This thriller by Lucy Foley is my mystery book group's selection for December. The main story line takes place over the course of just a few days around a celebrity wedding on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. Different chapters offer perspectives from the owner of the small renovated castle where the wedding is taking place, Aoife; the bride, Jules, who publishes a wildly popular fashion magazine; Olivia, the bride's half-sister and only bridesmaid; Hannah, wife of a longtime friend (maybe once-upon-a- time lover) of the bride; and Johnno, the best man. The time frame also moves back and forth mainly between the day before the wedding and the day of the wedding. There are also a lot of flashbacks to fill in background information of these narrators as well as that of the groom, Will Slater, currently the star of a "Survivor" type TV series. Although it sounds a bit confusing, it's not that hard to follow. What gets really tricky, especially at the end, are all the relationships and underlying motivations of these characters. Someone gets murdered, but you'll probably be surprised by who did it.
The New York Times says that if you are sad because you have had to miss a wedding during the pandemic, this might cheer you up, since it's definitely one you'd want to miss. The Guardian suggests the book's wild success is because "Everyone appears to have a motive and a dark tragic secret in their past, and the mounting sense of doom is piled on pretty thick." Publishers Weekly promises "Readers seeking thrills will find plenty."
No comments:
Post a Comment