The Guest List by Lucy Foley
The Guest List is a psychological thriller described as a modern day Agatha Christie novel. This is Lucy Foleys second novel and follows a similar theme to her first novel The Hunting Party. A murder amongst a group of mismatched people stranded together in a remote setting.
The Guest List is set on a remote, wild and uninhabited island of the west coast of Ireland. Foleys description of the Island creates a creepy atmospheric backdrop. The perfect setting for a murder, but not perhaps a wedding. Celebrity couple Jules and Will have invited their friends and family to the Island to enjoy their extravagant no expense spared wedding, with Jules wanting to control every aspect of their perfect day. The story is told from the perspective of the main characters. The bride and groom, Jules and Will. Best man Johno. Bridesmaid Olivia, Charlie the master of ceremonies. Hannah, the plus one and Charlie's wife, and Aoife the wedding planner. Each chapter is told from one of these main characters point of view. For some this may be hard to follow, but for me the short chapters on each character works well. It leaves you in suspense, revealing a little bit more about that character and making you want to read on, allowing for a quick and easy read.
As the story unfolds the past history's of theses characters emerge. Each character has their own secrets to hide, lies and losses to contend with. There is a sense of unease and tension throughout the novel especially amongst some of the main characters, which leaves you on edge right through the book, waiting for something bad to happen.
The book if full of twists and turns. Everyone has a motive to murder and it leaves you guesting right to the end.
A great read.
Submitted by Susan Reserve
