“It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key.” said Winston Churchill. In The Guest List, the key is that no one is what they seem and all have major secrets to protect.
Posh Jules is marrying the handsome television star Will on a remote Irish island. The wedding brings together their two families and friends. There is Jules’ absent father, troubled sister, distant mother, and best friend, Charlie. There are Will’s elite prep school friends. But some ghosts are best left undisturbed, and I don’t mean the long-dead turf bog skeletons rumored to be hacked to death by Vikings.
When Jules receives an anonymous note warning her not to marry Will, she ignores it. But no one can ignore the young server screaming, covered in blood, and mumbling about a body before collapsing in a heap at the foot of the wedding party.
There is an excellent feeling of dread pervading this novel in the matter of a gothic mystery like Rebecca. Though it does drag a bit in the middle, that just made me read faster to learn the horrible truth constantly foreshadowed in the brief flash-forward chapters. The Guest List is highly recommended for those looking for an atmospheric murder mystery. 4.5 stars!
Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.