The Guest List

I picked up The Guest List after seeing numerous comparisons to Agatha Christie. The premise was immediately appealing to me: a classic ‘locked-room’ mystery set in an isolated island, high-profile wedding, and a cast of wealthy influential guests. What’s not to like?

Unfortunately the book fell flat.

While the story had really strong potential for shocking twists and revelations, it dragged on considerably. Very little of substance is revealed until about ¾ of the way through, making much of the buildup feel unnecessarily prolonged.

The mystery unfolds through multiple POVs, a structure which usually allows for varied perspectives and voices. However, every character here reads with the same narrative voice. The only distinguishing factor being their respective individual motives.

The cast of characters was another major disappointment. Despite the large ensemble, I found none of the characters particularly likeable or compelling. The main protagonists felt flat and underdeveloped, whilst the secondary characters leaned so heavily into stereotypes and one-dimensional traits. Any relationship between them felt dull and shallow.

And seriously, it’s frustrating how the grown men in the wedding party constantly behaved like immature college boys, clinging on to juvenile antics long past their expiration page after page.

By the halfway mark, I felt like the author had all the right ingredients but had no clear direction. The writing felt clunky, repetitive, and veered at times into melodrama.

Around the 70% mark, the book started to pick up. The tension between the characters sharpened and delivered strong scenes, a shocking reveal I couldn’t have seen coming, and a confrontation that kept me on the edge of my seat. These alone bumped my rating up to 3 stars.

While the final reveal wasn’t quite satisfying, or what I hoped for, it was still an adequate conclusion. The book is not without merit, but its sluggish pacing, flat cast, uneven writing made the experience more cumbrous than gripping. I just wish the overall execution had been better given that the premise itself had so much promise.

Up until the last 35% I wasn't interested but it's so good 🩷

A must read. It’s like new Agatha Christie.