I ended up listening to this on audio format which I think made being able to keep everything in my mind a lot harder. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, which I always find somewhat difficult. The story line was pretty interesting though and I enjoyed the glamping aspects! The ending was really good as well.

Thank you netgalley for the earc in exchange for an honest review.

A tense story filled with characters who all had questionable motives. It moved along at a brush pace and dribbled the clues sporadically. Well written
I will look for more by this author

The Search Party by Hannah Richell is about a group of friends with a long history (and many secrets!) who go glamping together. Accompanying them are their assorted children, new partners, and glamping site staff. A mysterious unfortunate event occurs, and the weekend becomes a race against time to conduct a rescue and find those at fault.

I flew through this book. The writing is easy and I had a good time. There are a lot of characters and I had to create a handwritten chart to keep them all straight. It’s far-fetched and there might be one too many coincidences, but it’s a fun ride. I recommend it to readers who just want to not think too hard and enjoy a dark, twisty thriller.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

Glamping Trip Gone Wrong

The Search Party by Hannah Richell is a gripping thriller that revolves around a group of old friends who reunite for a glamping trip in Cornwall. The planned weekend getaway quickly turns into a nightmare when a powerful storm hits, leaving them stranded. As tensions rise and secrets unravel, the group's bonds are tested to their limits. The plot alternates between various timelines and settings, creating a complex narrative that keeps readers on edge.

The Search Party is a compelling read that combines elements of mystery, drama, and suspense. Its strengths lie in its well-crafted characters, intricate plot, and emotional depth. However, the complexity of the narrative structure may be challenging for some readers. Overall, it is a highly recommended read for fans of thrillers and psychological dramas.

A reunion thriller which revolves around a group of university friends and their children in a glamping weekend gone wrong.

Max and Annie have invited their friends and family to their new glamping retreat site on the Cornish coast. But as you can guess, things go wrong and the story becomes a classic locked room mystery.

I enjoyed the characters in this story and how the relationships between the friends caused tension and cart suspicion.

I enjoyed the cleverness of how the mystery was intimately unraveled but I did find it was a bit long and some of the relationships between the parties I didn’t find realistic. However, overall it was an interesting plot and I enjoyed how the interviews by the police with the various characters gave you clues.


Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this thriller set on the cost of Cornwall. It was a very interesting concept and I did not see the twist coming. The characters were interesting and the story compelling. I would absolutely read more books by this author in the future.

This is a mystery thriller as good as any other. Intertwining the difficulties of relationships in families friendships and the challenges of children, especially exceptional children, this story is as relatable as it is twisty. Not short, but well paced , you won’t want to put it down. Recommend!

This was a quick read for me. It was somewhat predictable at the start and there were quite a few annoying characters. There was not really a "thriller" feeling to the story. I wasn't surprised by the twist, but I did enjoy the police investigation and the multiple POVs leading up the reveal.
The character based plot was fast based and written so you could easily imagine the scenery.

Thanks Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity.

Thank you to Simon & Shuster Canada and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a mystery/thriller about a group of old college friends who get together at the campground of one of the friends, for a weekend of camping before the grand opening. Their life's have all gone in different directions since the decades of their college days, life's full of kids, successes and failures. There are secrets and lies that will be revealed on this trip which will test their bonds. With a storm approaching and tensions high, they will have to make choices to work together to save members of the group. Someone in this group is not who they say they are, with a hidden agenda that could tear the friendships apart forever. The storm has made it impossible to contact emergency services, forcing them to rely on each other to survive.
I found this story a little slow at times but the number of twists had me moving forward towards one that I didn't see coming.

“The Search Party” by Hannah Richell delivers a captivating tale that will leave readers eager for more as she crafts a gripping narrative that immerses readers in a camping trip turned nightmare. As tensions escalate and secrets unravel, the characters grapple with protecting their own while facing the consequences of their actions.

The Kingsleys' escape from London to Cornwall sets the stage for a reunion with old friends, revealing strained relationships and buried resentments. Richell skillfully navigates multiple timelines and settings, keeping the suspense taut until the final revelation.

The mystery of who did it takes place in various settings over the course of a single weekend. The elevated emotions and increased tensions make the timeframe feel much longer. The multiple perspectives give readers a convincing portrayal of the different characters. This glamping weekend among old college friends and their families is anything but fun, as a child goes missing, massive secrets are uncovered, and tempers escalate, all during a massive storm. The pace is frantic as we are propelled towards the astonishing conclusion.

Richell's adept storytelling keeps the reader engaged, with well-developed characters driving the plot forward. While some twists may be anticipated, the overall journey is satisfying, showcasing Richell's talent for crafting compelling mysteries.

I've been missing out on a great author! I look forward to reading past and future books by Hannah Richell!

I’m very grateful to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Canada, and Hannah Richell for the Advanced Reader Copy!

The Search Party by Hannah Richell has so many things I love in a thriller; set in a gloomy and isolated place and following a group of life long friends who are keeping secrets from one another, this one had me hooked from the beginning.

I really enjoyed this one. The writing was strong, the characters dubious and the setting atmospheric and wild. Despite having a few more fantastical plot points (one of the characters is clearly influenced by Simon Cowell) everything that happened felt plausible, which is important for me. And while I guessed the “big twist” at the end, it was where I wanted the story to go and I felt satisfied by the ending.

In the blurb this one was compared to both Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley and I can absolutely see why. So, if you’re a fan of either of their work, I would definitely suggest picking this one up.

The Search Party had me at the edge of my seat. It was hard to put down. The story unfolds as Max and Annie invite their old college friends, by along with their families, for a weekend of glamping. However, the reunion is tense and filled with secrets, which come to the surface as the group is confronted with hardship, including the disappearance of a member of the party.

The novel uses multiple perspectives to bring the events to light, in a thriller which leaves readers guessing until the end…. No one can be trusted!

Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the ARC!

I enjoyed this dramatic story. What started out as a reunion of college friends, quickly turned into an explosion of lies, secrets and old resentments come to life. The characters were realistic and believable. The setting and the weather played a key role in the feeling of story. Told from several viewpoints, it kept me intrigued. . I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy stories filled with drama. I received a free copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving my review.

Before reading this book I have never read anything by this author. But after reading this, I am definitely going to look into her other titles.
Max and Annie open a glamming site and invite their old university friends for a dry run. They wanted to have a dry run before the grand opening. So of course a storm happens and tensions rise.
I couldn’t put this down, such an exciting read.

Max, Annie and their son leave the city with the hopes of opening up a "glamping" resort.
With their opening around the corner, Max and Annie invite their oldest friends for a dry run weekend. But emotions run high and the weekend ends in disaster.

This book has dual timeline chapters going between the past at the resort and the present, alternating between a Police interrogation room and the hospital.
It was difficult at first keeping all the characters straight. The author put a list of the characters at the front, which I had to reference many times. I understand why there were so many characters as it seems like they all played some kind of roll... but it was a lot.

In many ways it was also very predictable.
I knew who the villain was and their motive immediately.
Like as soon as everyone got together it was clear.
But in the end I was entertained, it was still a fun read.

Max and Annie invite their old university friends along with their children to stay at their new glamping site on the coast. It’s cozy, secluded - and in true thriller fashion - there’s no cell signal.

We get concurrent timelines of after a tragedy happened and we are seeing characters interviewed by the police and all the interactions and events that happened before the tragedy.

This gave very strong ‘The Guest List’ vibes - secluded location on the coast, bad storm with no one checking the weather ahead of time, no cell service, uni friends, multiple motives, mysterious tragedy, I could keep going.

There were a lot of characters but despite this Hannah Richell did a good job developing them and making them distinct enough that it wasn’t hard to keep them straight.

Overall this was a good read, if you like slow burn thrillers/mystery and a writing style like Lucy Foley you should definitely pick this one up

This is the first book that I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it. It’s been described as a sort of ‘glamping’ getaway gone wrong. A powerful storm leaves the group stuck onsite and forces many a challenges upon them. From turning on each other to beginning to understand what each person is capable of… it’s most definitely a page-turner. Written from various points of view and a back-and-forth timeline, it’s easy to follow - this structure/style certainly adds to the complexity of the storyline.

#glampingtrip #reunion #agatheringoffriends #storm #stranded #thriller #mystery #shocking #secrets #diceit #trust #suspense #drama #pageturner

I would give this book 3-3.5/5 stars. I did enjoy this book at times, but I found I had a hard time really getting into it and following along but I did think the map and guide were really helpful but I found myself getting pulled out at times. I will admit I may have been a bit distracted here and there while reading but overall it just wasn't a favourite or something I'd find myself recommending often.

I love a good fast-paced, locked room thriller, and this one was no exception! This was the first book I've ever read by Hannah Richell (in fact, I hadn't heard of her at all prior to this book!) and I will definitely look into reading her previous books too.

The Search Party is the story of old friends bringing their families together for a camping trip in the English countryside, yet that trip goes completely wrong when a series of feuds eventually leads to a missing child, and then also, a death. I loved the moody setting of this book. The intrigue was easy to follow, even though there were several characters involved. While this book does have several potential trigger warnings, it is not twisted in a sick or psychological way that I've seen in other thrillers or mysteries before. The short chapters will have you thinking "just one more!" until way past your bedtime! If you find yourself in a reading slump, this is a great book to pick up!

Read if you like:
⛰ Moody English countryside/coastal setting
🏕 Family trip gone wrong
🔒 Locked room thriller
👀 Search for a missing person

⚠️ Potential trigger warnings: infidelity, child abuse references, bullying/harassment/public humiliation, graphic violence (may not be an exhaustive list).

🙏 Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the gifted electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An atmospheric trapped on a remote island style vacation thriller that goes wrong when a group of college friends and their families take a joint holiday on a Cornish island. Things go horribly wrong and long-buried secrets are revealed as detectives interview each of the parties involved in this multiple POV thriller perfect for fans of authors like Ruth Ware and Catriona Ward. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!