A wedding celebration turns dark and deadly in this wicked and atmospheric thriller
Plot
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?
Review
I settled back on my sun-longer by the pool to enjoy The Guest List by Lucy Foley.
It’s the story of a wedding told from the point of view of various members of the wedding party and the organiser. Mainly it story is related by the bride (Jules), the best man (Johnno), the bridesmaid (Olivia), the wedding planner (Aoife), the “plus one” (Hanna) and finally the groom (Will).
Will, the golden boy and TV star, marries Jules in a lavish wedding on a remote island. But not everyone at the wedding is happy. There are many dark secrets that come to light as the book progresses.
This book is not a linear narrative. We start “Now” on the wedding night with the lights going out during the wedding reception. it’s a dark and stormy night and the guests are worried. They huddle in the marquee, awaiting the generator kicking in and restoring power. But as the lights return there is a scream of terror…….
The story unfolds by taking us back in time to the previous day. All the special guests have arrived at the island and are getting ready for the rehearsal dinner. the wedding planner and her caterer husband are making final preparations for the celebrations. Each person tells their part of the story in their own voice.
As the story unfolds, so do the secrets.
Interspersing all this are occasional chapters marked “Now” which explain the scream and its aftermath. So the story follows the progress towards the wedding and the reception, with glimpses into what happened after the generator kicked in during the reception.
This book is great read that keeps the identity of the victim secret for most of the book. Although it is fair to say, it is pretty clear who deserves to be killed!
And a book that keeps the identity of the killer hidden even longer. it’s not one that can easily be guessed! When the ending comes, it is both dramatic and shocking.
This book is a real page turner. Highly recommended.
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