Was so excited to read this as I've heard so many good things about Lucy Foley and her first book The Hunting Party, which I unfortunately haven't got round to reading yet! This was an interesting thriller, I found the characters to be hard to like, but that didn't stop me enjoying the story. I definitely recommend!

Thriller fans: you're going to want to get your hands on this one. I really enjoyed Lucy Foley's debut thriller, The Hunting Party. I had a minor complaint around the number of characters introduced quickly at the outset; it caused me some minor confusion. That could have been my fault - the wine might have made my mind foggy! Foley's second effort is much more polished, despite it having a very similar story and structure to her first.

A group of friends, connected through their experience at school, gather for a celebration in a remote place. A body is discovered early on and we go back and forth with the author, alternating in narrative perspectives and in time. On this occasion, the reason for bringing the group together is a wedding on an island off the coast of Ireland (I am Irish - I assumed the location was inspired by the Aran Islands but my friend tells me it's actually Inishbofin off the coast of Connemara). Jules is an ambitious, successful blogger and a perfectionist bride, and she has recently received an anonymous note warning her not to trust her husband-to-be. Will, the groom is a reality TV celebrity, and his groomsmen are his boarding school friends, who all spent their teenage years "raising hell". Other characters include Jules's sister, Olivia, her male best friend, Charlie, Charlie's wife, Hannah, Will's best friend, Johnno, and the organised and capable wedding planner, Aoife. Everyone has a dark, tragic secret from their past, and everyone has a motive. Throw in a late summer storm and a lot of alcohol, and this wedding is about to get bloody.

This is a classic 'whodunnit' tale and a very clever contemporary psychological thriller. It is atmospheric and gripping, but in essence it is unputdownable fun. I loved it: every twist, every turn, every secret and every little bit of matrimonial drama. Foley is a master of her craft and her books are the perfect companion for a dark and windy night. One of the most addictive thrillers of the year...read it! 4.5 stars, rounded up.

Really enjoyed this one, I thought I would tbh as I liked #thehuntingparty and whilst reading I did get a Hunting Party-esk feel to it, the layout of the book is similar, but like I say both good books so is OK.

Great setting too, I really loved the Island Wedding idea, adding extra Suspence & Mystery to the story... Characters all written very well, Yes some of them you wouldn't want to spend any amount of time with but they all brought something to the table in their own way, very relatable alot of them too, you find yourself thinking Hmm Yeah I've come across a wideboy like Pete before or Ahh Hannah's story is similar to whoever's.... The twists were good, nothing jaw dropping I didn't think but all made for a bloody good read!

I'd recommend!
⭐⭐⭐⭐. 5/5
-Leanne 😊

On an island off the windswept Irish coast, guests gather for the wedding of the year – the marriage of Jules Keegan and Will Slater.
Old friends.
Past grudges.
Happy families.
Hidden jealousies.
Thirteen guests.
One body.
The wedding cake has barely been cut when one of the guests is found dead. And as a storm unleashes its fury on the island, everyone is trapped.

All have a secret. All have a motive.
One guest won’t leave this wedding alive . . .

Good, tightly plotted, gripping thriller! Would recommend. Decent characterisation too.

Nice book to race through, although I don't advise starting it just before bedtime.

Brilliant who dunnit book. A bit like the Dinner Party book by Agatha Christie. Definetely a good book

This had a mixture of things that kept me guessing and things that I worked out pretty early on. I really enjoy Lucy Foley’s style of writing and find her books extremely easy to read. I enjoyed and would definitely recommend to others

Overall I loved the premise of this book. It is essentially an isolated mystery, a wedding party stuck on an island in a storm, each guest with their own secrets.
Told in dual timelines and from multiple perspectives - there was no opportunity to get bored, and as a side note, I would highly recommend the audiobook.

However, without giving away any spoilers, I did find a lot of the story highly unrealistic and based upon coincidence. Which did drastically lower my rating.

Secrets and lies- the common theme of all whodunnits .
A wedding and a cast of characters- all flawed and to the reader often not likeable
As the plot develops, it’s a case who will die and why and by the climax the threads are all pulled together to determine the victim and potential killers ... was it good ? This is an Agatha Christie for the Instagram /iPhone generation ... cliches are there - the twists and red herrings but ultimately if you want a good murder romp without too much too think deeply about (I’m sure on a screen in the non too distant future ) then this is a perfect escapist summer read or afternoon feet up book

The Guest List is an Agatha Christie style murder mystery where a rather interesting bunch of characters meet to celebrate a wedding. One of them dies (of course) but you don't know who it is at the very end. Will you be able to guess?

This novel was a fantastic slow burn read that I couldn't put down! If you enjoy stories with multiple points of view, lots of characters and clues scattered across each chapter, then this is the perfect book for you.

Thank you Netgalley and the published for my copy of The Guest List. This is my honest review.

This is a brilliant whodunnit murder mystery, except you don’t know who has been murdered and why until right at the end. This was a slow starter for me. There were quite a few point of views so it took me a while to get into. Once I was there though I couldn’t put it down.

The setting is creepy. A mysterious, slightly treacherous rugged island, with a dark past, off the coast of Ireland. The happy couple, Jules and Will, are getting married here. But why here? It doesn’t seem like the perfect wedding spot.

A storm rolls in on the evening of the wedding, the power keeps going out leaving the guests uneasy, and then THAT scream happens. Slowly jumping back and forward in time, the lies, resentments and secrets are revealed.

Let’s meet the characters whose POV we share throughout:

Jules
The bride. Successful magazine publisher. Always seems to get what she wants. Marrying Will a charming and good looking TV star. She doesn’t have a great relationship with her parents, but she’s become successful in spite of them.

Hannah
The plus one. Married to Charlie, Jules’ best friend since their teen years. Always seemingly forgotten by her husband when Jules is around, Hannah has concerns about the relationship.

Johnno
The best man. Sharing a history and a mysterious secret with Will (the groom) going back to their boarding school days. Although Johnno doesn’t really fit in with the other ex-public school boys he is desperate to stay in Wills life.

Aoife
The wedding planner. She owns and lives on the island with husband Freddy. The host of the wedding of the year. She is constantly on edge about her guests doing something untoward and ruining the wedding.

Olivia
The bridesmaid. Sister to Jules (the bride) who thinks she is trying to ruin the big day. But she is actually battling her own demons with a secret she hasn’t told anyone.

Each character has their own story to bring to the table. It is cleverly told, with the stories intertwining and everyone seeming to have a motive. This kept me hooked throughout. It’s more about the journey rather than the ending.

So whodunnit? You won’t believe it!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher HarperCollins and the author Lucy Foley for letting me read and review a copy of this book.

I have just been accepted for this book 2 months after requesting, in the meantime I had already read this from my local library.

After all the hype I had high hopes for this read.
I got a little confused with all the different points of views and half way though the chapter I couldn't remember who's I was reading.

A little slow for my liking and started to get really good half way though.

I liked it but didn't love it as much as I thought I would.

It wouldn't put me off reading more from this Author.

Thank you Harper Collins.

Lucy Foley had a great debut with The Hunting Party - a gripping murder mystery set in a remote cabin in the woods. The Guest List is another solid read that's very addictive and hard to put down.

This time our story is set on a tiny, somewhat spooky island off the coast of Ireland, and we're following a large cast of characters in the run up to, and on the night of, a prestigious, exclusive wedding. In terms of format, we have a good multiple POV going on, and on top of switching characters, we're also switching between the run up to the event, and the moment after all the lights go out at the wedding and everything picks up. There's a lot to keep track of, but Foley does a good job of keeping the threads tightly woven so it's not too much to handle.

The rituals, the male bonding. When we get together there’s this kind of pack mentality. We get carried away.

The characters are interesting, though a lot of the ushers seeed to just blend together with their private school in-jokes, arrogance and entitlement. They're not especially likeable, but then I don't think they're meant to be. They do feel a bit like cardboard cut outs of characters though - they felt a bit shallow. Jules, the bridezilla, Helen, the plus one, Olivia, the troubled little sister and Aoife, the wedding planner are all much more interesting people - this is where Foley shines. Foley does a great job of fleshing out these characters and making them feel real - even when you don't like them, they're relatable.

The rage is growing inside me, overtaking the shock and grief. I can feel it blossoming up behind my ribs. It’s almost a relief, how it obliterates every other feeling in its path

The story is addictive and kept me guessing until about two-thirds of the way through - to begin with, we don't know who has even been murdered, so it's tricky to figure out who might have done it! On top of that, the island is quite spooky and Foley creates just enough tension to have you wondering if maybe there's a supernatural element involved. There are plenty of twists and revelations, but for me there was a particular one which made me sure I knew who was going to be murdered - and that multiple people would have motive for murdering them. From that point on, I felt things were a bit predictable but the rest of the book had been so addictive until then I didn't particularly mind.

Despite all those things I liked, the book felt a little heavy handed, and there were a couple of plot holes that didn't really add up. It's impossible for me to explain what frustrated me without spoiling the story so I won't! I will say that what irritated me is a minor thing that probably won't irritate many people, and that the book is overall a great read. If you're a crime fan, if you love twisty dramas like Big Little Lies, if you're just looking for a quick and addictive read, you'll enjoy this.

Buy it? This is one I'd pick up on a deal.
In a nutshell: A hugely gripping, tense mystery which you won't want to put down.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley has a strong storyline and builds tension throughout, leaving the reader guessing until the end. The setting on a remote Irish island is idyllic and this adds so much to the atmosphere of danger.

The story is told through the narrative of several characters and, although I usually enjoy that style, for me there are too many people telling the story and I felt that the characterisation suffered a bit because of this technique. The second negative for me is that many of the personalities in the book were particularly unlikable and, while I appreciate that this was very much intended, I felt that this was overdone. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and it held my interest and attention completely.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read it.

The best book I’ve read so far this year.
The hype for Lucy Foley is legit.
I managed to get a copy from my library before being sent a review copy.
Thank you so much Harper Collins!

I was crazy excited for this one as I love Lucy Foley, but I found it just a bit... Eh 🤷🏻‍♀️

By no means was this a bad read and I cannot dispute that the story is exceptionally well written. I was absolutely gripped and read the whole thing in an afternoon. However, for me the resolution was a bit lack lustre. I guess I was expecting bigger twists that I didn't see coming, but it was just ever so slightly predictable for me.

So overall, enjoyable, but disappointing 😔

A page-turning, compulsive read. Fans of the Hunting Party won't be disappointed, and the comparisons to a 21st century Agatha Christie are more than fair! Told from the perspectives of a guests at a high-profile wedding on a secluded island, Foley does an excellent job of diving between all the different characters, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you hooked and shocked though-out. Absolutely brilliant, couldn't recommend it enough. The perfect holiday read!

Lucy Foley does it again. The Hunting Party was a great read and this follows a similar Christiesque plot. A group of people travel to a remote location for a celebration, some guests are unwelcome for reasons unknown, secrets are forced into the open, tempers fray....you know the drill. So shes definitely following a formula but in no way is this formulaic! This is a slow burning, sometimes infuriatingly implicit mystery. I liked The Hunting Party but loved this.

Thanks netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book so I could give an honest opinion of the Guest List by Lucy Foley.
Yes I did enjoy this book, it was not the sort of book you could not wait to turn over the next page.but it kept me interested and read it in two days.
A beautiful couple decided to hire an island off Ireland for their wedding which will be the most desired wedding to be invited to.
The bride is beautiful and the groom handsome, but he has many secrets that could ruin. His relationship with his bride, and some people want all the secrets to come out on the day of the wedding.
What secrets you will have to read the book to find out.

Trigger Warnings: Self harm, suicide and abortion

I was worried when I started this. Due to the hype. Everyone I saw mention this loved it. I’m sad that I don’t feel the same. Also slightly confused why everyone seems to love this so much.

I like that each chapter reminds you who the character is. Example: Hannah The Plus One. I would have gotten characters mixed up at some point otherwise.

I feel like this took too long to really get going. The first half of the book I was just waiting for something to happen. It was lacking the thrilling element that I expected.

This jumped around maybe too much. I’m not sure how to explain how I feel. The second half worked the way it’s written. It’s the first half that didn’t for me.

The first half is basically just about the characters. You barely have any present day action. I get the purpose I just think half the book is too much time spent.

The characters were so unlikable. I felt for Olivia but that’s about it. I didn’t care what happened to the rest.

I don’t think I attempted to think of who died, who did it or why. I didn’t care enough.

Maybe it’s just me but I found it a little unrealistic. I understand needing multiple characters to have motives but I felt like it was too much.

I didn’t see the twists coming. Then again I wasn’t looking for them.

I feel like I’m not really explaining my feelings well. I just can’t seem to find the words to explain what I didn’t like. Just that it didn’t work for me.

Great whodunnit book! I enjoyed this book, I really felt you got to know the characters well, good and bad! The present and past kept up the intensity, as you should had to read one more chapter.
Great book, thank you for letting me read it