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.

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