Countryside retreat The Manor has everything going for it: state of the art technology, thoughtful gestures for guests and a host who is out of this world. It’s the new place to be and visitors are willing to spend a lot of cash to ensure they’re there for Midsummer, a time of spiritual importance. Much is planned but behind the scenes, tensions abound. From the staff running the show to the unexpected attendees to those close to the top who are only just hanging on, the solstice supper is one event that shouldn’t be missed. This isn’t a debauched occasion; rather a chance for someone to seek revenge about a secret that happened over a decade previously. Chances are, you won’t be able to predict everything that occurs… which makes reading this quite brilliant.

This is the first of Lucy Foley's books I've read, but I can't move on social media for early praise of it so I was excited to jump in.

It really starts with a bang. It's thrilling and eery and I was really absorbed instantly.

There are a lot of characters, a lot, some more important to the main story than others, but I have picked out who I think are the most important.

Firstly, the ladies; we have Bella, our main protagonist She seemed uneasy, afraid - whether she was afraid of herself, someone else, or the environment, I wasn't sure. But she definitely felt on edge. I felt she was hiding something, but what? What does she know? What happened to her? Why is she there? She was very intriguing.

In contrast, we have Francesca, the owner of the manor. She i very...sort of like a fairy, ethereal is probably the right word. Floating along, used to getting her own way, she doesn't seem to have any cares in the world. But once again, I felt there was definitely something she was trying to repress.

And finally we have Michelle, Francesca's "right-hand woman". She's tough, a bit frightening, but she seems to be a bit too willing to do anything to help her. She felt very much like a lap-dog. An interesting, if somewhat irritating character.

And then the main men. We have Eddie, he's young, a new member of staff working in the kitchen. He felt a bit naïve, and easily led, but I was looking forward to reading more about him. For me, he started off a bit meek, showing his inexperience, but he soon became quite strong (I won't spoil why or how), and he became one of my most interesting characters.

And then Owen, Francesca's husband. He's an architect, and had a hand in building the manor. He's definitely hiding something. Why did he want to get involved with it? Why is he there? What does he see in her? He was definitely the most enigmatic characters, in my view. There was something about him I couldn't quite understand, which made him interesting.

And then my last character is DI Walker, a policeman called to the Manor during the events (again, I will not spoil the whys and what and wherefores). I know I sound like a broken record, but he was definitely hiding something. There seemed to be more at stake here for him than just a police investigation.

What I found really fascinating was this exploration of class and money, the better off and the worse off, those seemed higher than others, and therefore deemed more worthy or deserving. Those people that are unafraid to irk others if it means they get what they want. They don't consider other people's feelings, they are unimportant.

It's split into three time periods, with the chapters flitting throughout. We have the "before" which includes the opening of the manor and the solstice celebrations, the "after" which, self-explanatory, is set after the opening/celebrations, and then we have the "past", which is given to us via snippets of an (at first) unidentified diary.

I wasn't a huge fan of the diary entries as, even though they did give extra background information into why things are the way they are now, I wasn't' as enamoured about reading about spoilt rich snobs and their use of poorer people. The scenes after the solstice were more favourite. The before scenes are quietly frightening, suspenseful, and then it begins to ramp up and it all joins together very well.

Apparently, Lucy is the queen of the multiple POVs. I have a love/hate relationship with them Get it wrong, have too many, and it gets confusing and bitty and difficult to keep on top of. But get it right, have the right amount, then it really helps give the story extra depth, which this has achieved.

The storytelling is very good, as is the description of place and setting. Very thorough but not bogged down in details. But it's easy to put yourself in the situation because of how well Lucy has described the scene - the smells and noises, the people, the weather, the buildings, the clothing, the food and drink, the flooring.

The one...I don't want to say negative as it wasn't...the one thing that didn't quite click with me was this theme of "birds". I won't go into too much detail as I don't want to make this a spoiler-fest, but there is an ongoing thing about birds - stay away from the birds, keep away from the birds, don't disturb the birds, don't go in the woods at night because of the birds, etc. You're never 100% sure what these birds are, are they real, is it a premonition, a fairy tale, what? And if I'm honest, I didn't really understand them. I mean, in a literal sense I understood them on the page, they're birds. But I didn't get what the point of them was in terms of the story. No other review I've seen mentions this confusion, so perhaps it's just me. I was just expecting this big reveal about them, and it never found it for me, so I'm still a bit confused as to what the point of them was.

It's got a quiet, subtle thrill. For me, it was all about what could be. What is hiding in the shadows. Are people who they say they are? What are people hiding? What is the truth? A lot of it is implied and for me that's more uncomfortable than if there was an obvious scary villain crawling the pages.

What makes it a good thriller for me, is how everything comes together. You're reading it, enjoying it as it is, reading the before and after. And then things start to click, start linking together and you find your jaw has dropped. Things I didn't see coming, but then seem obvious once you've read it. I wonder how it would read if I was to give it a second go, knowing what I know now.

I read it in am atter of hours, which is proof for me that it was good and enticing and absorbing. It may not have been absolutely perfect for me, but I couldn't keep away from it.

All in all, as my first of her books, I'd say I'm very impressed. The positive reviews were right. It's menacing, quiet but thrilling, unnerving, harsh, with interesting characters and well created spaces. My first Lucy Foley book, but it won't be my last, I'm sure.

I was so happy to be chosen to read this arc as I’ve previously enjoyed Lucy Foleys other books!

I love the dual POVS as I really enjoy being able to see all the different ways people see events and who is reliable and who’s not. I did struggle a little with the pacing which is why I gave it a 4.5 and not a 5 as sometimes it felt like the story dragged whenever we went through the diary entries however I do understand it was needed in order to understand current events going on.

I thought the addition of folklore and legends was really interesting and added a slight horror?? element to it and made the story that bit more suspenseful and put you on edge.

At first I didn’t like the POV of the detective as I felt like it didn’t add anything to what we read from the events the night before HOWEVER I was so wrong and it came full circle and was very much needed.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for sending me this to read!!

a thriller with multiple povs surrounding a newly renovated manor in the small town of tome. I enjoyed the structure of this as we have to piece together the story to figure out who the murderer was, who was murdered, and what happened when the group were kids. it was quite slow to get into but once the story really started i sped through it. I loved the folklore of the birds and the locals fighting the rich

thanks to netgalley for an arc, which will be released on june 6th <3

*The Midnight Feast* is an engaging thriller with a chilling atmosphere and a variety of POVs. The isolated setting enhances the suspense.. However, some plot twists are difficult to believe, and the pacing felt too slow. While the writing is generally immersive, dialogue can feel stilted at times. Overall, it's a solid read for thriller fans. Fans of Nine Perfect Strangers will enjoy the setting!

In the shadows of an ancient wood, guests gather for the opening weekend of The Manor: a beautiful new countryside retreat.
But under the burning midsummer sun, darkness stirs. Old friends and enemies circulate among the guests. And the candles have barely been lit for a solstice supper when the body is found.

I struggled a little with this. It took a while to get a handle on the characters. I was about a third of the way through before it really took off for me. This is a story on different timelines which is easy to follow once you get hold of the characters. Like the rest of Lucy Foley’s novels, it’s well written and easy to read but, for me, it just doesn’t have that hold to not put it down. It’s okay but a long way from being her best I feel.

A great holiday read. Moves really quickly and keeps you guessing.
The narrative moves between the current day where an upmarket wellness retreat has taken over a local manor, and, years before where a group of teenagers spend a summer together.
Throw in some creepy local myths and some nice scenery too.
Lucy Foley is great at writing these mysteries and this one ties up beautifully at the end.

This novel starts at the day of the opening of The Manor, a luxury retreat at the Dorset coast. Francesca Meadows still has everything in hand then and even a few locals crashing the woods doesn't faze her. Soon enough it does become clear that some locals hold a grudge against her and even in the hotel there's a guest who seems not to have come to be pampered but has a hidden agenda.

There is a lot of jumping around in time and POV's, not only between past (15 years ago) and present but the present was also further split into before and after the solstice meaning the time leading up to the dead body and setting The Manor ablaze and the investigation afterwards. I could only smile when Francesca's carefully planned evening spirals into utter chaos and nothing is left of her perfect image. I still had to speculate who the dead body was though. I had a pretty good idea - although it was another mystery altogether how a body would end up there - but the author carefully hid the identity till the end. 

The atmosphere became even more eerie whenever the woods and the birds were mentioned. The creepy, gothic vibe was very well done, so if you're a fan of this kind of spooky and dark atmosphere it won't disappoint. I'm not the biggest fan in general of the supernatural vibe but the town's myths were purposefully used and it put me appropriately on edge.

I did have to suspend quite a bit of belief that neither Francesca or her brothers recognize people from the past and it had me shaking my head more than once. If I ignore that then I did love some people from the past popping up again in the present and the revelation of their identity. 

The Midnight Feast definitely wasn't lacking twists and turns. The biggest surprise for me was the identity of a second body because I had someone else in mind but that person turned up - a new surprise - alive and kicking as well in the end.  

The Midnight Feast is a gothic whodunnit that kept the cogs in my head whirring. I wasn't thrilled to the max at the start but the further into it the stronger the sense of foreboding became and the Midnight Feast event did live up to my expectations. Overall it was quite an unnerving read.
(to be published on blog-X-Goodreads etc. 26 May 2024)

Lucy Foley's latest has an atmospheric, intriguing, and enticing premise that had me excited to read this, but unfortunately while I had enjoyed her previous books, this turned out to be a huge disappointment. It is often expected that you will have to suspend your sense of disbelief within this genre, but here the levels required are ludicrous. The narrative that goes back and forth in time is uneven in its pacing, and the teen journal entries failed to capture my interest, whilst the inclusion of some threads in the story are superfluous. With its multiple perspectives and secrets, the past is to haunt the exclusive wellness Manor, with Francesca determined to ensure its success. However, the solstice opening becomes a fraught and disturbing affair with a fire and a body. Some of the twists and turns are a tad too obvious, there is local opposition, and folklore that takes in black feathers and birds. No doubt some readers will enjoy this, but this was just not for me. I hope to like Foley's next book a lor more. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I have loved all of Lucy Foley’s books so far but this one just didn’t hit the spot for me.

In social media promo it’s described as a locked room mystery which it’s not at all which I find a bit strange…

Midnight Feast is set at a Soho House-esque club on the coast which is run by Francesca Meadows. A body shows up after solstice, but who is it? And what happened?

We follow Francesca’s POV, her husband Owen, a guest, a member of staff and a police officer, as well as diaries entries from 15 years ago as the truth begins to get pieced together.

You don’t find out who the body is until right at the end which I found frustrating but if i’m honest is probably the only reason I didn’t give up reading.

There’s also a twist right at the end which is so random and just strange in my opinion. I feel bad giving this a negative review but it just wasn’t great in comparison to her other books at all.

☆ ☆ ☆

thank you to both netgalley and lucy foley for letting me read this arc book in exchange for an honest review!

in my personal opinion this was a really hard read, i did enjoy it for most parts of it but it was filled with so many identities i just didn’t understand it either.

there were too many changes in pov all the time and I did struggle to keep up, the book overall wasn’t bad, i would still recommend

I couldn’t wait to read Lucy Foley’s next book and this did not disappoint. The mystery was fresh and intriguing and I couldn’t tell which way the plot was going throughout. It is a little more complex than her previous books, even slightly confusing at times with the different relations between the characters, but the twists and turns keep the intrigue alive. The absolute highlight of this book is the setting, to was really richly evoked and I felt like I was in the retreat with all the characters, for better or worse!

Lucy Foley drops another multi pov twisty thriller. I definitely recommend. It’s filled to the brim with suspense and edge of your seat twists.

There was a lot to like in this book, the writing is impeccable, the sense of place is evocative. I like a multiple POV novel where the reader sees the stories from differing perspectives. There is also a strong thread of black humour, especially with the main character Frankie/Francesca witnessing the birds attacking and the guests seemingly all having a bad trip. Her pure healthy lifestyle is certainly challenged on the opening night of her wellness retreat!
However, I felt this one dragged. I am not keen on too much description and I felt there were too many characters. There was only 13 or so years between the start of the story and the opening of the luxury retreat, however, most of the characters didn't recognise each other even though they were all from a small town, which didn't seem realistic. The other thing I'm not keen on is the superstitious, folklore element, but I get that for a small town it probably worked here.
I did struggle with this book for the reasons above but I do appreciate the writing and that many people would enjoy the story.

I love Lucy Foley's books and I think with Midnight Feast she moved back towards the structure of Hunting Party and the Guest List. While there was a bit of a slow start I soon got engrossed in the plot and characters and sped through the book. I liked the folklore aspects that were included and I would absolutely recommend this book.

Not my absolute favourite by this author, but definitely worth a read.
The premise is a fairly standard locked room type mystery. The type of thing where people are brought together from their collective pasts in a gathering and where one or more of them share a secret which is coming back to haunt them.
The backdrop in this case is a pleasingly interesting one in the form of a very posh hotel, with of the moment style fancy cabins, or hutches no less, in a slightly foreboding wood. There is plenty of folklore involved to a slightly cultish level with flocks of birds, some avian and some not quite so much gathering in sinister fashion.
The characters were interesting enough and there were some enjoyable little twists and turns. I liked the short punchy chapter style written from a multitude of different perspectives from the different characters. Recommend.

The Midnight feast is the latest anticipated thriller from Lisa Foley.
The manor once a family home is now a luxury retreat for the rich and famous. It is the opening weekend and Francesa Meadows the owner, can’t wait for the festivities to start. It is also coinciding with the Summer Solstice But not all of the local community is happy about it as they have blocked access to the local beach and local legends that supernatural begins ‘the birds’ roam the land that it is on. The local community has warned Francesca of this. But she doesn’t believe in all that.
At first it took me a while to get into this story and it is told in in several points of view and several different timelines. I did enjoy the premise of this story but with that in mind at times I did get a bit confused in what was going on. I also was waiting for a big, impacted ending but for me fell a bit short. 3.5 stars from me.

Thanks to Netgalley et all for the chance to read this book. It was a great and exciting read. I did enjoy the two alternating timelines and think that this book would be perfect read.

This book wasn’t for me, I really like mysteries and thrillers but I just couldn’t get on board with any of the characters and found the otherworldly aspects really irritating, I did like the way the stories all came together at the end but not enough to save the story.

I love Lucy Foleys whodunnits and her latest novel is no exception. “The Midnight Feast” is set on the grounds of a newly opened luxury hotel set on the outskirts of a rural Devon village. The locals are not happy with the new development, seeing it as an invasion of their peaceful rural community.

Told from a variety of povs, which the author does particularly well, we meet the main characters: The owner of the hotel, her husband, a mysterious guest and a young local working in the hotel bar. They are all connected, but how?

A very enjoyable and easy read, make sure to stick it in your suitcase this summer. With many thanks to @netgalley and @harpercollinsuk for the advance copy in return for my honest review .