Hi, everyone. Welcome back for another review! This week I’m reviewing The Guest List by Lucy Foley. And in keeping with my pun theme I made a Perfect Guest, or, more accurately, my variation of it that I am calling the Perfect Guest List. Enjoy!
The Perfect Guest Recipe
1oz Vodka
0.5oz Lillet Blanc
0.5oz Elderflower Liqueur
2-3 drops of Lavender Syrup*
~2oz Soda or Tonic Water**
*Lavender syrup is optional. **Soda is optional.
In a mixing glass with ice, combine vodka, Lillet, elderflower liqueur, and lavender syrup. Stir for around 10 seconds then strain into a coupe glass. Next, add approximately 2 ounces of soda water and finish it off with a twist of lemon for garnish. The traditional Perfect Guest also includes celery bitters; however, I decided not to include this element, and instead chose to replace it with lavender syrup. You can take it upon yourself which ingredient you’d prefer to add, but honestly the lavender and elderflower mix was delicious, if a little floral (heads up if you don’t love those flavours). I also added soda water to this drink because it was quite strong and because I felt like it needed a little fizziness.
While the soda water has no real connection to the novel, I chose to include lavender flavours to bring an element of the novel into the drink. The bride’s bouquet is comprised of various wildflowers, one of which is speedwell. Veronica speedwell, while likely not the exact species in the bouquet, is a beautiful plant with lavender flowers. So, I decided that this might be a fun way to kind of incorporate the story into the drink. And, as I stated above, I was thoroughly pleased with my addition and how it worked with the other flavours of the Perfect Guest List.
Synopsis
Set on a secluded island off the coast of Ireland, The Guest List tells a story of secrets and mystery. At the highly anticipated wedding of magazine publisher Jules and actor Will past drama threatens to come to light. Told from five different points of view — Jules, the bride; Hannah, the plus one; Johnno, the best man; Aoife, the wedding planner; and Olivia, the bridesmaid — The Guest List delves into the dark secrets people keep, and the unease that goes along with them. As the guests arrive the day before the wedding, this unease begins to set in. While the festivities proceed, secrets are revealed and tensions continuously rise. And before the wedding is over someone is dead.
Review
“I have my own ghosts, I carry them with me wherever I go.”
Another ghost story people! Alas, no real ghosts in this one though — just guilt and secrets. Foley did a great job with The Guest List, and I thoroughly enjoyed how the story unfolded. One of my favourite parts of this novel, similar to The Glass Hotel, was the incorporation of the guilty conscience and the metaphorical ghosts that come along with it. I also enjoyed how this novel played with the idea of superstitions and omens. Foley’s sprinkling of these eerie elements throughout the novel worked well. They served as dark indications of things to come and I enjoyed the foreshadowing symbolism of it all. These notions also greatly added to the suspense of the novel.
I love a suspenseful novel, so this one really worked for me. The novel was filled with suspense from the beginning with the uneasy wedding night; and, how it quickly shifted to the day before left me eager for more. From there I was hooked and couldn’t put it down, especially towards the end. This novel’s jumps between the present day of the wedding and the hours leading up to it worked well. And, I actually liked how this book approached the jumping in time because it only gave 1-2 page snippets of the present, which had me needing more and wanting to know what happened. I also enjoyed the flashbacks and how Foley seamlessly incorporated them. In my opinion, Foley’s narrative bouncing between past and present fuelled the suspense of the novel, and, honestly, it wouldn’t have been as good without this element.
I only have a couple downers for this novel, but nothing that really took away from it. My main negative is that it was a little predictable. While I liked all of the different narratives, through certain characters it became increasingly obvious who the mysterious murder victim would be. I also felt connected to each character and, therefore, found it easier to discern which one of our five suspects could’ve done it. Though the way it unfolded made me anticipate what was going to happen, it wasn’t in a bad way. By this I mean that I normally don’t like mysteries that I figure out, but as the novel progressed I felt it was intentionally apparent. So, I didn’t feel disappointed. And I still enjoyed how the ending developed and resolved even though it did wrap up a bit quickly (but this could be because I read too fast).
Overall, I liked the build up of the story and how the deeper connections between characters played out. While I did find some downsides, they didn’t impact the novel enough to make me dislike it. And, Foley’s superb writing style and the absolutely gripping story elevated this one for me. So, I was quite pleased with this book and would definitely recommend it if you like a quick, suspenseful read. Also, don’t forget to try out the Perfect Guest List the next time you want a drink!
My Rating:
Thanks for reading, and if you haven’t yet read my previous reviews, The Glass Hotel Nacional and My Dark and Stormy Vanessa, click to read them now!
Teghann
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