The Guest List - Lucy Foley

I loved Lucy Foley's last book - The Hunting Party. But her newest novel, The Guest List? Absolutely fantastic!

All the elements of a 'locked room' (one of my favourite techniques) mystery are in place. An isolated setting on an island, the island has a dark past and rumours abound, this is the first event to take place at the renovated 'Folly', a huge storm that cuts off communication and power. Now for the most important element - the players.

Jules is determined that she and Will will have a fairy tale wedding. Despite the short time they've known each other, she's never felt like this about anyone else. Uh huh. Except they each have secrets. And so does the 'plus-one', the best man, the bride's sister, the bride's best friend, the wedding planner and a few more that are on the guest list - including the body. But we don't even know who gets killed right away - that too is a mystery.

Foley chose a wonderful way for the story to unfold. Each of those characters get a chapter, a place to tell their story - and secrets. The reader is privy to all of them and can see how things might go, intersect or connect. Foley leaves each chapter with addictive cliff-hangers and some delicious foreshadowing. The timeline flips back and forth which only heightened the tension with each new revelation.

There's more than one suspect for the final whodunit. I had my theories and was happily proven wrong. There are one or two 'gotchas' that you won't see coming that had me shouting 'no way! out loud.

Foley has written an atmospheric, addictive, on the edge of your seat, one more chapter before bed read. I loved it - one of my top reads for 2020. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Guest List.