The search party by Hannah Richell

With a glamping site as an unusual setting for a mystery, Richell has written a complex, gripping tale of university friends and their families stranded during a storm, with one child missing and the disappearance of another participant. Max and Annie, successful architects, have left London to set up a glamping business in Cornwall, believing that it will benefit their adopted son Kip who had been traumatised as a very young child. Before opening their new business, they are eager to try out their facilities and invite three of their friends from university, with their families, to stay for the weekend. But what a weekend – secrets are revealed, friendships are stretched to the limit and a powerful storm makes it impossible to get help or find the missing child.

What a cliff-hanger the opening chapter is! The story begins with someone being urged to go over the cliff. Then the story is told in two strands, one with the police interviewing each of the adults, and the other giving the individual’s perspective of what had happened over the weekend. The reader is left perplexed – never being told who is being urged over the cliff, what adult is missing, who could harm Phoebe the missing child and who is in hospital. There are red herrings galore, shocking family secrets are revealed, some characters are very nasty and the ending is spellbinding.

Fans of Turn of the key by Ruth Ware and What happened to Nina? Dervla McTiernan are sure to enjoy The search party and will want to read her next book, One dark night. 

Themes: Glamping, Friendship, Missing children.

Pat Pledger