"The Midnight Feast" by Lucy Foley is a mystery thriller.

Thank you HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for the digital copy of the book (via Netgalley).
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

The synopsis of the book is the one that convinced me to read the book.
The Manor is a renovated historical house.
In the opening weekend of this new wellness boutique hotel a body is discovered.

The story is told from multiple perspectives:
- Francesca - the founder
- Owen - her husband
- Bella - the mystery guest
- Eddie - the kitchen help.
There are also some journal entries from 15 year ago.
I liked the way the multiple perspectives and dual timeline provided parts of the story and slowly unraveled the truth.
There is a lot of mystery and misdirection that is heightened by the dark atmosphere.

The story is engaging and the plot twist was unexpected (even if bit disappointing).

Set in a remote and exclusive wellness retreat during its lavish opening weekend, the novel quickly devolves from serenity to chaos. Foley expertly intertwines the narratives of various guests and staff members, each harbouring secrets, grudges, or a hidden agenda. As always, her use of shifting perspectives keeps the reader on edge, piecing together clues while trying to determine who to trust and who might end up dead.

What stands out most is Foley’s command of setting; the luxurious retreat, with its glossy façade and eerie isolation, becomes a character in its own right. The book delves into themes of privilege, guilt, and the masks people wear, adding emotional depth to the thrills. Foley’s writing is sharp and evocative, crafting a slowburn tension that builds to a chilling climax.

Though some twists may feel familiar to Foley fans, her knack for character psychology and claustrophobic suspense remains gripping. The Midnight Feast is a deliciously dark treat for readers who enjoy their mysteries tangled and their endings satisfying. It’s perfect for fans of locked-room mysteries with a modern twist.

Many thanks to the publishers and netgalley for approving this book

If you love Lucy Foley then you know what to expect from one of her books!! Lots of characters with their own perspectives, some great scenery and a brilliant mystery / thriller.

The Midnight Feast is centred around a renovated historical house that is opening its doors to its new wellness boutique hotel, however the locals are not happy about the hotel and its owners and guests. With it's first paying guests everything needs to go according to plan but strange things start to happen - are the locals behind it or is there something more sinister going on?

The story is told very various characters points of view and across different time lines BUT once you are a few chapters in to the book this isn't an issue to keep up with. The differing POVs also add to the mystery of what is actually happening and why!! A great book that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for a digital copy of this book,

Lucy Foley never lets me down. This was her at her best. It kept me guessing, and was beuatifully told with an evocative, well-drawn setting and a wonderfully unlikeable main character.

The Manor, an ultra-luxurious resort on an island off the Dorset coast, is breathtakingly beautiful but hides sinister secrets beneath its beauty. Its owner, the ethereal Francesca Meadows, her husband and the resort's designer, Alan Dacre, some of the people who work there, and a guest calling herself Bella are not what they seem to be. Moreover, the local residents resent the presence of The Manor and everyone associated with it, and a few are itching to take drastic measures. The opening weekend of The Manor falls on the summer solstice, and Francesca has planned a midnight feast - a celebration fit for royals - for her guests, down to each meticulous detail. But nothing would go as planned on the night, and several long-buried secrets will be unearthed, and several lives will be turned on their head – a few of those cut short – before the night ends.

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley was my first taste of the celebrated author’s writing, and I was not disappointed. The Midnight Feast is populated with a large cast of well-defined characters, most of them unlikeable, and the story is narrated from multiple points of view, moving forward and back in time. While it takes some effort to get into the plot initially, it becomes riveting before long. Foley reveals the true nature of her characters one layer at a time and throws up twist after twist. The cynical narrations about the behaviour of the ultra-rich, the descriptions of the island and the forest, the characterisation, and the bringing together of the multiple threads worked well enough for me. On the downside, the monologues of the narrators and the disgusting actions of the rich people feel a bit too much at times, and people changing so much to become unrecognisable within a few years seems incredible. But, these are minor issues that do not alter the fact that The Midnight Feast is an enjoyable read once you stick with it for a while.

Thank you, HarperCollins UK, for the Digital Review Copy of The Midnight Feast through NetGalley!

A love a good murder mystery usually. This sadly wasn’t it. I thought there was way too much going on and it didn’t give a big payout in the end. Just didn’t work for me personally.

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley is another atmospheric, twisty thriller that fans of her previous books will feel right at home with. Set at a luxurious, newly opened wellness retreat on the rugged coast of England, the story unfolds over a tense and stormy weekend, where opulence masks old secrets, and a celebration quickly unravels into something much darker.

True to Foley’s signature style, the novel shifts between multiple perspectives and timelines, gradually revealing the complex connections between characters and the simmering tensions that build toward an inevitable act of violence. I’m not generally a big fan of multiple POV books, but Lucy Foley (along with John Marrs) has a way of making them feel accessible and purposeful—each voice is distinct and contributes meaningfully to the puzzle.

The setting is rich and cinematic—equal parts beautiful and isolating—which adds a constant undercurrent of unease to the entire story. What really stood out for me was the critique of privilege, social media performance, and curated lifestyles. Foley deftly explores the facades people put on to present the “perfect life,” even as things fall apart behind the scenes.

While the pacing starts out slow, it’s intentional—tension brews under the surface before boiling over in classic Foley fashion. The ending was satisfying, with just enough ambiguity to leave you thinking.

If you’re a fan of The Guest List or The Paris Apartment, this is Lucy Foley doing what she does best—claustrophobic setting, morally grey characters, and a mystery that twists and turns until the final page.

I chose to read a free eARC of The Midnight Feast but that has in no way influenced my review.

I am a HUGE fan of Lucy Foley's thrillers. They're always engaging, captivating and ultimately surprising. This latest addition to the author's body of work is no different. It's opening night of The Manor, an exclusive 'pagan-chic' hotel on the Dorset Coast where wellness is everything. Owner, Francesca Meadows, has pulled out all the stops for her guests with a decadent solstice feast. But Francesca's dreams of a perfect night, a perfect start to her dream enterprise, are shattered as a fire tears through the hotel. The next morning, a body is found nearby. Because there really is no escape from the past...

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I love how Lucy Foley tells a story. The Midnight Feast is an highly intriguing mystery with a cast of multi-layered characters who masterfully push the story along. I found Francesca quite despicable. Is there nothing she won't do to progress herself and her brand? The way she treats the local people of Midsummer is ghastly but oh my gosh, I wanted more! There's a large folklore aspect to the novel which was interesting. I did enjoy the creepy, edge of the woods vibe the entire book has. The story is told using multiple points of view, plus two timelines fifteen years apart. I was able to follow 'what' was happening and 'when' with ease. All in all, The Midnight Feast is an engaging mystery with a difference. There are secrets and lies galore amongst the pages of this book and I was hooked trying to work it all out from the get-go. Eerie, creeping, full of suspense with a dark atmospheric feel to proceedings. The threat of the woods, the menace of the crows and the delicious gothic overtone worked really well. I can't wait to see what Foley has in store for us next! Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of The Midnight Feast. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Review will be published on 6th May 2025]

Early in The Midnight Feast, the reader is bombarded with many characters. They are each important, and once you learn the characters, it is a quick-paced novel with multiple perspectives, each bringing something to the story. I found myself trying to figure out how everything would come together and didn't anticipate most of the twists that bound the storylines into a tidy ending. An absolute thriller!
I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

Lucy Foley certainly is a very good thriller writer, with a well plotted story, great pacing and a drip-feed presenting of the narrative all working together to draw you in and keep you hooked.

From those I have read, her books are definitely of a certain style – first-person, present tense narration of personal thoughts on what is currently unfolding, with frequent shifting from one narrator to the next. This generally works but can on occasion be a little overdone and just becomes irksome. However, 'The Midnight Feast' takes this formula a step further by introducing time-shifting in the narrative; moving between the day of this year’s summer solstice, the day before the solstice, the day after the solstice, and 15 years ago… all possibly in the space of just a few successive chapters/pages! While this can add to the story’s sense of suspense and anticipation, it does take the reader to pay attention to precisely what day we are currently in.

But at the end of the day, this is a modern thriller, a good bit above the average in the genre and well worth a read. Can’t really ask for much more than that.

Creepy, evocative, characters and location. Lucy Foley has done it again. This book had it all, an excellent read that kept me guessing throughout and fabulous descriptions of the house/ hotel and surrounding area, I’d love to visit but maybe not ……
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

I wasn’t sure when I started reading this book how the different years and people would all come together in the present. It’s hard to write a review without spoiling any of the plot.
Francesca is some bad ass business woman who knows what she wants even if it upsets the locals. Her husband Owen appears to have come out of nowhere to help her build this beautiful retreat.
But who and what are “the birds” that run through all the chapters.
I could not put the book down and did not see any of the twists when it all started to come together.
I disliked Francesca and her brothers in all their different guises but loved every single other character.

I love Lucy’s books and devoured thin two sittings. I was keeping for my holiday but had a must read it now moment and am so glad I did.
More please by this wonderful author

I’m a big fan of Lucy Foley, and The Midnight Feast didn’t let me down! The book starts with such a haunting vibe, setting the perfect eerie scene for what’s to come. The story is about the opening weekend of The Manor, a luxury retreat, and things quickly go from glamorous to grim when a fire breaks out, and a body is found. The unexpected plot twist at the end was a nice surprise too!

The book has multiple POVs - four to be exact. I thought four perspectives might be a bit much, but each one added something really interesting to the story, and I ended up enjoying all of them. The characters are well-developed, and they all play crucial roles in the mystery.

The middle part of the book did drag on a bit for me, but the diary entries sprinkled throughout definitely kept me hooked and made me race to find out what happened. The only downside for me was the shifting timelines, which got a bit confusing at times.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for sending me a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

You can never go wrong with a Lucy Foley book! This kept me entertained the entire time and I couldn’t wait to see how things concluded.

I couldn’t put this down, it got me hooked so quickly. A pretty dark and gripping thriller! I loved the twists and the shock ending.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but there was just something missing.

There are too many characters to keep track of, and I didn't particularly care about any of their Rich White People Problems to keep going with this book.

Lucy Foley has worked for me before, but my last two visits with her haven't been for me.

I love this authors work, and this book was amazing, really enjoyable, I am so appreciative of the advanced copy,

After not enjoying the Paris Apartment as much as the previous books I’m glad we’re back in the fast paced, mysterious environment more similar to The Guest List and the Haunting Party. Although the beginning was a little slow, I soon started to put the pieces together and I was on the edge of my seat for the rest of the novel. I also really loved the setting. It was almost a character in itself. A great and thrilling beach read.

Lucy Foley does it again. This time it's not just one character who surprised me, but a whole bunch of characters who are not what they first seem. You think you've got the whole book worked out and "bam" she throws in another revelation.
Some readers might not be as keen on the many different character perspectives and very short chapters but I felt this really helped with the pacing. Thoroughly enjoyable.