Audio: The Guest List by Lucy Foley @lucyfoleytweets @jotdavies #ChloeMassey #OliviaDowd @RichKeeble @HarperAudio #LoveAudiobooks #JIAM

Posted June 2, 2020 by Anne - Books of My Heart in Book Review, JIAM / 22 Comments

Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Audio: The Guest List by Lucy Foley @lucyfoleytweets @jotdavies #ChloeMassey #OliviaDowd @RichKeeble @HarperAudio #LoveAudiobooks #JIAMThe Guest List by Lucy Foley
Narrator: Jot Davies, Chloe Massey, Olivia Dowd, Aoife McMahon, Sarah Ovens, Rich Keeble
Published by HarperAudio on June 2, 2020
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Length: 9 hours, 54 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
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four-flames
One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarOne Star

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?

WOW!  I have to say The Guest List was so engaging.  There are so many different points of view, leading up to the wedding of Julia and Will.  Each narrator voices a different point of view with their thoughts and feelings.  It’s unclear why we get those points of view exactly.  But they show a wide range of observations on the wedding event.

It’s titillating to be privy to all the dark secrets, intimate moments and the juiciest sort of gossip. So much of it comes up at a wedding with old friends and family on hand.  Julia is so happy. Will is a great fit for her; they really complement each other perfectly.  The bridesmaid, her sister, Olivia, is stunningly withdrawn and unhappy over a bad breakup over the last year.

The best man, Johnno, is a long-time friend of the groom, as well as the four ushers. They all went to the same boy’s school growing up.  Their antics with partying and pranks all stir things up including uncomfortable childhood memories.  They all felt a little too “Lord of the Flies” to me from the start.

The way the story comes together is unexpected and brilliant!  I did not expect it as each thread was woven into the whole.  I recommend this one very highly.

Narration:

There were several narrators, six of them, for the different points of view, and it was masterful.  There was not a huge amount of dialogue, mostly you are in the person’s thoughts. I loved the different accents and voices.  I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.

Listen to a clip:

About Lucy Foley

I live in London, but love traveling – both in real life and on the page (hence the appearance of some far flung locations in my writing).

My debut novel, The Book of Lost & Found, published in early 2015.

Rating Breakdown
Plot
One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Writing
One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Characters
One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarHalf a Star
Narration (Audio)
One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Overall: One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Anne - Books of My Heart
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • COYER-20

Posted June 2, 2020 by Anne - Books of My Heart in Book Review, JIAM / 22 Comments


22 responses to “Audio: The Guest List by Lucy Foley

  1. WOW ….what a review you have here. It definitely makes me want to grab this one up here. I love those engaging reads and I am intrigued by the various points of view that comes into play with this one.

  2. I’m glad I saw your review of this one, Anne. I have the audio and keep trying to listen and end up getting lost. My concentration is not the best right now, so I need to table it and make sure to come back to it because it sounds like one I’d love too. Fab review!

    • It’s really amazing. But it does start with all these disparate people and there isn’t a feel of connection until you get into the story a bit. I sometimes have real trouble starting a new story, especially when so many character seem unconnected. The fantasy genre tends to be the most difficult for me though if I’m not focused at the start. I hope you’ll be able to listen to it soon.

      Anne - Books of My Heart recently posted: Read A Series in a Month Challenge May 2020 Results
  3. I just finished this one a couple of days ago and really enjoyed it too. At first I thought “What is with all of these random POVs?” but then once the story started to come together, it became all too clear and very fitting as to why those were chosen.