I am in charge of our Senior School library and am looking for a diverse array of new books to furnish their shelves with and inspire our young people to read a wider and more diverse range of books as they move through the senior school. It is hard sometimes to find books that will grab the attention of young people as their time is short and we are competing against technology and online entertainments.
This was a thought-provoking and well-written read that will appeal to our readers across the board. It had a really strong voice and a compelling narrative that I think would capture their attention and draw them in. It kept me engrossed and I think that it's so important that the books that we purchase for both our young people and our staff are appealing to as broad a range of readers as possible - as well as providing them with something a little 'different' that they might not have come across in school libraries before.
This was a really enjoyable read and I will definitely be purchasing a copy for school so that our young people can enjoy it for themselves. A satisfying and well-crafted read that I keep thinking about long after closing its final page - and that definitely makes it a must-buy for me! Blooming love Lucy Foley and want out students to discover her too

A second thriller from the author of the stunning book The Hunting Party, and it starts by crashing the reader into an atmospheric stormy wedding reception that does not fail to awaken the senses to the ghosts and isolation of the island it is being held on.

As the author breathes the characters to life individually in their connections to each other and a hint of their histories in the ensuing chapters, the reader is given insight into relationships, secrets and grudges. It is in these chapters – the build up to the wedding- that the authors strengths are revealed. It is her ability to connect the reader to her characters that gives the story true credibility.

This story has an underlying current of folklore, tragedy, childhood regrets, betrayal, ghosts and demons all set against a hostile environment of rugged island isolation, cliff tops, caves, bogs, gothic ruins and a graveyard. I could not put this book down. The conclusion is stunning.

As with The Hunting Party, I highly recomme

4-5 stars.

You are cordially invited to the wedding of Julia Keegan, owner of a lifestyle magazine and Will Slater, TV star. The wedding of the year will take place on Inis Amploir (Cormorant Island) off the Irish coast. A boat will be provided to ferry you to and from the island, though the main wedding party will stay in the luxuriously refurbished Folly. It would be wise to take a motion sickness pill prior to boarding the boat as Irish seas can be er ....... unpredictable, so probably best not to wear green or wear vertiginous heels as they could sink into the many peat bogs. So a disparate bunch of invitees make their way to the island and despite the intentions of Aoife, the wedding planner and owner of the island, what develops is a nightmarish gathering from hell. The pair duly marry but a storm is raging outside and inside, a waitress screams, the lights go out, a few of the guests stumble drunkenly outside to work out what’s happening. There’s the danger of the cliff edge and peat bogs to swallow you up. Is someone dead? Who? What unravels is very atmospheric and tense and towards the end you find you are holding your breathe as you could cut the atmosphere with a knife. Literally.

This slow burning psychological thriller is very well written. The account of the events includes five perspectives, Aoife, Jules the bride, Olivia her half sister and bridesmaid, Johnno the best man and Hannah the plus one, married to Charlie the MC. The characters are well depicted, some are despicable, there’s the odd diva (there always is as a wedding), a few botoxed beauties, some likeable characters and the ushers who are a bunch of arrogant, entitled privately educated men who are still school boys, act like pack animals and I want to punch their lights out!! Which is entirely the point! The stand out thing for me is the island and the weather which provides a magnificent, atmospheric backdrop and mirrors the storm brewing among the guests. The island has a ghostly feel and has legends which adds an extra dimension and there are some really creepy scenes to match the folklore, not least around the screeching cormorants which are seen as harbingers of death and evil which adds another layer of tension. Lucy Foley captures so well how strangers meet at a wedding, all bringing their stories and their baggage and as the night progresses with increased drunkenness, the frenzy of the band, tension rises and erupts volcanically in this wild location. The book has everything fans of this genre like - tension, revenge, secrets, lies, cowardice, grief, cruelty, the list goes on making this the guest list from Hades.

Overall, a really well executed, atmospheric, slow burner of a novel. At times I felt the pace a little too slow and I couldn’t get past my dislike of the ushers so hence 4 - 5 stars. There is a great deal to admire in the writing of this clever novel and I would recommend it to fans of the genre. There are things you definitely don’t see coming and the end is a genuine surprise which I really like.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC.

Almost a paint by numbers partner to Foley’s debut, The Hunting Party, The Guest List is just as fun as its predecessor. Foley has a format, she’s sticking to it & I don’t blame her ‘cause she executes her ideas incredibly well, with brilliant characterisation.

Wonderful setting on an island off the Connemara coast full of history and foreboding. The new owners have refurbished the main old building into a desirable place to stay and it is the ideal venue for the wedding of the year - or is it?. A bunch of rich, privileged people with nasty pasts, so far kept secret are the close wedding guests. As the night before the wedding and the day itself unfold so do their secrets. Each chapter is told by one of the main guests or the happy couple but the time spins back and forth and out of synch which is distinctly confusing - just read the title line carefully and it's ok! The characters one and all are unlikeable and I really didn't care which of them was killed even if the murder didn't happen until very near the end. I would have sent the lot of them off in Mattie's boat in the storm. I'm sorry to say that it reads very like Ms Foley's previous The Hunting Party - thirty something 'bright' people with too much in the way of drink and drugs all degenerating through the course of, this time, a wedding. She writes very well about the sense of place, just not her characters. Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 out o f 5 stars

I read and really enjoyed Lucy's first novel, The Hunting Party, and was really excited to read more thrillers from her. There's something about her 'rich, awful people doing awful things and having awful things happen to them' plots that I absolutely love -- they're so deliciously dark and compulsively readable.

In many ways, The Guest List feels very much like The Hunting Party. You have a group of posh people coming together for an event, more secrets than you can shake a stick at, and a murder. And just like The Hunting Party, we don't know who is murdered or who the culprit is until the very end. I really liked this format so I was pleased to see it used again so effectively.
There's a wide cast of characters with multiple points of view. Between the wedding planner, the plus one, the best man, the bridesmaid, and the bride, the book felt incredibly well balanced in terms of the shifting POV, which is no easy feat. I really enjoyed the wide cast of characters -- Foley has a real talent for creating interesting and well fleshed out characters that have interesting motivations.
The only real downside of this book is the ending. While I found it satisfying, there was just so much coincidence! It all became a little unbelievable toward the end. To me, the book unraveled a little in the last 10-15%, which is just a shame because thrillers really have to stick the landing. However, this is obviously down to personal preference so I wouldn't let this deter you from picking up the book yourself.
The Guest List is another fun and compulsively readable thriller from Lucy Foley, perfect reading for a cold, winter evening.

A brilliant read!

I raced through this book; page-turner that it was. Set on a remote island off the coast of Ireland, Jules is gearing up for the wedding of the year to fiance and TV star, Will. A remote island, wedding guests with secrets, a storm brewing and heading towards the island, with no way off it. What could possibly go wrong? Murder, maybe?

What I liked about this book was the fact that it was narrated by five different people (bride, bridesmaid, best man, wedding planner and plus one) and that the chapters were fairly short (although that meant it was difficult to put down).

Really enjoyed and recommend heartily.

A couple are getting married on a remote island and there's an underlying mystery running through the novel. The characters change from chapter to chapter and the timeline jumps back and forth which can be a little confusing. I had really enjoyed Lucy Foley's previous book The Hunting Party and found this to be a little disappointing. It was difficult to keep track of what was going on and most of the characters were thoroughly unlikeable. It examines male boarding school culture which is quite interesting but I really didn't connect with the book.

I loved Lucy’s debut novel.

I loved this book even more and felt it flowed better than The Hunting Party, especially with her style of writing.

An excellent novel full of believable characters and an excellent storyline

Wonder what the setting will be for book 3

THE GUEST LIST - LISA FOLEY
The story takes place in a remote Island off the coast of mainland Ireland with a cast of similar and diverse characters and is told largely in the first person from the perspective of 6 of the main characters Aiofe (the wedding planner), Jules (The bride), Will (the groom), Olivia (the bridesmaid and half sister of the bride), Johnno (the best man) and Hannah (described as the “Plus one”).

The story is split, between “before” and “the night of” the murder. It is clear as the book continues that all of the main characters have their own troubles, secrets and lies and the book draws the reader in providing multiple options from the list of main characters as to who the victim is and who the protagonist is which is all left to the last few chapters

A number of readers have indicated that it is not that dissimilar to her other book “The Hunting Party”. However, this is the first book I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend this “whodunnit”.
Thanks to netgalley UK, the author and HarperCollins uk for allowing me to read this for a honest review

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47934718-the-guest-list

A craftily, expertly and oh so cleverly written ‘guess who’ of a murder mystery that has it all. With a full cast of characters where everyone has their own tale to tale, inside a tale, that brings them all together for a spectacularly twisted masterclass in psychological suspense!

Using the same formula as The Hunting Party, Lucy Foley digs even deeper and even darker and goes one better with her new book The Guest List. There are enough twists and turns, red herrings and subtle little clues that keep you on your toes and the imagination ticking making this a book thats impossible not to devour whole.

The book blurb has everything you need to know covered, so that just leaves me with the task of telling you how good this book really is!!

It will pull you in, twist you up in knots, as each character is drawn into the spotlight and all set themselves up to become the guilty party, and keep you guessing right up until the very bitter end.

Did I guess the correct villain? Not a chance! Would I recommend this book? Hell Yes! Did I loose an entire nights sleep due to reading right through the night? Yeap! And was it worth it? Definitely!

The Guest List will be published on 20 February 2020 and is available for pre-order now from Amazon, Waterstones or your local bookshop. You can even pre-order a signed edition from Waterstones 😍

Thank you to the author Lucy Foley, publishers HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for my arc of this book in exchange for an honest and independent review.

I absolutely gobbled this book up, looking for chances to read it wherever I could. There's a colourful host of characters, some more likeable than others but all written really well and easy to distinguish from one another. I loved the setting of the story and the fact the whole story took place over just a weekend, switching from past to present. I also really enjoyed that the story was set around the wedding. There was so many twists and turns that kept me on my toes and while I don't feel it was necessary to tie every single character and their 'past' to one another (and this actually made the plot less believable), I didn't find I was bothered too much as the book was such an enjoyable read. I would love a sequel to this book as it would be interesting to revisit the characters and I'll be looking to read the authors other titles

Not an island I would choose to get married on, especially in bad weather!
Wooed by the romance of the setting and the Irish connection with her fathers family, the wedding of the year, Will and Jules, is planned to within an inch of its life...or an inch of somebodies, as a body is discovered just after the cake is cut.
With multiple narrators and several flicks back and forth between pre-wedding, weding and the aftermath this is a fantasticly dark read. It is made so much the darker by the reveals of the characters, Olivia and her troubled past, the "boys" and their public school behaviour, traditions and secrets interspersed with the frivolity of dress choices, cake tasting and wedding decorating.
With the owners of the folly and organisers of the wedding the only calm people for the duration of the event, many truths are accidentally outed during the wedding reception and true colours are pinned to various flags.
I particularly liked the identity of the victim being a mystery for so much of the book- it made every single person both potential victim adn potential murderer and made me second gues pretty much everything.
Well plotted and extremely well written.

Will and Jules are marrying on a remote Irish island. However one of the wedding party has a host of secrets which are about to become unearthed by the other guests and when they do, murder is on the cards. Told from different view point characters the mystery weaves throughout the book. I enjoyed this book more than the 'Hunting Party." and there is a similarity in the theme and type of characters. A good read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

Family and guests gather on a remote Island off the coast of Ireland for the wedding of Jules Keegan and Will Slater. No expense has been spared and it's going to be lavish party.
The guests all have issues with each other and don't get along that well.
It's clear that something awful is about to happen.
A slow moving mystery that failed to hold my interest in parts.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. It didn’t grip me fully though, possibly as I read it straight after ‘The Hunting Party’ and both books have a similar format.
I’ll reflect more and possibly re-read before posting final reviews on publication.
I enjoyed the setting of a remote Irish Island, its isolation and unpredictable weather creates the perfect backdrop for the drama to play out against. The concept is fun: a wedding party where narrative threads are slowly being revealed and unravelled, as the bride and groom prepare for their happy day. And there’s ultimately no cause for happiness. Foley creates her usually bunch of suspects and filters the story via various voices and perspectives. We have to jump back and forth to piece the story together towards the inevitable murder.
I think there’re possibly too many coincidences at the end with the group of suspects; I was pulled out of the story a little.

Overall though, an intense wedding calamity as jealousy, bitterness and betrayals come to head on a remote island. A story of peer pressures, secrets, hatred and passions wrapped up in game of whodunnit for the reader.

Weddings, one of the most complicated and dangerous places to be. You have a great setting a remote island off the coast of Ireland. A wedding is a small community. You don’t know how one invite can bring the dream tumbling down. Seeing the weekend unfold through the eyes of the main characters and suspects keeps the reader on their toes. You are completely fascinated by these people as their stories unfold. This is a brilliantly riveting whodunnit that you cannot put down.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Like Lucy Foley’s The Hunting Party, this is once again set in an isolated area. This time it’s the wedding of two famous people, a TV reality star and a woman who has gone from blogging to having an on-line magazine of her own. A small cast is thrown together on a small island and there’s no access to the outside world because of the rough weather. It’s almost like a locked room mystery.

We get to know the people as individuals and soon see that there are secrets festering under the glamourous surface. I really enjoyed this story and the unfolding of people’s lives which finally come together at this wedding. What should be a time of happiness suddenly turns sour for several of the people involved. You must read it. It’s awesome.

Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced reader's copy. I'm thrilled to have the chance to read this as I loved The Hunting Party. This book is unputdownable. I absolutely adored it. Another murder, another mystery from Lucy Foley where everyone is a suspect.

If you enjoyed the The Hunting Party.. like I did then you will find this book unputdownable. Atmospheric and brooding from the outset. A wedding held on a wild and remote island.. everything seems perfect on the surface but slowly and surely there is an unraveling. I loved the way the book is written from each characters perspective..the story builds and builds but in no way is it predictable. Lucy Foley builds a dark brooding image of the island which runs through the novel, likewise the undercurrents between each of the characters builds and builds.
Don't want to give too much away, but safe to say there are unexpected twists and turns and I didn't see them coming. A great read....took me two days! Looking forward very much to another Lucy Foley. Highly recommend.