Challenge Corner discussion

Set on a remote island off the Irish coast, this is one guest list no one would want to be on, just as no one would have wanted an invitation to the New Year's Eve party in Foley's previous novel, The Hunting Party . Lives unravel amid the revelry on an eerie and remote island as family and friends assemble for a glam wedding in an updated Murder on the Orient Express. Each of the principal characters has a reason to want one of their number dead, there are old secrets, and one of them is murdered.

Umm... I don't think we can BR this. The book didn't come out yet.

It's coming out in June second.

Oh I have it from BOTM...I just figured you had it from that or an ARC when you replied lol.

Keri wrote: "Oh I have it from BOTM...I just figured you had it from that or an ARC when you replied lol."

Oh, lol! I was waiting for the book to come out and I thought it did when you asked. Lol

Sorry.

No worries!!
If I happen to run behind and it carries over to in time when you can get it we can still use this. I have to read it in May for a challenge or I’d just wait :/

Keri wrote: "No worries!!
If I happen to run behind and it carries over to in time when you can get it we can still use this. I have to read it in May for a challenge or I’d just wait :/"

Okay!

I'm reading this! Is it okay if I jump in?

Yea sure

For sure!

okay so half way or so (page 167, hardcover BOTM copy)

Hannah(view spoiler)[ as I think we're supposed to, love her POV the most because she is the outsider looking in (hide spoiler)]

Charlie(view spoiler)[ Kind of want to hit him up side his head. he should be more attentive to his wife here. I know maybe she's not been giving him a lot of attention but really, the way to get it ISN'T to go hang out with Jules!!! (hide spoiler)]

Stag Party(view spoiler)[ Clearly something awful happened here. Not a stripper/prostitute I assume but something horrible they did to Charlie maybe? no details yet (hide spoiler)]

Aoife(view spoiler)[ I know I shouldn't, I'm sure she's fine
but I can't help but think she's got an ulterior motive in all this!! I feel like she has a tie to this group she hasn't told us yet
or maybe her husband does?!?! (hide spoiler)]

Jules(view spoiler)[ I don't know what to make of her. on one hand, she doesn't seem like she treats people well
on the other, you get to see where she's coming from with her POV (hide spoiler)]

Note(view spoiler)[ Jules note. I'm not 100% sure where the note came from. Johnno? I thought Aoife but if she's planning something, she'd want them to get married, not cancel .....I really don't have any good guesses! (hide spoiler)]

Johnno(view spoiler)[ this guy is losing it. I wonder what this secret is that ties to Will (hide spoiler)]

Olivia(view spoiler)[ The poor thing, feels like she's so all alone. I'm thinking she didn't kill him but she had an abortion - but maybe I'm wrong (hide spoiler)]

Other Groomsmen(view spoiler)[ what is wrong with this group of guys?! lol they are weirdly sexually aggressive and have all these weird secrets. They are all uncomfortable, especially Duncan, and I feel like I'd want to avoid them all. (hide spoiler)]

The Wedding night(view spoiler)[ what a rag tag group those boys are heading out to try to figure this out! lol
but also, is there a body? what is going on here?
and how on earth was a fabric structure supposed to keep a storm out? My house barely keeps thunderstorms out without losing shingles! (hide spoiler)]

I'm really enjoying this one so far!

I'm done! And I loved it!!

Olivia(view spoiler)[ I never guessed it was Will holy moly! (hide spoiler)]

Hannah(view spoiler)[ I never would have figured out it was Will here too! OMG! (hide spoiler)]

Jules(view spoiler)[ I really thought it might have been her! I'm so glad she finally reached out to Olivia (hide spoiler)]

Will(view spoiler)[ Love that we finally got his POV for the end (hide spoiler)]

Johnno(view spoiler)[ that poor guy. I'm sad he was so manipulated by Will but he did made awful choices - but he was just a kid when he made them too. I'm hoping they wouldn't actually convict him (hide spoiler)]

Aoife(view spoiler)[ I knew it!! It was in one of the beginning chapters when she was in the graveyard. I remember her thinking she was going to give her mother rest or something like that - release. and I remember thinking....that sounds less like "redeeming the island" and more like "revenge" lol I loved that it was her! (hide spoiler)]

25% (view spoiler)[So far, I'm quite intrigued. I like how we jump to different time and individual's perspectives.
I'm already kind of annoyed by Olivia and her dramatic attitude. (hide spoiler)]

50% (view spoiler)[A lot has happened, many secrets, or intentions, have come to light.
Quite honestly, I still dislike Olivia. But Jules is also more than unhealthy to be around.
I also get the feeling that there is so much sexual tension between Jules and Charlie.
Still eager to find out what happened at Will's party to Charlie. Poor bitch seems traumatised. (hide spoiler)]

75% (view spoiler)[It's shit how every single adult is deeply toxic and doesn't do anything to work on it. Fucking hate it. (hide spoiler)]

96% (view spoiler)[WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED?! Aoife killed Will? can't believe how both are connected, that shit came out of nowhere (hide spoiler)]

20%
(view spoiler)[I’m struggling at first to figure out why I care about all these random parts of these people’s lives and I expected to get right into the mystery...but the wedding night parts are super short...we’ll see. (hide spoiler)]

50%
(view spoiler)[okay I’m hooked. Pretty sooner after that last point, I realized all these random things are leading up to secrets were trying to find out to help figure out the later mystery. I’m liking this now.
Although the only characters I like are Hannah and Olivia.
Some I’m unsure of but I really can’t stand the groomsmen and all their creepy stories from their scary cult like school :/ (hide spoiler)]

Finished
(view spoiler)[WOW. Just wow. Almost everyone in this book is a HORRIBLE person! And yet somehow I still loved the book. The only characters I actually liked were Hannah and Olivia, and then Aoife was fine but I think purposely kept kind of distant for the character she was and tile she played. I was so glad it was Will who was murdered because he was the absolute worst. What he did to Johnno with the TV show was crap, and already having basically forced him into that boy dying all those years ago. He was so messed up by that I really hoped it wasn’t Johnno to kill Will so I’m glad it wasn’t. I would’ve been fine with it being Hannah, Olivia, Jules or Aoife, but if I’m being honest I really thought it would be Hannah and kind of wanted it to be. The reveal about her sister blew me away completely after all the many mind blowing terrible things Will had done. And with her finding out Charlie had not only slept with Jules, but had actually done it while they were married I figured she’d be the one. Poor Hannah. Charlie is a weak loser I choose to believe she leaves him and finds someone better.
But wow the twists kept coming toward the end and I saw NONE of them. (hide spoiler)]

16%
(view spoiler)[ At the beginning I was getting a little confused with the character’s name but now I get it. It seems the mystery will happen after the wedding. (hide spoiler)]

31%
(view spoiler)[It's been a long time since I read a mystery book with differents POVs so everything appear to be evolving around the old school everyone went, Trevellyans I think is the name. What really happened there? Will and Johnno have this vibe like something bad happened, also everyone was talking except Olivia, I want to know what happened to her and no one notices her at all. Also, WHO THE HECK DIED? (hide spoiler)]

53%
(view spoiler)[I want to know what really happened to Olivia, did she killed someone or was involved in anything like that? It seems like Will is the dead one, these parts between past an present are so nerving I'm loving it! Also all these guys are really immature, I don't like them. (hide spoiler)]

73%
(view spoiler)[I KNEW IT! I knew somehow Will put out Johhno the show, that is so shitty to do and even stole his idea, what an asshole. I don't know who is worse if Will or Charlie at this point, I hate the way he treats Hannah. I also knew Will was this Steve guy, that's pretty fucked up and Hannah's sister killed herself that explain why Hannah is so naive and kind at some parts but I want to know what is going on in the present! (hide spoiler)]

92%
(view spoiler)[There are many coincidences in this book and I don't like it one thing is Olivia's Will ex and got her pregnant and had an abortion but another thing is that he too played and hurt Hannah's sister, so what Aoife pictures here? Maybe she will kill Will? This kinda remind me of Big Little Lies and don't like it. I don't know I'm not into make the one guy or girl the bad one type of thing. (hide spoiler)]

Finished
(view spoiler)[This book kept me on the edge grand part but after the 51% I just knew how everything would end, I don't like this type of thriller where there is one bad guy or girl and he or she have every fault about everything. For a moment I thought Johnno was the dead one but I'm not surprised Aoife killed Will I see it coming I just wanted to know how she was connected. It would be more crazier if Aoife, Hannah, Olivia and Jules killed him together but well it was a nice thriller before the 51%. (hide spoiler)]

Isabel wrote: "96% [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[There were many coincidences I knew she was going to kill him. (hide spoiler)]

Keri wrote: "Finished
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Charlie was such an asshole I couldn't stand him since is an open ending I just dream Hannah divorces him. I don't think everyone was terrible except for Charlie and Will, Johnno was pretty fucked up but he wasn't a bad person now the other ushers I think is called the gang, those are pretty horrible persons making fun of everyone and their "pranks". But everything went to quickly at the end and so predictable I didn't like it. (hide spoiler)]

— Massiel wrote: "Isabel wrote: "96% [spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

i'm just not very used to thrillers, so this took by off-guard haha

Isabel wrote: "i'm just not very used to thrillers, so this took by off-guard haha"

You should try Riley Sager! I freaking love the guy, you can try The Last Time I Lied first.

*********RESTARTING NOVEMBER 7TH, 2020***********

25% - (view spoiler)[This book is making me uncomfortable especially with Ana and her husband flirting/ having a romantic past with the bride. (hide spoiler)]
50% - (view spoiler)[I'm not into it :/ I don't really enjoy it. (hide spoiler)]
75% - (view spoiler)[ So Ana's husband did cheat on her with the bride... GREAT. (hide spoiler)]
Finished - (view spoiler)[Ok so I was barely invested and yet the ending (Will being killed and Jonathan being accused) wasn't very surprising. (hide spoiler)]

Starting this now!

19%: (view spoiler)[Okay, so who died.. a random guest? Ugh, I just want to know! Also, what exactly went down at this Uni? Oh and definitely getting some vibes between Jules and Charlie.. (hide spoiler)]

37%: (view spoiler)[..who puts seaweed in someone's bed for a prank? Such weirdos.. (hide spoiler)]

52%: (view spoiler)[..why is she just asking her dad his opinion on Will? Also who wrote the note? Maybe he was with Alice before? Or is that a big stretch. I'm just trying to put the pieces together since he thinks Hannah seems familiar.. (hide spoiler)]

64%: (view spoiler)[OMG I feel so bad for her and losing Alice that way. Also why is Hannah being nicer to Olivia than Jules? She is being a twat right now. Oh and Will and definitely untrustworthy.. (hide spoiler)]

69%: (view spoiler)[OH CRAP WILL IS STEVEN? Well.. well.. (hide spoiler)]

100%: (view spoiler)[Ahhh this book was so good! Especially towards the end. I just knew that Will was behind the Alice thing.. and I can't believe that Charlie cheated on Hannah! Poor girl. (hide spoiler)]

Did anyone ever watch the TV show Harper's Island, with Christopher Gorham, Katie Cassidy, and a whole lot of Canadian actors that are in everything filmed in Vancouver? Maybe it's because a bunch of people are reuniting for a wedding on an island with a tragic past, but I get a lot of the same vibes from this story. Plus, clearly, the And There Were None influences (on both, actually).

25% (view spoiler)[ I like the flashes we see of present day -- good plot device. Otherwise, the book is actually kind of boring up until this point. I know it's just introductions and everything... but most of the characters don't even seem all that likable. (hide spoiler)]

50% (view spoiler)[ Okay, this is actually kind of boring. We're getting flashes to something interesting happening, but otherwise we're at 50% of the book and it's mostly people sitting around talking. (hide spoiler)]

73% (view spoiler)[ So Will knocked up his fiancee's sister before they met and pretended nothing happened. He screwed his "best friend" out of a really great job that was his idea. I'd feel sorry for Jules, but she's almost as equally big of a bitch -- the way she treats her sister? Terrible. I think that if she'd known what he'd done to her sister she would have blamed Hannah. (hide spoiler)]

100% (view spoiler)[ This book seems unfinished. Does Johnno really get convicted of Will's murder? Does Aoife really get away with murder? I think it would have been a better book if Will's murder had been revealed at the beginning. Most of the main and supporting characters want him dead...I would have like to know that from the start. (hide spoiler)]

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RESTARTING MAY 5TH, 2023

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