"I've learned by now that there are currents in this place that somehow find their way inside, despite closed doors and shut windows. They eddy and caper through the air, they kiss the back of your neck, they send a prickle down your spine, soft as the touch of fingertips."
I never ever tire of books that take place over the course of a twenty-four hour time period, and honestly that was my initial draw to this book. The Guest List follows the events leading up to one of the most cringey best man speeches... but most importantly, the murder of an unknown wedding party attendee. Jules a successful bride of an online magazine is marrying Will, a tirelessly charming, reality tv celebrity. An exclusive wedding calls for an exclusive location on an island only accessed by boat. What could possibly go wrong?
My favorite thing about books in the 'thriller' genre is the way you can binge a thriller and reach for another like potato chips. The Guest List is definitely 'potato-chip-level' binge-worthy. For me, the most successful part of this novel is the way Foley set the mood with some very carefully crafted atmospheric writing. This created an electrically charged sense of foreboding that carried my interest through to the end of the book. The experience of reading this book was unique because Foley built on that uncomfortable foreboding until it became so consuming I had to race to the finish to lift the discomfort. I don't do haunted houses, but I imagine the entire industry is built on the manufacturing of this feeling I am describing.
The way the author structured her chapters was very interesting. The chapters each rotate a new character perspective and when we aren't hearing from a wedding party guest, we are slowly learning what events led up to the actual murder in little present day snapshots. In the hands of a less skilled author this story structure would have felt very gimmicky, but I felt that it enhanced the way the plot unfolded.
When I sense a reading slump coming on, I pick up a thriller as a preventative measure! If you are in the midst of a book slump or want to jumpstart your reading hobby again, The Guest List is a great place to start! It will get you reading again, and when you inevitably come to the end you might find the compulsion to pick up another book. If nothing else, come for the murder and stay for the cringey best man speech!
Reviewer note: I was provided a copy of The Guest List by HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.
3/5 Stars
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