The Manor is a high class hotel/spa/experience. On its opening weekend Francesca has arranged a spectacle that will be talked about for years. It had been her childhood home & after inheriting it, she has created this amazing place with the help & dedication of her husband Oscar. However things are not destined to go well. Jumping from one timeline to another as well as one narrator to another we learn there is a fire, that there is a dark history to the place & the perfectly 'zen' Francesca is far from what she seems.

There have been many criticisms about how this book jumps about, maybe because I have read & enjoyed Lucy Foley's previous books I did not find this a particular problem. Most of the characters were pretty awful- especially Francesca. I did feel for poor old Eddie- bless him. I loved this book & could not put it down. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for this eCopy to review

The Midnight Feast is set at a super exclusive wellbeing retreat and we are there for the opening weekend. Why do things keep going wrong? Are the birds (a local myth actually real?) What happened all those years ago? Everyone's secrets are forced out into the open and past wrongs are finally righted.

Full of twists and turns, secrets and intrigue, and creepy goings on, this was a gripping thriller that kept my interest until the end. I liked the multiple points of view and timelines

I’m a huge fan of Lucy Foley and was really keen to listen to her latest book, The Midnight Feast. The book is set in a luxury hotel in Dorset on the opening weekend. Although the story starts there it also looks back at past events as they affected the various character and led to the current event. It’s a slow burn thriller, that is a well written and slowly reveals the truth, which results in a satisfying ending.

I enjoyed this book but it was very mythical with a cult feel. Not my favourite from this author but a good story none the less

I've really enjoyed Lucy Foley's previous books, but unfortunately her latest one is my least favourite so far.
I found the structure quite repetitive - the present, where a body is found but we don't know who died, alternates with the past where we slowly learn what happened -, and the story was also quite predictable. The only thing which really surprised me was the identity of one character, but apart from that it was quite easy to see where the story was going. The cast of characters also wasn't particularly noteworthy.
All in all, not awful but not memorable either.

The Manor is an idyllic venue, but at its launch everyone working there and staying there is hiding a secret. Whose secret will come out first?

Anyone who had read one of Lucy Foley's books will enjoy this one too!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

On the back of reading The Guest List, i had high hopes for this one and, while it was an exciting listen, it lacked the punch of previous Lucy Foley books.

The flashback scenes were fun and well done and probably my favourite parts of the book. The locals’ backstories were fun and many of them were quite the twist.

The multiple POVs really brought the characters to life and it was a fun read but it just didn’t quite make the 5 star mark.

I absolutely loved The Midnight Feast and greedily devoured it in one go because I could not put it down!

It's the perfect summer thriller read - the only book you need to pack for your holidays this year!

I loved the glamorous setting contrasted against the creepy folklore, and the dual timeline.

It has all the twists and turns you would expect from this author, and a killer twist that rock you.

Loved it and I already can't wait for her next book!

It is a hot Midsummer weekend on the Dorset coast and the well-heeled London glitterati have gathered for the opening weekend of The Manor. For owner Francesca everything must be perfect and on-brand but there are undercurrents of menace. Her family owned the house and tragedy has stalked them, based on a local legend of the Birds. Bella is here to make Francesca face up to her past but several employees are linked the village and want revenge.
I found the first half of this book really dragged for me, it seems a mash-up of murder mystery, cod-Gothic supernatural and chick-lit name-dropping. I must admit that once the dual time period started to kick-in, the story improved. I still felt it was a little messy with a lot of plot coincidences but I can see why these novels are hugelt popular and I'm glad I stuck with it.

A stately home on a cliff top which overlooks the sea on the Dorset coast, tennis courts, a pool, extensive spooky woods with much history and folklore around them, an entitled family who are regarded with a mixture of interest, suspicion and loathing by some of the local community. The family wield a disturbing amount power over the fate of locals’ livelihoods and can also restrict what have always been shared spaces.

There are dual time periods, though only fifteen years apart. The contemporary storyline (which is actually set a year ahead of the book’s publishing date, in 2025) is during the big opening weekend of a new business venture at the manor. All sorts of faces from the past reconvene at the manor, but to what end?

Going back to when it all began there are diary entries from 2010, and the tale of a fateful meeting of teenagers on the beach. But what happened then? And, years later how is the opening weekend going to play out?

A gripping read with good characterisation, a few little loose ends at the end which I like and an absolutely stonking final line. There is a lot of scathing commentary about the super rich and those who feel they are entitled to whatever they want, versus the wants and needs of the locals in a community.

An ideal holiday read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy

Beautifully crafted, dark and haunting thriller, imbued with atmosphere, folklore and revenge. My new favourite read from this brilliant author.

Set in and around an imposing countryside manor on the Dorset coast, the story centres around the rich girl of the manor who likes to pull all the strings, the local families from the surrounding area, and a quiet girl visiting the area on holiday.

Fifteen years later, Francesca is opening a luxurious and exclusive holiday retreat and the story unfolds across dual timelines and multiple POVs as we gradually discover the extent of the sinister events and their repercussions all these years later.

It's midsummer on the Dorset coast and guests gather at The Manor. It's their opening weekend and splendid celebrations are promised. It's all headed up by Francesca Meadows. The Manor was her ancestral home and she's converted it into an impressive retreat for the wealthy and famous. Her husband, Owen, was the architect and work is still ongoing on parts of the site. The heat is oppressive and amongst the guests are enemies as well as friends. Old scores are going to be settled and it won't be long before a body is found.

If you're going to get the best out of this book (and it's definitely there to be got) then you'll need to be in the wide-awake club. The events that determined what would happen in 2025 occurred fifteen years ago when many of the characters were in their late teens. Frankie, as she was known then, befriended Alison, a visitor to the local caravan park. It was a convenient relationship for Frankie as she could control Alison - or ‘Sparrow' as she called her.

As always, Lucy Foley is clever. The narrative switches back and forth over the fifteen years as we're drip-fed information. Sometimes you need to establish the truth for yourself. Foley is trusting like that: she builds convincing characters and knows that we'll get the measure of them without explanations from her. As I gathered information together, I wondered if there were just too many coincidences: would people really find themselves gathered together accidentally all those years later? I needn't have worried: all is revealed in the very satisfying ending.

The publishers categorise this book as ‘contemporary horror'. I don't normally read horror: there's enough of it in the world at the moment without looking for more, but this book appealed to me. The horror was there - but it was never unpleasant or gratuitous. It was simply part of a good story.

I'd like to thank the publishers for letting Bookbag have a review copy. As well as reading the book, I listened to an audio download, which I bought myself. The narration is by Roly Botha, Laurence Dobiesz, Joe Eyre, Tuppence Middleton and Sarah Slimani. Considering the time changes and characters that had to be accommodated, this was an excellent production. None of the names was familiar to me but I would certainly be more than happy to hear more from them.

For more from Foley, we can recommend The Hunting Party.

I really enjoyed this novel - it’s by Lucy Foley, after all - but I found I had to suspend my disbelief far more than in her previous novels, which just required one big leap of faith at the start.

Too many brothers and mothers and sons and people leaving then returning to the one small town in which the story was set.

But otherwise an interesting, unsettling tale, deeply imbued with rural folklore and a wild dash of The Wicker Man and Daphne du Maurier for good measure.

Even if it's not a perfect thriller I had fun and enjoyed it. The atmosphere of the exclusive retreat, the Solstice, the secrets and the investigation.
It kept me reading and it's a page turner.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

opening night of a new retreat and the coming solstice make for a dramatic story. When old friends reunite and others seek revenge, will anyone see the morning light?

I am a fan of Lucy Foley so was looking forward to this. It was a little slow to start with but once I got into it, I was hooked. The story jumps around from before the solstice, the day of and the day after. Plus we jump back in time as well. I liked how the story moved around as it left you wanting more each time it changed. The plot was steady building to a dramatic twist filled ending. I figured out some parts but others really took me by surprise. You're not sure who to like but I did warm to Eddie by the end of it. A brilliant twisted thriller.

Another great read from Lucy Foley.

This is based in Dorset at The Manor. A new exclusive resort opened by Francesca Meadows and the midnight feast launch soon appears as revenge and death.

There are different timelines and perspectives keeping the storyline alive.

Great read and recommended

The Midnight Feast is such great fun and a real return to form for Lucy Foley. Stuffed to the gills with awful characters with mysterious back stories, fabulous locations and lots of folklore in a scary wood - what more could you ask for?
Francesca has set up a gorgeous hotel and retreat in her old ancestral home. She wants the opening weekend to be the stuff of articles in all the best travel press and doesn’t care who she stamps all over to get it perfect. However, characters from her past are hiding in plain sight and it’s not going to go exactly how she wants it after all. There are an awful lot of scores to settle…
If you want to perfect page turner this summer look no further - I absolutely recommend The Midnight Feast!

Heiress Francesca Meadows is turning her inherited family Manor House into a new-age retreat for the rich and successful in rural Devon. However, figures from her past and the local mythical ‘Birds’ run the risk of ruining her dream. Her midnight feast launch event quickly descends into a chaotic tale of death and revenge.

I think how Lucy Foley slowly reveals plot details and connect dots in this book is really clever. I found the different narratives told through different timelines sometimes a bit confusing but I really enjoyed it as it came together. Francesca in particular makes a great unhinged villain, and I think the other characters are also written well. When I was about eighty-five percent through, I thought it was good but not great. However, so much happens in the last part that it puts everything in to perspective and really packs in the twists. I loved the addition of the birds as I think the mystery surrounding them worked well with the juxtaposition of modern, luxurious retreat setting. I would recommend for Lucy Foley and modern thriller fans.

I always enjoy a book by Lucy Foley and this one did not disappoint. Thank you NetGalley and Lucy Foley for the opportunity to read this in advance. I can always tell a good book, by how quickly I can recall the plot, a few months after I have read it and this one was a page turner. Superb descriptions of the characters, so that they practically sit by you as the story unfolds.
A good pace, without being rushed. A range of characters that evoke a smile, a tear and hint at memories of your own childhood and personalities that are all too often found on a family holiday.
Perfect read whether you are by a pool, camping in South Wales or curled up by a fire..
Another winner.

Absolutely loved this book, I was fully invested right from the start and I loved the past and present time line and how they were intertwined! That were so many twists and turns and was a great atmospheric feel to the story and it all came together very fluidly. A must read