Dramatic, intriguing and skillful writing
⭐️⭐️⭐️
SUMMARY
Vows are taken at a high profile wedding on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. The bride, Jules is a smart and ambitious magazine publisher. Her groom, Will, is a handsome and charming television star. Every detail of the exquisite wedding has been expertly planned.
The night before the big day the wedding party gathers and the expensive champagne begins to flow. It’s not long before jealousy and resentments start to bubble up among the wedding party members. As the champagne is replaced by something harder the groomsmen grow loud and rowdy. The bridesmaid is struggling with a dark past, the bride’s best friend gives an uncomfortable speech and then someone turns up dead. Who could have wanted to spoil the wedding, perhaps the best man, the plus one, the bridesmaid, the best friend or someone else in attendance.
“When I step outside the sun is just beginning to go down, spilling fire upon water. It tinges pink the mist that has begun to gather over the bog, that shields its secrets. This is my favorite hour.“
REVIEW
THE GUEST LIST to this high profile wedding is made up of a diverse array of interesting and intriguing characters. The detailed story of the wedding weekend is alternately told from five of the guests perspectives. Some guests you liked, some not so much.
Interspersed among the story from the five perspectives is the dark and compelling story of the stormy wedding night. While the wedding night portion of the story was engrossing, it was told piecemeal throughout the entirety of the book. The way the story was interspersed was my least favorite part of the book. It felt as if I was on a boat in rough seas headed to an island that I cannot see. The mystery of the identity of the victim and the murderer is held to the bitter end.
The small remote Irish island location added tremendous atmosphere to the story. It was like a living breathing monster all its own, from the peat bogs that seemed to reach out and grab the guests, to the raging storm that seemed to purposefully plunged the tented wedding into total darkness at opportune times.
The author’s writing was dramatic, intriguing and skillful. Author, Lucy Foley lives in London and studied English literature at Durham University and University College London and worked for several years as a fiction editor in the publishing industry. She has authored several other books including The Book of Lost and Found and The Invitation.
The audio performance of the book was well executed, with a different voice for each character.
“If I didn’t pay attention, one of those currents could grow into a huge riptide, destroying all of my careful planning. And here’s another thing I’ve learned – sometimes the smallest currents are the strongest.”
Publisher William Morrow
Published June 2, 2020
Narrated Jor Davies, Chloe Massey, Olivia Dowd, Aoude McMahon, Sarah Ovens, Rich Keeble
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