Revenge is, indeed, a dish best served cold.

Before I write my review, I suggest you to read the TW/CW first because some of the book contents can be too triggering for some.

Reading The Guest List because I need to catch up with my GR thematic Reading Challenge (beta version, only in Android app) and the choice didn't disappoint. I also buy the ebook when it was on sale, and again, a money well spent. Many compared The Guest List with "And Then There Were None" and "Murder on Orient Express". Both are two of Agatha Christie's classics and also well loved. The marketing itself can be pretty bold to compare Lucy Foley with the Queen of Crime but I guess the comparison is not fall far from the mark. The bit about Murder on the Orient Express is halfway true if I compared the ending, but The Guest List kinda can catch the vibes of strange and isolated island with ensemble cast that have so much secrets between them that And Then There Were None have. And this is from me who always put And Then There Were None in top of my mystery recommendation lists.

Many reviews also state that the book is slow pace, but I digress. I feel that the pace actually was mid to fast. The slow pace maybe because so many point of views to be told? The Guest List have 5 PoV (and another PoV added near the end) from 5 person. Aoife, the wedding planner and also the owner of the Folly, the castle in Inis an Amplora or Cormorant Island. Then, Hannah, the plus one, she is Charlie's wife and Charlie is the bride's best friend. Another is Johnno, the groom best man and Olivia, the bridesmaid, also the bride's half sister. And the last PoV belong to Jules, the bride. This is her dream wedding, her soon to be husband, Will, is the star of survival reality show and she know that their marriage already decide by fate although Jules and Will dated only in months. She will have the best wedding ever, although this little note that warn her to not marry Will always nagging her mind. Why, indeed? There are chapters called Wedding Night that told entirely from 3rd PoV and that's what make this book interesting. A murder was happen. But, who is the victim? Who is the culprit? Why murder them in the first place?

With past and presents entangled, the event that happen in The Guest List actually only happen in 2 days maximum. One day before the wedding and the day when the wedding happen. While Foley write 5 PoV, all this PoV actually happen in almost the same time while some of them kinda reminiscing their pasts reveal one or two shocking truth that finally shed some light into a person of interest. I won't tell that much since I think the spoiler can be hard to avoid, but the victim deserve their fate. The culprit is not who I think at first and I amend that after all that build up from the first part the ending feel flat. There's little closure, hence why I didn't give this a full 5 stars. I want total closure, dammit. From all the PoV, I connected the most with Hannah and Olivia. Especially Hannah, I can feel her struggle as a Mom of two and how she feel that her marriage to Charlie is kinda fizzling the passion barely there. The closure that I want is

to see Hannah bitchslapped Jules. HARD. I don't care with what happen to Jules in the end or when she finally understand what Olivia already endured, but what Jules and Charlie did left me bitter in the end. I really hope that Hannah will divorce Charlie immediately after the wedding end. I can't blame Hannah to feel attracted to Will in the first place because beside an actor, Will also have his charms. But Hannah never did once cheated on Charlie, and what that pitiful excuse of husband did? Gawd, I really want to punch Charlie in the face and I really want Hannah to also punch Jules to the face, consequences be damned!

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The Guest List deal with the darker nature of human and it pretty much apparent from Will, Johnno and their pack of fratboys from their boarding school era. The wedding (and alcohol) bring the worse from them. I really feel this sick feeling to my stomach reading their wrongdoings and how they feel like their past deeds just a prank with they constantly brush off their bullying with "boys will be boys." Foley herself write in the interview in the back of the book with how she want to write characters with some past that explain why they behave like that, but I feel conflicted. I guess that also one of the book's weakness with how convenient some of the culprits's motives seems aligned with the victims's past deeds. I guess, maybe because Foley want to give them all motive to kill in order to bring some of the red herrings. However, 

while I already guess that the man that Olivia dated was Will, the connection between Hannah's sister, Alice to Will seems like happen because of the author write it? And also Aoife too? For Johnno, I can understand that he got the most beef with Will because they are friends from their boarding school era. Jules's motive because she was humiliated by Will because of his connection to Olivia, I can accept that. But Hannah and Aoife's reasons feel pretty much too convenience!

. Too put it simply, I agree with my friend because I want what happen in Murder on the Orient Express will happen too in The Guest List. But, alas.

Still, I feel The Guest List deserve it winnings despite some its flaws and weakness. The comparison of this book with not only one but two of Agatha Christie's beloved classing maybe can be too much, but I admit that I enjoy reading the Guest List although the end feels a little bit anti climax. The female rages was well written. The first PoV actually work wonders because I can feel connected to all the PoV except Jules, lel. Yeah, I know Jules have parent issues and perfectionist, but her PoV is the least favorite of mine. I prefer Hannah and Olivia, although Olivia's PoV can be too depressing and nauseating to read. Poor Johnno, though. But eh, he also kinda deserve it in the end. Aoife's voice provide some of history behind Inis an Amplora history and how she manage to hold a wedding in professional manner while hiding some secrets of her own. Truly, this book left me want to turn page after page, make me hold my breath and in the end, shouting to the victim with "yeah, you deserve it after all you've done."

Recommended!