Honest Review of The Guest List by Lucy Foley
Check out The Guest List by Lucy Foley. Set on a remote Irish island during a high-profile wedding filled with petty jealousies, false well wishes, and a chilling murder, this book was the definition of atmospheric mystery. Here’s my full review of this twisty, slow-burn thriller that turned out to be worth the read after all.
Here’s a short synopsis of the book:
“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?”
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Full Book Review Without Spoilers
I’ll be honest—I was late to read The Guest List. After seeing it everywhere from Book of the Month boxes to Reese’s Book Club and social media posts hyping up the remote island murder mystery, I assumed it was just another overhyped thriller. But I finally gave in, and I’m so glad I did!
Set on a tiny island off the coast of Ireland, this atmospheric mystery delivers exactly what a good thriller should—twists, secrets, and that constant sense of unease that keeps you flipping pages late into the night.
The Guest List really does live up to the hype. Lucy Foley does a good job building tension in a way that makes you second-guess every well wish, wedding toast, and interaction. You’re suspicious of literally all the different characters, confused in the best way, and always trying to piece together the whole story.
That said, one thing I struggled with was the characters. I didn’t really like any of them—and that’s probably the point. While they are all suspects, I wanted to root for one of them, but I couldn’t even do that.
Characters
While I didn’t like any of the characters, they were well-written for this plot. They were flawed and realistic, which makes for great book material—but I found myself not rooting for anyone in particular. Still, the character development was impressive, and Foley’s characters were perfect for a plot driven by petty jealousies, boarding school trauma, and glory days best left in the past.
Plot
The plot twists were timed to great effect, and the pacing was masterfully done. The story starts slowly—almost deceptively so. Foley expertly pulls you in with false alarms, then hits you with the big secret from left field right near the end of the book.
Writing
What stood out most to me was the writing style. The short chapters, shifting points of view, and constant jumps between the beginning of the book and the end of the night create a perfectly disorienting effect for a murder mystery. The remote location also adds to the sense of dread.
Full Book Review With Spoilers
You’ve been warned that from here on out there will be spoilers.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably seen Lucy Foley’s The Guest List everywhere—on bestseller lists, social media, and even as a Book of the Month pick. For the longest time, I avoided it, thinking it was just another overhyped thriller. But when I finally gave it a chance, I was completely pulled in by its moody setting, layered secrets, and Agatha Christie-style tension.
The structure—told through different perspectives, flashing between the night of the wedding and the immediate aftermath—adds to the suspense. It reminded me of Agatha Christie in a modern take, with a boutique whiskey-fueled wedding party and a designer dress hiding darker secrets. And one of the best parts of the whole book is that you don’t even know who the murder victim is, so you’re also trying to guess that.
Literally, everyone in this book seems suspicious, from ambitious magazine publisher Jules to best man Johnno, bridesmaid Olivia, and rising television star Will, everyone had something to hide. I didn’t like any of them, but how the ending worked out for each was still satisfying.
That said, I really liked how Foley played with expectations: Will seemed like the one decent, put-together person among the chaos, and I loved the twist that not only was he not who he seemed, but he ended up being the murder victim. It added a satisfying layer of irony and depth to the story.
Pros of the Book
One of the biggest pros of this book for me was the way the plot jumps between wedding night and back to the time leading up to the wedding night. It’s a good way to keep readers off-balance and engrossed. And without knowing the murder victim, the mystery wasn’t given away at all during the book.
Another pro of the book was how the big reveal played out at the end. A lot of stuff you thought you had pieced together wasn’t exactly real or right, but the ending was even better than you thought it was.
Cons of the Book
The biggest con of the book for me were the characters. I honestly didn’t like any of the characters and even found myself getting a little annoyed with all of them around the middle of the book. Their choices, attitudes, and selfishness started to grate on me, which made it hard to feel invested in anyone’s outcome—but maybe that frustration was part of the point.
Conclusion
If you’ve also waited a long time to read The Guest List, let me say this: don’t wait any longer. It’s a great book for fans of Foley books, thrillers, and character-driven mysteries. Even if it took me a while to pick it up, this one was worth the read—and then some.
You can find the book here.
I have a full summary of the book here if you need a refresher on any of the main points.
Rating-4.5 Out of 5 Stars
In the end, The Guest List delivered exactly what I want in a good thriller: a suspenseful setting, unreliable narrators, shocking plot twists, and a structure that kept me questioning everything until the very end. Lucy Foley proves again that she knows how to spin a web of secrets and drama that keeps readers hooked from page one. With only minor complaints, I had a great time reading this book.
Here’s how I rate all my books: My Rating System
Who Would Enjoy Reading?
If you love a good murder mystery with a modern twist, this one is a must-read—especially if, like me, you’ve been putting it off for a long time. Don’t let the hype scare you off—this wedding night story is anything but typical. If you liked The Paris Apartment or The Hunting Party, you’ll love this one too.
What to Read After The Guest List
Whether you like the murder mystery aspect or the thriller part of this book, there’s some other great books to try next. Check out my recommendations below.
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
If you loved Foley’s writing in this book, continue on without another one of her thriller murder mysteries. I thought it wasn’t quite as good as The Guest List, but still worth the read. You can find the book here.
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
If you liked the creepy, suspenseful aspect of this book along with the crazy, try Rock, Paper, Scissors. This has a next level twist at the end. You can find the book here.
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
This book has the same psychological thriller vibes without the murder mystery. But it’s just as addicting to read. You can read my review or summary, or get the book here.
