Synopsis: The Hunting Party tells the story of a New Year’s celebration gone horribly wrong. A group of friends, tied together by the time they shared at university, visit a hunting lodge in the Scottish Highlands for their annual New Year’ celebrations. Among this group are four couples, one baby, and singleton Katie. In the space of three days, the secrets and resentments these friends have been holding on to start to take their toll and cracks begin to form in the nostalgia which holds them all together. By New Year’s Day someone is dead and someone else at the lodge is the culprit.

The book switches between a number of viewpoints including members of the group of friends and the workers at the lodge. Alternating between the time after the murder, slowly revealing details about the person’s death, and the events of the two days running up to it, the mystery concludes with a big reveal where all the secrets are uncovered and all questions answered.

Review: First of all, I didn’t hate this book. The cold, unforgiving Scottish Highlands act as the perfect setting for these ‘friends’ to get snowed in, leading to their secrets being exposed and ultimately one of them being murdered. It was interesting having chapters switch between different character’s points of views, if not somewhat inconsistent, and I really enjoyed the side-plot exploring the workers at the Lodge and why anyone would choose to live so isolated. However, whilst the premise was interesting and book easy to read, I did find it underwhelming. I love a good murder mystery and feel like there are other books who do what Foley is attempting but much better.