The Guest List.

 

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                                          CONTAINS SPOILERS

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? 

 

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Mysterious. Captivating. 

Weddings are supposed to be a memorable, happy occasions. This will be a wedding that Jules and Will won’t forget. How did I not pick this book up earlier? Mystery and thrillers are one of my favorite genres, but it’s also a genre that I tend to be picky about. The Guest List is everything that I love about mysterious. I loved that the murderer wasn’t revealed until the end of the book. The killer was a surprise to me, and it wasn’t the person I suspected to be. However, that’s what makes a good mystery, when you find yourself shocked as you reach the end. I never liked the mysteries when you figure out the killer in, middle of the book. The Guest List was told from multiple points of view, giving you a chance to get to know each of the characters. I had few suspects on my list as I read the book; the actual killer wasn’t even on my list. 

I love the setting of the book. An island in Ireland. That’s one of the places that I want to visit in the future. While reading The Guest List . All the descriptions, I imagined myself there, along with all the guests, the bride, and the groom. I felt myself escaping into the magical yet haunting world. The book opened with a twist. The opening is what will have you turning the pages; you will want to know who did it, and of course, the reason behind the murder. There were days where I was turning the pages, not realizing how late it was getting. I didn’t want to stop. I loved how the book flowed, taking place before the event, during, and after. I can see why so many people talked about this book, the long waiting list at the library. I could go on about how much I loved this book, but that would take days. 

I liked most of the characters in the book, except Will. In the beginning, I liked him, and I saw how much he loved Jules. At least that how it seemed like. After few chapters, my feelings changed. I had this strong, bad feeling about him. Will, he did not seem to be the guy that Jules thought he was. I knew that he was hiding, and of course, I was eager to find out what it was. I hoped that Jules would see that too before it was too late. I loved most of the characters, but I loved Olivia and Jules the most out of everyone. I’m not sure if it was just me, but to me, their point of view was the most interesting to read. I did feel like the ending might be a little rushed as if it was not complete. That’s the feeling that I got. In general, one of the best mystery thrillers that I read this year. This was my first book by Lucy Foley , and I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next.