The Hunting Party by Lisa Foley Review

 Title: The Hunting Party 

Author: Lisa Foley 

Age Group: Adult 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller 

Series: Standalone 

Star Ratting: 5 out of 5 Stars 

I bought a copy of this book and reviewed it. 

I’d never read any of Lisa Foley’s books before now; mystery and thrillers typically tend to bore me, as I can usually tell what’s going to happen within seventy pages. But since I decided to forgo the library for a while, I decided to read The Hunting Party, fully expecting it to be a run-of-the mill mystery. This book put Agatha Christie’s best mysteries to shame, taking place at a remote hunting lodge in the Scottish Highlands. A group of friends who all went to Oxford together gather for a merry New Year’s Eve party, and for a while, they admire the scenery and get drunk, sharing a meal and hunting the local game. But by the time the party is over, one of them is dead, and another one did it. On this trip, everyone is invited, and everyone is a suspect... 

This book was a short but multilayered thriller that had me constantly guessing who had done the dirty deed. The narration was razor-sharp and breakneck, and told from multiple points of view; at times it was difficult to follow because there were just so many people involved, but that was a minor quibble. All of the characters were three-dimensional, all with their own motives and desires. I loved pretty much every character in this book, and last night, I finally finished, frantically turning pages to see if my guess was correct. And that ending! Oh, my goodness, I did not see it coming! But what really made the book, for me, was the atmosphere, that cold, snow-kissed loch that felt as much a character as the people themselves. I was constantly chilled reading this book; normally I don’t read thrillers during the winter, but they definitely fit the mood and atmosphere! I really, really loved this book. This might be the first book I’ve ever read by Lisa Foley, but I can personally guarantee that it won’t be my last! (Not me eyeing The Guest List like a mad woman...) The bottom line: Dark, frightening, and chilling, I loved The Hunting Party! Next on deck: Half Sick of Shadows by Laura Sebastian, Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett, and The Surface Breaks by Louise O’Neill!