The Hunting Party | 
pickI got myself right in the mood for some Lucy Foley recently, after hearing an excellent interview with her on the What should I read next podcast. I prefer her books on audio, the multiple narrators work great, and I just get too scared on paper. I‘ve been partway through The Paris Apartment for a long long time. This one was definitely her usual standard. I didn‘t know who it was as everyone was a suspect. Highly enjoyable. 🤓
#StorySettings
A #Snowstorm is a great setting for a murder mystery thriller. Here are two that I‘ve read. ❄️🩶🌨️
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was a pretty good escapist thriller. I liked the resolution and how so many people seemed suspect. The pacing was good too. My second Lucy Foley book, and I‘ve gotta say I‘m a fan.
pickMurder mystery in the Scottish back country. I definitely like The Guest List better, but this was good. Set around NYE, so a good winter read.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was a great read! A real page turner! Couldn‘t put it down and joked at work that I was going to ask my boss if I could go home early to finish it 😂 I don‘t understand why people have bailed on this and rated it low. I loved the way it kept me guessing, as all Lucy Foley books do. Yes, the characters are awful, they‘re meant to be! And Foley has a real knack for dissecting human nature. Loved it as I do all her books!
so-soThis was a decent story, but I dont rate Lucy foley as much as others do
bailedBail on page 170. There were too many characters, and they were all awful.
pickThe story took a bit of time to build. It was told from a few different points of view. The atmosphere – the remoteness, the loneliness, the cold of the place – was done really well. The reader is not told who is the missing guest until a ways into the story. I have to say none of the characters was particularly likable. It was a good buildup to the finale, and hard to tell who the culprit was, as it could have been just about anyone
so-soLiked the story idea, but not the characters. I think the ensemble cast of voice actors probably made this book work better for me. I guessed who the murder victim was, but didn‘t identify the correct murderer. I have The Guest List as an ebook, and it‘s on my 2023 TBR. Going to put some time between Foley books because I keep reading that she‘s basically recreating the same set of circumstances for each book - just new setting and new characters.
so-soA decent who dunnit, I would have have liked to see more characters perspectives, however.
pick"Perhaps it's simply growing older. A sense that she doesn't have to prove herself any longer, that she knows exactly who she is. I envy that." #Decemberbookclub2022 #thehuntingparty #bookclub
“Some people, given the right amount of pressure, taken out of their usual, comfortable environments, don‘t need much encouragement at all to become monsters.”
#December2022
so-soI found the first half of this quite slow, and was prepared to rate it 2 stars; however, it picked up in the second half. Whilst far from a favourite read, it was tolerably good.
The intrigue made up for the boringness and lack of action in the first half.
I could certainly tell that The Hunting Party was a predecessor to The Guest List, which I rated five stars! Foley‘s skills definitely became honed during the latter.
pickNo finished projects today, the purple and blue glass was so frustrating to cut and these need to be ground to fit better. And I‘ve got 2 more to go (d20s for my friend‘s family who D&Ds together).
Hunting Party is the ultimate cautionary tale about leaving friendships that no longer serve you. In the atmospheric setting of a New Years excursion in remote Scottish Highlands, friends & staff face the elements & the secrets they keep from eachother
10-31-22: My October Book Wrap Up! Missing from this picture are my two favorites of the month: The Book Haters Book Club 4⭐️ and Pack Up the Moon 5⭐️. All in all it was a good month of reading! 📖
pick10-30-22: My 108th finished book of 2022! A group of 30 somethings, friends for over 10 years, always spend New Years together somewhere away from their homes in London. For 2018 into 2019, the group are at a lodge in far off Scotland, away from civilization. When one of the group turns up dead it‘s up to the caretaker, Heather, to figure out who the murderer is. Lots of twists and unforeseen moments. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️📖#️⃣1️⃣0️⃣8️⃣
pickWell done in terms of the back and forth between present and past as well as the character perspectives that shaped how the story unfolded. Foley kept me on my toes trying to guess who it was so the reveal was very well done and I liked that it was presented further in the story, right towards the end.
pickI thought this was a lot of fun. There were tons of clues and enough misleading details scattered throughout to keep you second guessing yourself. I enjoy Foley‘s atmospheric writing style, though her characters aren‘t always the most complex.
pickOnce again - Lucy Foley wrote a hugely enjoyable chilling atmospheric crime mystery. Entertaining and riveting Agatha Christie-esque whodunit story. I enjoyed this author's characters development and writing style.
Ever heard "career" and "careen" interchangeably? Apparently the Brits "career" around a corner. I was scratching my head thinking it was a typo until I realized Lucy Foley is British!
First book finished for #awesomeaugust and I liked it but didn‘t love it. That was the book club consensus.
Great setting, interesting enough mystery, annoying characters behaving horribly. Not sure how much the subplot added. Soft pick.
1. Most of my family but especially my mom.
2. Louise Penny
3. I‘m in several book clubs. Tagged book is next on the docket.
#wondrouswednesday
so-soThe trope of a good murder mystery occurring at an isolated snowy retreat amongst a group of people who all become suspects always appeals to me, and this would have been a pick if I liked any of the characters. They were too old to behave in such catty, immature, mean-girl ways. It was a dreamy location though, and the audiobook narration was well done! #pop22
pick🎧 This was a book you need to follow rather closely.
The chapters skip in time and POV. The story is told by a few friends who have gathered at a hunting lodge for NYE
There are shocking revelations. The story takes strange turns. Twisty.
It was a somewhat believable collection of friends but the premise was meh. Still a fun romp & a good audiobook.
⭐️⭐️⭐️3/4
I've been in and out with this one for a few months. Luckily I don't get to confused if it's been a bit since I picked it up. Hope to maybe finish it this weekend, unlikely though lol😂😂😂
pickI listened to the audiobook of this via my library's app - It was an interesting listen with a full cast.
3.75/5
Read for prompts for:
#TheNerdDaily2022ReadingChallenge
#PopSugarReadingChallenge2022
#Buzzwordathon2022
pickGreat suspense. Didn‘t connect with any characters extremely well but was definitely kept on edge the whole time. It was a surprise ending. Wanted more on how everyone turned out in the end
so-soThis is a pretty solid mystery, but it was just okay for me. I admit that the identity of the killer took me by surprise, but I did figure out the identity of the victim (also a mystery in the book). If you‘re a fan of the “group of people trapped in an isolated location” trope, you might want to check it out!
so-soThis book was a fun book to read with a cup of tea and nothing else to do. Definitely not a ‘thinker‘ of a book, but a little joy ride of a murder mystery.
panNot. A. Fan. Despite the short chapter breaks this one was a slog and a half. It got to the point I didn‘t care who was being murdered let alone which “guest” was doing the killing. Not what you want from a suspense thriller. #readingchallenge2022
pickCompared to my last read, I thought this was worlds better. Multiple first person POVs and jumps in time to before and after the suspicious murder. I don‘t always like first person, but I felt like I knew the characters much more thoroughly in this book. The plot itself was pretty good, with some good red herrings.
This week has been super busy, but I‘ve been sporadically reading this and liking it! I also got The Paris Apartment by the same author and am eager to read that one, too.
bailedThis was too slowly paced for a thriller. It just went on and on and I didn't care. I got half way through then gave up and flicked to the end to see how it ended
Unbelievably boring
No matter what the books says I am imagining the Lodge as The Goes Wrong Show "The Lodge" complete with deer head screaming "Get out!"
pickI liked this but for all the build up it was a bit anticlimactic. I loved all the red herrings (even if it was obvious they were such) and the writing helped make up for the thin plot. 🤷🏻♀️
