Lucy Foley’s “Guest List”: Murder and Plot at Secret Celebrity Wedding
Wed Dec 15 2021 16:36 Last update on: Wed 15 Dec 2021 16:44
If you are active on Goodreads, you may have spotted The guest list (William Morrow, 2020) by Lucy Foley on your feed. Hard to miss, being the winner of the Goodreads Choice Awards in 2020 in the Mystery and Thriller genre. The reviews I encountered were, frankly, quite mixed. Some kept gushing about it, some thought it was a waste of time, and some didn’t reveal their opinion with a vague 3-star rating (read; me). But I tried to understand why so many readers, whose tastes usually match mine, didn’t like it, and I think maybe I figured it out.
The guest list is a classic murder mystery, reminiscent of the stories of Lady Agatha Christie. Lucy Foley’s second novel takes us to a lavish celebrity wedding on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. Isolated from the network and civilization, the guests oscillate between nervousness and excitement, and the bride does her best not to turn into a bridezilla. However, there are secrets hidden under the facade that could not only ruin the marriage, but also disrupt the lives of those present. But now a body has been found … which means there is a murderer among them.
For all the latest news, follow the Daily Star’s Google News channel. Foley creates a striking visual of an island of hauntingly beautiful greenery, jagged rocks and merciless sea. The dark atmosphere of the book escapes from the pages as the stories unfold. Told from multiple wedding party vantage points, its gripping plot is one you can walk through as you try to determine which narrator is unreliable and who you can trust.
Although classified under Mystery and Thriller, I think the story favors the mystery aspect more, with a generous dose of drama. Perhaps this is the reason why many readers did not like the book; they came looking for something to scare them off, but ended up with a character-centric plot that was predictable.
Author Lucy Foley studied English Literature at Durham University and University College London and worked as a fiction editor in the publishing industry. Photo: Philippa Gedge
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Author Lucy Foley studied English Literature at Durham University and University College London and worked as a fiction editor in the publishing industry. Photo: Philippa Gedge
It doesn’t mean that I didn’t like it; I love my fair share of family dramas and outrageous secrets in a story. For one thing, most of the plot twists were obvious, which I understand can be boring for most readers, although I didn’t mind that much as I was completely invested in the characters. at this moment. The book ends quite abruptly, however, and while all of the subplots are tied and justified, there just isn’t enough time to enjoy the conclusion.
Lucy Foley’s writing kept me hooked, enough that I was able to finish the novel in one night. The atmosphere she creates is perfectly balanced, immersing us in the characters just enough not to be caught off guard with each change of perspective. Every little clue that Foley drops is important, and you have to pay close attention to detail. Its rate of build-up is well done, supplying readers with enough periodic disclosures to derail them. Although I called it predictable, I was surprised that I couldn’t guess the ending at all.
I would suggest readers not to enter The guest list expecting a thriller because, in all fairness, it does it pretty badly. But if you want a quick read to get you out of a seizure or to keep you on the edge for a few hours, this is the book for you!
Sharfin Islam, aka A Tiny Reader, is an art admirer and a devourer of fiction. Feminist and ambivorous, she loves to share her little world on her little blog on Instagram.