About the Book:
A wedding celebration turns dark and deadly in this deliciously wicked and atmospheric thriller reminiscent of Agatha Christie from the New York Times bestselling author of The Hunting Party.
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?
My Review:
“Will Slater is not the man you think he is. He’s a cheat and a liar. Don’t marry him.”
Well done, Ms. Foley!!!
A thriller set during a celebrity wedding, this book really hit all the marks for me. The multiple points of view worked well to build a sense of dread and mystery, and when I realized the why and the who, I literally yelled “A-HA!” Guests have gathered at the wedding of Jules and Will but from the outset, all is not well. Even though the guests are all close friends or relatives of the beautiful couple, there are resentments and jealousies simmering below the surface. Even though the exotic location and glamorous couple seem perfect, nothing could be further from the truth.
Here there’s the added danger of the whole island. The wildness of this place gets under your skin.
Slowly all of the guests’ motivations and secrets are revealed. Those who seem to be kind, are not. And those who seem innocent, are not. The author held my attention from the first page, as I could not wait to see who it was that wanted to cause harm to the bride and groom. Adding to the suspense is the fact that the guests are all in one place, the island. I love how the author gave everyone a rich backstory, woven together with a parallel time line, to to add to the mystery and suspense.
From the beginning I was very struck by how mismatched the points of view seemed. I could not wait to see how the author was going to tie together the bride, her half-sister, the wedding planner, the wife of an usher and the groom’s best friend. The structure was so intriguing! Nothing was random and everything came together very close to the end of the story.
The moody and remote setting was an added bonus to the story. Was it haunted? Was there any danger to the wedding guests from the stormy and wild coast? This book has a fantastic and clever ending and I don’t want to give any more details. This is definitely a slow-burn thriller but if you want to be incredibly entertained, then don’t miss ‘The Guest List’!
(Thank you to the publisher for providing an advanced copy via NetGalley in return for an honest review.)
