“Old friends, they say, are the best friends. But sometimes the opposite is true: no one knows you quite like the people you’ve known for years, so no one knows quite as well how to destroy you.” – Lucy Foley, The Hunting Party

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley is a smart and intense thriller. It mixes mystery, suspense, and drama in a really good way.

The book was published by William Morrow in 2019 and has received considerable attention for its writing.

The characters feel real, the story is told cleverly, and it keeps you guessing until the very end.

The story takes place at a quiet, far-off estate in the Scottish Highlands during New Year’s Eve. A group of old friends meets there for their yearly get-together.

At first, it feels like a fun holiday. But soon, things started to change. Secrets come out. Friendships start to fall apart. And in the end, someone dies.

Plot Summary of The Hunting Party

“We all did things that we are ashamed of. But that’s what friends are for, isn’t it? To tell you when you’re being an idiot, but to still love you, regardless.” – Lucy Foley, The Hunting Party

The Hunting Party follows nine old college friends who reunite every year to celebrate New Year’s. This time, they choose a remote hunting lodge deep in the snowy Scottish Highlands.

The lodge is far from everything. When a heavy snowstorm hits, they’re completely cut off from the outside world.

As the snow builds up, so does the tension among the group. Old issues and past grudges start to surface. Friends who once felt close begin to drift apart. What starts out as a fun trip slowly becomes tense and uncomfortable.

The story is told in a unique way. It shifts between the points of view of different characters. It also moves back and forth in time—before and after the murder takes place.

The book opens on January 2nd. Someone has been found dead. Then, it takes you back in time to reveal what led to that moment.

As the group is stuck inside the lodge, secrets begin to come out. People start showing their true selves. The close friendships begin to crack. And the truth isn’t pretty.

Author Lucy Foley gives each character a voice, letting you see the story from different angles. She slowly reveals what happened, piece by piece.

This back-and-forth style keeps the mystery alive. It pulls you in and keeps you guessing until the very end. You don’t just learn who did it—you also understand why.

What Genre Does ‘The Hunting Party’ Focus On?

The Hunting Party is mostly a psychological thriller, with strong elements of mystery and crime woven in. The focus is on characters who aren’t entirely good or bad as they lie, hide things, and make difficult choices. You can’t always believe what they say, and that keeps the tension high.

Lucy Foley uses a classic “closed-circle” setup. The murder happens in one place, and you know the killer has to be someone in the group. It feels like a modern version of an Agatha Christie novel, mixing familiar mystery style with present-day issues and personalities.

The story builds slowly, drawing you in bit by bit. It’s not full of action, but the quiet tension grows with every chapter. The snowy lodge setting feels tight and isolated, making everything feel even more intense.

Chapters shift between different characters and timelines. The story is like a puzzle, with each piece bringing you closer to the truth. There are twists, red herrings, and surprises. If you pay attention, the ending delivers a satisfying payoff.

Ratings and Reviews

“Sometimes solitude is the only way to regain your sanity.”
― Lucy Foley, The Hunting Party

GoodReads Review

The Hunting Party has a 3.61 rating on Goodreads, based on over 331,552 ratings.

“A Little Life is a strong contender for the award for the most depressing book I’ve ever read. I swear I’m not even exaggerating.”

“It may sound presumptuous to say that I’ve read the best book I’ve read all year, but reading is a lot like love. Sometimes you just know.”

“This is an excellent, maybe perfect book, and I will never recommend it to anyone.”

Amazon Reviews

Amazon readers gave the book 4/5 stars with over 39,000 readers.

“Exquisite. . . . It’s not hyperbole to call this novel a masterwork–if anything, that word is simply just too little for it.” –San Francisco Chronicle

“Utterly gripping. Wonderfully romantic and sometimes harrowing, A Little Life kept me reading late into the night, night after night.” –Edmund White

“Spellbinding . . . . An exquisitely written, complex triumph.” –O, The Oprah Magazine

How ‘The Hunting Party’ Stands Out?

One thing that makes The Hunting Party stand out is its focus on old friends, not strangers.

These characters have a history—shared memories, old fights, and secrets they’ve kept for years. That history slowly starts to break them apart.

As the story moves forward, jealousy and past mistakes rise to the surface. The snowy, remote setting adds to the tension. It’s cold and quiet and feels like it’s closing in on them.

This story isn’t just about solving a crime. It’s about watching relationships fall apart—and not knowing who you can trust.

Who Should Read ‘The Hunting Party’?

The Hunting Party is best suited for adult readers. It contains strong language, some sexual content, and heavy topics like substance use, miscarriage, and violence. Some parts may be difficult or upsetting for sensitive readers.

This book is a great pick for those who enjoy slow-burning, character-driven stories with rising tension. It’s about a group of old friends who reunite in a remote place, only to find that they don’t know each other as well as they thought.

As secrets come out, friendships start to crack. The story doesn’t rely on fast action. Instead, it builds suspense through shifting emotions, hidden truths, and slow reveals.

Told through multiple points of view, it offers bits and pieces of the mystery over time. You’ll need to pay close attention as you try to figure things out.

It keeps you guessing until the end. But more than the “who,” it’s about the “why”—and what people are capable of when the masks come off.

Book Recommendations If You Liked ‘The Hunting Party’

If you liked The Hunting Party, there are a few other books worth adding to your list. They share the same slow-burning tension, layered secrets, and closed-in settings that keep you guessing.

1. The Guest List by Lucy Foley has a similar setup. A group of people gathers on an island for a wedding, and not everyone is who they seem. Secrets build, tensions rise, and the truth slowly unravels.

2. One by One by Ruth Ware follows a group of coworkers stuck in a ski chalet during an avalanche. As the snow traps them inside, people begin to die—and the pressure grows.

3. The Paris Apartment, also by Lucy Foley, takes place in a quiet apartment building in Paris. Told through multiple points of view, it’s packed with mystery, hidden pasts, and suspicious neighbors.

4. The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse is set in a remote hotel during a snowstorm, where guests begin to disappear—perfect for fans of closed-in, tense settings.

5.In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware. It follows a group of friends at a weekend retreat that quickly turns unsettling. Both books share the same eerie mood, layered secrets, and slow-building suspense that make The Hunting Party so gripping.

These books all offer twisty plots, strong settings, and complex characters—perfect for fans of thoughtful, gripping thrillers.

Conclusion

The Hunting Party is more than just a mystery. It’s a story about how old friendships break apart when long-hidden secrets come back. People who once felt close start to act like strangers—or even enemies—when the pressure builds.

The snowy, quiet setting adds to the tension. You can feel the cold, the silence, and the slow breakdown of trust. That feeling of being trapped pulls you deeper into the story.

What makes this book stand out is how it blends mystery with real emotions. These characters aren’t just solving a crime—they’re trying to hold themselves together.

The story moves between different points of view and shifts in time, so you slowly piece things together.

If you enjoy slow, twisty stories with secrets, tension, and deep characters, The Hunting Party is a great pick. In the end, it shows what happens when people stop being honest—and how far they’ll go to hide the truth.

About Lucy Foley

Lucy Foley is a British writer who first wrote historical fiction. Later, she began writing crime and mystery books.

She studied English Literature and Creative Writing, which helped her build a strong writing style. Today, she’s known as one of the top voices in modern mystery stories.

Her books often focus on secrets, identity, and the darker parts of relationships. She’s especially good at creating strong settings that feel real and tense.

Her characters are layered, and their relationships often drive the story. Readers enjoy how she brings drama, mystery, and emotion together in each book.

Lucy Folley worked in the following books.

• The Book of Lost and Found (2015)
• The Invitation (2016)
• The Guest List (2020)
• The Paris Apartment (2022)

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long is the book?

The book is approximately 400 pages long. It’s a steady read that gives plenty of time to build tension, develop characters, and slowly reveal each secret. It’s not too fast, but not too slow either—just the right length for a deep, twisty mystery.

2. Is there an audiobook version available?

Yes, there’s an audiobook version of The Hunting Party. It’s read by a full cast, including Gary Furlong, Elle Newlands, Morag Sims, Imogen Church, and Moira Quirk. The voice variety adds tension and brings each character’s story to life.

3. Has The Hunting Party been adapted for film or television?

As of early 2025, there is no official film or TV adaptation of ‘The Hunting Party’. However, with Lucy Foley’s rising success and growing fanbase, there has been interest in adapting her work, leaving the possibility open for the future.