Feb 2021 BOTM - The Guest List by Lucy Foley

[Gorab, TheGunman]

Winner of Goodreads Choice Award for Mystery and Thriller in 2020

[Gorab, TheGunman]

Blurb:
The bride ‧ The plus one ‧ The best man ‧ The wedding planner ‧ The bridesmaid ‧ The body

On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.

But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast.

And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?

[Leena]

Im in. this has been on my TBR forever and seriously refuses to move from there (:

[Pallavi]

I might jump in as I have a feeling that I am moving towards a reading slump. And a thriller usually helps me out of it.... :)

[Shuva]

I'll read this too!

[Richa]

Jumping back on the Indian readers bandwagon after a work enforced hiatus ! Will pick up this book was in a mood for a good thriller :)

[Nayana]

I am in, got my book today

[E.T.]

I am in. Wanted to picked this up and about to start a new fiction.

[Leena]

Im in. But, I can join in next week.

[Arpit]

Hi all, I'll be joining towards the end of this week.

Happy reading !

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

Started and there are so many PoVs!

[Pooja]

I am in for this !

Is there any set goal for a day? I mean how many chapters to read in a day?

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

No. Just tell us how you find it as you read along.

[Ahtims]

I listened to it during lockdown time ( Match April 2020) ..and loved it to pieces

[E.T.]

5 chapters = 5 different first-person accounts
Dont think crime fiction has been presented in this way before.
The setup is common though - desert island.

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

Em*bedded-in-books* wrote: "I listened to it during lockdown time ( Match April 2020) ..and loved it to pieces"

your high praise is what inspired me to read this. :)

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

A Man Called Ove wrote: "5 chapters = 5 different first-person accounts
Dont think crime fiction has been presented in this way before.
The setup is common though - desert island."

true.

am around 40% and as of now one of these character has told the dark secret from past. Not that shocking...

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

Finished. The book was pure entertainment.

[Pooja]

I am 20 pages in the book and I am very confused about the plot. Are they talking about a show or their lives?


Will try to get a better picture in the next couple pages

[E.T.]

Done with 1/3rd of the book. A little bored.
Thankfully it is short and should be done by tomorrow/Sunday.

[Pallavi]

Just started... I have a feeling that It will be a fast read...

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

Pooja wrote: "I am 20 pages in the book and I am very confused about the plot. Are they talking about a show or their lives?


Will try to get a better picture in the next couple pages"

it takes sometime to get used to the character and how the narration is done.

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

A Man Called Ove wrote: "Done with 1/3rd of the book. A little bored.
Thankfully it is short and should be done by tomorrow/Sunday."

Really curious what you'd think of the end..

[E.T.]

Em Lost In Books wrote: "A Man Called Ove wrote: "Done with 1/3rd of the book. A little bored.
Thankfully it is short and should be done by tomorrow/Sunday."

Really curious what you'd think of the end.."
45% now. Most of the characters are repulsive. Still feel the same :)

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

Now a day after the more I think about it, the more I think how one can be so unlucky. And yeah, the characters are not very likeable.

[Pooja]

Em Lost In Books wrote: "Now a day after the more I think about it, the more I think how one can be so unlucky. And yeah, the characters are not very likeable."

Hey!I kinda finished the book .I really couldn't like the book. Like you said characters are not at all likeable. Everyone has their connections and mysteries embedded in them .This became a boring thriller for me .I mean we just keep on reading one day before the actual thing but that actual thing takes lot of time to come .We see some glimpses of it in between but I couldn't find my interest beyond 150 pages .

[Pooja]

A Man Called Ove wrote: "5 chapters = 5 different first-person accounts
Dont think crime fiction has been presented in this way before.
The setup is common though - desert island."



Absolutely .So many characters in the beginning made the plot confusing

[Sameer Khan]

Everyone loves free books, but you can really make someone's day by giving them your book, too! Congratulations 🎈🎊, I am giving you my first novel in ebook version for free. Please provide me your email to get the the pdf of Irum Coaching Centre novel.

[Leena]

@Pooa, Why am I not surprised? its happened too many times to.me - expectations surpass reality. anyways, will be starting soon.

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

Sameer wrote: "Everyone loves free books, but you can really make someone's day by giving them your book, too! Congratulations 🎈🎊, I am giving you my first novel in ebook version for free. Please provide me your ..."

This is not the right place to promote. Please read the group rules before posting in random topic.

[Em Lost In Books, EmLo is my Name, PIFM is my Game]

Pooja wrote: "Em Lost In Books wrote: "Now a day after the more I think about it, the more I think how one can be so unlucky. And yeah, the characters are not very likeable."

Hey!I kinda finished the book .I re..."

Agreed. Also the convergence of all the threads was so predictable.

[E.T.]

3/5 - The last 1/3rd was a breeze but also because you could guess where it was heading. It was not intended to be solved by the readers - that is the kindest I can say of it.
A quick recommendation - I think Anthony Horowitz is famous for this Magpie Murders (and rightly so). But do take a look at his Hawthorne series (2 books) which were really good - approx 250 pages and some novelty value too.

[Pallavi]

I am not able to like anything in this one... no idea who died and how... everyone is thinking negative.. and I am not getting in to the story at all...

On the other hand I am reading a non fiction book "Born a Crime" and I am hooked... when did non fiction become more engrossing than a murder mystery !!!!

[Richa]

The setting was so typical for a Murder Mystery, kinda predicted the ending by the time I reached 50% but still managed to finish it in one stretch. For me it was 3 out of 5 stars. I liked the pace of the novel and the style of writing. I likes the way it was written from the perspective of different characters. It is an easy read, well written but does not live up to the Hype!

[Arpit]

I am going to start it today.

[Moni]

how many of you thought the plot and set up was highly inspired by Agatha Christie's novels? also it was a done -to -death.. the characters except Hannah,all so unlikeable. Didn't like the novel at all. climax was forced and absolutely cold.

[Anubhuti]

i have read this book during the lockdown and as I am a huge agatha Christie fan, I found this book to be a tad boring. overall, it wasn't as bad but I guess I had high expectations from the book.