Thank you to Atria Books & NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

I finished this book in just a couple sittings because I continued to tell myself one more chapter, unable to put it down.

Max and Annie left behind their life in London to move out to the wilderness with their son Kip, to open up a glampground. This thriller starts off with a group of university friends getting together with their families at Max and Annie’s new Glamping site on the coast of Cornwall.. Coming for the weekend are Dom and his wife Tonya, and their three kids. Suze and Jim and their three kids. And lastly Kira and her boyfriend Fred, along with their new baby girl. But almost immediately on arrival tensions are thick, kids aren’t getting along, there is no cell service, secrets are flying, and everyone is arguing. Everyone awakes the next day hoping for a calm day, but it’s anything but that. Phoebe, who is Tonya and Dom’s youngest daughter is missing in the woods, just as a terrible storm is moving in. Will they all be able to set their differences aside to work together to find Phoebe? And just when you think nothing else can go wrong on this weekend… think again. The ending is wrapped up perfectly in a bow with all your questions answered.

Tensions are high, and the drama doesn’t ever end. This book is told in alternating points of view between all the friends, some of their children, and the police who are navigating the tragedies that occur that weekend. I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with all the families and also keep all of the characters straight, but it was very easy to keep up with. I really enjoyed this thriller, and look forward to reading more by this author. If you’re looking for an intense and fast paced thriller, give this one a read! (would like to add that there should be a trigger warning for child abuse).

I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

i unfortunately didn’t care for this book. i don’t think it’s bad at all, but there were too many characters, and the story was a little too dragged out for me. it just wasn’t holding my interest. i actually read about half of this, then skipped to the end to see what happened. it felt as if i hadn’t skipped anything at all because there was pretty much a whole explanation for what happened. i wasn’t that surprised by the reveals, and i wasn’t connecting to the characters. however, i can see some other people really enjoying this book. thank you to the publisher for the ARC!

3.5 stars. A group of old college friends, along with their significant others and children, reunites on a glamping holiday, where things go dreadfully wrong. I always get a sinking feeling when I open a new book to a long list of characters. I strongly believe that your plot is too complicated if you feel you need to include a character list. I never refer to character lists and muddle through as best as I can without looking at them. There were a lot of good things happening in this novel, but as the list led me to believe, there were just too many characters. I think some of the characters and sub-plots could have been eliminated and this would have been a much tauter, more exciting read. I enjoyed the Cornwall setting, and I don't mind unlikable characters in a thriller (unlike in other genres). The book moves fluidly between before and after the traumatic events, and Richell did a good job of not making the time shifts too confusing. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a digital review copy.

Solid destination thriller centered around college friends, mostly couples and their kids, "glamping" for the weekend when one of the couples opens a new wilderness retreat. Great pacing and lots of drama. Interesting twist at the end. Definitely want to read Hannah Richell's backlist now.

A friends’ weekend reunion at a remote campsite turns deadly when someone goes missing. Secrets are revealed as it flashes back and forth between the present with police investigating and the past.

I liked this one, but wasn’t wowed by it. I think it took a little bit to get into and then it did pick up some. I do wish there had been more twists and turns. There definitely was a bigger one toward the end, but I think suspense could have been built up more. At times, it felt more like a drama than a thriller.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Search Party.

I've never read this author before so I was excited my request was approved.

The writing is good, and I like the premise but there's nothing original about the characters and plot.

A group of old friends get together with their family, friends who share secrets, drama, and (not surprisingly) don't particularly like each other after so much time has passed.

There's the stereotypical cliches of adultering, infidelity, a character who is a Simon Cowell wannabe with a new, much younger second wife, and the young, adopted son of the family organizing the glamping trip who has behavioral issues.

.Nearly everyone is a red herring, and the author purposely keeps readers hanging as to what happened when the police are called in.

Ii didn't like anyone, except for Fred, I think because he seems to be the most genuine person in the whole group because he doesn't belong in the group.

I guessed some of the twists, which was easy to figure out because I read a lot of these books in this genre.

But, I did like how the author tied up all the loose ends and how the weekend forced all the adults behaving badly to reassess their priorities and what is more important: family.

Highly atmospheric and filled with lots of juicy drama! Annie and Max Kingsley have left big city life and decided to set up a “glamping” experience in the Cornwall wilderness. Before officially opening, they invite three old friends, along with their families, to join them for a mini reunion and a trial run. But an unexpected storm rolls in, isolating them from immediate help. One of the party goes missing and everyone is a suspect of foul play. This devastating weekend trip will cause tensions to build, secrets to be revealed, and friendships to be strained to the breaking point. Thank you Netgalley, Atria Books and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on January 16, 2024

I always had questions about large friend groups who still hang out after one or more decades. Are you still the same people from those university days? Are you telling me that you were not faking, putting masks on to be loved, and expected people did the same in your 20s? Are you telling me that you think none of your views differ now that you are in your 40s? Sure, you can still be friends, but as close as you were in your 20s? You get bored of your partners and your marriages fail even if you married those from your friends group. Like, come on!

Put anyone in a place where they are away from gifts of modern life and especially in a bad weather, they are going to lose it. When you try to bring 4 families together in such place, it will be a disaster. The things people could say and do under stress without their acceptable masks on can easily turn any gathering into a day to remember. These university friends were in for this kind of treat!

It was a good example of whodunnit sprinkled with not so obvious hints all along. I appreciated the way it kept you wondering what now. You didn't exactly know who was in the hospital, if whispers were about one character or the other, and most importantly what really happened. This is definitely a good book to read on a rainy day ;)

"A spellbinding locked-room mystery about a glamping trip gone horribly wrong when a powerful storm leaves the participants stranded and forced to confront long-held secrets and a shocking disappearance.

Max and Annie Kingsley have left the London rat race with their twelve-year-old son to set up a glamping site in the wilds of Cornwall. Eager for a dry run ahead of their opening, they invite three old university friends and their families for a long-needed reunion. But the festivities soon go awry as tensions arise between the children (and subsequently their parents), explosive secrets come to light, and a sudden storm moves in, cutting them off from help as one in the group disappears.

Moving between the police investigation, a hospital room, and the catastrophic weekend, The Search Party is a propulsive and twisty destination thriller about the tenuous bonds of friendship and the lengths parents will go to protect their children - perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley."

This is why I don't go glamping.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the copy of The Search Party by Hannah Richell. I loved the premise of this book! The timelines were really confusing and frustrating. To keep jumping to the police investigation without even knowing what had happened was annoying and made it hard to have any context for the story. There were so many characters I had to keep going back to the cast page to see how old the kid was and who they were related to, and most of them were incidental to the story. Maybe I’m just a lazy reader, but having to refer to a ‘cast’ list is too much work for me. The stories weren’t very compelling and I didn’t understand what the main plot was. This wasn’t a bad book, but not great. I lost interest near the end because there were so many stories to keep track of. I think if you love a twisty end, you will love this book!

An intense and compulsively readable thriller with characters who showed more of their complexity as the book went along, for better or for worse. This novel goes back and forth in time between the beginning and the end of the weekend, which makes for some page-turning suspense. Old friends plus new loves gather together for a reunion weekend at one couple's new "glamping" spot - and of course secrets are uncovered and friendship and family bonds are tested when disaster strikes while the kids are off on their own.

A little too intense maybe for readers who have trauma with child violence, but ultimately a satisfying ending.

Note: Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC.

This book was my first by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed the moody atmosphere depicted throughout the novel. I feel like the location was its own sinister character. I enjoyed the storytelling from different characters and timelines but at times it felt drawn out. Overall the novel had all the elements of a locked room mystery, but I was able to guess most of the twists.

This book comes out in January 2024 and it will be the perfect wintery escape.

My thanks to Atria, Hannah Richell and Netgalley.
So, turns out that I should have been glamping instead of camping.
Camping gets you a sore backside. Glamping gets a mystery! Had I known that, then I would have glamped my way through all those summers. 😬 Though I would have missed out on grizzly bears rampaging through camp. Moose eating off my apple tree and skunks scaring the pooey out of me! O.K. Maybe, just maybe...I'll take camping! The wildlife is wild! Also, I live in between Glacier national park and Yellowstone national park. Or as I call it, Jellystone. Thanks, Yogi bear! Boo boo too! I never forget my pic-a-nic basket!
There were some pretty awesome peeps in this book, and one major ass. He was such an asshole that there were times I'd have liked to string him up by his nutsack and watched him scream and squirm! So really, just a perfect protagonist!
I'll admit that I had no clue who the big bad was. I love that!
So, for a book that I wasn't expecting much from, turned into a pretty good story. I'll be looking for more from Ms. Richell.

The Search Party by Hannah Richell is a fast paced novel that alternates between old college friends that meet up for a weekend at Max and Annie's new glaming site. When one of the children goes missing it is up to all of them to try and find her. Being on a remote island doesn't help when a storm blows in and causing the power lines to go down. With no cell service they can not call the help that they need to locate the child. Everyone blames Kip, Max and Annie's adopted son for Phoebe's disappearance since he was the last one to be seen with her. Each chapter tells the events of the days through Dom, Scarlette, Max, Annie, Jim, Kip, Kira, Tanya, and Suze. Someone is not telling the truth and the secrets will soon be revealed. This is the first book that I have read by Hannah Richell and she is going to be an author that I am going to have to read all of her past books. If you like any of the following authors you will love The Search Party. Ruth Ware, Claire Douglas, Lucy Foley, Lisa Jewell, Sally Hempsworth

College friends and their families get together for a weekend of glamping on the english coast. It's beautiful scenery, serene setting and quality time connecting with old friends promises to be a great moment to make lasting memories. Unfortunately long held resentments and secrets derail the weekend before it gets a chance to take off. This was a promising story and I didn't dislike it, but I didn't love it. It was just ok. There were too many characters for my liking and it was pretty slow for most of the story. Some good suspense moments and witty dialogue. A solid 3 stars.

Max and Annie have left their life in London to escape to Cornwall and set up a glamping business with their 12 year old adopted son. Ahead of the grand opening the invite three old university friends and their families for the weekend. Tensions quickly arise and a powerful storm moves in as one of the party members disappears.

Chapters alternate between characters and from the beginning of the weekend to the aftermath. Characters have their own secrets and issues to deal with which all come in to play and help set events in motion.

Most of the characters are unlikable but it doesn't stop the reader from wanting the best outcome. I sometimes felt there was too much description of unnecessary things but it propels you forward. I could easily feel everyone's emotions and the descriptions of the storm are great.

Throughout you will be trying to guess the identity of two people. I got one of them right but the other was a surprise. The Search Party is a little slow in the beginning but don't let that fool you. This is a book that will have you reading as fast as you can.

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read in exchange for an honest review. The Search Party will be released January 16th.

The Search Party
Written By Hannah Richell
Release Date January 16, 2023
Publisher Atria Books

Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Pace: 4/5
Suspense: 5/5


This is a story that has several different POV’s and it jumps from past tense to present tense. This is definitely a very well written book that keeps the reader focused as well as allowing the story to flow smoothly while creating just the perfect build up of how the characters all come into the story. The author has an uncanny ability to tell a story that has a few different aspects to it and keeping the reader engaged and entertained the entire time. I had no idea how the ending was going to play out but boy was it amazing.

Max and Annie Kingsley wanted to set up a glamming site in Cornwall so the two set out from London to do just that. Prior to the opening though, they invited some friends and family to spend some time together at the site. Yet as the festivities continue through the evening some tensions arise between the children and parents and end up with someone missing. As the police get involved and a search party starts looking secrets come to light and those who you think are friends turn to enemies. How far would you go to protect your child? Who can you trust? Is there more to to the story than meets the eyes? You betcha. If you want to read a book that has everything necessary for a mystery that will take your breath away, then this is the book you need to run out and get as soon as it is released.

5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

I really enjoyed The Search Party. Annie and Max had moved from the city to the wilderness and they decided to invite their six friends of 20 years to visit. Their friends were Dominic and Tanya, Suze and Jim, and Kira and Fred. Actually, Fred and Tanya weren't part of the group. The others had gone to college together. Dominic and Tanya and Suze and Jim were married. Kira and Fred weren't married but they had a baby together. The baby wasn't Fred's, but he loved her as though she were. They were all there with their children. Kip was Annie and Max's adopt his son and he was actually the star of the book.

Kip was a 12-year-old child of few words. It seems that whenever anything happened he was always in the middle of it. The husbands were supposed to be watching the children. But they snuck off and went to the beach. When they were on their way back to the farmhouse, they were chased by a herd of cows and a bull. All of the children came back except Kip and Phoebe who was the youngest. She was 6 years old, and Tanya and Dominic's daughter. Eventually, Kip came back with Phoebe's stuffed bear but she wasn't with him. He had left her on a stump to go back to the beach to find her bear. When he got back she wasn't there. She had gotten scared and had found a hiding place. Kip was questioned about her whereabouts but he wouldn't talk. Dominic went off on him and ended up slapping him which made him withdraw it even more. So the men went off to search for her. They returned to the farmhouse unsuccessful.

In the meantime, Scarlett, Dominic's 16-year-old daughter was worried about Phoebe and wanted to help. Josh, Annie and Max's hired hand, went to Scarlett's tent and told her that he knew where Phoebe was and wanted to take her to her. It turns out that was a rouse. Dominic was a television personality on the show Star Search. Josh's sister went to become a contestant on the show and Dominic shamed her. She ended up committing suicide. So Josh took Scarlett because he wanted to hurt Dominic. He took her to the cliff where his sister had committed suicide and he wanted her to jump.

Kip had snuck in the back of the truck because he had seen Josh take Scarlett and he wanted to know what Josh was up to. Josh had taken Scarlett to an old building and he had secured her wrists and ankles. Kip saw Josh sever her bonds and march her out to the cliff. Just as he was about to make her jump, Kip ran out and stabbed Josh with a knife he had found and pushed him over the ledge. Josh himself had had a knife and had gashed Scarlet's leg. Kip helped Scarlett to the truck and drove her back to the farmhouse. He didn't tell anyone what had happened. Scarlett was unconscious and was taken to the hospital. While all this was going on, Jim found Phoebe.

This author was an excellent storyteller. I liked the way she crafted the characters and the plot was easy to follow. I gave this book five stars.

I always want to find my next favorite thriller. I love isolation trope in books, so I thought this would be promising. I only read about 5% before realizing the writing style wasn’t working. It felt mid, in the nicest way you can really say that.