Mystery/Thriller Reading Friends discussion

Discussion topic for 76% to the end of The Guest List. If the first to post please briefly summarize to guide the discussion.
Spoilers welcome on this topic.
What did you think of the book?

while this segment has a slew of short chapters, this segment starts with a meaty one:
JOHNNO flashes back to the devastating thing that happened at school with Will while Will remains tied and blindfolded in the whispering cave. Aoife in the cave hears the anguish Johnno feels that a small boy at school died when he tied him up at Will's direction, they carried him out near water to escape on his own, but he drowned. Will, "if it had been our fault, we'd have been caught". Johnno is at a breaking point and threatens Will with exposure or worse.
JULES all is not well between Jules and Will. He's distracted.
HANNAH dances with a flirting man, and realizes Olivia brought "Stephen" (Will) to the party where Will met Jules.
OLIVIA very drunk is taken out for air by Will, threatened to tell Jules about the two of them (she wrote the note) is pulled towards the cliff.
++++++++
NOW the wedding night. The three remaining groomsmen find a mangled piece of gold near the graveyard, and a single woman's shoe. Highly alarmed they try to remember if they saw Jules in the tent before setting out.
++++++++
AOIFE is overwhelmed and comforted by Freddy.
JULES heard enough of Olivia and Will's confrontation by the sea and can hardly contain her rage. Back to the marquee.
++++++++
NOW the wedding night
a body is spotted, blood on the sternum, it's Will. Shock and horror.
++++++++
HANNAH realizes Will was the destructive boyfriend who ruined her sister Alice over photos he put on internet as porn (gleaned from the drunk guy she's danced with and his friends who admire Will.)
JULES smacks Will in the face with a big chunk of wedding cake.
WILL plots how he can take care of things, loose end Johnno, Olivia shouldn't tell but has changed, and producer Piers. He needs Jules to understand and returns to the Folly to clean off the cake fuming over never pleasing his father.
+++++++
NOW the wedding night. Femi confirms Will is dead. Johnno comes up still drunk covered in blood with the bloody cake knife in hand.
+++++++
EARLIER Will is approached by Aoife.

AOIFE has been looking for Will for years, she put the seaweed in the bed, knows what he did to younger boys at school, has letters from Darcy Malone "Loamy" about his friends Will and Johnathan. His grave is right there. Why did they do it, did they try to save him? Thanks to hearing Johnno and Will she knows at least Johnno is sorry. Her Freddy was also there at school. A knife.
+++++++
NOW
Johnno couldn't save him, pulled out the knife, so out of it assumed he killed Will. No matter what still loved him.
+++++++
AOIFE stabbed for her brother.
EPILOGUE
Jules approaches Olivia, tears, hugs, if she had known.
Johnno is taken away by authorities, charged with murder.
Hannah on the boat heading home, such a contrast to the happier trip over. Not sure, can they fix their marriage? For Alice at least, there was closure without confrontation. Vengeance.

I really enjoyed the book and the tension ratcheting up with the alternating chapters. I didn't expect to like it as much, but the remote nature of the island with glimmers of something just out of sight, simmering beneath the surface grabbed me and there were more sympathetic characters in this book.
There were a few coincidences, but overall it worked for me.

Ann wrote: "I really enjoyed the book and the tension ratcheting up with the alternating chapters. I didn't expect to like it as much, but the remote nature of the island with glimmers of something just out of..."

i read this awhile ago, so don't remember any details about it, but I do remember that I really liked it. i liked the alternating chapters which kept me reading faster to see what happened. my review of it seems to have disappeared..lol

I enjoyed the book as well, and didn't not piece together how they were all tied together until it all came out in the end. Well done!

Dawn: me either, the clues were there, but I didn't put it all together either until the end. At first it seemed a bit too coincidental that the serial offender was on an island, in a way, with three different sets of victims -- but then I realized it was orchestrated.

Dawn wrote: "I enjoyed the book as well, and didn't not piece together how they were all tied together until it all came out in the end. Well done!"

Ann wrote: " At first it seemed a bit too coincidental that the serial offender was on an island, in a way, with three different sets of victims -- but then I realized it was orchestrated. .."

So I just finished it today and that is my first response -- too coincidental that Will was behind devastating events to at least 3, well four if you include Johnno. I think the Hannah/Alice connection seemed like jumping the shark, if you know that reference from TV. The last connection with Aioffe had me rolling my eyes but it does make sense when you understand that she is the one who brought the wedding there to begin with.

I did wind up liking it, despite not liking any of the characters. It was suspenseful, kept me reading, I had to find out what and why. I did think this was going to be a mystery where a body turned up early, as opposed to a slow build of tensions that resulted in a murder. I felt bad that Johnno got arrested for the murder; I'd like to think that wrong was eventually righted, but I don't know how it would be. I also wanted to see what happened to Hannah and Charlie (I want her to dump him). And I didn't like that one of the two characters I had sympathy for (Aioffe and --forget her husband's name) was a murderer, no matter how justified, and likely got away with it. Would her husband suspect her? How would he live with that knowledge? One more thing--I didn't believe Jules would so instantly forgive Olivia for her betrayal, she was heavy on the "made a fool of me" rant with Will, and I don't believe that didn't extend to Olivia, at least in the moment.

Oh well, despite my whining I did like the book and gave it 4/5 stars. Thanks to whomever suggested it and thanks again Ann for your summaries!

Carol, I'm glad you liked it too. I found it very compelling, and even though I didn't care too much for the characters on the groom's side, Olivia and Hannah were sympathetic characters.
I wouldn't be sad if Hannah dumped Charlie.
While I could see Jules embracing Olivia and forgiving her, but perhaps not that fast
Johnno charged with murder is perhaps karma for Dusty, yet, he's suffered a lot since the death of their classmate. I guess I am torn on whether he is exonerated for the murder of Will which he didn't commit.
I think Aoife's husband Freddy supports her in her actions, including murder. He had been at school with Will and Johnno too, and had encouraged the wedding discount to stage access to Will.

Carol/Bonadie wrote: "I felt bad that Johnno got arrested for the murder; I'd like to think that wrong was eventually righted, but I don't know how it would be. I also wanted to see what happened to Hannah and Charlie (I want her to dump him). And I didn't like that one of the two characters I had sympathy for (Aioffe and --forget her husband's name) was a murderer, no matter how justified, and likely got away with it. Would her husband suspect her? How would he live with that knowledge? One more thing--I didn't believe Jules would so instantly forgive Olivia for her betrayal, she was heavy on the "made a fool of me" rant with Will, and I don't believe that didn't extend to Olivia, at least in the moment."

Carol/Bonadie wrote: "Ann wrote: " At first it seemed a bit too coincidental that the serial offender was on an island, in a way, with three different sets of victims -- but then I realized it was orchestrated. .."

So ..."
I liked it a lot, and thought who got murdered, who did it, and who got blamed were all perfect. I didn't care about Hannah's sister or Olivia really and didn't find their parts added anything.

Ann, interesting. I guess I wound up feeling sorry for Johnno more than angry at him for his part in Dusty's death. I may be misremembering but I think he really didn't think of the rising tide until the morning after they'd left Dusty in the cave. And he was horrified and tortured from then on. And despite all the ways in which Will betrayed him, in the end he still loved him and was devastated at his death. For him to be wrongly punished for his murder just seems too much. I also was as shocked/surprised/saddened as anything that the whiskey he was passing off as his creation/final success was a scam--store bought whiskey poured into bottles with labels he'd had a mate make up for him. So sad.

Ann wrote: "While I could see Jules embracing Olivia and forgiving her, but perhaps not that fast
Johnno charged with murder is perhaps karma for Dusty, yet, he's suffered a lot since the death of their classmate. I guess I am torn on whether he is exonerated for the murder of Will which he didn't commit. ..."

Ann, this is a very interesting observation that hadn't at all occurred to me. That would make it, well not alright exactly, but a better imagined outcome for Aoife's future.

Ann wrote: "
I think Aoife's husband Freddy supports her in her actions, including murder. He had been at school with Will and Johnno too, and had encouraged the wedding discount to stage access to Will...."

I finished today and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes, there were some serious coincidences, but as has been pointed out, they happened at that place and time because Aoife orchestrated it. And because Will is such a classic psychopath, indifferent to the impact of his actions on others or to other people’s needs.

IMHO Foley is above average as a writer of psychological thrillers, particularly this sub genre of the pseudo 12-little-Indians type. I enjoyed the structure of this more than The Hunting Party, but since it’s been a while since I read Hunting Party, I’m not entirely sure why. It may be that each chapter was only as long as it needed to be, and the varied lengths kept the forward momentum going, and me engaged.

Another difference from Hunting Party structurally is that there is an interesting pyramid of characters, with Will and Jules at the top. As the plot lines filled in, and I was teased forward with the time shifts, I felt compelled to keep reading until the end. It was less “scattered” somehow, more “focused”, and that worked for me.

Odds and ends of responses to earlier comments (I’m not gifted at quoting when using my phone, so please bear with me). Although I did feel compassion for Jonno, I found it satisfying that given the number of women Will had callously destroyed over the course of his life, it was a man who ended up taking the fall. A man who, of course, was a co-perpetrator of Will’s.

Re Freddie: All along I had a vague sense that there was something about Freddie that we weren’t seeing, but I was quite taken by surprise to discover who had been as a child. A nice touch near the end of the book.

That’s an excellent point about whether Jules would have understood and forgiven Olivia so quickly. That does seem unlikely, but I wrote it off as a combination of shock, and the fact that Jules had been forced to realized that the reservations of so many of her loved ones had actually been justified.

I was more surprised that the ending left Charlie and Hannah’s future so open. The weekend was certainly a rocky point for them, but I would have thought they might reconcile fairly quickly.

So enjoyed reading your comments, Barbara!

I was thinking about reading The Hunting Party but now after your comments not so sure!

I was one who hoped that Hannah would dump Charlies, but when you put it that way you're probably right. Charlie succumbed in a moment of weakness and probably regretted it right away. But like many, he decided to hide it anyway. I don't see him as being very strong and he would probably collapse at the thought of breaking with Hannah.

Interesting to wonder what the Charlie/Jules connection would be like post-Will. On the one hand, Jules seems reluctant to let go, on the other hand I would bet Hannah, if she stayed, would put the kibosh on any further closeness.

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i>Barbara K wrote: "I was more surprised that the ending left Charlie and Hannah’s future so open. The weekend was certainly a rocky point for them, but I would have thought they might reconcile fairly quickly..."

Carol, I enjoyed The Hunting Party very much. The setting was superb, and if I remember correctly, the sense of “what’s going on with the relationships among these people?” is more pronounced, which made the “who done it? “ trickier. I think the forward momentum in this book was better, though.

Thanks, Barbara. I'll put in a request at the library, although I think I want to listen to a few more to cleanse my palette before listening to the same (more or less) format of mystery.

Barbara K wrote: "Carol, I enjoyed The Hunting Party very much. The setting was superb, and if I remember correctly, the sense of “what’s going on with the relationships among these people?” is more pronounced, whic..."

I'm about 84% completed now. I'm completely intrigued by this and can't stop listening. My heart broke for Hannah after she found out Charlie cheated on her. Not at the stag party like I thought (although that was awful for him), but he cheated on her with Julia after their kids was born. Poor Hannah!

Then they found Julia's crown in the "now" chapters. Don't tell me it's Julia or Olivia? I don't think the whole thing with Julia sneaking up on Will and Olivia will go over well. I am guessing Julia will find out what happened with them.

And the dead body is Will?! And there are at least 5 people that could have had motive. All because he's an entitled asshole? The one line where he's taking to Aoifa about he said/she said, and who will they believe? I think he's crossed people one too many times without consequences.

I just finished it today. Overall I did like it. I really enjoyed the last chunk of the book where the chapters for shorter to keep me turning the page (or rather, just continuing to listen in audio).

Once it got to the epilogue, I was like wait - 5 chapters of an epilogue?? Apparently there were 2 chapters of The Hunting Party, with a transition chapter and the like closing "thanks for listening." I almost wanted more from the ending. I did enjoy that several characters thought about killing Will, even if only for a few seconds. The book ending with Hannah saying she wished she could've plunged in the knife after discovering what he did to Alice. I'm also glad that Julia and Olivia reconciled in a way.

There are too many questions I still have. Is Johno going to plead guilty, as remorse for the boy they accidentally killed in school? Is Hannah going to forgive Charlie? Because I'm not a fan of him. Is Aoifa going to let Johno take the fall? I like very few open endings, and this one was just so-so because of all the questions I still had. Overall, I did really enjoy this book though, probably enough to check out The Hunting Party.

Heather wrote: "And the dead body is Will?! And there are at least 5 people that could have had motive. All because he's an entitled asshole? The one line where he's taking to Aoifa about he said/she said, and who..."

and in an almost cozy fashion, the victim is someone no one likes.

Heather: I know what you mean regarding the ‘surprise’ excerpt of the Hunting Party - adding time at the end that I had expected to be more of The Guest List.
As I listen to a book, when near the end of the play time, just like when only a few pages are left to read, I start to anticipate the coming end. (And adjust my expectations)
In cases of extended interviews or excerpts taking up time, that anticipatory period is disrupted, and I am sometimes left feeling cheated of more closing details. I don’t dislike open-ended stories if they leave me contentedly imagining the characters outside of the book generally. I had similar open questions, especially regarding Johnno’s fate. I also kept trying to imagine if what Hannah and Charlie had before was enough to make up for him turning out to be a total creep with Jules. I am still on the fence for that one.
Johnno I had thought was a tragically impacted character from his past and also a victim of Will. I wondered what Will’s father really knew about his son.
I hadn’t thought very much, but now thanks to you, I do wonder about Aoife’s having any regrets about Johnno not being guilty of Will’s murder (from her perspective) I did see she saw him as regretful of the school incident, what we don’t know is how vengeful she is with her own peril in the balance. I guess I never thought she might save Johnno.

No, I never thought Aoife would jump in to save Johnno. I might think so if she was pointing the finger at someone else, but not in this case....

On another note, I feel gypped! What extra chapters? I had the CDs from the library, so I guess it was just in the electronic version

Carol: interesting that the cd audio didn’t excerpt The Hunting Party like the digital audio. I feel your pain, if one version doesn’t include an author interview or excerpt the others do, it always leaves me feeling slighted. ;)

No worries, Ann, I have The Hunting Party on my library wish list and will hit "go" whether I've gotten a little distance from The Guest List. Something to look forward to!

I was mollified with a letter from John Sandford to his readers at the end of the audio for Ocean Prey, which was a treat.

Ann wrote: "Carol: interesting that the cd audio didn’t excerpt The Hunting Party like the digital audio. I feel your pain, if one version doesn’t include an author interview or excerpt the others do, it alway..."