16-year-old Sadie Saunders is missing.
Five friends set out into the woods to find her.
But they're not just friends...
THEY'RE SUSPECTS.
You see, this was never a search party.
It's a witch hunt.
And not everyone will make it home alive...
What did I think?
What an intensely gripping book! Filled with intrigue and overflowing with tension, I really enjoyed The Search Party by Simon Lelic. It took me a little while to get used to the format of the book as the teenagers' one sided conversations felt a bit odd at first but it really does add to the intrigue and I was turning the pages at speed, desperate to find out what had happened to Sadie Saunders.
Although there is an ongoing police investigation into Sadie's disappearance, her friends decide to form their own search party. Sadie's friends are also suspects in her disappearance and their police interviews and individual stories are told in their own words as each character gets a voice in their own chapters. With tension mounting and tempers fraying, friendships are stretched to the limit and as they turn on each other, only the strong will survive.
There is so much intrigue packed into this book that it's virtually impossible to put down. DI Robin Fleet has his own demons to fight, both metaphorically and physically, as Sadie's case brings back disturbing memories for him. His backstory is excellent and it's so sad to see how events in the past can shape your life. In addition to Sadie's disappearance, there's also another riveting aspect to the story that isn't a spoiler as it's mentioned in the blurb: not all of the search party make it home alive. This part of the story is almost as riveting as what happened to Sadie, and I have to admit to forgetting about Sadie sometimes as I raced to find out what had happened in the woods.
It's a long time since I've been a teenager but I think Simon Lelic has totally nailed the individual voices of the teens. They each have their own quirks and characteristics and you really get to know them throughout the course of the book. Simon Lelic also touches on social media bullying, which you can't seem to escape these days, but it must be devastating to be the brunt of it whilst dealing with teenage angst.
With multi-layered storylines, The Search Party had me completely hooked from start to finish. It's gripping, pacy and taut throughout with a jaw-dropping conclusion that I really didn't see coming. The Search Party is a very impressive novel from Simon Lelic and I absolutely loved it.
I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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