The Guest List by Lucy Foley

 

Why did I pick up another book by Lucy Foley... I think this author likes to have confusing books. This book is told from 5 POVs. I do like her stories though, so there's that. It's just a little more complicated than what I'm used to. 

The story sets on a remote island somewhere in West Ireland, called, The Folly. The island is somewhat of a tourist destination but there's a secret past that the locals don't want tourists to know. At the beginning of the story, Julia (Jules) Keegan and Will Slater are getting married, and they are going to have a wedding on this island. The island is owned by husband and wife, Aoife and Freddy. Aoife is also the wedding planner and Freddy is the chef. Aoife and Freddy want to make sure everything goes perfectly because they need future guests.

Family and guests start coming the day before the wedding. Charlie and his wife Hannah are invited because Charlie is very close with the bride, Jules. Hannah thinks a little too close because he acts differently around Jules. She wonders if they have a history together. Unlike Jules and Will and many of their friends, Charlie and Hannah are not well off - they are barely able to make ends meet. Charlie doesn't like Will, which makes Hannah think he's just jealous. 

Hannah becomes friends with Jule's half-sister, 19 year old Olivia. Hannah relates to her because she also struggles with depression, much like Hannah's own sister Alice. Olivia opens up to Hannah and tells her about meeting some old man on the internet, getting knocked up, and having to face abortion alone. 

Jules has been getting mysterious notes warning her not to marry Will. I wonder if Charlie sent those notes...

Will's best man is named Johnno, and his groomsmen are Femi, Angus, Duncan and Peter. They all met when they were in boarding school together. The men chat about their boarding school days and brought up the game they would play, called, Survival. Mainly, the upperclassmen would take a lowerclassmen somewhere near the school for them to survive a night on their own. Will is now a popular TV show host, a show similar to Survival, and idea Johnno had initially. We find out that someone died during one of these games at the boarding school.

The wedding ceremony is a success. But soon after, guests see a body in the water. It's Olivia and she is drowning. Olivia is rescued by Will, making Will look like a hero. Hannah tells Olivia about her sister Alice, who wanted a career in politics, but after breaking up with a boyfriend, he released explicit videos of her and she felt like her future was ruined. She ended up committing suicide 17 years ago.

We find out that Olivia's older boyfriend is actually Will. He impregnated her and dumped her, then threatened her not to tell anyone. She's the one writing the secret notes to Jules. Johnno tries to play a game of Survival with Will and blindfolds him. Johnno confronts him about cutting him out of the show, and about the death of their classmate Loner. Apparently, Loner found out that Will stole the answer sheet to their exam, and wanted to turn Will in. Will kidnapped Loner with the pretense of playing this game, but it was really to kill him. Johnno assisted unknowing of Will's true intentions. Will left Loner near the ocean where the tide would come up and drown him. Johnno had always wondered if Will did it intentionally, and he's always felt guilty about partaking in it. Before getting his answers, Aoife comes in.

Hannah found out that during the bachelor party, the boys played the same game on Charlie and left Charlie alone on the island, naked and scared. When the boys came back to pick him up, he was found crying. They made fun of him of course. He thinks it was all Will's idea. Hannah also finds out that Charlie had slept with Jules. Ouch. And it was during the time Hannah was recovering from giving birth. Double ouch. She storms out and goes to a bar. At the bar, she overhears a conversation and realizes Will is Alice's ex-boyfriend who shared the dirty tapes of her. OK, I hope the author knows that Will must die.

Now the night comes (it's the night of the wedding, after the ceremony), a storm comes and the lights are out. When it comes back on, the waitress screams and says she's found a dead body. (This was actually told at the beginning of the novel but I'm telling you now to be less confusing.) We find out the dead body is WILL. Thank you Lord. Johnno is covered in blood and holding a knife. 

Now the novel goes back to when the lights first went out. Aoife confronts Will about Loner's death. Loner's real name is Darcey Malone, Aoife's brother. Aoife kills Will with the wedding cake knife. Johnno is seen holding the knife because he's the one that found the body and instinctually pulled the knife out of Will's chest. Everyone thinks Johnno is the killer. Johnno is used to being the scapegoat for Will and is pretty much resigned to this. Olivia and Jules are closer together, knowing Olivia was looking out for her with those secret notes. Hannah and Charlie are beyond repair, knowing Charlie cheated on her right after she gave birth. Hannah wish she had been the one to kill Will, so at least she agrees with Charlie that Will is a terrible human being.