Review: The Guest List by Lucy Foley

I chose this title for my April Book of the Month selection and it was a fantastic read! I was worried when I saw that the chapters were written from the viewpoints of so many different people because I sometimes can have a difficult time remembering who's who, but that was not an issue this time around. Foley is adept at weaving through multiple POVs in a way that is not overwhelming for the reader. I actually enjoyed the constant change between characters and the unique insights each one was able to add to the plot. The characters include:

• Aoife, the Wedding Planner: Along with her husband, she has rented out her remote Irish island for an extravagant wedding at a deep discount in the hopes that the publicity will spur future business. She is cool-headed and no-nonsense and knows how to handle any issues that threaten to ruin a couple's big day.
• Jules, the Bride: She knows what she wants and heaven help anyone who tries to stand between her and her desires. She's the visionary behind a wildly successful online magazine. Her confidence comes across as arrogance most of the time. She strives to maintain a perfect image in all regards.
• Olivia, the Bridesmaid: She's Jules's younger, gorgeous half-sister. She's really struggling to come to terms with something that happened in her recent past and resorts to self-harm as a way of dealing with her trauma. Overall, she's an emotional wreck and Jules sees her as a potential wedding liability.
• Hannah, the Plus-One: Married to Jules's best man and the MC of the wedding, Hannah is in her mid-30s and reveling at the thought of a weekend getaway with her husband away from the kids. She's hoping they can rekindle their former passion, but her husband's relationship with the bride is a constant source of conflict for the couple.
• Johnno, the Best Man: He's the groom's childhood friend from boarding school. Time hasn't been as kind to him as it has been to the groom however, and Johnno is regarded by everyone as a pathetic screw-up who reflects poorly on those who know him.

The reader knows from the off-set that something terrible has happened on the wedding night that results in murder. The who and the why are not answered until the very end, which provides constant suspense and keeps the reader invested. The short chapters that alternate POVs also helps the pacing of the novel. I found myself sitting down with the book, only intending to read for a few minutes before noticing that an hour or more had passed. Even though, as some discontented reviewers pointed out, the backstories of the main characters are very slowly revealed, the constant change of time between the wedding night and events prior kept me interested. I personally never felt bored as I learned each character's past. The characters were very three-dimensional and the way their stories intertwined so seamlessly was fascinating to me.

Overall, I think fans of the suspense and thriller genre will enjoy this book, although there's not much "thrill" per se until the final few chapters. It's very reminiscent of a few Agatha Christie classics, but with original twists that will keep you guessing until the end. This really is a perfect summer read and I think I'll check out Foley's previous novel The Hunting Party since I enjoyed The Guest List so much.

My Rating: ★★★★★
At the time of this post, this title is set to be released on June 2, 2020.