Lots of twists that keeps you giessing until the very end! Well structures with five different narrative perspectives.
I really enjoyed this!
Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, it wasn't stand out but it wasn't dull either. The story was interesting and tied up all loose ends. The flow was good and easy to follow. The twists were good.

Everything was good but there was nothing exceptional or extraordinary.

Its not a book I'll remember reading.

Another great book by Lucy Foley! I absolutely loved her first book The Hunting Party so was really excited to get the chance to read this one.

Firstly I loved the island setting of this book. Like the previously mentioned book it's another great murder mystery with suspense, red herrings and questions keeping you guessing. This time it features a group at a wedding reception on a deserted island and you are kept in the dark about who the victim or the culprit is until the very end. Personally I really love the differing POVs we get in each chapter and it really helps to keep you want to keep reading.

Another fantastic and gripping read, looking forward to her next book!

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this brilliant novel

a wedding on an isolated island that brings together two families but what secrets are going to be spilled before the event is over....

only a few make the journey the night before the wedding and the party goes full steam ahead...all the main characters are there and each chapter has different peoples perspective of the time there...

and so the game begins with the raucous behavour of the grooms friends, to the drinking games its a long night for some...

and then all the wedding guests start to arrive ...

have to say though you can see the way the storyline was going and i thought i would know whodunnit there were plenty of red herrings abound..but i didnt guess the actual murderer at all...i knew who i wanted it to be...

brilliant storyline..loved it

I haven't read The Hunting Party but aware of the popularity and good reviews it received, I thought I would try Lucy Foley's second novel. I came to it, based on the blurb of a guest list, a remote island and murder, anticipating a modern take on Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, so was slightly disappointed.

It's not as if there was a lack of characters who deserved to be murdered based on their past actions, attitudes or behaviour! The narrative jumps between these characters and secrets, dark pasts and revelations are gradually unveiled until the reader has so many potential suspects and, initially, potential victims.

The ending was fast paced and satisfactory both logically and as part of the the overall narrative but as this reader didn't come to care about any of the characters, it just left me vowing never to go to another wedding.

This is a great follow up to The Hunting Party. Lucy Foley has been lauded as a modern day Agatha Christie, a big claim but I can certainly see why the comparison has been made.

The story is based around a wedding party and is set in a very atmospheric area of Ireland. It is suitably spooky for a murder mystery.

Each chapter the story is told from the standpoint of a party goer and this works really well.

What is interesting about this story is working out who the victim is going to be - the murder doesn’t actually occur until very near the end of the story.

It is hard to say much more without giving away too much about this book. But, yes if you like Agatha Christie you will enjoy this.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

A modern day whodunnit. Started off slowly but as the book went on I couldn’t turn the pages quickly enough. I picked up on a clue early on in the book so had a good idea who the killer was and the potential victim. But it certainly didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book.
An up to date Agatha Christie.
Told from different points of views by the main characters. Very enjoyable and cleverly written.
#theguestlist #lucyfoley #netgalley.

Lucy Foley is absolutely the modern day Agatha Christie. Her skills at weaving the plots of her murder mystery novels are second to none. The Guest List did not disappoint!

The story is set around a wedding day on a remote Irish island. The wedding is of a highly successful media and tv couple. At the start of the book we learn someone has been found outside the wedding marquee. Then the book switches between earlier in the day and the eventual discovery and reveal of who the body is and who did it.

This is the second novel of Lucy’s I have read - the first being The Hunting Party, which I hugely enjoyed.
But for me The Guest List pips it at the post. It took me a little longer to read than usual as I have been travelling, but when not reading it I was trying to work out who-what-where-how.

Expect twists on top of twists, and a heap of motives. And a whole bunch of dislikable characters!
Not to be missed....

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Harper Collins for a review copy.
Jules is the editor of an online magazine and sees herself as the ultimate success story. She is to marry TV reality survival show star Will and has chosen an island off the Irish coast as the venue for what she hopes to be the perfect wedding.
The story is told from a first person viewpoint by a variety of characters in the present tense. The story however moves about in time from a couple of days prior to wedding to the wedding night and so we don’t know for sure who the victim or the killer is until right at the end of the book. This is a very effective way of doubling the tension as it creates two mysteries for the price of one.
The characters are well differentiated and even though they are each written in the first person there is no doubt as to whose point of view we are following at any point. The plot is carefully thought out and perfectly fair, all the clues are there and there are a number of ‘gasp out loud’ moments as revelations occur throughout the tale. As we learn more about the people on the island we see old rivalries bubble to the surface and long held secrets emerge which ensures that there are several potential victims and many possible killers.
The setting is also brought to life beautifully and I had no difficulty in picturing the old monastery on the island, the lethal bog (reminiscent of the Great Grimpen Mire in the Hound of the Baskervilles) and the spooky graveyard. The wedding extravaganza with marquees placed into this old tableau seems garishly inappropriate but also exactly what Jules would do, imposing her will and idea of perfection onto a place she had chosen whether it fitted in with the scenery or not.
I found the mystery enjoyable but, although the characters were brought to life beautifully, I thought most of them were deeply unpleasant and would not have been sorry to see a few more dispatched by the end. The groom’s party of ex public school boys could not have been more boorish and frighteningly stereotypical. As an ex boarding school pupil myself I can honestly say that my experience was (thankfully) nothing like that described by the ushers even though it would have been at about the same time (or earlier) as they were at school. I hope that readers will realise that those of us who were sent to boarding school are not all the vile snobs depicted in the story. Jules herself is also pretty unpleasant and selfish though when we meet her parents some of her behaviour can be understood and forgiven to some extent. Speaking purely personally I would have considered the ending perfect if only Hannah and Olivia had walked away alive but perhaps that would be suspending disbelief just a little too far – this is not ‘And Then There Were None’ after all!
So to summarise this is a well thought out and carefully plotted mystery with a well drawn, if largely unpleasant cast of characters. There is no doubt that people who enjoy this sort of closed circle mystery will find plenty to satisfy them here, not least trying to work out who is the victim as well as the killer. There is also a neat though foreseeable twist at the very end which does fit the tone of the book well. Overall well worth while but next time please can we have nicer people!

My thanks to Harper Collins for the opportunity to read The Guest List ahead of publication. I am yet to read Lucy's previous book The Hunting Party but am definitely looking to do so very soon.

This is a very atmospheric book set on a virtually deserted island off the west of Ireland which can only be reached by boat at certain times due to the dangerous sea crossing necessary to get there. It is the location chosen by online magazine owner Jules for her wedding to TV presenter Will Slater - he's a bit of a Bear Grylls type character on a survival show which is taking the ratings by storm, so the location is a perfect fit.
The action moves between the wedding day and night and events leading up to the big day with the story narrated from various characters' points of view.
Event planners Aoife and Freddy are using this high profile event to launch the wedding side of their business in the hope that followers of the celebrity couple will be queueing up to have their big days here. They just need the guests to be on their best behaviour so they get good reviews. And that's where the problems start.

The opening chapter sets the book up to its finishing point: the wedding night and a scream of terror from outside the marquee where the happy couple is cutting the cake. Then the lights go out. The author certainly knows how to build the tension with the pace of the tale set perfectly in chapters which get shorter as the book moves along - or that may just have been me turning the pages quicker and quicker towards the end!
The groom's side of the main wedding party are mainly all friends of his from their boarding school days and there's definitely a whole raft of history and secrets between them. Drinking games and traditions from their teenage years form part of the pre-wedding celebrations, some of which don't sit comfortably with some of the lads.
Then there's the bridesmaid, Olivia who appears to have more issues than Vogue. The sister of the bride is clearly harbouring resentment with Jules - not all siblings get along though do they? But what's her gripe with the groom? The best man is a loose cannon with plenty of ammunition to ruin the reputation of those around him, and the bride's best friend has more to lose if his secret gets exposed to his wife.

The reader is led through a whole web of secrets and resentments between the wedding party members but the climax of the tale threw me a complete curveball which I hadn't expected. With so many of the characters having a potential motive to ruin the day I was spoilt for choice as to who was involved in the horrors outside the marquee which we read about at the start.
Perfectly plotted, this is a great thriller which demonstrates so well that just because people appear to have perfect lives, it's mainly all just a veneer which can be chipped away to show the faults underneath.

A glamorous wedding between a handsome TV star and a successful businesswoman is held on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. Who wouldn’t want to be on the guest list? People arrive from all areas of the couple’s lives; school, university, work and family. No expense is spared as the ‘perfect’ wedding gets underway. The story alternates between the build up and the evening of the wedding, when a catastrophic event occurs that will ensure that this wedding is truly unforgettable. It is also told from the perspective of various guests, the bride, groom and even the wedding planner. As the event gets underway and drink flows freely, tongues begin to loosen and inhibitions are cast aside. Long held secrets are revealed and lies discovered as the whole event becomes anything but perfect. Troubled soles and devious characters come together to ensure an explosion of devastating consequences in this wonderfully atmospheric book. My only complaint is that there were maybe one too many convenient coincidences. However, this didn’t spoil the enjoyment of the book and provided enough twists to keep me guessing until the end.

A huge number of very unlikable characters together on a remote island all with a motive for murder! Can't say I liked any of them, but this was a clever and enjoyable read with an unexpected end...would recommend.

The Hunting Party V2.0 - if you were a fan of the previous novel then you'll certainly enjoy this. I however have many of the same issues that I did with The Hunting Party. The characters all blur into one with the odd exception. If you're going to write chapters in the first person, those characters need to have some character to them. Just as it was with T.H.P each character is the same as the last.. Give them an accent, make one foul mouthed etc. As it is they just blur together beautiful scenery made to feel bland and lifeless. The story itself is all far too similar to it's predecessor too.

Firstly I want to say thank you so much to Netgalley and Harper Fiction for providing me with a copy of The Guest List. I am so honoured to be given this opportunity. 

I must admit I have never read The Hunting Party, I have heard so many good things about it but I have never managed to get round to reading it for myself. When I saw that this was available on Netgalley I knew that I needed to request and see if I was lucky enough to be selected and read it. 

I like that at the beginning of the book we are aware that something has happened. We flit between the past and the present, in which the author carefully feeds the readers appetite with relevant information. The Guest List kept me guessing throughout and I didn't see the end coming at all! Now I have read it, it does make sense but it wasn't the outcome that I was expecting. I love it when a thriller book takes me by surprise. 

I didn't really like any of the characters apart from Olivia and Hannah, I felt really sorry for them and enjoyed watching them build some sort of relationship. I'm not sure we, as the reader, were meant to like any of the other characters as they were not likeable in the slightest. I did however, enjoy getting to know the characters and learning about the past as well as learning how they will deal with the present situation they find themselves in. 

The atmosphere in this book was brilliant. I think that is a lot down to the writing style and structure of the book that Lucy Foley adapts. I really liked that we changed time zones within this, moving from the past to the present and back again. This added to the suspense because I just found that I wanted more and more. The way that Lucy writes really added to my experience as a reader and left me on the edge of my seat for the majority of the book. This was my bath time and bedtime read and I'm now not sure that was a sensible choice as I didn't want to get out of the bath or go to sleep when I should have. 

The Guest List is definitely one to watch out for this year. I really like Lucy Foley as an author now I have finally read one of her books and I will be searching for a copy of The Hunting Part so that I can read more of her work. She definitely lived up to my expectations and gave me more.

The Hunting Party was a great read, but this is a whole new level of greatness!! Absolutely brilliant (mainly unlikeable) characters and fantastic plotting. Probably the best suspense novel of the year, and its only February. Highly recommended, but completely unputdownable so don't start it at bedtime.

Welcome to the wedding of the year....I love a wedding, the romance, the chance to wear a new outfit and enjoy celebrating the union of two people, but I’m so glad I didn’t receive an invitation to this wedding! No sooner have the celebrations begun, the unthinkable happens, a murder of all things! I’m not sure about you but I’ve been to some weddings that might have got a touch out of hand, but I can’t say I’ve ever attended one where there’s been a murder, so much for the ‘happy ever after’ it’s more of a case of ‘death do us part’. The Guest Party is the latest offering from Lucy Foley, and what an extremely entertaining, atmospheric murder mystery this book turned out to be.

The Guest List follows the high profile wedding of television presenter Will Slater and online magazine publisher Julia Keegan, the setting is a storm-swept island off Irish coast. The island gives the book an ominous atmosphere, it’s a bleak setting and one that’s shrouded in ghostly folklore.
The story moves from the present to the past and back again. It is told from the perspective of multiple characters, this could have made the plot a muddled one, but this style of storytelling works really well I thought it added tension and mystery to the read. Like any wedding there are guests that are unpleasant, in this case it’s the ushers who are a bunch of arrogant bullies, entitled private old-public schoolboys who have a dangerous pack mentality, not the most endearing qualities I have to say, but it’s their fears, secrets, lies and amidst the drink and drug fuelled wedding festivities which add an ominous air of impending doom.

There’s a mounting sense of unease as secrets from the past mix with a cauldron of anger, resentment, guilt and jealousy. There are a number of suspects, of suspectswhich made this book even more enjoyable to read, I felt like Mrs Marple as I discounted one suspect after another, although I must admit I wasn’t surprised when the killer was unveiled. Another aspect I really enjoyed about this novel is the fact the murder victim isn’t revealed until the last few chapters, the author leads you down many a dead end, before we reach that point. The Guest List is a slow burner, but like any good author Lucy Foley uses this time to give the reader the background and dynamics of the characters, which builds on the tension and suspense. I really enjoyed this deliciously dark murder thriller, it’s one I will definitely be recommending to fans of this genre.

This review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog

The Guest List is a gloriously juicy thriller with just the right amount of plot contrivance. A high profile wedding is taking place on a remote Irish island, and a storm is coming. The happy couple have met cute, and fallen for each other hard. The wedding party is full of old mates, distant parents and a screwed up sister.
Someone is going to die, but did they gave it coming? On a island of thirteen guests, do twelve of them have a motive worth killing for?
I think Agatha Christie would be quietly impressed with this update on the country house murder mystery.

So sorry, but this one was not for me, so I won't review on my blog. Too similar in format to the Hunting Party and with a couple of big plot holes that made it difficult for me to get over. I like Lucy's writing and I was a fan of the Hunting Party but I just couldn't make this work for me.

I really needed a book that was going to grip me and keep my attention. So I went through my list of books that I had to read, and this sounded the most likely. Additionally, I’d heard so many rave things about her previous book ‘The Hunting Party’ I thought I couldn’t go wrong.
Famous last words, hey, this certainly was not gripping. It was slow going. Hard to get to grips with. Lots of characters to get to know and just not intriguing enough. I had a lot going on in my personal life whilst reading this, hence the need for a book that would really attract me and draw me in. A book that would take my mind off everything else and allow me to completely emerge myself in a fantasy world for a few hours and leave my problems aside. This did not do that and is probably the longest I have taken to read a book in over two years as I just couldn’t focus on it at all.
The characters were unlikeable for a start; they didn’t give us anything to feel invested in. I couldn’t understand why Jules was marrying Will. There didn’t seem to be an attraction between the two. It just seemed to be a ‘good on paper’ type situation, but in this case, it wasn’t. Charlie was winding me up with how he was treating his wife, there was just no need for it, and as for the ushers, don’t even get me started. I know they weren’t supposed to be likeable, but they went beyond that.
I expected more from the ‘Now’ chapters that were supposed to pique our interest, as well. They were very sparse and very few and far between. We had to wait many chapters before we would return to the ‘Now’ to be given just a page of the ushers wandering around aimlessly and nothing much having progressed to keep us wanting to move forward to reach the next ‘Now’ section. Why they had to wander so far when the waitress can’t have come that far from her ordeal is beyond me. It all seemed very confusing and drama for the sake of drama to me.
It did all come together quite well at the end, and once everything had been made clear, it had been kept very well under wraps. So the ending was worth persevering for, but I’m not sure I will be reading any more of this author’s books. I don’t think it was just the frame of mind I was in as I’ve read a few books since (in the same state of anxiety that I am in at the moment) and I’ve been fine, a little slower than usual but not as bad as this one.

A really well written murder mystery set in a magical location. There are several suspects in this story and some memorable characters. The suspects all have a history with the victim which is revealed. Everything cleverly comes together in what is a really good read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.