Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

4 reviews

lexithelion's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Out of Lucy Foley's 3 murder mysteries, this is definitely my least favourite. However, that is not to say that this is a bad book, because it's not. This book is a great first mystery that combines the difficult inter-workings of friendships and an establishing plot-line that puts all the characters in an abstract and very solitary situation. The book does not drag and the story is incredibly easy to follow; props to Lucy Foley for being able to write a 0% confusing mystery novel that jumps back-and-forth in time and also utilizes multi-perspective chapters. I will say that this book seemed quite fast and the ending was incredibly abrupt which is a pattern I've noticed in Foley's literature. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Murder, Alcohol, Blood, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Animal death, Death, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Gore

Minor: Grief, Drug abuse, Suicide, and Medical content

undertherowantree's review

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I feel like there were too many characters, so you didn't develop enough attachment to them and many of them didn't really have a role in the plot. I also felt like the back and forward between the end and beginning gave too much away too early and affected the pacing. It didn't really build-up in the same way other thrillers do and the ending felt rushed and by that point, predictable, as it had been hinted at since page 1. I loved the setting and found the writing addictive though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Body shaming, Cursing, Drug use, Outing, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Classism, Confinement, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Stalking, Sexual harassment, and Self harm

Moderate: Chronic illness, Grief, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Pregnancy, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, and Vomit

Minor: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Sexism, and Abandonment

twirl's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Infidelity, Murder, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Sexual violence and Sexual harassment

Minor: Infertility

jstroud's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War and Death

Minor: Suicide