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.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Search Party by Hannah Richell will be released on January 16th, 2024.

Tbh, this book was just....fine. I struggled with it - hard for me to get into, hard for me to get through - and I seem to be an outlier on this. I didn't find the characters particularly likable and there were just way too many point of views. I will admit that multiple POVs, at least for me, tend to earn a higher rating if I listen to the audiobook version.

The most interesting thing about it is how the children of the adults were incorporated and the wide variety of backgrounds. 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.

I always love a good friend reunion story. This theme has been done a lot recently in many books I have read. However, Richell's writing style drew me immediately in. There were SO many characters. So thankful there is a list of them in the prologue. That was my only complaint with this book, just the amount of characters to remember and keep straight. It is written well to avoid confusion with that, but it was still a bit overwhelming. I loved the setting, and I did feel I got to know each character pretty well, which I have to do to really enjoy a novel. 3.5 stars. I look forward to more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the opportunity to read this book!!

This book took me a while to get into. There’s a lot of characters to keep track of but once you have a context for who they all are, I promise you the story is worth it!

As they gather for a glamping weekend with all of their families, the drama starts to unfold!! After 20 years of friendship, everyone is tested as a storm threatens their safety and one of them goes missing. The family drama is just as intense as the raging storm! This book will definitely keep you turning the page!

This was a great mystery/thriller! It centers around a college friends reunion trip with a lot of unspoken tension. Hannah Richell is very good at subverting your expectations; all my guesses as to what would happen were only half right at most. The adults in the group reminded me of many real people I've met; they had very strong and very flawed personalities. I was confused by a couple things at the end - without giving anything away: 1) I felt like there were some loose ends around Fred. 2) the reveal at the end of Scarlet's last chapter 3) the "thing" Annie can't find at the end didn't change my perception of the characters but I feel like it was meant to? Overall, it's a great thriller that drops plenty of hints throughout the buildup but twists each slightly by the end. Thanks for the ARC wooooo!

Many thanks to Atria Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this stellar book from Hannah Richell.
There are many British thrillers and family drama's out there for us to enjoy but this one was absolutely one of the best I have read. I simply couldn't put it down. The characters are well done and they all have flaws and secrets and redeeming qualities (well most of them). The setting is spectacularly done - I've never been to the Cornish countryside but this book transported me there seamlessly.
Annie and Max have ditched the London rat race after much success and built a "glamping" site on the Cornish coast. Years before, Annie and Max had adopted a young boy that came from a horrible background; they adore him and feel this change is best for his healing and growth. This weekend, they have invited their closest and oldest friends and their children for a trial run before they open for business. The guests arrive and from here the race is on for the reader to become fully immersed in this great thriller. Seriously don't miss this one if you want a standout 5-star read.

Ok first I love a good glamping trip and then you put in college reunion style tropes. I’m all in and I knew it would be a good time. I simply couldn’t put this down I loved it so much and I finished it in one sitting. I’m also noticing I like “in the woods or camp” style books so this was even more terrifying in that sense.

An enjoyable read but fairly predictable. Plot doesn’t break any new ground.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/176443625

“The Search Party” by Hannah Richell was a hard to put down psychological thriller. The story is told from multiple POV over a long weekend and also does a before and current timeline with those characters. Five college friends and their significant others are in Cornwall for a weekend to do a test run of their friend’s new glamping business. And things go off the rails and there’s a dead body…

When Max and Annie Kingsley invite their college friends to try out their new glamping business, most are less than enthusiastic. All the friends have been Londoners thru and thru for over 20 years. Nevertheless the group gathers their children and descends upon Cornwall for a long weekend.

The outing is tense. Some of the children fight, the adults snipe and alcohol adds fuel to the fire. But when a storm moves in and someone disappears the group needs to band together to search. Will they find them in time? Moving between police interviews and flashbacks to the weekend, we have front row seats to the disaster
#Atria #TheSearchParty #HannahRichell

So good! The Search Party was about a group of friends (and their children) meeting for a weekend of glamping (I admit, a new word for me). Things begin to go wrong right away, and relationships are tested. I feared at first that I would have trouble keeping everyone straight, but that was not the case. I could not put this book down. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

A couple decides to leave their high paying busy lives in London to buy wild acreage in Cornwall to turn it into a glamping adventure. Before it opens, they invite their closest friends for a stay and things take an eerie turn. Well-writtem and fast paced. I loved it.

"The Search Party" is a delight! One of the best "locked-room" reunion-type thrillers I have read. The multiple POV added to the intrigue, and moved the plot along without ever giving away the mystery at its core. Great atmosphere and depiction of outdoor elements that make you shiver. Chilling and redemptive. I highly recommend. this one. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was a really great book. I love the whole locked room/isolated mysteries and this one was really well written.
Normally a book with so many POV and timelines would have me all confused. However this one fit together seamlessly and I never once got lost.
There are some very likable characters and ones you can’t stand. The perfect mix.
I love that some of it is told from Kip’s point of view. You don’t usually get a child’s point of view in these types of books.
Really well written and even realistic. Great book.

There are many reunion thrillers out there, but few in love the reunited couples' kids. The Search Party successfully and cleverly involves several themes including friendships, betrayal and mental health within a murder and missing persons mystery.

I rarely give out 5 star reviews so this is a must read.
Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy.

This book is a combination of an atmospheric mystery combined with a thriller. I enjoyed how engrossing the plot was and couldn’t wait to find out what happened.