Reviews with content warning for Toxic friendship - The Hunting Party

Gostei muito mais de acompanhar a linha temporal de 2 de janeiro narrada pela Heather porque eu tal como ela estava a tentar perceber quem seria o culpado, no entanto não gostei nada de só ficar a saber qual das hóspedes tinha desaparecido para poder formar teorias mais sólidas de quem era o culpado.
Cheguei à conclusão de que este grupo de amigos é, em geral, completamente louco. E as minhas personagens favoritas foram a Heather e o Doug.

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hatchtag's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I finished it but it was my least favorite by this author (the third I read from her and the first that I guessed every single "twist"). The characters were not as well developed but the narrative around the setting was lovely. Ok for a quick vacation read.

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chris_reads's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.5

With the wintry isolated setting, a tense party of old friends, and toxic female friendships, I was reminded a lot of Ruth Ware's In a Dark, Dark Wood. I preferred this one. Didn't love it though.

I liked the plot structure. I really like dual timelines, and the decision to withhold the victim's identity. And how so many characters felt like legitimate suspects. If you want a book with likeable characters, keep looking. I think this is the aspect of the genre that stops me from truly loving it. The mystery keeps me reading, but I never get all that invested in the characters.

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moyarb's review against another edition

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challenging dark 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

3.25

I did love the setting and how isolated it felt. It set the mood and the last 20 chapters or so were enjoyable. Unfortunately, this was too slow for me (It's 60 chapters plus an epilogue!), but I think if I didn't go in expecting a whodunnit and seeing the reviews on the back cover comparing it to Agatha Christie, I probably would've enjoyed it more. This wasn't a murder mystery, but more like a domestic drama with some suspense sprinkled at the end. The characters were either very unlikable or boring, and the ending wasn't satisfying. Of the trope about a group of longtime friends who secretly hate each other, this was the weakest.

Earlier this year, I read The Paris Apartment which is Lucy Foley's most recent work and the first book of hers I read. I loved The Paris Apartment, but having read The Hunting Party and the preview of The Guest List, Foley's mysteries are pretty much the same format: Multiple POVs set back and forth in time during the present and the time leading up to the present and I suppose it all depends on execution because I think The Paris Apartment was more engaging and had a good blend of the drama and the mystery. At least it showed that Foley improved on her formula.

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rmperash's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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radhikag's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This was really well done. I did not see the twist coming though I probably should have.. couldn’t put this down towards the end and already want to read more! This was different from the Guest List and the Paris Apartment in how closely entangled everyone was before the fateful trip / event but I appreciated the same style of switching timelines and POVs.. all together makes for a v interesting story!

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suchallie's review

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Great winter read. I wanted more from the ending - some of the writing in the last few chapters felt lazy but otherwise well done. Lucy Foley manages to keep the surprises well hidden for the most part but some things I did see coming. I read The Guest List first and it has many similarities.

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