The Search Party by Hannah Richell is a locked-room mystery filled with unreliable narrators, mixed with thought-provoking themes. Set on the craggy coastline of Cornwall, a group of university friends together with their families reunite for a trial of a new glamping site. All of the characters are flawed in their own way, even the most well-meaning. The story touches on themes of found family, parenting/step-parenting, trauma, attachment, infidelity, infertility, and classism. When a literal and metaphorical storm brews, a child from the group goes missing. Assumptions are made that reveal prejudices and multiple twists and turns that leave the reader guessing and questioning their own biases. The story slips between present and past revealing early that one of the characters has perished, adding a mysterious layer. Initially, it was difficult to get all of the characters straight, but ultimately, the couples did provide important context in the story and no one is safe from blame. This book would be perfect for fans of Ruth Ware, Louise Candlish, and Gilly. MacMillan.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Search Party - Hannah Richell
Max and Annie are nervous but proud of their new endeavor. When they invite their old college friends to their new glamping location, they expected it to be a weekend of catching up, good food, and relaxing vibes.
However, things never go as planned.
As the ladies retreat to the house for some girl time, the men are left in charge if the children. As tensions rise between the men, the kids set off on their own adventure. What started out as a fun adventure quickly turned into the scare of a lifetime as one of the kids goes missing. With a storm rolling in, high emotions, secrets and a missing kid, it's quite plain to see that this weekend was anything but the one they had hoped for.
The Search Party was filled with a large group of characters but managed to make it easy to distinguish between the families. As secrets emerged, I was hooked. Every group has some drama, and this group was no different. Not only did I have the need to know what happened to the missing child, I desperately needed to know all the truths. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I was blindsided with more drama. If you're looking for a thriller to keep you.om the edge of your seat, this is definitely one to snag. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!!

I read “The Search Party” within the course of a day, and did enjoy the book overall. I do think the writing was a bit choppy in parts, but the story was able to keep my attention. I will definitely look for Richelle’s next novel.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this ARC!

4⭐️

This was a fun book. It also reinforced why I don’t go camping lol

There are two different time lines, the vacation and then when the police come. There are also multiple points of view, but it’s easy to understand. I just made a list of the characters until I was used to who was who and which family was which.

The story flowed smoothly and I found it hard to put down. The chapters were a perfect length and had me quickly flipping the pages. I had to know what was happening next.

I’m usually pretty quick at guessing what’s going to happen, but this one took me a little longer and I loved that it kept me guessing.

Thank you to Hannah Richell, Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the eARC!

What a ride this story was!!

A group of friends getting together with all their kids to meet up at one of the groups new glamping site. When one of the kids goes missing all hell breaks loose as they try to find her and determine what happens.

I really enjoyed the different perspectives and the way the author moved the story back and forth through time. It did take me a little while to get all the characters straight but about 30% in I was fully invested. The story speeds along dropping clues and red herrings until the end. The ending got me as I feel the author still left a little mystery to keep you thinking about this story!!!

Great read and would highly recommend to anyone who loves a thriller!

Holy cow! Between the poignant themes and jaw-dropping twists and turns, The Search Party was a ride and a half of pure chills and thrills. From the evocative descriptions to the finely tuned plot, I was caught up in the action from the very first word. Especially given the fact that it all began with such a riveting prologue that grabbed me from the start and didn’t let go.

This book follows a group of longtime friends (and their families) who have gotten together to camp on one of the friend’s new property. It’s a scenic countryside location with beautiful views and no cell service. What could go wrong?! Unfortunately, one of the children goes missing during a storm and all hell breaks loose. The friends turn on each other, secrets are exposed, and no one will escape unscathed. ⁣
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This was an excellent thriller! Here’s what I loved about it:⁣
🌊 The premise. I love messy friend reunions teaming with secrets. ⁣
🌊 The family and friends interactions. These all felt very realistic from the stroppy teenager to the friends who don’t seem to like each other that much. ⁣
🌊 Endless opportunities. There were so many threads to follow that kept me engaged right up to the reveal. ⁣
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Thank you @Netgalley and @SimonSchusterCA for the opportunity to review this ARC.

There have been some reunion books that I have read in the past and the problem I always have with them is that the characters really don't seem to like one another. Could it be that the people we are drawn to as children / young adults, are not necessarily the same ones we would gravitate to as adults? I often think that reunion stories bring together a cast of characters who "should" work out, but don't. It's similar to couples that "stay together for the kids" . . . no one ever seems really happy to be there.

This book was similar to others of its kind . . . a group of people, in dire circumstances, cut off from the rest of the world . . . but I thought the author pulled it off better than most. All of the different narrators added to the story without it being muddled; and there was a pay off at the end. It was predictable at points, but the atmosphere and my hope that the many unlikeable characters might finally meet their comeuppance, kept me engaged until the end. I'm on the fence about the author's choice to keep the identity of the victim a secret until close to the end of the book, but I think overall it worked for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

I will admit the beginning was a bit slow but the intrigue of what happened kept me reading and after the first 20-30 pages the story really took off and kept me hooked!

Lots of great twists and turns. Richell is great at weaving the histories of the friendships and the tensions leap off the page.

This was my first book by Hannah Richell and I look forward to reading more!

The Search Party is a whirlwind of a story that I literally could not put down! There are so many twists and honest to goodness cliff hangers in more ways than one. The characters are beautifully fleshed out. I loved how their lives are intertwined with their histories so well conceived, and written. The tension this author creates is incredible - such a satisfying read! This is a fantastic thriller mystery right to the last page. I look forward to the next new novel by Hannah Richell.

Max & Annie needed a change of pace, to slow down and raise their adopted son away from the hustle and bustle of the city. They relocate to coastal Cornwall in South-West England, and focus their energy on creating a small "glamping" retreat on their rural property. Before they open they invite their old college friends and their kids to spend the weekend and experience their new venture.

As their long-time friends begin to arrive with their kids tensions begin to wind up and as the weekend goes on secrets unravel. A storm rolls in and their reunion weekend becomes disastrous.

I loved reading this book from multiple point of views, including the children. I stayed up way too late a couple days this week because I couldn't put this one down.

The Search Party was a total cover choice for me — I love thrillers/mysteries set in remote locations.

The premise of this one is very fun: it’s a college friend reunion on a glamping trip. At the beginning of the book, we see characters being questioned by the police over some mysterious happening.

I’m not sure if the framing device worked for me. I think it built up my expectations for craziness a little too high at the start. I also would have preferred not to know who survived in advance.

I liked the young characters quite a bit, but struggled with the pettiness of some of the adult characters. The arguments bogged down the mystery a bit for me, and the final revelation wasn’t as interesting or shocking as I’d hoped.

I also really enjoyed the setting, and Richell really pulled me in during a lost-child-in-peril section of the novel.

Overall this was a mixed read for me, but I’d try another of Richell’s books in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for my review copy of this book.

A reunion closed-room style murder mystery set in picturesque Cornwall. Annie and Max invite their college friends and their families to come enjoy a weekend at the new glamping site they're about to open, but a few secrets come out and tensions rise. The children go for a walk together by the coast when a storm rolls in, resulting in a few injuries and some lost kids who can't find their way back. Unfortunately this results in the minors becoming main suspects, especially Max and Annie's misunderstood 12 yr old son. The story alternates through multiple POV's, while moving between scenes of the police investigation, hospital room, and the events themselves. It will keep you guessing, and just when you think you've got it figured out, it'll throw you a curve ball.
4.5 stars

Long-time friends with their partners and children get together for a glamping weekend.

The camping site is located by cliffs, the sea,and grazing fields for bovine. Secluded, there is no cellphone reception, and the internet is not available yet.

Dirty secrets, personality clashes, people getting hurt, and lost are all part of a perfect combination for things going awry.

The story unfolds as each person is being questioned by a detective who wants to know what happened over the weekend.

It is a multiple narrator story making each voice and perspective of the same weekend quite interesting and keeps the suspense high until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy for review purposes.

This was an engaging and enjoyable read. I found the characters relatable and honest.

The plot twist (because this genre must have twists) was unexpected but still believable.

I will be looking for more novels from this author.

I had high hopes for this one, I was so excited, but it just did not work for me and I found it to be highly lengthy. Also, there are a lot of characters and it was sometimes hard to keep track of who was who.

Absolutely loved this novel.
A reunion amount old friends... what could go wrong?
Apparently everything!
From a changing point of view we move through the events of a weekend Glamping experience at a friends newly opened retreat.
Things are storming not just between each other but a shift in the weather sends an unrelenting storm to the Cornish cliffs, creating an environment for disaster.
I always enjoy a story with a changing POV, it keeps the storyline interesting. The shifting in timeline, from start to finish, while pieces of the puzzle fit together kept you guess of what everyone was hiding and why.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy to provide an honest review.

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.
The Beginning is very good, it's intrigued me make me have a highly expecting, but it dragged and dragged and dragged. I lost interest, then I feel mad. I am readding a book wanting enjoy the whole experience, not just the final part. I dnfed, then I pick it up again just because I feel bad to unfinish a book to give a review.

2 stars. sorry

2.5 stars. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I was disappointed--felt it took a long time to get going and was rather predictable. It picked up a bit around the halfway mark, but not enough to not leave me with an overall impression of meh.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own

This is my favorite book for the month of January.
I loved this story, and the fact that none of the characters were actually likable was a plus. I had no idea who it would be until the author wanted me to know and was invested in all of the characters' side stories.