Wirral Libraries Bookbuzz discussion
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The Guest List
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I read The Guest List last weekend, partly on your recommendation but also because my wife loved it too. As you say a fast paced intriguing thriller. The whole book built up carefully to suggest all sorts of perpetrators and risk to many of the main characters. I certainly wanted to get to the end - to find out who had committed the key act. It is written in an easy style so a fast read is possible.I do wonder whether all the strands of tension would confuse the Gardaí when they came to investigate the crime to which they were called early on in the book. Having all the key events and the protagonists on an island closed off by the weather is in the best traditions of Agatha Christie and other detective authors. It makes the introspective search for the perspectives of the different characters more likely to cause a reader tension. The hints at ghosts and unsettled souls certainly helps with the tension.
So I'd recommend this too to any reader who likes a good murder mystery or finding out about the tensions which human relations and past history can create.
Great reviews! I really enjoyed The Hunting Party so will definitely give this one a go soon! 🙂
Denise I also enjoyed this book but I found it was very similar to The Hunting Party. There was the remote location, the sudden onset of bad weather keeping the police away, the multiple suspects with potential motives are all very similar. I also felt that there were a few too many coincidences from the backstories that came to light. I hope Lucy Foley has not settled on this style as a formula for her future books.
More twists and turns than the Rocky Road to Dublin. This story set on an island off the coast of Ireland, slowly builds the tension before slamming you down at the end. Told through the present day wedding party, flashbacks and retelling of tales, the story builds layer upon layer to create a masterpiece psychological thriller. No wonder it is a best seller, one of the Times’ crime books of the year, the goodreads.com Crime and Mystery Book 2020 and appears on the short list of many other awards.
The book is written from many differing points of view, with the chapters being passed back and forth between the characters, revealing facts and snippets as it does. Normally having so many characters is off putting for me, but here it works; with the passing of the story between them building the suspense as the chapters seemingly get shorter or faster paced as it moves along.
One of the main characters for me is the island itself, with it’s history, secrets and setting. It is ever present. Even during the flashbacks you can feel it waiting by your shoulder to draw you in again. The turbulent, stormy, unpredictable weather on the claustrophobic island adding to the feeling of menace. Cut off from civilisation, it is an amazing, atmospheric backdrop, ramping up the horror.
There are many characters, too many to look at individually in a short review. Firstly, you have the all seeing, all knowing hosts. Always in the background. Seen and not heard. Taken for granted but so pivotal to the plot.
The groom’s party. Laddish ( I don’t mean that as a compliment), boisterous, immature, cruel and bullying. Each one of them obnoxious in his own way.
The bride’s party; like deer thrown into the headlights. Each with their own problems. Each with their own history, but pulled into this world of former school friends, with devastating consequences.
The book is about lies, secrets, deception, betrayal, bullying and narcissism. This book has it all. It was a slow burn of a book, with lots of hidden clues and links. Some I spotted but others when they were revealed caused a light bulb moment. There were so many suspects that as things fell into place I kept changing my mind and double guessing. I would love to say more, but don’t want to give away any spoilers. All I will say is if you want an edge of your seat thriller, you don’t have to look any further than this.
As you can probably guess this was a five star read for me, one of the best books I’ve read in 2020 and as far as thrillers go, 2021 is going to have to work really hard to pull one out of the bag that I enjoy more than this.