A Chilling Reunion in the Highlands: A Deep Dive into The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

Today I’m talking about a mystery I just finished that really stuck with me: The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley.

After enjoying The Guest List, I was curious to see how another of her thrillers would compare… and honestly, this one worked even better for me.

Below is a spoiler-free breakdown first, then some thoughts on what makes the book effective as a mystery.

Why the Structure Works So Well

One of Foley’s strengths is pacing, and this book really shows it.

Like her other novels, the story alternates between multiple points of view and timelines. We move between the present — where a body has been discovered — and the days leading up to the crime.

What I love about this structure is that the mystery isn’t just who did it. For a while, you don’t even know who the victim is. That uncertainty adds an extra layer of tension and keeps the story moving at a steady, gripping rhythm.

It’s the kind of setup that makes you keep turning pages without realizing how fast you’re reading.

The Premise: Friends, Secrets, and a Remote Lodge

The novel follows a group of longtime friends who met at Oxford and now reunite every year for a holiday. This time, they gather at a secluded hunting lodge in the Scottish Highlands near Fort William, surrounded by mountains, winter storms, and total isolation.

It’s the perfect setting for a locked-room mystery:

• harsh weather
• no easy escape
• buried tensions simmering under polite conversation

Alongside the guests, we also follow two lodge employees — the gamekeeper Doug and the manager Heather — whose personal histories slowly become just as important as the guests’ drama.

Characters and Group Dynamics

The story rotates through five perspectives, but the emotional core revolves around three of the guests:

• Miranda — glamorous, magnetic, and clearly used to being the center of attention
• Katie — her longtime best friend, loyal but living in Miranda’s shadow
• Emma — the newcomer to the group, eager to belong but quietly observant

What makes this novel feel more grounded than some other thrillers is how it explores friendship over time. The book really leans into the idea that when you reunite with people from your early adulthood, you often fall back into old roles — even if you’ve grown far beyond them.

That theme of emotional “time travel” within friendships adds depth to the mystery and makes the conflicts feel believable instead of exaggerated.

Atmosphere and Setting

Another reason the novel works so well is the environment.

Foley excels at describing landscapes, and here the snowy isolation of the Highlands becomes more than just a backdrop — it amplifies everything.

The cold, the silence, the distance from civilization all create an eerie sense that something is bound to go wrong. When tension rises, the setting makes it feel sharper and more dangerous.

It’s one of those stories where the location almost functions like another character.

What I Enjoyed Most

A few highlights that stood out to me:

• Doug’s slowly revealed backstory — one of the most compelling threads in the book
• Miranda’s chapters, which are intense and uncomfortable in a way that keeps you hooked
• The psychological look at how friendships evolve (or don’t) over time

Compared to Foley’s earlier work, this story feels more emotionally grounded and a little less sensational, which made the mystery land better for me.

Minor Drawbacks

If I had one criticism, it’s similar to what I felt with her other books: some moments drift into melodrama.

But honestly, when you’re writing about complicated friendships, jealousy, and secrets, a bit of heightened emotion almost comes with the territory. It never pulled me out of the story.

Looking Ahead to More Lucy Foley

I’m definitely planning to read more from Foley, especially The Paris Apartment, which shifts her formula from remote wilderness to a city setting. I’m curious to see how her suspense style translates to a more urban environment — it could be a fun shake-up of her usual approach.

Final Thoughts

Overall, The Hunting Party is a tense, atmospheric mystery with strong pacing, layered friendships, and a setting that heightens every emotion.

If you enjoy closed-circle thrillers, character-driven mysteries, or stories about the complicated nature of long-term friendships, this one is definitely worth picking up.