The Hunting Party
The Hunting Party
By Lucy Foley
Published by Harpercollins in 2019 (paperback)
Book Review, No spoilers I swear!!
What. A. Book!!!
This book is probably one of the best thrillers I have ever read. It is definitely one of the most memorable.
I don't usually read these types of books as I am a romcom reader but sometimes it is good to step out of your comfort zone and explore different genres and boy am I glad I did.
Set in a remote hunting lodge, deep in the Scottish wilderness, old friends gather for New Year.
The beautiful one, the golden couple. the volatile one, the new parents, the quiet one, the city boy, the outsider.
The Victim.
Not an accident. A murder among friends.
This is all that Foley displays on the blurb and its this that draws you to take notice, to read this book. No description of who has been murdered. No, Foley keeps you in the dark about which friend has been killed, instead referring to them as the 'guest'. I found this exciting and refreshing as five of the characters in the book talk about what happened in the lead up to the murder. The chapters also flips to the present after the body is discovered and the manager of the lodge attempting to piece together what happened on that night.
I really loved how brilliant Foley wrote about the characters, each character has a secret. A motive for murder, yet you don't know who has been murdered. Its fair to say that you'll be captured from page one, wanting to know more and needing to know what the hell happened because Foley gives nothing away.
There are also plenty of twists to keep you interested and on edge throughout this book. Just when you think you have it sussed out, BAM! the twist comes in and all that you thought you knew about this book is thrown out of the window. The last hundred pages of this book came out of nowhere and hit me like a tonne of bricks, its fair to say I didn't see THAT twist coming.
Obviously you won't know which twist I am referring to unless you read the book for yourself. It truly is a great book, one that once you finish it, you won't have a clue what to do with yourself afterwards. I was still in shock after 4 hours of finishing and when my flatmate dropped a pan on the floor I almost jumped a mile, I was still on edge.
If you love Agatha Christie then you will love Lucy Foley. Her storytelling is not only compelling, but it a masterpiece in the making. The descriptive writing really lays out the scenes and make you feel like you are walking amongst these characters and part of the book.
After reading The Hunting Party I cannot wait for next month when The Guest List is released (the girl at Waterstones have told me its a killer) as well as hearing on what she has to say when I go to the talk at Waterstones Carlisle. I'm so excited!
5* out of 5*
Twisty, captivating and heart stoppingly good.
After all tomorrow is another day spent reading,
Till next time,
Phoebe x