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A review by gardens_and_dragons
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I tried out this murder mystery, and I liked it, but I didn’t love it- I think fans of murder mystery novels would probably love this a lot more than I did so I will chalk it up to. I liked it, but it wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. I think I enjoyed it moreso on audiobook than if I had read it physically since the narrators have all distinct voices and accents.
Pretty much all of the characters are unlikable, which is fine because it gives pretty much everybody in there a motive to be a killer. BUT! I think the conceit of the novel not revealing who was killed until about 3/4 of the way through was actually detracting from my enjoyment of things. It meant that I was trying to figure out at the same time who was the killer and who actually died, which means that it was hard to keep up with the plot - anyone could have died and anyone could have been the killer.
I did, however, find that the classic “stranded in the cabin during a snowstorm” Aesthetic worked really well for the book. It was very atmospheric and the wilderness and the cabin kind of takes on a life of its own. I enjoyed the side characters of the groundskeeper and the house manager because they seemed like the most complex characters out of all of them.
I also think that the writing was really good! While it wasn’t the most purple of pros it really does suck you into each point of view and get you into the characters head which was pretty nice to see.
Pretty much all of the characters are unlikable, which is fine because it gives pretty much everybody in there a motive to be a killer. BUT! I think the conceit of the novel not revealing who was killed until about 3/4 of the way through was actually detracting from my enjoyment of things. It meant that I was trying to figure out at the same time who was the killer and who actually died, which means that it was hard to keep up with the plot - anyone could have died and anyone could have been the killer.
I did, however, find that the classic “stranded in the cabin during a snowstorm” Aesthetic worked really well for the book. It was very atmospheric and the wilderness and the cabin kind of takes on a life of its own. I enjoyed the side characters of the groundskeeper and the house manager because they seemed like the most complex characters out of all of them.
I also think that the writing was really good! While it wasn’t the most purple of pros it really does suck you into each point of view and get you into the characters head which was pretty nice to see.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness and Stalking
Minor: Alcohol