29 May 2025

Alicia’s Review

Okay, so this one was a ride. A very cold, very snowy, very who-is-lying kind of ride. I’m honestly still trying to warm up as we have recently had a serious cold front and our winter has officially started.

The Hunting Party follows a group of old college friends who head out to a remote lodge in the Scottish Highlands to celebrate New Year’s together and of course, one of them ends up dead.

I went in expecting drama, secrets, and a touch of murder mayhem, and it delivered. The setting? Creepy in the best way. Trapped by snow, no phone service, weird staff, and secrets under every conversation it had serious Whodunit vibes. And the way the story jumps between different perspectives and timelines kept me turning pages like mad.

But here’s the thing, I called it. Like, early on. The big twist? Yeah, clocked it. And normally that would kind of kill a mystery for me, but oddly enough, it didn’t ruin this one. I still wanted to know how it all unfolded. I still cared about the characters even if most of them were kind of terrible.

Emma was probably the most fascinating to me, just because I couldn’t figure her out. And Miranda? Whew. The kind of girl who would ruin your life and not feel bad about it. Foley does that thing where everyone is suspicious and no one is likeable and somehow you still get sucked into their drama.

Was it mind-blowingly original? No. But it was gripping, moody, and really fun. Like curling up with a murder mystery while it storms outside, knowing you’re safe but also kinda not.

If you’re into whodunnits, remote locations, messy friendships, and reading about people you’d never want to go on vacation with add this one to your list. Just maybe read it with a blanket and some tea.

Zelda’s Review

As someone who loves a good locked-room mystery, I had high hopes going into The Hunting Party—and for the most part, Lucy Foley delivered. Set in the remote, snowed-in Scottish Highlands during a New Year’s getaway, the novel traps a group of college friends with decades-old secrets, simmering tensions, and just enough champagne to bring everything bubbling to the surface. When one of them ends up dead, it quickly becomes clear: someone in the group is a killer.

What I enjoyed about this novel was the atmosphere. Foley paints the setting so vividly, that you can practically feel the chill of the snowstorm outside and the claustrophobia creeping in within the lodge. The isolation becomes a character in itself, adding a haunting layer to the narrative. If you’re a fan of slow-burn suspense with a strong sense of place, you’ll be right at home here.

The story unfolds through multiple POVs, which adds a great deal of depth—but also requires a bit of patience. Each character has their own secrets, grudges, and perspective, and while this mosaic approach helps build suspense, it can feel a bit disjointed at times. That said, Foley is a master at planting little breadcrumbs of doubt, and I found myself second-guessing everyone, right up until the end.

The dynamic between the friends is both fascinating and frustrating. They’re not necessarily likeable (some are downright insufferable), but that’s kind of the point. Foley explores the idea that friendships don’t always age well—sometimes they rot beneath the surface. The layers of jealousy, guilt, and quiet competition are incredibly relatable, especially for anyone who’s kept a friendship going more out of habit than genuine affection.

While the reveal was satisfying, I wouldn’t say it was shocking. Still, the journey getting there—twists, secrets, red herrings and all—was well worth the read. It gave off strong And Then There Were None vibes, with a modern psychological thriller edge that fans of Ruth Ware and Tana French will likely appreciate.

The Hunting Party is a tense, atmospheric read that explores the dark side of friendship and the chilling consequences of long-held secrets. If you enjoy slow-burning suspense with a wintry, claustrophobic setting and a cast of morally grey characters, you’ll likely find yourself hooked. It’s not a fast-paced thriller, but it’s a moody, well-crafted whodunit that lingers long after the last page.