I loved the first book from this author so was very happy to get started with this one. It didn’t disappoint. This book just keeps you guessing, I thought I’d sussed it at least three times before I got to the end. Such a thrilling read.

This is the first book by Lucy Foley that I’ve read and I’ll be rushing out to read them all now! Full of intrigue and mystery, the plot kept on building right until the end. I was totally hooked.

I really loved The Hunting Party so I was quite excited to get my paws on this. It definitely piqued my interest when I found out that not only do we have a whodunit but we also get a who-it-was-done-to thrown it as a bonus! As a reader it's especially exciting as it prevents me from trying to second guess who the baddie is when I don't even know who is dead. No, instead I get to meet the characters, learn about them, try and work out who is the worst and most likely dead and then, and only then, try and figure out why and who. It's a concept that both excited and intrigued me from the off as I considered it to be a neat trick to hold my attention without me getting frustrated. The execution had to be sublime.
And. It. Was. And I blooming loved it.
We have a celebrity wedding; set on a remote island. Well, there's a recipe for disaster for a start. Oh and the weather forecast is a bit pants. Double whammy. And a bunch of not so nice people as guests. Throw in a bunch of secrets and lies, and more than a fair share of duplicitous behaviour, mix well with alcohol and drugs, and well, you might as well sit back and enjoy the fireworks. And I very much did.
Plotting was sublime. I lost track of the amount of times in the run up to the end that I sat back, mouth wide open as suddenly the penny dropped. Most of the time I had absolutely no idea it was coming. The author led me a merry dance, practically blind as I powerlessly followed every delightful twist and turn as they occurred. I had one or two inklings along the way, some of which panned out, others notsomuch, but the ending when it came just blew me away. And made me kick myself cos the build up was all there; in hindsight, definitely not at time of reading. Sigh.
All in all, a cracking follow up which I thoroughly enjoyed and which left me perfectly satisfied. Very excited to see what the author serves up for next time. My thanks got to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Guest List by Lucy Foley. The scenery was described so beautifully, and eerily, daunting and scary at times. A large cast list meant I needed to not rush too much if I was to stay on top of the plot, and what a plot. Interwoven storylines culminating in an epic finale. Will definitely recommend to everyone. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

On a remote island off the coast of Ireland a wedding is being held with a guest list of friends and family but are they or are they enemies? It’s so atmospheric you feel every gust of wind and wave crashing against the cliffs helping to build the tension between the characters. The book splits between the bride, the groom, the wedding planner, the plus one, the bridesmaid, the best man and the night of the wedding it is filled with twists and turns and of course a murder. Lucy Foley knows how to write a good murder mystery this is a must read.

For those who read Lucy's debut The Hunting Party, her newest novel The Guest List begins with a similar set up. A group gathering for a lavish party in a remote location is hit with bad weather. In this case we swap a Scottish new year for an Irish wedding.

The setting on a remote Irish island is beautifully described from the wilderness of the dangerous cliffs and caves to the lavish wedding itself.

The Guest List switches between multiple first person POVs and third person narration for the main event. Each character has a unique voice so it's easy to follow their separate plots.

The only characters I found myself investing in were Hannah, Charlie and Olivia but I'm positive that was by design, the others are distinctly unlikeable. Except perhaps Johnno- the loveable down and out, my opinion of him was constantly changing.

There are several secrets to unravel whilst the timeline jumps back and forth between the guests and the wedding night. I was most intrigued by Olivia's and dying to know what really happened on the stag do.
Once the revelations begin there's no end to the surprises. Each bigger than the last, there are some real jaw droppers in store.

Whilst I enjoy Lucy's form I would like to see something different in her next novel. There are so many obvious similarities between The Guest List and The Hunting Party I couldn't help but compare.
HOWEVER, the pay off at the end of The Guest List is absolutely fantastic, I was up all night racing to the end.
If you enjoyed The Hunting Party then pick this one up immediately!

Lucy Foley is fast becoming a contemporary Agatha Christie. Her whodunnits have many red herrings and all the suspects hidden in plain sight and unable to escape. Bravo!
Thank you to netgalley and Harper Collins for an advance copy of this book

This is the first book I have read by Lucy Foley and I absolutely loved it. It was so good I bought another book of hers straight away on my kindle. The story is full of secrets, suspense and ultimately murder. I definitely didn’t see any of the twists coming at all. They were a total surprise. I also read it very quickly as I need to know the ending. So, if you are looking for a book that you won’t want to put down, this one needs to be in your tbr pile.

Celebrities Jules and Will are getting married on an island just off the coast of Ireland. It’s a very select guest list with only the chosen few asked to attend. It’s a very lavish affair, all organised by wedding planners Aoife and Freddie. The island is very craggy, the weather is very dark and stormy and the imposing refurbished Folly at the centre is unsettling! Told from the perspectives of several of the main guests, the story switches back and forward from before the night of the wedding to the actual night. The bride and groom have their family and friends present; they are ready to exchange their vows…just what could go wrong?

This is the second book I’ve read by this author, with the first being The Hunting Party. Based on a similar premise to the first book, The Guest List features a group of people who are all supposedly good friends, a bucketload of secrets and of course a murder! The atmosphere is the first thing that grabs you with this book, being based on the rugged and isolated Cormorant Island. The weather is dark and dismal and the seas are rough. The boat ride onto the island is enough to set your stomach turning and that’s before all the secrets begin to start tumbling out!

None of the characters are particularly likeable, but in a good way! Many of them seem to be hiding a secret which one by one are revealed as the story moves on. Jules and Will are a loved-up celebrity couple determined to have no expense spared on the wedding of the year. Jules, before the wedding, receives an anonymous note telling her that Will is not to be trusted, and this naturally put doubts in her mind. With her sister, Olivia self-harming and her best friend, Charlie having problems with his wife, this wedding does seem to be doomed from the very beginning.

The storyline moves on slowly, swapping from the night before to the night of the wedding as the chapters continue. I loved how each main character had their own chapter and the opportunity to tell the story from their own perspectives and this certainly helped fill the gaps in from the other characters stories! You already know from the beginning that there has been a death on the island, but you aren’t given any more information as to who it could be until the author is ready to tell you. I changed my mind so many times whilst trying to work it all out and even when the big reveal came, I still didn’t really see it coming!

There is definitely something hypnotic about watching the over-privileged few get their comeuppance. It also felt quite voyeuristic seeing how some of their lives unfolded around them, with there being nothing they could do about it. The style of writing of the author, as with The Hunting Party, gave me a feel of a good old-fashioned Agatha Christie mystery! This book did so remind me of the classic “And Then There Were None”, with its island setting and the feeling that the murderer must be someone on the island. Gripped by the storyline, I couldn’t put this book down and found myself snatching the odd chapter or two whenever I could.

Dark, mysterious and filled with lots of twists and turns, the weather-beaten island and its guests are enough to keep you perched on the edge of your seat. Full of secrets, scandals, deceit and betrayal, this book will have you hooked! Would definitely recommend!

"The Hunting Party" was Waterstones Thriller of the Month for November. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it is still selling well. When I saw "The Guest List" on Netgalley I knew I has to read it. I very much enjoyed it, there is lots of tension, and the various characters really got under my skin. I was very close to the end when I started to work out who the perpetrator was.

One tiny criticism - the structure is the same as "The Hunting Party". This is my personal opinion, and will not stop me recommending the book to customers who want a modern locked-room mystery.

This book feels like a classic whodunit mixed with a tense psychological thriller! Right from the start you know something bad is going to happen and you feel the tension build as you eagerly await what's coming. The book revolves around a group of characters who each hold their own dark and twisted secrets. This book is full of twist and keeps you guessing right until the last page. Who will be the victim and who is really guilty?

Jules and Will are getting married in a folly on a remote Irish island.
The bride pays no heed to an anonymous note warning her not to tie the knot with her fiance and goes ahead with the ceremony, unaware that the dream nuptials she was hoping for will turn into a wedding from hell...
During the reception, someone turns up dead...and there are a lot of people with a motive to kill.

It is a fantastic murder mystery that got me madly turning the pages.
The thrilling and atmospheric story is full of suspense.
Despite being told from multiple perspectives: Jules, the bride; Olivia, her half-sister and bridesmaid; Johnno, the best man; Hannah, who is married to Jules' friend; and Aoife, the wedding planner, it never gets confusing.
I must admit that I did guess correctly who the killer was, but all along the way, the story had me switching my suspicion from person to person.
My only reservation is that the story was slow to start, but as soon as it picked up, I couldn't put it down.
I highly recommend you check this novel out.
It was my first book from this author but I'm adding The Hunting Party to my wish list.

I was looking forward to this book as I had enjoyed The Hunting Party but i felt this was much of the same and didnt stray too far from The Hunting Party story. I enjoyed it well enough but not sure if i would read another.

I really enjoyed The Guest List from start to finish, and was hugely impressed with the deft weaving of the narrative threads into one atmospheric denouement at the climax of the story. It was cleverly plotted, skilfully written, and with characters who will draw you in from the first page.

This is the first book by Lucy Foley that I've read. I found it a little hard to keep track of at the beginning as the chapters switch between characters. However, as the book goes on Lucy skillfully increases the tension as hidden secrets are revealed. I love a book where I am unable to guess the ending. I didn't want to stop reading at any point as I was desperate to find out what had happened. Definitely one to add to your TBR pile!

If you loved the Hunting Party (and you should), you’ll live this. It is told from a different member of the wedding party each chapter and skips forward and back through time. It is easy to follow though and keeps you gripped as you wait to find out who the mystery victim is.
Lucy Foley writes such amazing descriptions I felt I was there on the little island, attending the swanky wedding!

Fascinating story building up the atmospheric setting as the story unfolds. Definitely recommended to those readers who enjoy this genre.

Secrets, lies and betrayal. These are in abundance throughout this story set on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. Guests arrive for a lavish wedding party but soon discover things are not what they seem and several of them are connected in ways they could never have imagined. Clever writing by Lucy Foley keeps the reader guessing until the end as to the identity of the murderer and the reasons why. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an advanced reader copy of this book. Will certainly read more by this author.

Recommended Weather: Cosy winter day in bed.
Recommended For: Those who are intrigued by revenge stories, family secrets and gothic charm.
Gripping from the start, The Guest List was quite the ride. All the characters exciting, the description delightfully gothic, refuses the liberty of putting down the book. But really, what build to a brilliant climax, didn't have a great pay-off. The ending was somewhat of a disappointment. But because the finale came right at the end, it didn't ruin the rest of the thrill.
What struck me particularly is the light in which all the female protagonists were painted as scorned, as victims, who were seeking revenge whether they knew it or not. This indelible shadow cast on them doesn't sit well with me as a reader. But, one could look past it by putting it down as the tone of the book and not reading too much into it.
The perpetual mood of precarious pasts, barely contained guilt, regret and open wounds, shared by nearly all the characters in the novel go well with the creppy and isolated atmosphere which is the setting.
The reveal is anti-climactic in general and it somehow not in sync with the pace and the intensity of the buildup. But, all in all, I would love to read other works by Lucy Foley!

I loved this book. The Guest List is part psychological thriller, part murder mystery, and it's brilliant. The opening chapter is set in the present tense on night of Jules and Will's wedding on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland. Something terrible happens that night and the rest of the book switches between the past and present in the build up to the wedding, and as we find out more about what happened.

The story is told from different points of view (bride, groom, wedding planner, plus one, best man, bridesmaid) and this works really well. Lucy Foley brings together a rich cast of characters who make up the guest list of the wedding. Some are likeable while others were pretty awful (particularly the ushers from Will's schooldays) but I felt like I knew them all well and I loved the way each character had their own compelling backstory and secrets. Bring them all together and I was left with a continual feeling that something was about to go really wrong. And it does.... There were some unexpected twists towards the end and they all took me by surprise. In the later chapters as the lights go out, I liked the way possible suspects were all lined up. But then along came another twist.

An easy five stars - highly recommended. Thank you to Lucy Foley for the few hours I spent captivated by this novel, unable to put it down. And to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an advance copy and discover a great writer.