This novel will keep you entertained and guessing from beginning until the last word. THE GUEST LIST by Lucy Foley is told through multiple narrators that could have been confusing, but, instead, gives the reader insight into each of the characters and how things got to this point. Foley’s description and development of the setting was amazing. It was so well-done that it became a character itself.
This is a twisty, dark, atmospheric (this is a great word for it) novel that will draw you in and keep you turning pages until the surprise ending. This was my first Lucy Foley novel, but it won’t be my last.
Thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.
#THEGUESTLIST #LUCYFOLEY #WilliamMorrow #TheBookClubGirls #BookClubGirl

Guests gather on a remote island for a wedding. On the evening of the wedding a server finds a body. Flashback to various character viewpoints of the eve and day of the wedding - the bride, the best man, the bridesmaid, the "plus one" and the wedding planner. Everyone seems to be carrying or hiding a secret - and the darkness will draw you in and you'll suspect everyone because everyone could have a motive. Put aside whatever else you have to do, you'll want to see this through to the end.

5 characters, multi layered stories and switches from present to recent past to far past. Lucy Foley has done an outstanding job of writing a thriller with multiple twists and turns. I really liked it. this is my first read by Foley and I will read others!

THE GUEST LIST by Lucy Foley is a tantalizing mystery with an eerie, almost gothic setting on an island in the midst of a brewing storm AND a cast of characters with plenty of motives for murder. Foley, a best-selling author who lives in London, was recommended by Library Journal for "fans of Agatha Christie, Louise Penny, and Ruth Rendell [who] will absolutely love this book, which doesn't reveal its secrets until the very last page." I totally concur.

A scream of terror on the wedding night is relayed by an unnamed narrator, but past history and most events leading up to the wedding itself are cleverly told from the perspective of the wedding party (Jules, the bride, Olivia, her sister and bridesmaid, Johnno, the best man and school-mate to Will, the groom), the plus one (Hannah, married to Charlie, a childhood friend of Jules) and the wedding planner (Aoife, who is trying to make a go with her husband of holding weddings and parties on the island). Jules is a competitive, successful business woman and Will is an adventurous television star – two ambitious people who seemed well-matched, except why did Jules get that anonymous note encouraging her not to marry Will? What are the causes of dysfunctional and strained relationships between friends and family members? Who is in danger and why? A LibraryReads selection, Foley's THE GUEST LIST is saturated with tension and secrets that kept me up and turning pages – enjoy!

The Guest List was a quick, engaging read that I'm definitely ordering for our library.

I haven't read The Hunting Party, the author's previous book that I've seen reviewers say has a very similar premise to The Guest List. If it is, I'll have to read that one next.

The Guest List takes place on a small island of the coast of Ireland, where a TV celebrity and magazine editor are getting married. The wedding party is spending the night before the wedding on the island, and you soon find out there's lots of secrets and tensions between pretty much everyone. Brief chapters of the night of the wedding throughout the books reveal something bad has happened, but you don't know who, what, or where.

The story is told through 5 points of view over the course of the book. I'm usually not a fan of multiple viewpoints, but it managed to make them distinct and still have a connection to all the characters - whether sympathetic or not.

My one complaint would be the ending, which I have mixed feelings on. There was so much time leading up to it, that the resolution felt a little rushed. I would have liked a little more closure/story on some of the issues that popped out earlier in the book. On the other hand, I can appreciate leaving it up to the reader.

I couldn't help but think about the TV show Harper's Island the entire I was reading The Guest List. Wedding on an island, dark history of said island, tangled relationships, and, of course, murder. Of course, there were many, many differences, but the general atmosphere has me wanting to rewatch the show.

I just finished The Guest List. This book is a great summer read for a rainy day or sitting on the beach. It has an old quality of a mystery thriller. Lots of characters on a remote island attending a wedding of two well-known people. My advice to a reader. Keep a chart of the characters. Lots of clues are given. The chapters alter between characters told in first person. It was a little confusing at first trying to remember which character was speaking. The chapters also alternate in time. This book might suggest a second read to appreciate the writing craft of Lucy Foley.

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not bad, but the pace of "The Guest List" was a little slow for my liking, and the "twist" was pretty easy to see coming from a long way off.

The posh lifestyle publisher is marrying the reality TV survival expert on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. It's going to be perfect, because the bride won't stand for anything less. But: the weather's not uncloudy. The cell service isn't consistent. And almost everyone on the island has a dark past and a secret that plays into the present. And then, there's a body. Twisty, sharp, and fast-paced, this is a stormy ride in the best possible way.

I couldn’t put this down. I pride myself on being able to predict a good twist, but this one I didn’t see coming.

Lucy Foley’s The Guest List is an atmospheric thriller that centers on a high society wedding event gone wrong. The wedding in question is that of Jules and Will. Jules is a successful magazine publisher, while Will is an up and coming reality TV star. With an exotic location, designer gowns, and boutique whiskey, Will and Jules’ wedding is shaping up to be the stuff dreams are made of. That is, until it turns into a nightmare, complete with a dead body.

I was very intrigued by all the different points of view the author chose to use in this story. We get alternating chapters from Jules, the bride; Olivia, Jules’ sister and only bridesmaid; Hannah, the wife of Jules’ best friend; Johnno, the best man; and Aoife, the wedding planner. When I first started reading, I thought this was such an odd assortment of characters to choose and was eager to find out why in the world they had been selected. As the story started to come together, it became obvious why these characters had been selected and I was eager to learn more about them, particularly what each of them was hiding since it was clear they all had secrets they were holding close to their chests.

In addition to the seemingly random points of view that weren’t so random after all, the author also uses a very effective timeline to pull together all of the threads of this mystery. The Guest List begins the night of Jules and Will’s wedding. A fierce storm has blown in just after the ceremony and the guests are riding out the storm inside. The environment quickly turns chaotic as the power starts flickering on and off and then the guests start to hear screams. It’s clear that something has gone terribly wrong and the ushers decide it’s up to them to go out and investigate the source of the screams. The story then alternates between following the aftermath of discovering the dead body, and following the events that led up to the discovery of the body, with special attention to certain members of the wedding party and guests to see what, if any, role they played in the tragedy.

While I loved watching the different points of view and the two timelines come together, it was the atmospheric remote setting of The Guest List that really took this story to the next level for me. It’s set on a small island off the coast of Ireland. The island is practically deserted and is rumored to be haunted, and is composed of a landscape that is rocky, wild, and particularly dangerous if you stray from the designated paths. All I kept thinking as I was reading was “Who in their right mind would want to have a wedding in such a dangerous and creepy place?”

I don’t want to give away any details since this is a thriller, so I’m going to close now before I say too much. If you’re a fan of creepy atmospheric, slow burn thrillers reminiscent of Agatha Christie and Ruth Ware, you’re going to love The Guest List.

I went in expecting a murder mystery but it was more of a who-gets-murdered mystery. This was fine. A lot of the twists were obvious.

It was a slow burn at first, as the bridal party gets situated on the deserted island first. The groom is a celebrity, his bride a publisher and the bridal party is a mish-mash of individuals, all linked to the couple, who each seem to have some hidden secret. As the events of the story unfolded, I loved how the book picked up speed. As I tried to put the book down, to attend to other matters, my mind wouldn’t let go of the island, as the lights flickered, and the guests tried to make sense of what was happening.

I could see why the couple had chosen this island for their special day with its seclusion, size, and the service that the owners provided. I really enjoyed the mixture of characters that the author included in this book and their interactions with each other.

When the big day arrived, the guests arrived on the island, ready for day of celebration. With an abundance of individuals to keep track of, I found this confusing at times yet the connections that they had with one another, made this book intriguing and remarkable.

As the secrets start to surface, I didn’t know who might be the next one to unburden their heart. Some of these, I had suspected but there were some that, made my jaw drop. With twists and turns, and ups and downs, this book was a great escape. 4.5 stars

Man, I'm really glad I didn't attend this wedding! This book was unputdownable! I loved watching all of the characters unfold and finding out their part in this crazy story. Will definitely recommend to all my fellow mystery readers!

A well crafted novel about friends, families, the past and secrets that will not stay secret.. Set in an isolated location, it is a wonderful tale that keeps one guessing.

Jules and Will are the beautiful couple who have decided to marry on an uninhabited island off the coast of Ireland. Home to and old castle known as the Folly, it is now owned by a wedding planner and her chef husband. Accessible only by boat, the wedding party arrives the day before. Friends, family, husbands and wives, they are are all connected in some way and each has a secret or past history that they want to keep hidden.

The reception takes place under large tents while the weather outside turns windy and stormy causing temporary electrical outages. A scream, a hysterical waitress and a dead body occur but who is it? Told from multiple guest's viewpoints, the story gives out a little at a time while reeling the reader in.

Excellent descriptive setting, well developed characters and a story line that gives just enough without giving it all away.

If you like Agatha Christie, you like this book. Taking place on a creepy island off the coast of Ireland, the action surrounds a young couples wedding. In flashbacks we know there is going to be a murder, and there are lots of clues and many suspects. It is a story where you had better be reading closely. The clues are there but they are easy to miss.

The Guest List takes place during the weekend of a wedding on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. The story follows multiple POVs, specifically the wedding planner, the bride, the maid of honor, the best man, the groom, and the plus one. At the beginning of the book, somebody finds a body. We don't know whose body it is, nor do we know who has committed the crime. As the points of view alternate, the truth begins to unfold. Who can you trust?

I correctly guessed the murderer, but I let Foley trick me on the identity of the victim more than once. I enjoyed this book because it was entertaining and displayed how one person can affect the lives of many. It feels reminiscent of Agatha Christie's work with a modern twist. Readers will sympathize with some characters and question the motives of others.

3.5 stars Plenty of twists and reveals in this Agatha Christie like tale of a wedding on a remote Irish island. Lots of awful rich Brits behaving very badly, much the same as in Foley's previous suspense novel, The Hunting Party.

I wasn't sure at first if I would like the set up of this book- told from several alternating POV's both 1st and 3rd person. But you know what? It totally worked and was highly effective in moving the story along (not that it needs it as it takes place in a very short- and I mean short-time frame).

The setting also really shines here adding to the eerie that the book oozes.

Not all the characters are likable - but that's okay! In fact I LOVE books like that.

While I figured most of the book out,there was still a nasty little surprise! LOVED IT!

been difficult for me to concentrate during the past few weeks with covid 19 and lockdown. But was finally able to read this book. It kept my attention until the end.

I really enjoyed this book! Usually books with so many character POVs can be a little frustrating and confusing, but this one worked perfectly! It does take a while for exciting things to happen, but it's well worth the wait. The twists were exciting and so surprising. The one thing I will say I didn't like was that there are almost no likable characters. While I was excited to find out their stories, I found myself not really caring for the characters on a deeper level.