It was obvious Will was going to die. But that is it? And at the hands of the wedding planner? Aw, come on man. Let me give you a million other ways this could have gone down. And then everyone just goes on with the wedding (The Guest List YOU NEVER WANT TO BE ON). The girl just tried to kill herself. WHAT THE CINNAMON TOAST CRUNCH IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE AND FOLEY? I just can’t even. Author Lucy Foley does everything possible to not only channel Dame Agatha Christie but to also create a setting for a psychological thriller/murder mystery that is simply ideal. A remote island just off the coast of Ireland at a Mansion run by a young couple for special occasions. The wife, Aoife is a wedding/party planner and her husband, Freddy is the cook. The occasion is the wedding of Will and Julia (who goes by Jules). There is a select group of friends and family invited for the weekend and the weather forecast is, of course, calling for serious storms and a ton of rain. Sounds like the perfect place to kill someone!

CWA Dagger Awards 2020 Longlists Announced". The Crime Writers’ Association . Retrieved 27 December 2021. Jules overhears Will and Olivia arguing about their relationship. After the lights go out, the groomsmen form a search party and finally find that body – it’s Will… Who were the prime suspects in The Guest List? Many had a motive.Everyone had something to hide. Everyone had an axe to grind and I was there for every cat-clawing minute of it. I requested this, as from the blurb it had great promise. Boy was I wrong. The first chapter was quite good. After that each chapter was written from a different guests pov. Jumping all over the place. None of the characters were likeable at all. It sounded like the wedding from Hell, and not for the reason the author intended. Who the hell left Jules the note? Now I deduced (at first) that it was the wedding planner except that didn’t make sense because she wanted, needed the wedding to go off without a hitch for her own success. So, I’m going with Olivia. However, I think that should’ve gotten wrapped up, no? The setting was extremely atmospheric, channeling a gothic vibe by incorporating some of the island's earlier history and lore into the tale.

The story also suffers from a few other issues that seem to plague most books of this genre. The characters are, unfortunately, all unlikable and dumb. They have trouble saying simple things to each other that would clear up much confusion. They make mistake after mistake, and then ruminate at length about each. And they all drink themselves into stupors at the first sign of discomfort, instead of just... talking. At one point I expected him to literally ride around the island on a white horse, or to find out that he was a legitimate prince of some sort or something. As most women get told and know, both fictional and in the real world… Not knowing the body and having an ever-growing list of potential-killers...you are left wondering who in the world could've done it. And why??Funny, I thought we’d let go as that being something to be envied, about a decade or so ago? Yet here we are. Ahhhh, I had so much fun reading this thriller. This is a classic who-dunnit mystery, and it all takes place during a wedding on an island in Ireland. I love everything about this book: the slow burn mystery, the isolated spooky island, and reading form several different POV’s. Immediately after the ceremony, Olivia walks into the ocean and nearly drowns. Afterward, Olivia confides in Hannah that after a breakup she dated an older man and got pregnant. Now, can we talk about the ending?! I know life isn’t fair and all, but how is it justified that the bad guy is dead, the falsely accused is sent to prison, and the killer walks free? I don’t mind Aoife, but I feel sympathetic towards Johnno. He’s not innocent, but he’s also a victim of Will’s. More than anything, I would’ve loved to get a lot less loose ended closure.