Title: The Guest List
Author: Lucy Foley
Publication: June 2, 2020
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Mystery
Pages: 319
SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
The bride ‧ The plus one ‧ The best man ‧ The wedding planner ‧ The bridesmaid ‧ The body
On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.
But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast.
And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?
REVIEW:
When my book club selected The Guest List by Lisa Foley, I was excited! This book had been on my to read list since early summer when it was first released. Lisa Foley is known for writing great novels with intense story lines in some really amazing places. The Guest List was no exception as we find ourselves on an island off the coast of Ireland known for its hauntings and uninhabited until recently when owner’s Aiofe and Freddy decide to open a destination location for weddings and gatherings. First up, Jules and Wills wedding.
Right off the bat as each chapter was introducing different people I was not a fan of most of them. There was something suspect about every single person and I trusted no one. I’ve never had a book put me on edge about the characters so fast before. Foley has really detailed characters that have deep, dark pasts that we get to know as the book progresses. Each one is well thought out and has some issue bubbling under the surface that has you wondering if that is going to be the cause of all the chaos that is building up.
My one upset about this book is the back and forth. The chapters jump between the bride, the best man, a plus-one to the wedding, the wedding planner, the bridesmaid and more. It took a bit to get acclimated with the characters, but once I did, this didn’t seem like much of an issue anymore as I watched all the puzzle pieces fall into place one by one. It made the suspense of who did it much more fulfilling in the end.
While I disliked the characters, I liked that about this story. When I love the characters I tend to hope it’s not them, but not liking their personalities had me very suspicious of them and really built on the story. I am not sure if that was Foley’s hope, but it worked either way. The story flows well even though it’s broken up into people and times. The setting is very ominous and beautiful at the same time. I only wished there was more because the ending came abruptly and there were a lot of loose ends I wished I knew the answers to. Maybe one day.
I am officially a big fan of Foley. She sure knows how to hold you in suspense until the very end.
STAR RATING: 4/5
Pick up your copy of The Guest List by Lisa Foley on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or check your local bookstore. Make sure to add it to your To Reads list on Goodreads and leave feedback for the author when you are finished. Check out more from author Lisa Foley on Amazon HERE.
