#BookReview: THE GUEST LIST by Lucy Foley @lucyfoleytweets @HarperFiction

Publication: 20th February 2020 – HarperFiction

On an island off the windswept Irish coast, guests gather for the wedding of the year – the marriage of Jules Keegan and Will Slater.
 
Old friends.
Past grudges.
 
Happy families.
Hidden jealousies.
 
Thirteen guests.
One body.
 
The wedding cake has barely been cut when one of the guests is found dead. And as a storm unleashes its fury on the island, everyone is trapped.

All have a secret. All have a motive.
One guest won’t leave this wedding alive…

Amazon.co.uk: https://amzn.to/2OBcWfW

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Have you read The Hunting Party? Last year, I devoured it and, since then, I’ve been really looking forward to Lucy’s Foley next mystery. Her new novel, The Guest List, has many similarities to the previous one. The Hunting Party was set in a remote castle in Scotland, The Guest List is set in a remote island off the Irish coast. A storm that makes it nearly impossible for everyone on the outside to reach it. A group of friends who reunite to celebrate, but whose jeaulosies and resentments will have dangerous consequences. Different timelines, different perspectives, and different suspects. And revelations that you never see coming. I do love the way Lucy Foley writes.

The plot is gripping and the characters are not very likable, but they are complex and well-crafted. Jules, the bride, wants her wedding to be perfect, but is she really sure she wants to marry Will? Olivia, the bridesmaid, and Jules’s stepsister, is hiding something from her entire family. Jhonno, the best man, has always had Will’s back and he would do anything for him. Hannah, the plus one, looks at this wedding as a romantic getaway for her and her husband Charlie and a chance to reconnect. Aoife, the wedding planner, needs to make sure that the wedding goes smoothly.

The setting is dark, very atmospheric (and very Agatha Christie). It is isolated and, of course, bad weather, cuts off communications with the mainland. The fact that the locals think that the island is cursed is a really nice touch and gave me a few goosebumps.

Thrilling, slow-paced, and full of unexpected twists, The Guest List is another win for Lucy Foley. What will she do next?

A huge thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the novel.