[Subdue] The Guest List by Lucy Foley - 2 stars

[Theresa]

This could have been really good. Instead it's an irritating even boring mess of a thriller that took me far too long to read for no other reason than it didn't grip me. Foley's decision to alterante chapters not only by character, something that works in the hands of a master like George R.R. Martin, but also bouncing around in time over a 24 hour period or so, doomed it. I'm sure she thought that would help build suspense and keep you guessing as to the victim, the actual murderer, the potential murderes and the actual and potential motives. It did teh absolute opposite, actually deflating any suspense that was starting to build. As all the secrets were finally revealed, not a single one was shocking or disturbing or unexpected.

This was just a poor effort at modernizing a classic murder mystery format by setting it at a fancy celebrity destination wedding in an isolated location ravaged by a storm. *Yawn.*

This reads like a murder mystery thriller for the non-murder mystery thriller reader.

You want to read a really superb modernization of classic mystery and thriller tropes, read Ruth Ware. Or better yet, read a master - Agatha Christie. I have a couple Dame Agatha's waiting for me to read. I think I'll take my own advice.