Sam Strives For 55 - Week 21

Here is week 21 of Sam's reading journey, the metrics and first week can be found here

The Guest List
by Lucy Foley

1. Intrigue 
   1. This was my first time with a Lucy Foley murder mystery, and I really quite enjoyed myself. A death - perhaps even a murder - on an island off the coast of Ireland, while everyone is gathered for a wedding! Sign me up. 
2. Writing Style:
   1. As with most mysteries the success is built on the ability to divert reader expectations without making the reader feel stupid or lost. This book does just that, and what’s more is it comes with a surprising amount of grounded physical description. It is a tad bit predicable, but does have a “oh, cool, that’s a surprise moment.”
   2. Juicy quote:
      1. And I'm not worried about it being haunted. I have my own ghosts. I carry them with me wherever I go.
3. Flow of storytelling 
   1. For a book that switches multiple POVs it’s surprisingly very easy to follow the course of everything. And the author does a great job of making the chapter cut off feel like a commercial break, where tension is built to a high point, making you want to come back to that characters perspective. 
4. Re-readability 
   1. Re-readable for sure, though the details of the story aren’t nearly as compelling once you know the whole thing. Sort of the curse of mystery novels. And since the major plot point was predictable it feels a bit silly to re-read unless you’re there for the glorious descriptions and fun characters. 
5. TESS
   1. Does not qualify 

★★★★ = For Sure Absolutely Read This - but you might not like it. That’s okay too! I did. ​

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​J. Sam Williams is an illustrious black-tailed hawk, longing to eat as many vegan mice as possible. In his human form, he is a High School English Teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he lives with his wife, one dog and two cats. A somewhat retired breakdancing teacher, he is now a co-host on the Alohomora Podcast! He has been published on Lunch Ticket, immix: a journal for justice, Mugglenet, and a slew of small sports journalism publications. You can find him on twitter @Jabbernator.