The two couples who travel to Portugal for the wedding of one's younger brother have plenty of guilt to unpack in British author Sandie Jones's melodramatic but highly entertaining fourth novel. Jones uses gossip, sniping and conjecture to drive The Guilt Trip, which explores the intricacies of relationships.
Rachel and Jack Hunter and their long-time friends Noah and Paige Collins are staying at a beautiful clifftop villa in Nazaré to celebrate the nuptials of Jack's brother, Will, to Alison "Ali" Foley. Will is well liked, but Ali seems to irritate everyone; the consensus is she is self-centered, a liar, manipulative and may have recently cheated on her fiancé. The others agree with Paige, who says, "I don't think I've ever met someone so divisive." Tensions quickly flare, most of it directed at Ali, but it becomes obvious that everyone has been hiding secrets for such a long time that at any moment each may "spontaneously combust," ruining relationships. Such a toxic atmosphere isn't conducive to such a happy occasion as a wedding, though few guests will forget this event. When violence erupts and ends in a fatality, the moment is shocking but quite expected.
Jones distinctively sculpts each character--though these are not the friends most readers would want, nor would invite to any occasion. But watching them offers vicarious enjoyment to those inclined to eavesdrop when others cause a scene. Perceptive dialogue and each interaction move the slow-churning plot to an intriguing finale. --Oline H. Cogdill, freelance reviewer