The Guest List Book Review
Check out my review of The Guest List by Lucy Foley, a classic murder mystery set on a remote island in Ireland.
In the mood for a page turning suspense novel?
Lucy Foley is one of the more popular authors among the Peanut Blossom Book Club Members and her titles appear on recommended lists so frequently, I finally decided to give one a try.
Having just spent a week in Ireland with my daughter, I was definitely drawn to the setting of The Guest List. I listened to the audiobook edition of this book which I highly recommend.
Curious if this book is for you? Check out my full review below.
Summary of The Guest List
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?
What I Liked
Here’s what I would tell my best friend about the book:
- The Narration: I read this book on audiobook format and I loved the Irish accent in the characters. It definitely helped set the mood for a suspense story set in Ireland.
- Similar to Clue but at a Wedding: Clue was my favorite board game as a kid, I loved the movie. This murder mystery happens over the course of a destination wedding weekend with a colorful cast of characters.
- Kept Me Guessing: I’m not an expert who-dun-it guesser, I just enjoy a good suspense novel. Wondering how the story was going to play out kept me guessing almost all the way through.
What I Didn’t Like
There was nothing to note about not liking this book. It was a fantastic read.
How Spicy Is It?
🌶️🌶️🌶️: The Guest List rates a Level 3 on my spicy books rating scale. There are some explicit scenes in the book but it is not the main driving factor for the plot.
Tropes
This is a locked room mystery which means that the characters are “locked” or trapped in one place, unable to come or go, once the murder has happened.
Overall Score
⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐
I give The Guest List a solid 5-star review. I couldn’t stop thinking about the story when I wasn’t reading and couldn’t wait to get time to pick my book back up. That is exactly why I love to read and this book completely scratched that itch.
If this is your first time reading one of my reviews, you may want to check out how I score my reads with this scale guide here.
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