I've liked her others much more than this. The kind of elite world and surrounds of such film crowds are just not that interesting to me. Beautiful, beautiful part of the world in Cinque Terre. I've been there and it a good representation of that particular area feel. Set on a remote island off the Irish coast where a massacre once occurred, this entertaining if uneven mystery from Foley (The Hunting Party) opens just after the high-profile wedding of Continue reading » The Invitation is more compelling in comparison to Foley’s other historical fiction; the mystery is intriguing and the conflict is clear and convincing. I especially enjoyed the element of the Spanish Civil War, although this wasn’t as thoroughly explored as I would have liked. This facet of the novel is what makes it compelling. My main criticism, however, is that Hal’s story felt irrelevant and unnecessary - he’s very much a Mr Utterson kind of figure. His sole function is to operate as an unlikely confidant so other characters divulge their secrets, or else as a romantic distraction for the only vaguely interesting character in the entire novel, Stella. This ‘romance’ develops ludicrously fast with no apparent foundations: the couple fail to connect on any sort of psychological level, having only the quintessential emotional baggage in common. In short, the one dimensional characters and their romance are utterly uninspiring.

Finney, Joanne (7 May 2021). "The best thrillers and crime novels to read". Good Housekeeping . Retrieved 27 December 2021. No,’ he says, ‘I’m not.’ Half-Italian – but he won’t say that. The less you say, the fewer questions you invite. It is something to live by. And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why? ( From the publisher.) On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one.Even more interesting. Do you know how I guessed? It is not because of your Italian, I should add – it is almost perfect.’ Now they are reaching the top of the staircase where the final door stands open to reveal a seething crowd. As Hal steps into the room, his first thought is that he is surrounded by people of extraordinary beauty. But as the illusion thins, he realizes that this is not the case. There is ugliness here. But the gorgeous clothes and jewels and the very air itself – performed with scent and wine and expensive cigarettes – do a clever job of hiding the flaws. Because of your suit, of course. I never make mistakes about tailoring. It is English-made, I think?’

Rome 1953: Hal and Stella meet by chance at a glittering party hosted by the Contessa, a fundraiser for her film project. A good ending is essential in any mystery or crime thriller: it should ease up on tension, answer questions, and tidy up loose ends. Does the ending accomplish those goals? Barbeito, Camila (27 October 2020). "The Guest List by Lucy Foley". POPSUGAR Entertainment . Retrieved 27 December 2021.Yes. A contessa is throwing one for her rich friends. Trying to attract investment for a film, I heard. I have an invitation, but cannot go. It is next month – I must be in Puglia by then, for Christmas.’ He glances at Hal, sidewise. ‘Unless you are returning to your family, too?’ One evening, when he’d had too much to drink, Hal made the mistake of telling him about Suze, about the engagement. Ever since, Fede has been unremittingly curious about Hal’s former life in England.

There is a twist towards the end which I didn’t see coming and helped move the book in a completely different direction to the one i was expecting. I was very pleased with how it ended and thought it was a very appropriate ending for the book. The biggest and most interesting of Hal’s interviews tend to come through Fede, who works in the city’s nascent institute for culture. This book has great potential: mostly interesting characters, a fascinating era, wonderful settings, and two storylines that weave together well. (It's important to note that I don't typically like "time-traveling" storylines, but this one worked for me—probably because it's not another mysterious-letter-left-in-a-musty-suitcase tale.)

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Hannah’s new novel is an homage to the extraordinary courage and endurance of Frenchwomen during World War II. Amongst them, two outcasts: Hal, an English journalist who’s living on his charm; and Stella, an enigmatic society beauty, bound to a profiteering husband. When Hal receives a mysterious invitation from a wealthy Contessa, he finds himself aboard a yacht headed for Cannes film festival. The Paris Apartment was published February 22, 2022. It is a mystery/thriller novel. The book was named one of the most anticipated books of the year by Goodreads [16] and Good Housekeeping. [17] Works [ edit ] That’s how I like them.’ Fede pinches the air between thumb and forefinger. ‘Tender as the finest vitello. Look, she’s making eyes at you.’

Hal feels her gaze on him. Her eyes are amazing, he realizes, like liquid bronze. She studies him for a time without speaking.For a vertiginous moment, he feels that he is floating above it all. Then the ground reforms itself beneath him; he begins to look around. There are palms and shrubs, the smell of the earth after the rain. He gropes for the word for it: petrichor. This is Lucy Foley’s second book, but it is the first I have read and I will definitely be reading more from her. I believe her third book, Last Letters from Istanbul is available in March and I will very much be looking forward to reading it. If you are a fan of Victoria Hislop of Kate Morton you will very much enjoy this book. Historical novelist Foley (The Invitation) makes an auspicious thriller debut. Nine close friends, four of them couples, gather for their extravagant annual New Year’s getaway—this time at Continue reading » He tells himself that really, he wouldn’t have wanted to go anyway. He doesn’t need to experience that life: it isn’t the one he has sought in coming to Rome. And yet there has always been a part of him – a part he isn’t necessarily proud of – that has always been drawn towards the idea of a party. Perhaps it is because of his memories of the ones his mother used to throw in Sussex: the lawns thronged with guests and lights reflected in the dark waters of the harbour beyond. To be in the midst of this, with a glass of some watered-down punch in his hand, was to feel he had stepped into another, adult world. Funny, how one spent one’s childhood half-longing to be out of it. Foley studied English literature at University College London and Durham University. [2] Career [ edit ]