The Search Party was my first book from the author and I will need to check out her backlist because I loved the chosen family drama meets tense mystery vibes she created. In this book, several families come together at a glamping site for a fun weekend, only to be met with tragedy and fear in a trapped setting. The pace was fast, the characters were all flawed in a great way, and I loved the drama woven throughout. I could see all of the twists coming so that did detract a bit from loving it, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to those fast-paced thriller lovers out there.

Thank you to Atria books for providing an early copy for me to read - you are appreciated!

I love a good locked room mystery. This book unfolds through different POV's in the past (a few days ago) and present (through the detectives' inquiries). Max and Annie left London to open a glamping site in a secluded part of Cornwall. Prior to opening, they invite a few of their college friends and their families to join them and see the place. Of course with any good mystery, there are a lot of secrets and not everyone gets along, and a storm starts moving in. Over the weekend, something catastrophic happens that leads to someone in the hospital and someone missing. The detectives begin questioning Max, Annie, their son Kip, and everyone else one by one, uncovering the secrets.

There was a lot of back and forth between the past/present and all the people which made it a little difficult to get into until I could get all the characters straight. However, once you get all the couples and families down, a lot of red herrings appear creating suspicion upon almost everyone.

This was an entertaining, suspenseful story that kept me going. I didn't expect the twist ending since my suspicions were all over the place.

Old college friends gather for a long weekend in Cornwall. Secrets, betrayals, and pent up frustrations lead to tragedy. Not sure why the book was described as a "locked room mystery "

Well, if you know me at all, you know I love a good locked mystery with an isolated setting, and this one was a page-turner for sure.

There is a full cast of characters with multiple points of view, but the writing is so seamless that I never once got lost or confused. The plot is fresh, the twists are unexpected and the storytelling is excellent. I just couldn’t put this one down.

I recommend you pick this one up!

This one took me a bit to finish because I didn't want it to end and I took my time! It was really twisty, and I liked the multiple POV. Sometimes that can be hard to follow, but it's so crucial to the story. I enjoyed this one so much and have already recommended it to several people!

Max and Annie have left their high-pressure jobs and London behind. Along with their young son Kip, they are getting ready to open a Glamping site in Cornwall. It is beautiful, remote, and they believe this quieter life will be better for Kip too. He had a tragic upbringing before Max and Ani adopted him, and they can only imagine positive things happening once they are open.
They invite three of their old college friends (Dominic, Jim, and Kira) along with their partners and children to spend some quality time together and give their new venture the ‘wildernest’ a trial run. Their friends think they lost their minds. Giving up two highly successful careers to start this business. However, this weekend does not go exactly as planned, and by the end, secrets are revealed, and things are shared that can never be taken back.
The story alternates between what happened with these families and interviews by the police. We know that at least one very bad thing has happened ( I won’t say more because of spoilers), but I will, ask one question, what exactly happened that led up to them needing law-enforcement.
I guessed one secret (yeah me) but not the biggest twist that I just didn’t see coming. I started this on a Saturday and before Sunday had gotten dark, I had finished. At first, I thought there might be too many characters to keep straight. Before the prologue, there is a list, but I didn’t find it difficult to figure out who was who after the first few chapters.When I read books like this, I’m glad I’ve only kept in close touch with one friend from college. Somethings that happened in the past, are just meant to stay there. Also, it was interesting how some of the children played a larger role in the story than I had anticipated. The remote location and the terrible storm made this a very good locked room mystery.

A group of college friends gather 20 years after graduation along with their families had a remote camping site in England. When one of the children go missing, a sinister series of events begin to take place.

I thought this book was average. The writing was pretty good, but the story could’ve used a few less characters and then expanded a little bit. There is a nice twist toward the end.

I was absolutely enthralled this entire book. There were so many characters that stood out in such subtle ways. The author gave each player their own role in such a way that only one (Suze) truly felt unnecessary. Once I hit the 1/3 part of this book, there was no stopping - sleep be damned - I just wanted to know the ending!

A great psychological thriller! Max and Annie have decided to leave their ultra busy, successful London lives behind and move with their 12 year old son to the rugged, remote coast of Cornwall, where they are opening a "glamping" campsite. They hope for a better, more fulfilling life. For a soft opening to the business, they invite three of their oldest friends from university days, who arrive along with their spouses, significant others, and children. It doesn't take long for old tensions and resentments to emerge, and things get out of hand. When one of the children goes missing, the search is hampered by a sudden storm, loss of power and cell service, and roads cut off. There are LOTS of surprises here, and the author is so skilled at building multi-dimensional characters who truly keep you guessing about what could possibly happen next.

So far, this year’s fall and winter ARCs seem to overwhelmingly be locked-room mysteries. This is yet another one, but this was better than others I’ve been reading lately.

Max, Annie and their adopted son, Kip, have left London for Cornwall, looking for a more private way of life. They purchased some land, built a few “glamping” tents, and are about to open a small camping area they’ve named the “Wildernest”. Before opening to the public, they decide to invite some friends for a fun weekend by the sea…which of course, turns into a nightmare.

These friends all have secrets, and we find out in the beginning of the book that something has gone terribly wrong during the weekend. The writing in this was seamless as it bounced through several days, interchanging current moments with things from both the past, and from their conversations with the police after their weekend of fun ends in disaster.

The locked-room mystery trope is starting to get on my nerves this season, but this one was a refreshing change of pace. I enjoyed (or enjoyed disliking) the characters, the plot was fresher than most, and the writing was flawless. 4.5 stars for the best mystery I’ve yet to read for 2024!

(Thank you to Atria Books, Hannah Richell and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on January 16, 2024.)

I had a week to recover.

I’m still experiencing symptoms

I read The Search Party, and I stopped sleeping . The circles under my eyes couldnt be helped by La Mer.

My husband was about to call Dr. Phil

It’s been a week

I know a few of you have this book, is anyone else experiencing my grief? Please tell me I’m not alone

In search of a support group …

Teaser:


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

Max and Annie Kingsley and their twelve year old son have left London to create Wildernest in Cornwall, a glamping/ecotourism spot. This weekend will be a trial weekend for their friends before their grand opening. There to celebrate are three sets of old friends of twenty years and their spouses and children, the Davies family, Dominic, a reality TV star a la Simon Cowell from “American Idol,” wife Tanya and three children, Jim and Suze Miller with their three children (Willow, River and Juniper, which really tells you what you need to know, right?) and the deSilva/O’Connor family, Kira and Fred with their infant.

The book takes place over the weekend from the Friday afternoon arrival to Sunday afternoon interviews by law enforcement both at Wildernest and at a local hospital. What begins as an argument between children spreads to the adults and has fatal consequences.

I quite enjoyed this book…a group of flawed people, young and older, getting together for a weekend that just goes wrong (with some help, of course.) Some parts are a bit silly, but others, well, you can see how some things just turn so quickly wrong, and those parts rang true to me. In fact, I would have liked the book better had it just been that….things going gradually wrong, and the general secrets among the friends versus the “big bad” which, in my opinion, you could see coming a mile away. Overall good though.

This was a very atmospheric and fast paced book. It was quite character based for a thriller but still a page turner. I did guess the twists, but it was still a very enjoyable read. It is the perfect book to binge read on a dark and gloomy, rainy day.

I received a copy of this through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a gripping tear through the pages read, told in three different settings. Relationships are tested on a family glamping trip gone terribly wrong. A storm rolls in, and the winds are not the only thing swirling through.

Thank you Netgalley!

Three families, friends since college, reunite at a remote glamping resort owned by one of them. The adults drink too much, the kids bicker, a sudden storm develops, and one of them goes missing.

This is one of the best locked-room mysteries I have read. The writing immediately drew me in, and I kept turning pages. The plot was believable with many twists and turns. There was good and bad in all the characters. I was never sure who to believe. The ending was satisfying.

This was the first of Hannah Richell's books that I have read. It will not be the last. Thank you, Atria publishers and Net Galley for the ARC of this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

This book kept me intrigued from start to finish. The author did a brilliant job of creating suspense and mystery around one main storyline but then also sprinkles in so many other nuggets of information that lead in other directions for other mysteries which I loved. This novel depicts the testing of friendship between all of these couples and does a great job of showcasing the spectrum of "good" and "bad" most people have in them because one second I was hating a character and the next second I was empathizing with them.. The characters were well-developed and realistic, each with their own secrets and conflicts that added to the drama and tension. I loved how the author explored the themes of friendship, loyalty, betrayal, guilt, and forgiveness through the different perspectives and flashbacks to the weekend. The plot was full of twists and surprises that I did not see coming. The ending was satisfying and I honestly loved the writing so much I could read a whole series on these characters just in their normal day-to-day lives. This book was a captivating read that I highly recommend to anyone who loves a good mystery, and I'll definitely be sharing it with family and friends when it releases.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of The Search Party.

I was really drawn to the premise of this book, however it just didn't land for me. There were too many characters and the jumping timeline made it hard to follow at times.

The story was well-written, it just didn't particularly live up to the expectations I had for it.

The Search Party is a wild ride of a thriller about a glamping weekend gone horribly wrong. Told from multiple points of view and moving back and forth in time, it's a suspenseful story that keeps the reader guessing right up until the very end.

I was a little concerned when I initially saw the extensive list of characters because I figured it was going to be hard to keep track of everyone (especially considering that a good portion of the characters are kids), but it ended up being a non-issue. Everyone has distinct personalities and, honestly, it helped a lot that the hippy family's kids all have hippy names. The narrative's point of view switches between the various adults (and, occasionally, a couple of the children) with each chapter, and slowly the events of their fateful trip to rural Cornwall are revealed.

The plot isn't particularly fast-paced, at least not until the very end, but the drama between the group of friends keeps things interesting. After one of the children goes missing, secrets and betrayals are revealed as tempers rise. The mystery itself (what happened to Phoebe?) is excellent. There were several times when I thought I had everything figured out, but I still found myself surprised at the end – there are lots of red herrings to distract from the truth.

The ending isn't especially novel – it's about what you'd expect from this sort of thriller – but it was still a nail-biter. The last 30% or so of this book was pretty much unputdownable.

Overall, The Search Party is an entertaining and suspenseful read that kept me turning pages well into the night. If you enjoy thrillers of the “old friends reunite and things get weird” variety, you'll probably enjoy this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.

“The Search Party,” centers around three families that come together for a reunion of sorts. Of course, there is tension, mistrust and secrets.

Usually, I love a good reunion meets revenge story. Many writers’ are grappling with such a storyline these days. Some are very good and others not so much. Honestly, this particular novel, was in the latter category. I could not find any redeemable characters, I did not like any character, and as I’ve said before in my other reviews, I don’t have to like them, but they at least need to be developed and be more than one dimensional. Here, they were not.

The multiple POV’s were not managed well and added frustration to reading. For me, anyway. And in my opinion, when you have SO many characters you better be able to flesh them out and present them well or it becomes a bungled, overwhelming mess.

The setting was lovely, I will say that. I’d want to see Cornwall based on the description.

The story was predictable and the drama boring. The ending, pat.

Overall, and I will probably be in the minority here, I found this particular read to be uninspiring and empty.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an eARC in exchange for honest review. All opinions are my own.

Three families and their families are glamping near the cliffs of Cornwall, a test run for the glamping business Max and Annie and their 12 year old son Kip hope to open soon. Dominic is very protective of his family, especialy of teenager Scarlet and 6 year old Phoebe. Because some of the kids from different families have spats and don't seem to be getting along, the parents become very sensitive about their kids. They freak out when a storm wrecks havoc on the group's outdoor hiking set up and people get lost in the outdoors.

The personalities of the parents and the children are interesting as their protectiveness cause tension in the group, in addition to the suspense in the mystery plot. Stereotypes are debunked at the end of the book, which adds to a satisfying ending.