Though the groom is now a celebrity, his mates from boarding school still treat him like a frat brother. On the wedding day, a massive storm descends on the ghostly island, creating pandemonium for the wedding party and guests, as well as the perfect opportunity for an unnoticed crime. Jules’s obsession with appearance fueled her desire for perfection of her wedding to an illustrious reality TV star.ĭespite her meticulous planning and obsessive attempts to control every variable, Jules finds herself powerless over the weather. The bride, a self-made digital magazine entrepreneur, planned every detail herself, from the carefully orchestrated transportation from the mainland to the precise seating chart. The happy couple selected the remote and allegedly haunted Irish island of Inis An Amplóra, Cormorant Island in English, for their tabloid-worthy union. Any of them might have been a fellow guest at the last wedding you attended. The characters aren’t without their dark sides, but Foley reveals them as believable and relatable. The Guest List delivers a page-turning mystery without gore or overly intense dysfunction.

Each character and many of the minor characters have a backstory that twists and weaves through the complex relationships of siblings, spouses and friends. The story unfolds through the characters’ perspectives, and we hear the first-person accounts from the bride, Jules her bridesmaid, Olivia the best man, Johnno the plus-one, Hannah and the wedding planner, Aoife. Guests from various geographical and social backgrounds travel to celebrate the union of Jules and Will, this year’s golden couple. The Guest List by Lucy Foley is a fast-paced mystery during a wedding on a secluded island.

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