A review by savvylit
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

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

3.0

After really enjoying Foley's The Guest List earlier this year, I had high hopes for this book. While Foley did manage to create another engaging mystery, something about it fell flat. Perhaps it is because the structure of this whodunnit is nearly identical to that of The Guest List. The book begins with an unknown dead body, is set in an isolated location, and contains multiple perspectives from both guests and venue employees... Exactly the same as The Guest List. Except not as well-executed.

There are many twists and turns in this mystery and many red herrings - all of which I appreciate. However, some of the red herrings in this story were so painfully obvious! It honestly felt at times like Foley was shouting in my ear "aha! bet you thought that was the answer!" When a violent act is described in too much detail but there are still two-thirds of the book left... it is so clearly a red herring. Again, I can't help but compare it to The Guest List. In that story, the red herrings were revealed in a slower and more subtle way.

All that being said, I was definitely entertained by The Hunting Party. I think it would make an excellent film!
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