Explore the most thought-provoking The Guest List book club questions (without spoilers!) here. This bestselling psychological thriller book set at a wedding has readers discussing all the shocking twists. You’ll foster meaningful discussion and get free printable book club questions to use as a book club resource at your in-person meeting. Let’s get literary!
Quick Summary of The Guest List With Themes
- New York Times bestseller
- Reese’s Book Club pick
Published by Harper Collins, The Guest List by Lucy Foley is a locked room mystery like the Agatha Christie books, but it incorporates modern drama and twists straight from a Dateline episode.
It begins with a moody scene: a wedding weekend on a remote, secluded island off the coast of Ireland, where the powerful and ambitious magazine founder Jules Keegan is marrying her golden boy, reality television star Will Slater.
As the guests arrive, tensions rise. The group includes Olivia (Will’s ex-girlfriend and a pivotal character), Johnno (Jules’s brother with a troubled past), Charlie (the best man), Freya (the maid of honor), and Aidan (a guest with a mysterious backstory).
The groomsmen get drunk, the bridesmaid ruins her dress, and you just know something big is about to happen. An ominous storm erupts once the party of the year has officially started. The power goes out, and a body is discovered. What follows is a classic “whodunit.” The novel is told from the perspectives of five characters, each with a secret and a motive, alternating between present and past.
For fans of The Hunting Party and Big Little Lies, The Guest List is one of the best book club books because it offers such themes for discussion as secrets, lies, marriage, revenge, family tension, loyalty, class/social status, trust, betrayal, isolation, fear, and psychological tension.
Lucy Foley’s The Guest List: Book Club Questions Without Spoilers
Were you able to guess who the victim was?
Were you able to guess who the murderer was?
Did your guesses as to who the victim and/or murderer were change at all while reading the book?
Discuss the importance of the Irish coastal setting of The Guest List.
Discuss the importance of the story occurring at a wedding.
How would you describe the mood of The Guest List?
Did your opinions on any of the characters change throughout The Guest List?
Did the multiple points of view work for you?
Did the dual timelines of past and present work for you?
Did The Guest List remind you of any other books?
Would you describe The Guest List as a mystery book, a thriller novel, or both?
Did The Guest List feel more like a slow burn or page-turner to you?
Discuss the good and bad characteristics of each character.
Did the secrets revealed make you feel any strong emotions?
Were there clues to the secrets revealed throughout the book?
Should the characters have picked up on any clues about the secrets revealed?
Did the secrets make the characters feel more multi-dimensional to you?
Did any characters feel one-dimensional to you?
Assuming you liked “the murderer” the least, which character did you like the best?
Why do you think this book was named The Guest List?
How do you think you would have reacted at the wedding as each of the characters in The Guest List?
Would any other title work better?
Did you find the ending to be satisfying?
Did anything crazy ever happen at a wedding you attended?
Do you think secrets lie beneath the picturesque surface of all weddings?
Printable PDF Reading Guide of the Discussion Questions
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Book Club Ideas for Food and Games
- Eat wedding cake or Irish food, such as potatoes in any form, fish and chips, smoked salmon, and soda bread.
- Drink champagne or a signature wedding cocktail.
- Play a game of Clue or two truths and a lie. Dance to Spotify’s Wedding Mix playlist, make these DIY wedding invitation ornaments, practice writing a DIY wedding script, or take The Five Love Languages quiz.
Book Club Books to Read Next
If you loved these The Guest List book club questions and want similar book club books to read next, check out:
- None of This Is True Discussion Questions
- First Lie Wins Discussion Questions
- The Last Thing He Told Me Discussion Questions
- The Wedding People Discussion Questions
remember, it’s a good day to read a book. – jules
These are great questions for my book club. Thanks!