Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

21 reviews

kelseyr713's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Quick read but ultimately not for me. The quality of writing just isn’t there and many of the characters are unnecessary to the plot, sometimes even disappearing for chapters at a time. Characters are also shallow, and the number of red herrings/loose threads is annoying (why is the serial killer even mentioned??)
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orndal's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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growintogardens's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This is my third book from this author, but this one was a bit disappointing. I figured it out too fast and was hoping I wouldn't be right. Furthermore, this only had like one likeable character, and a few of the points I've mentioned in the content warnings are things I don't like to read about. 
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twirl's review against another edition

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dark tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This book isn’t a murder mystery but a slow soap drama drawn out to a ridiculous length. An adequate summary of the book summarizes at the length of one word per page. 

The story is told in time blocks, one in the past, walking chronologically through events since their arrival at the lodge, and the other in the present, walking through the discovery that there has been a murder. I think if it wasn’t for the past time block, this book would feel unreadably slow. So rather than a “whodunit”, it’s a rehashing of past drama so the reader can guess which piece was worth killing over.

Part of what makes this book so difficult to read is the unlikable and unrelatable characters. Everyone is a rich bitch or a loner with a troubled past. There is very little depth to anyone. With multiple POVs, it’s a shame there isn’t one to enjoy.

Finally, the “twists” aren’t really twist. They’re heavily implied and while there are many red herrings, they didn’t dissuade me. As someone who loves mystery- true Agatha Christie level mystery, this isn’t for me. It’s more similar to the likes of Verity.
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fraise's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

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jupiter_01's review

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mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

The characters really made this a slog to get through. Most of them were flawed, however none of the villainy was particularly fun. The reveals were either lacklustre or too slow. I didn't understand how the friend group had stayed in touch after ten years of miserable interactions.

The POVs rotated frequently, which I found somewhat confusing. Sometimes it was first person, third person, or the character broke the fourth wall. I don't know if this was an audiobook-only issue, but most of the time the change in character was not segmented into a new chapter, which made it hard to keep up.

I liked the last act once things finally picked up. In addition, I felt the victim's death like a gut-punch—it became quite a tragedy—so that part was well done by Foley.
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whimsicalish's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I wanted to enjoy this more than I actually did. About halfway, or sooner, I worked out the killer. Especially when a character notices and TELLS me when something someone said was off. Why are you telling me the mystery part? That's for the reader.

I was enjoying the inner thoughts of the characters, even the shitty ones...for awhile. 
But it's annoying when Katie keeps telling me that Miranda is SUCH a great friend and I, the reader, need to take her word for it. Sure, Manda has 'good attributes' while Katie reminiscences about these awful, terrible things Miranda did in the past.

At that point, I don't really care what happens to Miranda. She's so shallow with no redeeming qualities. She was a good friend because she let you borrow a dress one time and forced you to be BFFs? She's an awful fictional character and don't feel bad that she died.
 

Then there's an issue with the other characters. They're in the flashbacks but do nearly nothing in the present. They are completely pushed into the background. Nonexistent.

I can't help but compare this to another mystery book I finished recently. In the remote snow with little outside help? Check. Awful, rich snobs that actually hate each other? Check. Too many characters that about 6 of them are forgotten? Check. Two employees working in this remote getaway? Check.
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amberrenfrey's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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brookey8888's review

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was fine. I didn’t find anything shocking, I thought it was all pretty obvious. I know she wrote this before the guest list, but the guest list is basically a copy and pace with a slightly different who done it and why. 
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annoyedhumanoid's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

wow, so good. i loved the familiarity of each of the narrators, like they were ranting to me about their histories and issues. it had great pacing and writing and a riveting story, had me guessing at every turn but still provided a dramatic ending. i loved how the lodge employees were treated as entirely human and noteworthy despite being less glamorous than the guests. everyone is a grotesque character and it was fascinating to see them alternate between unraveling spectacularly and finding some kind of redemption.
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