Book Review: The Hunting Party

In a remote hunting lodge, deep in the Scottish wilderness, old friends gather for New Year.

The beautiful one,

the golden couple,

the volatile one,

the new parents,

the quiet one,

the city boy,

the outsider,

...and the victim.

Not an accident – a murder among friends.

This novel by Lucy Foley was released in January of 2019 from Harper Collins/William Morrow books; the mass-market paperback came out in March of 2021.

This was a title I selected for our monthly Mystery Book Club at the library branch where I work. Since our meeting is in early January, I felt thematically this seemed like a good book for the group to read over the holidays. It certainly makes one think twice about with whom they ring in the new year.

Books with multiple narrative viewpoints are always hit or miss for me. This one actually works quite well in that who is narrating and when that narration takes place strengthens this story's structure. It allows the author to show us what is happening after the murder as well as for the few days leading up to the act.

The story reveals the backgrounds and histories of the various characters like peeling back the layers of an onion. It sets up a lot of foundation but does so at an engaging pace. The story really moves and builds the tension. Of course, there is plenty of motivation built into the backgrounds and the interpersonal relationships of both the guests and the staff members - which is why they all are part of the narrative vehicle.

As typical with mystery and thrillers, there are several red-herrings to draw the reader to potential suspects before the names of the victim and the true killer are finally revealed (we do not even find out the victim's gender until halfway through). If you are a fan of this approach, the story will work for you. If you are not, then you'll just think it comes across as a method to draw out the tale. Your mileage may vary.

In the end, it kept me entertained and eager to see how it all played out.