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The Guest List
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July Group Read Discussion: The Guest List by Lucy Foley
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22. There's alot of animosity between Jules and Olivia. Why do you think that is? Is there any hope they can work through the issues to have a close relationship? Does their mom help or make the situation worse? Given this, why do you think Jules asked Olivia to be her maid of honor? I think the animosity stems from Jules feeling like her mother really didn't love or want her., then Olivia has a different father that stayed in her life. I think maybe after the situation at the wedding dies down they may be able to salvage a relationship. I think their mother makes it worse. I don't know why she asked Olivia to be her maid of honor. Maybe it was to try to be friends or maybe because Jules doesn't really have any friends, to begin with.23. Superstitions seems to be an underlying theme in this book. The night before the wedding, Aoife sees the cormorant on the steeple, a bad omen meaning death. Do you believe in superstitions? What about ones surrounding weddings? If so, which ones? I'm slightly superstitious. I won't let anyone sweep my feet and I don't split poles when I'm walking with someone. The superstitions surrounding weddings mostly are about the bride and groom seeing each other.
24. Johnno is distraught when he finds out that Will sabotaged his chance of being on the show. Let’s talk about how that reveal caused him to finally confront Will about their coverup.
When he found out he was so mad at Will because he felt like that was his big break and Will ruined it. But Johnno lied about his whisky business too. He was basically broke and living a lie.
25. What did you think of the game "survivor" the boys played when they were at school at Trevellyan's? Would that game be allowed today? How were aspects of that game translating to their behavior as adults?
26. "This place is enough to make you believe in ghosts."The island, the venue, the cave, the sounds... Each raises the hairs on your arms! 👻 #The Guest List
Did you find this book scary at all???
27. Several times it's mentioned that the boys did "something" to Charlie on the stag. Sone even see "ghosts" and think someone is coming for them, payback. Were you ever able to figure out what happened to Charlie?
28. Good crime writers embed hidden clues in plain sight, slipping them in casually, almost in passing. Did you pick them out, or were you...clueless? Once you've finished the book, go back to locate the clues hidden in plain sight. How skillful was the author in burying them?
29. Jules get in a fight with her Dad before walking down the aisle because he won't "approve" of Will. Why do you think he didn't like Will?
25. What did you think of the game "survivor" the boys played when they were at school at Trevellyan's? Would that game be allowed today? How were aspects of that game translating to their behavior as adults? The game at Trevellyan's definitely wouldn't be allowed today. I think the game translated into their adult behavior because Will was always the "leader" and everyone just followed along with it. 26. "This place is enough to make you believe in ghosts."
The island, the venue, the cave, the sounds... Each raises the hairs on your arms! 👻 #The Guest List
Did you find this book scary at all??? No, I didn't find it scary at all. I thought it was creepy knowing that someone would die but to scary.
27. Several times it's mentioned that the boys did "something" to Charlie on the stag. Sone even see "ghosts" and think someone is coming for them, payback. Were you ever able to figure out what happened to Charlie? I was never able to figure it out. But now that I think about it they definitely hurt him some kind of way.
28. Good crime writers embed hidden clues in plain sight, slipping them in casually, almost in passing. Did you pick them out, or were you...clueless? Once you've finished the book, go back to locate the clues hidden in plain sight. How skillful was the author in burying them? Since I listened to the book those details probably got passed along without me even thinking about them.
29. Jules gets in a fight with her Dad before walking down the aisle because he won't "approve" of Will. Why do you think he didn't like Will? I think Jules Dad knew that Will was a POS. He didn't like Will because he saw through his fake facade.
30. "It's all about the moment, a wedding. All about the day. It's not really about the marriage at all, in spite of what everyone says."Well at this wedding, it's all about whodunit. 🕵️♀️ #TheGuestList
Did you figure out whodunit???
31. Olivia walks into the ocean during the reception and almost drowns. Will heroically jumps in and rescues her. Is Will really a hero, or just good at playing the part? Did Olivia really want to die or was this a loud cry for help?
Mod
Lynn wrote: "I am such an idiot! I totally neglected to update the beginning post for this thread with Lindsey's name! I am so very sorry for my oversight, Lindsey! Thank you so much for leading this month's di..."No worries!! I'm having fun with the discussion. I hope thise readinf along are enjoying the book. 😊
32. Johnno finds out at the reception that the tv show did in fact want him, from talking to the producer. Will had screwed him over. And ironically Will did not want the producer invited, Jules invited him without asking Will. What did you think about that whole interaction? Why did Will screw over Johnno? Do you think Olivia has any suspicions and that's why she invited the producer, or was she simply being cordial?
Interview with the Author
Murder by the Book interview with Lucy Foley
Listen to interview here --> https://m.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=...
33. Whose secret do you think did the most damage?
34. Were you surprised to find out Will and Olivia's secret? Does that explain alot of either of their behaviors?
35. There's a twisted family dynamic on the bride's side, yet Jules expects them to meet her standards. Is she being realistic with her expectations?Is she being too hard on Olivia? 🙍♀️ #TheGuestList
36. What did you think about Aoife's secret? Did that change how you viewed her motivation for the wedding weekend?
37. Hannah discovers who really killed her sister. Were you surprised? How does this change things for her? Do you think this will effect her marriage after the wedding weekend? What would you do in Hannah's position?
38. What did you think about Hannah’s storyline? She’s horrified to find out that Charlie and Jules slept together after the birth of their child. Do you think Hannah will leave Charlie or will they stay together?
39. A fellow classmate named Darcey at the boarding school died after Will and Johnno tied him up and left him behind with no way to escape. Johnno is traumatized and feels guilty while Will takes no responsibility and tries to say it was an accident. Let’s talk about our thoughts as we read this. What does this say about Will how he always thought he was going to get away with everything?
40. Did you think it was interesting that Will was so involved with all those horrible actions that impacted so many of the characters? Or did you think it was a little much?
41. What did you think about the reveal that Aoife is (view spoiler)? What did you think about her reasons for having their wedding at the island? Were you surprised that she (view spoiler)?
42. In The Guest List, Foley puts a modern spin on the classic “locked room mystery". Was she successful in doing this?
43. Much of The Guest List is spent reveling in the juicy drama and secrets of its cast of characters, but as readers explore those secrets, they will find that a number of these men and women are carrying with them heavy burdens. In this glittering, glitzy crowd, everyone could be a suspect. Who did you suspect and why?
44. "The more they drink the more it emerges: something dark and cruel hiding behind the public schoolboy manners."Some folks have a few skeletons in the closet. 🚪☠️ #TheGuestList
What was the biggest skeleton in this book?
45. This cast of characters is far from likable—only a couple really evoke any sympathy!—but Foley beautifully laces their wild personas with touches of real, relatable challenges. Who was your favorite character? Your least favorite? Why?
46. Good crime writers also tease us with red-herrings—false clues—to purposely lead readers astray. Does Lucy Foley try to throw you off track? If so, were you tripped up? What "red-herrings" lead you down a different path?
47. Talk about the twists & turns—those surprising plot developments that throw everything you think you've figured out into disarray.A. Do they enhance the story, add complexity, and build suspense?
B. Are they plausible or implausible?
C. Do they feel forced and gratuitous—inserted merely to extend the story?
48. Does the author ratchet up the suspense? Did you find yourself anxious—quickly turning pages to learn what happened? A what point does the suspense start to build? Where does it climax...then perhaps start rising again?
49. What about that ending?!?!?! Did you figure it out? Were you surprised, shocked or was the ending predictable for you?
50. A good ending is essential in any mystery or crime thriller: it should ease up on tension, answer questions, and tidy up loose ends. Does the ending accomplish those goals?A. Is the conclusion probable or believable?
B. Is it organic, growing out of clues previously laid out by the author?
C. Or does the ending come out of the blue, feeling forced or tacked-on?
D. Perhaps it's too predictable.Can you envision a different or better ending?
51. What happens next for Hannah, Charlie, Olivia, Jules, Johnno and Aoife?
52. Overall, does the book satisfy? Does it live up to the standards of a good crime story or suspense thriller? Why or why not?
If you liked #TheGuestList, here's some other #ReesesBookClub picks that you may enjoy! 📚 #BookAlike #SomethingInTheWater #TheHennaArtist #TheLastHouseGuestIf you liked The Guest List
then read:Marriages with a rocky start - Something in the Water
Sisters who keep secrets - The Henna Artist
Look out for the cliffs - The Last House Guest
🥧Eat a Slice of the Book!🥧pieladybooks - ✨Book Review✨
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“You don't get this. This isn't your moment. You didn't create it. I created it in spite of you.”
~Lucy Foley, The Guest List✨
The Guest List
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Happy Tuesday, my Friends! I first read The Hunting Party by @lucyfoleyauthor right after it released last year, and it easily became one of my very favorite mysteries of all time. So, when I saw that Lucy Foley’s next release, The Guest List, was going to be an April @bookofthemonth pick, I was so excited that I bought two copies.😂
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And I loved it! Lucy excels at writing those “locked door mysteries”, and her style is the closest to Queen Agatha Christie that I have come across. Foley’s books evoke that same excitement and atmosphere that I feel when I read Christie’s books, and yet, Foley’s voice is her own in such a compelling way.✨
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The Guest List is such a well-told story and such a captivating, atmospheric mystery that you will be hard-pressed not to read it all in one sitting. (I definitely did😉) I will highly recommend anything that Lucy Foley writes and The Guest List is definitely no exception...you don’t want to miss this excellent mystery.✨
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I hope you have a wonderful night.😘
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@williammorrowbooks
#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bibliophile #bookblog #bookblogger #bookofthemonth #giveaway #theguestlist #lucyfoley #pie #bookworm #booklover #bookish #booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #booksofig #readersofig #igreads #instabooks #pieladybooks #pielady #pies #piesofinstagram #piestagram #pieart #bookishgirl #thisweekoninstagram #mystery #botmbookbassador #botm
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAG7hBLAOKb/
Cover Revealreesesbookclub - We’re so excited to reveal the cover of @LucyFoleyAuthor’s new thriller #TheParisApartment. The Paris Apartment is the follow-up to #TheGuestList, June 2020’s #ReesesBookClub pick.
There’s a beautiful but sinister apartment, a missing resident, and a web of secrets. We’ll see you in Paris soon. 🇫🇷
The Paris Apartment
https://www.instagram.com/p/CRHrE6Ej2G-/
Thank you everyone for discussing The Guest List with me. I hope you enjoyed the book and discussion!
33. Whose secret do you think did the most damage?I think the secret that Will killed the boy at school did the most damage.
34. Were you surprised to find out Will and Olivia's secret? Does that explain alot of either of their behaviors?
I was really surprised about their secret. I think it explains how Will was acting towards Ollivia. I think he was taunting her and probably secretly wanted to sleep with her again.
37. Hannah discovers who really killed her sister. Were you surprised? How does this change things for her? Do you think this will affect her marriage after the wedding weekend? What would you do in Hannah's position? I think she feels probably vindicated since Will is dead. I would be happy that the person who made my sister kill herself is dead.
38. What did you think about Hannah’s storyline? She’s horrified to find out that Charlie and Jules slept together after the birth of their child. Do you think Hannah will leave Charlie or will they stay together? I'm not sure if they will stay together. She could leave and take the kids or just forgive Charlie.
39. A fellow classmate named Darcey at the boarding school died after Will and Johnno tied him up and left him behind with no way to escape. Johnno is traumatized and feels guilty while Will takes no responsibility and tries to say it was an accident. Let’s talk about our thoughts as we read this. What does this say about Will how he always thought he was going to get away with everything?
Will is obviously a psychopath and a narcissist. I was rooting when he got killed.
40. Did you think it was interesting that Will was so involved with all those horrible actions that impacted so many of the characters? Or did you think it was a little much? I really liked how everything points to Will. He was an awful person that got what was coming to him. Everything tied back to him.
41. What did you think about the reveal that Aoife is (view spoiler)? What did you think about her reasons for having their wedding on the island? Were you surprised that she (view spoiler)?I was very surprised about Aoife. She planned and executed her plan. I think the plan was honestly perfect because of the weather conditions and remoteness plus the number of potential suspects.
42. In The Guest List, Foley puts a modern spin on the classic “locked room mystery". Was she successful in doing this? Foley was successful in putting a modern spin on the genre.
43. Much of The Guest List is spent reveling in the juicy drama and secrets of its cast of characters, but as readers explore those secrets, they will find that a number of these men and women are carrying with them heavy burdens. In this glittering, glitzy crowd, everyone could be a suspect. Who did you suspect and why? I thought Olivia did it. I didn't suspect the bride at all.
Some folks have a few skeletons in the closet. 🚪☠️ #TheGuestList
What was the biggest skeleton in this book? i think the whole thing about Will and Johnno causing the death.
45. This cast of characters is far from likable—only a couple really evoke any sympathy!—but Foley beautifully laces their wild personas with touches of real, relatable challenges. Who was your favorite character? Your least favorite? Why?
Olivia was a likable character, not my favorite though. I felt bad for her mostly. she was young and no one really cared about her. My least favorite was Will, He was a complete POS that got what he deserved.
46. Good crime writers also tease us with red-herrings—false clues—to purposely lead readers astray. Does Lucy Foley try to throw you off track? If so, were you tripped up? What "red-herrings" lead you down a different path?
I was tripped up. I thought Olivia died at first then I thought Olivia was the one who killed Will.
47. Talk about the twists & turns—those surprising plot developments that throw everything you think you've figured out into disarray.
I think how all the major characters had some type of secret and that everyone wasn't innocent and they all had motives to kill Will.
A. Do they enhance the story, add complexity, and build suspense? All of the twists and turns just adds to the story and make it en better
B. Are they plausible or implausible? They all seem plausible to me.
C. Do they feel forced and gratuitous—inserted merely to extend the story? The twists all play into the overall story with how and why all the people are there and why they all aren't innocent.
48. Does the author ratchet up the suspense? Did you find yourself anxious—quickly turning pages to learn what happened? A what point does the suspense start to build? Where does it climax...then perhaps start rising again? I was very anxious after the scene when they all went outside and found the body. But how the story went from the present to the past then the day before the wedding made a big difference. The climax starts to rise when you try to figure out who's dead and who killed him.
49. What about that ending?!?!?! Did you figure it out? Were you surprised, shocked or was the ending predictable for you?
The ending was the best reveal of an ending that I've read in a while. It definitely wasn't predictable. I was very happy, to be honest.
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Reese's Book Club interview with Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware
Watch/listen to interview here --> https://m.facebook.com/watch/?v=31946...