The Guest List

by Lucy Foley

William Morrow

Publication Date : June 2, 2020

Pages : 320

Synopsis From Publisher :

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.

A bride, a groom, a best man, a wedding planner, and a maid of honor attend a wedding on an island off the coast of Ireland. Each with secrets to spare and plenty of reasons to preserve their secrets. This is not a joke, but rather a brief synopsis of one of my favorite books of 2020. Foley’s latest release The Guest List is a gripping, tangled tale of a wedding doomed from the very start.

The Guest List begins with a boat traveling to an island as a storm is brewing. I cannot think of anything more ominous. This ominous feeling does not let up until the end of the book. Foley does a fantastic job of loading The Guest List with angst. There are no ebbs and flows with The Guest List. The plot simply flows with edge of your seat thrills. While The Guest List is not loaded action, the loads of suspense more than makes up for it.

The Guest List has multiple main characters. Sometimes having multiple main characters can be frustrating as it is sometimes hard to keep track of who’s perspective you are reading. This is not the case with The Guest List. Each character is fully developed; each with their own unique and engaging story line.

Although I enjoyed each of the characters there was one standout I found the most interesting – the best man, Johnno. Johnno is a character who makes you wonder “what is this guy’s deal?” But in a good way.  Johnno and the groom attended school together where they became good friends. However, their personalities are so different. How and (more importantly) why are they friends? The relationship between Johnno and the groom is just one of the many relationships which readers must unravel.

The Guest List is a lighter read but there is some heavy subject matter. Grief, neglect, and betrayal are featured but somehow the book maintains a lighter feel. Foley has created a perfectly balanced story; entertaining yet thought provoking read.

Last year when I read The Hunting Party I was blown away. I knew then Foley was an author to watch. I will admit, I was a little concerned when I learned The Guest List was along the same vein as The Hunting Party. I was worried my love for The Hunting Party would cause me to unfairly compare the two books. My worrying was unwarranted. For me The Guest List has topped The Hunting Party, proving Foley will continue to expand and enhance the “locked door mystery” genre.

* Thanks to William Morrow for my free review copy of The Guest List *

 Murder and Moore Rating:

5 out of 5 Stars