In my experience, those who have the greatest respect for the rules also take the most enjoyment in breaking them. When it comes to The Guest List plot, I would say on the whole, it doesn’t exactly try to push the boundaries of the genre or explore ambitious new horizons. At the end of the day, it aims to entertain us with a challenge, a puzzle we’re urged to solve before reaching the end. The whodunit murder mystery is one such genre, largely because I believe we’ve more or less perfected the ideas, formulas and techniques which can be used to draw the most out of it. While there are book genres which should, in my opinion, always strive to move forward and evolve from one generation to the next along with modern society (such as horror and science fiction), there are also those I would be happy to see remain stagnant, so-to-speak. Seeing through the Eyes of those on The Guest List

In the end, it seems the only thing which got planned with perfection, was the ruination of the newlyweds. From the bridesmaid’s dress being ruined to an uncomfortable toast, the missteps seemingly keep piling up… until a body is discovered.Īway from civilization with only each other to blame and suspect, the guests will have to resort to their own devices to keep themselves safe, all while trying to figure out who the real culprit is behind it all, and perhaps more importantly, why they’re doing it in the first place. Small jealousies, envies, and bits of hatred begin seeping through the conversations, and it becomes apparent the wedding is going to be anything but perfect. However, it doesn’t take too long for the facade of unadulterated joy to start fading away when the merriment begins. While in real life they often go through without too much trouble, the same can’t be said for their presence in whodunit murder mystery novels, where they always seem to be the setting of a terrible crime, as is the case in Lucy Foley‘s The Guest List.Įssentially taking us back to the good old times of Agatha Christie‘s mystery books, Foley transports us to an island off the coast of Ireland where a few people gather to celebrate an important wedding planned to perfection, uniting a rising movie star and an ambitious magazine publisher. Wedding celebrations are meant to be a time of pure joy and regalement, an opportunity for people to come together and celebrate a supposedly lifelong unison, a beautiful thing in and of itself. Lucy Foley Summons the Guests of Dishonour

The guest list foley