Review | The Guest List by Lucy Foley

A wedding on an island in a remote location, what could go wrong? The groom is a famous television star and the bride is a successful magazine publisher. Their families and friends are gathered to celebrate their big day. But when the past is dug up and secrets come out, their happy day has the potential to turn into a disaster. Will everyone survive the weekend?

The guests freeze. They stare at one another. They are suddenly afraid again. More so than they were when the lights went out. They all know what they are hearing. It is a scream of terror.

Good news! I enjoyed this far more than The Hunting Party. Bad news! Everything I disliked about The Hunting Party is replicated here in the same formula. The difference is The Guest List has some interesting conflicts and I wanted to know how they will be resolved. So the similarities are a group of people in a secluded location, everyone has secrets and grudges against each other, the past is brought up many times. I’m still not a fan of the murder victim not being revealed until the end but I feel that it’s handled better here. There are motives against a few people so everyone’s fair game.

There’s Jules, the bride, and her sister, Olivia, the bridesmaid. Will, the groom, and his best friend, Johnno. Charlie, the bride’s friend, and his wife, Hannah. Aoife, the wedding planner. All of them have their own POVs and their lives are tangled up with each other. I liked the scenes between Hannah and Olivia, there’s potential for a genuine connection there. I also liked Will and Johnno’s broken friendship with real history. The frustrations from a few characters felt real and I wish they are explored deeper.

Regarding the murder mystery itself, it’s a little weak and predictable. There are too many coincidences that feel convenient plot-wise. It makes sense if the characters all live in the same village but they don’t so I didn’t find it convincing. The reveal of the victim and the killer happen almost at the same time so I didn’t feel any suspense and the resolution arrives really quickly. I suggest giving this a go if you want to read about a wedding from hell!

CW: abortion, self-harm

I received a copy from the publisher and Netgalley for review purposes.

About the author: Lucy Foley

Photo by Lanty