Published January 16, 2024 from Atria Books
The Search Party was a total cover choice for me — I love thrillers/mysteries set in remote locations.
The premise of this one is very fun: it’s a college friend reunion on a glamping trip. At the beginning of the book, we see characters being questioned by the police over some mysterious happening.
I’m not sure if the framing device worked for me. I think it built up my expectations for craziness a little too high at the start. I also would have preferred not to know who survived in advance.
I liked the young characters quite a bit, but struggled with the pettiness of some of the adult characters. The arguments bogged down the mystery a bit for me, and the final revelation wasn’t as interesting or shocking as I’d hoped.
I also really enjoyed the setting, and Richell really pulled me in during a lost-child-in-peril section of the novel.
Overall this was a mixed read for me, but I’d try another of Richell’s books in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for my review copy of this book.
Leanne Olson 
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