Audiobook Review: The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Once all the introductions were over, The Guest List got really interesting and kept me guessing until the end.

The celebrity wedding is on a remote island off the coast of Ireland and it is a stormy night, the lights go out, and when they come back on a young waitress is screaming about something bloody outside. There are bogs that you can sink into and cliffs to fall off. And it's dark and very windy.

The atmosphere is perfect. Then we flashback and get introduced to all the characters as they arrive on the island when the weather is beautiful the day before the wedding. It takes a long time to get back to the "now" during the wedding. I tell myself that the book slogged during this part, and it did, but maybe the detailed introductions of each of the main characters (the bride, the groom, the wedding planner, the plus-one, the bridesmaid, and the best man) were necessary. But once the book added back the "now" perspective, things got a lot more interesting.

We don't know who ends up dead. And we don't know who killed that person. But as the story unfolds and secrets are revealed, we realize that a lot of people could want this person dead. I was guessing until the end, not that it mattered. This victim was pretty evil.

You will enjoy how the story is revealed. And the atmosphere is perhaps another character, as it is so well described you will feel the wind and rain on your face.

The audiobook is full-cast, which I normally don't like. But in this case, it worked. If you enjoy atmospheric, locked-room mysteries, I recommend The Guest List.

Published by William Morrow, 2020
Audiobook obtained from libro.fm
320 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: The Searcher, by Tana French

It is interesting how The Searcher grabbed me. I really didn't think I was liking it much, but I kept going back and soon couldn't put it down.

Cal is an ex-cop who moved from the United States to a remote Irish village after his career and his marriage ended. It isn't clear what happened, but details are slowly revealed throughout the story. He's purchased a fixer-upper, and the locals are taking bets on how long before Cal gives up and leaves. It isn't easy to build relationships in this tight-knit community, but Cal is working on it.

A local kid starts hanging around, and Cal very gently begins to let this very quiet and seemingly poor kid help him work on his projects. It turns out, the kid, Trey, is very good at this work. But Trey also has an ulterior motive, knowing that Cal is a cop. Trey's brother has disappeared, and Trey is convinced he is a victim of foul play. Because Trey's family has a reputation, the local authorities just assume Trey's brother has just left the family for other pursuits.

Cal begins to look into the disappearance and meets with resistance from his local pals. He's puzzled by this but slowly begins to uncover what he thinks happened. And it's dangerous. He tries to get Trey off the path by telling some made-up story. But that only makes things worse.

I don't want to say too much more. The small-town Irish moors atmosphere is intriguing. Cal's character is what kept me turning pages -- he's deep and reflective. The Searcher is a slow-burn, but compelling story.

Published by Viking, 2020
Copy obtained from my MIL
464 pages

Rating: 4/5

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Book Review: Hunger by Donna Jo Napoli

Hunger is a great introduction for younger teens to what is commonly known as the Irish Potato Famine.

The story is told from the perspective of a twelve-year-old girl, Lorraine. Her family are tenant farmers and Hunger depicts the extreme hardships of the Irish people during the long winter with no food.

Because of a chance meeting in the woods, Lorraine meets a rich English girl, Susannah, who is the landlord's daughter.  Susannah is privileged and has no idea of the suffering of her father's tenants. She has been told they are lazy. Lorraine tries to set her straight, and Susannah at least helps her with some additional food.

Starvation brings with it diseases and death, and Napoli doesn't shy away from this truth.  The English are not made to look very good.

The ending does leave the reader with some hope, but if you read the detailed history of Ireland at the end of the book, there is still a lot of hardship ahead for these people.

Hunger would be most appealing to middle-grade students, but older students with an interest can also learn from this tale. Hunger is a relatively short book and keeps your attention, so reluctant readers interested in historical fiction should be pointed to this one.

Published by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman, February 13, 2018
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
272 pages

Rating: 4/5

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