“Some people, given just the right amount of pressure, taken out of their usual, comfortable environments, don’t need much encouragement at all to become monsters.”
The Hunting Party is one of the most pulsating thriller books by Lucy Foley, and well worth a Netflix-style adaptation one day. In it, readers follow a group of university friends who have reunited for a weekend away at a luxurious resort in the Scottish Highlands. The weekend takes a chilling turn, however, when one of the characters is found dead. The identity of the victim and the perpetrator are kept hidden until the end and the story is told via different perspectives from those inside the group as well as various workers at the retreat both in the past and present day, a formula that Foley has taken with her into her follow-up books.
Join us at What We Reading as we celebrate this tense trek into the Highlands with the best murder mystery books like The Hunting Party!
Criteria
Before we delve into our list of books like The Hunting Party, here are some of the key themes and criteria these recommendations touch upon:
- Locked room mystery thrillers.
- Isolated and claustrophobic environments.
- Old and deeply-rooted betrayals and secrets.
- Female friendships.
- Identity deception.
The Guest List – Lucy Foley
Where better place to start in a list of the best books like The Hunting Party than with another chilling murder mystery from the same author? Jules and Will have planned for the ultimate wedding party. Two successful and wealthy socialites, they rent out an old estate on an abandoned island off the Irish Coast, inviting all of their friends and family for a weekend away.
But, once all of the guests have arrived, it doesn’t take long for secrets of the past to begin to be brought up. And when a violent storm leaves the party stranded and a body turns up on the moors, an altogether more sinister shadow is cast over the group. If you loved the claustrophobic and isolated environments and Foley’s distinct approach to thriller writing in The Hunting Party, The Guest List is the perfect follow-up!
Check Out The Best Mystery Thriller Books Like The Guest List
The Woman In Cabin 10 – Ruth Ware
Another book that captures the feeling of claustrophobia present in The Hunting Party is Ruth Ware’s The Woman in Cabin 10. The acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of In A Dark, Dark Wood tells the story of Lo Blacklock, a journalist who wins the opportunity of a lifetime: a week on the luxury cruise liner, the Aurora.
For the first few days, Lo can enjoy a life of unimaginable decadence, until one night. As the North Sea weather takes a turn for the worse, she witnesses one of the guests being thrown overboard. However, when she investigates what she saw, all guests remain accounted for. What follows is a chilling Mystery-Thriller with Lo attempting to convey to those on board the Aurora that something has gone wrong.
Check Out The Best Books Like The Woman In Cabin 10
The Birthday Reunion – Claire Seeber
Combining the locked room formula with the tense dynamics that can arise with female friendship groups, Claire Seeber’s The Birthday Reunion is one of the best contemporary thriller books. Simone, Hannah and Vicky are invited to Jodie’s Mediterreanean villa after years of not speaking to her. They’ve all been betrayed by her in the worst ways, but all have their reasons for agreeing to the invitation.
However, when they arrive, they are greeted by Jodie who is surprised to see them all at her door. She didn’t invite them here. In this cleverly layered psychological thriller, deep secrets from the past and a lust for revenge will turn this Ibiza getaway into a potentially deadly affair.
Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six – Lisa Unger
Like The Hunting Party, Lisa Unger’s Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six is a locked-room thriller following multiple couples at a remote luxury cabin in the woods.
What could be more restful than a whole weekend spent in a retreat surrounded by spectacular views, a hot tub, a personal chef and the best company in the world? Hannah’s brother found the listing online, and three couples converge for a weekend of R&R. Unbeknownst to them, however, is that a storm is approaching that will leave them stranded and forced to confront the building’s sordid history, as well as their own secrets and lies over the years. How well does Hannah know her brother? Her own husband and best friends? Who is the stranger in the group? And who is planning on serving payback for deeds long buried in the past?
The Second Stranger – Martin Griffin
Martin Griffin’s The Second Stranger is another chilling thriller like The Hunting Party set in the Scottish Highlands. Remi Yorke is working her final shift in the Mackinnon Hotel when Storm Ezra hits the area. Phone lines are down, the temperature plummets and an injured man stumbles into the building. He claims to be PC Don Gaines, and that a serious accident has just occurred on the nearby mountain road.
The only other survivor of this accident was the prisoner he was transporting. But when another man stumbles into the hotel claiming to be Don Gaines, Remi quickly discovers one of these two men is lying to her. With no means of escape, The Second Stranger is a tense locked-room crime thriller where mysteries and twists hide behind every chapter.
The Long Weekend – Gilly Macmillan
Similar to The Hunting Party, Gilly Macmillan’s 2022 thriller, The Long Weekend, relies on subversion, unreliable narration and multiple perspectives across a weekend away that turns into something far, far darker.
Set in an isolated barn on the Northumbria moors, readers follow three wives: Ruth, Jayne and Emily. The three have arrived for an idyllic weekend retreat, and have the night to themselves before their husbands arrive the following morning. However, upon arriving at the barn, they receive an ominous letter telling them that one of their husbands has been murdered. With no mobile phone service and a storm quickly forcing them to remain indoors, the three wives are forced to wait and see if the letter is a hoax or a sinister confession. But, if the confession is real, which of the husbands has come to harm?
Check Out Our The Long Weekend Book Review
The Writing Retreat – Julia Bartz
One of the most chilling thriller books from 2023, Julia Bartz’s The Writing Retreat is the story of a book deal worth dying for. Five attendees have been invited for a month-long writing retreat at the remote estate owned by the controversial Feminist horror novelist, Roza Vello. For struggling writer Alex, it seems like a dream come true. Once they arrived, they were told they all must complete a novel within the month, with the best story receiving a publishing deal worth seven figures. And then each of the women begins dying.
Trapped, and terrified but continuing to write even as the bodies begin to pile up, The Writing Retreat is a wild, twisty locked-room thriller that will undoubtedly keep readers fidgeting at the edge of their seats from start to finish.
The Soulmate – Sally Hepworth
For another book like The Hunting Party that explores the themes of betrayal, marriage and the secrets that can push us all to the edge, look no further than Sally Hepworth’s The Soulmate.
For Gabe and Pippa, their house on the edge of a cliff in a sleepy seaside town is their dream home. However, perched atop the high cliffs with only the waves below, the spot has become a popular spot for people looking to end their lives. Gabe regularly talks these people down, until one day he doesn’t. When Pippa discovers he knew the victim who claimed their own life, a sinister question creeps into her mind: did they jump, or were they pushed? As cracks begin to emerge in this otherwise perfect marriage, a series of dark secrets soon threatens to rip things apart completely.
An Anonymous Girl – Greer Hendricks And Sarah Pekkanen
Nominated for Best Mystery & Thriller in the Goodreads Choice Awards, An Anonymous Girl is an enthralling psychological ride from the bestselling authors of The Wife Between Us.
Looking to make some easy cash, Jessica Farris signs up for Dr. Shield’s study on ethics and morality. But, as the study moves away from the exam room to the real world, Dr. Shield seems to know what Jessica is thinking, and what she has been trying to hide. Caught in a web of deceit and attraction, Jessica soon begins to learn that some obsessions can be deadly.
Check Out The Best Books Like A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder
The Last House Guest – Megan Miranda
Littleport, Maine is a peaceful, idyllic setting where the wealthy go on holiday with their summer homes lining the coastline. The locals rely on these rich visitors, making friendships between these two demographics exceedingly rare. Until visitor Sadie Loman and Littleport resident Avery Greer. For ten years, the pair are inseparable until one day Sadie is found dead. The police rule death out as a suicide, but that doesn’t stop Avery from feeling certain members of her community blame her for the death.
Megan Miranda’s The Last House Guest is a smart mystery novel that twists and turns as it delves into the complexities of memory and female friendships.
Someone We Know – Shari Lapena
In a sleepy suburban neighbourhood in upstate New York, a teenager has been sneaking into people’s homes and computers, learning their deepest, darkest secrets. The identity of the boy and what he has unearthed remains a mystery to the residents, but when two anonymous letters begin circulating suspicion begins to mount. And when a local woman is found murdered, this tension reaches breaking point.
Shari Lapena, the bestselling author of The Couple Next Door, delivers a richly layered and deliciously dark tale in Someone We Know that hammers home the reality that you never quite know what someone is capable of.
Sometimes I Lie – Alice Feeney
For another book like The Hunting Party that utilises jumps in time and perspectives as a means of revealing its most shocking revelations, Alice Feeney’s Sometimes I Lie is a must-read.
Amber Reynolds wakes up in a hospital, unable to move and unable to speak. She can hear everyone around her but is unable to even open her eyes in response. She can’t remember what happened to her, but she is sure her husband had something to do with it. Feeney delivers a stunning psychological thriller that alternates between Amber’s present paralysed state, the week before her accident and her diary entries from twenty years ago to reveal the shocking truth behind her marriage in a read that is certain to leave readers completely dumbfounded
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
