The Search Party - Hannah Richell

Oh.my.gosh. Hannah Richell's new novel, The Search Party makes for absolutely riveting reading! I truly could not put it down.

Why? The premise for starters. A group of old friends and their children gather at a glamping site that one of the couples is starting. At first glance, all is well with the friends. But a closer look shows up the cracks in all of the relationships. Richell's characters are a mixed bunch. It was easy to pick favorites - and just as easy to identify the one I despised.

One person in the group goes missing. And so goes begins the search party. 

But what hooked me is how the story is told. Richell uses one of my favorite methods - then and now. In this case it's before the 'event' and afterwards, as the police try to figure out what happened. There are many points of view. But who can we trust? The book brings to mind a 'locked room' mystery. I had my suspicions, but I was happily wrong! I appreciate being able to name the whodunit.

Richell is so very clever at how she manipulates the reader's perceptions. The pronoun they is used - making it impossible to know if it's a male or female character. As readers, we have information that the police don't. Will they deduce the perpetrator before it's too late? I'll let you discover this one yourself. An easy five stars and absolutely recommended.