s Day, one of them is dead.

The trip began innocently enough: admiring the stunning if foreboding scenery, champagne in front of a crackling fire, and reminiscences about the past. But after a decade, the weight of secret resentments has grown too heavy for the group’s tenuous nostalgia to bear. Amid the boisterous revelry of New Year’s Eve, the cord holding them together snaps.

Now one of them is dead . . . and another of them did it.

Keep your friends close, the old adage goes. But just how close is too close?

my thoughts:

A group of best friends gather for New Year's every year - its their way of ensuring that they at least get together once a year, considering they are all adults now and have actual adult lives keeping them busy.  This year Emma has chosen a place called The Lodge - its in the middle of nowhere, has cabins for each of them (they are all coupled up, except for Katie), provides meals and hunting activities. Everyone is excited, but also a bit stressed out.  Too many things happening in life and they aren't as close as they once were.  So, the weekend is a bit of a mixed bag with tempers flaring and secretes being revealed.  And then, a body is found.  Yep, someone dies and it seems that one of the "bffs" is responsible for killing one of their own. Yikes! Talk about a friendship gone awry.

Foley has written a fun, engaging suspense-thriller that has a bit of mystery, tons of drama, and loads of betrayals. I absolutely LOVED it! The writing was spot on and the characters were unlikeable - which is the best combination. Oh, and their history - full of lies and secrets. All in all, The Hunting Party made for a great weekend read.  I loved curling up with it and a huge cuppa.

I would happily recommend The Hunting Party to fans of Lucy Foley and anyone looking for their next great read - you will LOVE this book!!


Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss+ for providing me with a copy of this book!