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The Guest List
by Lucy Foley
Guests gather on a secluded island off the coast of Ireland for the marriage of Jules, publisher of an online magazine, and Will, star of a reality TV survival show. The guest list for the rehearsal dinner is set. 13 guests will stay at The Folly, a private inn and event space located on the mysterious Cormorant Island. The bride and groom, the best man and four ushers, the bridesmaid, the bride’s best friend and his wife, the mother of the bride, and the owner and chef at The Folly. The setting is spectacular, but can be dangerous especially with a storm coming in. When old friends get together and past grudges are revealed this wedding will end in murder.
The story starts with the rehearsal dinner and is told in alternating perspectives - Aoife, the wedding planner and owner of The Folly; Hannah, the plus one or wife of the bride’s best friend; Olivia, the bridesmaid and half-sister of the bride; Johnno, the best man; and Jules, the bride. Every few chapters we jump to the actual wedding, where it appears a body has been found. There are a lot of points of view to keep up with, but each chapter is headed by whose story we’re reading so for me it was easy to follow along. Each of these guests has something troubling in their past so we learn their stories while trying to figure out what has happened at the wedding.
This was my first book by Lucy Foley, and I really enjoyed it. It definitely has Agatha Christie vibes. The setting was perfect for this kind of story with the cliffs and bogs along with a storm, it set such a creepy tone. I did find some parts predictable and figured out who was murdered early on, but I still enjoyed the book. I liked learning about the characters’ pasts and how they were all linked to the same person, but in different ways. I was surprised at the end to find out who the murderer was. That was the only story I didn’t put together. Overall, I thought this book was great. The chapters were short and it was a quick read. I highly recommend it and look forward to reading more of Lucy Foley’s books.
The story starts with the rehearsal dinner and is told in alternating perspectives - Aoife, the wedding planner and owner of The Folly; Hannah, the plus one or wife of the bride’s best friend; Olivia, the bridesmaid and half-sister of the bride; Johnno, the best man; and Jules, the bride. Every few chapters we jump to the actual wedding, where it appears a body has been found. There are a lot of points of view to keep up with, but each chapter is headed by whose story we’re reading so for me it was easy to follow along. Each of these guests has something troubling in their past so we learn their stories while trying to figure out what has happened at the wedding.
This was my first book by Lucy Foley, and I really enjoyed it. It definitely has Agatha Christie vibes. The setting was perfect for this kind of story with the cliffs and bogs along with a storm, it set such a creepy tone. I did find some parts predictable and figured out who was murdered early on, but I still enjoyed the book. I liked learning about the characters’ pasts and how they were all linked to the same person, but in different ways. I was surprised at the end to find out who the murderer was. That was the only story I didn’t put together. Overall, I thought this book was great. The chapters were short and it was a quick read. I highly recommend it and look forward to reading more of Lucy Foley’s books.