The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Format: Paperback

Pages: 406
Start Date: April 11, 2023
End Date: April 19, 2023

My Ratings
Overall: ★★
Character Development: ★★
Ending: ★★★
Spice Level: 🌶
Suspense Level: 🔪
Tear Jerk-ability: 
Pace: Slow
Recommend: No
Triggers:

Summary In My Words

     Seven friends come together to celebrate the New Year, a tradition that they have done since their days at Oxford. The Lodge, where the group will be spending their weekend, is a secluded estate in the middle of no where. So secluded that if the weather gets too heavy, the guests could be stuck there longer than their original plan....which is exactly what happens. Trapped due to heavy snow, a group of frenimies slowly imploding, one of the guests goes missing. Who could be capable of the unimaginable.....or maybe the better question is who ISN'T

My Thoughts - Contains Spoilers, Continue at Your Own Risk

     I will cut to the chase, I didn't like this one. I felt like there was no "thrill" in this book. I think what I tend to dislike about these type of "thriller" books is the fact that they are mostly background story and character development. I feel like there is very little suspense within the actual storyline until you get to the last 50 pages or so.

     The entire book flashes between several characters; two who work at the Lodge where the present day story takes place, and three guests. I felt like some of the plot twists were very predictable, seeing them from a mile away. First, you have the entire Emma/Miranda relationship, which seemed odd to me. Was Miranda that self absorbed that she didn't even notice Emma imitating her? I guess I could see how Miranda could overlook some things given her self wallowing over Katie blowing her off, but just seemed like too many coincidences to me. Then Emma being so mentally unstable that she after she kills Miranda, she decides she wants to avenge her death? Hm, odd storyline for me. 

     Then, you have the Katie/Julien affair. If Katie was so guilt stricken over going, why did she? I understand it's tradition, these people are (or used to be) your friends, but if I was sleeping with my "best friends" husband, I'd probably pass on a weekend spent away with them. Not only that, but then Katie actually sleeps with Julien several times during the holiday! What?! Then everyone is so surprised when Miranda walks in on them? 

     I felt like this book had so much going on, so many side stories that almost seemed rushed to get through. Iain and the Icelandic couple involved in drugs was a side piece I could have lived without. Plus, I saw them being an issue from a mile away. I just feel like that storyline didn't add anything to the overall plot. I personally, would've like a bit more backstory on Heather and Doug. Overall, I wouldn't read this book again, and I would probably barely call it a mystery. The suspense just seemed to be too dialed down for me on this one. 

I'm Curious

1. Did you get the impression Heather and Doug were going to become an item with how the book ended? That was my impression and it felt predictable.

2. What did you think about the dynamic between Miranda and Emma? Do you feel like even with Emma's "condition" she would've eventually gotten tired of Miranda giving her a hard time?

3. Did you ever feel like the narrators were unreliable, specifically Miranda and Katie? Did you get the impression that they both were self absorbed, just in different ways?

4. Did you get the sense the most of people in the group would've rather been somewhere else? I felt that about a few characters. Why do you think the tradition was still going if some of them didn't want to be there?

Next Book: Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson