I’ve long been a fan of Lucy Foley’s locked room murder mystery thrillers and I have ti say I think that The Midnight Feast is my favourite yet. The addition of the quiet menace of The Birds folklore and the horror element that brought seriously elevated this one in my eyes. Lucy Foley’s books are always great, but this was something else!

In The Midnight Feast we find ourselves in Tome, Dorset. It’s very much a small rural town where the locals feel extremely put out by the new wellness retreat, The Manor, that has been opened at the site of the old Tome Manor House. The local/outsider and class division elements that ran through the novel really added a greater depth to it. I don’t want to say much else on this so as to not give anything away but it worked really well.

We have a classic Foley multi POV that builds up to the inevitable murder, that’s interspersed with the present where we follow DI Walker as he begins his investigation and the past in the form of a diary that recounts the events that occurred 15 years prior. The different POVs all gave clear and distinct voices, they’re nearly all hiding something and range from outright unlikable to morally grey. This is such a clever and tightly plotted novel that will have you making guesses about people only to find yourself totally wrong and then going no way! when you do find out. I had a couple of hunches that proved right which was a real thrill.

This really was such a great read. The short chapters make it impossible to put down. I really loved the horror element included within this one as well. The final couple of chapters, honestly, I was scooping my jaw off the floor. I’d thoroughly recommend this one.

The Midnight Feast
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thankyou to @netgalley and @harperfiction for sending me an e-ARC of this book and happy publication day to @lucyfoley

This was a very highly anticipated thriller for me, having read Foleys other books with her short chapters from multiple POV’s I was super excited to get stuck in.

She never fails to write a story that is fast paced, atmospheric, and so much fun you don’t want to put it down. This was no different it has you hooked from the get go, I mean it says a lot that I read about 90% of the book within a few hours.
I also really liked the 2 timelines this time, the present being the grand opening of a manor resort for the rich and famous, and the past being told through the pages of a journal
My only (slightly) negative thing was at times it became confusing to remember who was who in the story (you’ll have to read it to fully understand what I mean).

I also really loved the ending of the books how everyone’s worlds and all the multiple POV’s collided into one and the little twist I was completely blindsided too!

Could not recommend enough that you all go and add this to your summer TBR, you won’t regret it.

I love this author. Another fantastic job at keeping me on the edge of my seat. I couldn’t put this one down! Lots of twists and suspense: highly recommend!

A slow burn of a mystery, The Midnight Feast follows several characters over dual timelines showing us the opening weekend of a luxurious Manor House owned by Francesca and her husband. We also follow a flashback timeline to 15 years previous which gives a very differnet view of the lady of the Manor!

This is one that needs a bit of concentration dye to the amount of different characters and the different names they are known by.

I’m a huge fan of Lucy Foley and was really keen to listen to her latest book, The Midnight Feast.

The book moves between two timelines. The present timeline centres on the weekend of the grand opening of a luxury retreat hotel opening in Dorset in South West England. It also glides into another timeline of the past and the events from a summer fifteen years previously where the teenagers of the ‘big house’ spent the summer with the locals and teenagers from the holiday caravan park.

The hotel is bordered by a woodland and the coast and the book builds up an eerie and atmospheric setting. It also fuses midsummer magic and superstition from a remote part of the country with a backdrop of class, privilege and locals pitted against outsiders.

The story unfolds from the point of view of the teenagers from the summer fifteen years ago and as adults in the present day, as well as other characters involved in the hotel opening.

I was completely sucked into the story and didn’t see the twists and turns coming. One thing is for sure - the past is never lost or forgotten.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, HarperCollins UK, for making the e-ARC available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I eagerly await anything written by Lucy Foley so I was thrilled to be offered an ARC of her new book The Midnight Feast.

It's opening weekend at The Manor. On the surface the retreat appears to be luxurious, glamorous and the perfect setting for the elite to spend in Summer Solstice celebrations. However there are secrets lurking just under the decadent surface. Dark secrets that may ruffle a few feathers.

This is a perfect summer thriller. Set at midsummer during a heatwave really ramps up the tensions. I enjoyed the two timelines and the different POVs, although I did get a little confused at the start and it took me a minute to get used to the rapid changes. I also enjoyed the folklore elements and found they lended an eerie atmosphere to the story.

I would definitely recommend this fast paced thriller and think it will be a hit this summer.

It’s Midsummer on the Dorset coast and guests are gathering for the opening of The Manor hotel, the new jewel on the Dorset coastline. The champagne is flowing, the guest list sparkling, and the sun is setting on an unforgettable summer solstice. But under the cloak of celebration, something dark is stirring. The Manor has a secret history, lurking in the shadows of an ancient wood next to the site, and old friends and enemies are creeping out, along with other deadly secrets that come out at night…

I devoured this in two sittings, I was hooked from the first page and held captivated right until the very last word. Having read the last three titles from this author I have been looking forward to this for a while and I certainly wasn’t disappointed! The mix of characters are perfectly aligned (Francesca is just vile in every way!) and the diary entries from the past set the scene with the folklore legends established within this local community’s lives through the years.

Some very clever twists and turns, ones you won’t see coming, that literally keep you on the edge of your seat! It’s hard to say much more without spoilers (not happening!) but this is a fast-paced thriller, filled with suspense and intrigue that will hold your attention right till the end. Fans of this author won’t be disappointed and, if you’ve not read any other of her books, can’t recommend this one enough as a great place to start!

3.5*

In this locked room Murder Mystery we follow a number of perspectives: Francesca who has just opened a wellness retreat called The Manor; and a bunch of her guests. The ominous and otherworldly atmosphere is set from the start of the story and continues to build throughout and mounting secrets and lies unfold one at a time. One of the perspectives follows a teenager from another timeline and slowly as the book progresses we see the relevance of how everything comes together satisfyingly.

The setting and owner of The Manor, Francesca reminded me of ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ and the claustrophobic small town setting was reminiscent in atmosphere of ‘Spells For Forgetting’ - two books I’ve really enjoyed.

I really loved the twists and turns of this one, especially as I only guessed one of them and it was a really fast paced read with very short chapters which made it so easy to fly through. This book also surprised me with a few one liners that made me laugh out loud that added to the overall enjoyment. I’ve had a great time reading both “The Hunting Party” and “The Guest List” by Lucy Foley and this one is no exception - so I’ll need to check out “The Paris Apartment” next!

Thank you to Harper Collins, Netgalley and Lucy Foley for the advanced copy. This book will be released 6/6/24 if you fancy checking it out.

A Thrilling read. A brilliant murder mystery that keeps you guessing right from the beginning. It's at the opening of The Manor on the Dorset coast where the story starts and with some intriguing guests as well as the owner who has a dark secret that if it comes out could threaten the whole venue. There are many twists and unexpected outcomes that all come to light as the story unfolds and we learn what happened fifteen years previously that plays out alongside the present day and makes this a must read and it's a brilliant ending.

Fifteen years ago something happened and it has now come back to haunt those involved.
A new retreat called The Manor is having a lavish opening party but then a body is found.
The past has caught up with the future.

I always enjoy Lucy Foley's books and this one is more of the same - a fast-paced thriller with lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing. It is the type of book that always makes me want to read "just one more chapter" so I read it in a few days. I did struggle though with the fact that so many of the characters didn't recognise one another after having met 15 years previously. I could maybe accept that happening in one instance but there were so many examples of this that it felt unrealistic. Still an enjoyable book.

This story was an enjoyable atmospheric read that I think leans more towards "mystery" than "thriller". Don't get me wrong, the book had me gripped from about the 60% mark on wards, but it also has a lot of build-up as we get to know multiple characters and "The Manor" in the past and present. My favourite parts of this book were the folklore elements and the "After" epilogue when we see our characters interact a few months after the fateful event.

Firstly thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC of this book.

This is the first Lucy Foley book I’ve read but it won’t be the last! I had seen a few of my friends talking about this book and decided I had to give it a go. The book is about young love and friendships, money divide, murder, mystery and small village traditions and the power they hold.

It’s told in multiple points of view which I found to be very engaging and gave me a sense of knowing what’ was going on while figuring out the mystery at the same pace as the characters. There’s elements of paranormal that I enjoyed too. I feel like this book would suit many readers. I will be reading more of Lucy Foleys work. She’s made a new fan!

It s open weekend at the Manor. The manor is by the beach and surrounded by woods. Two bodies are found all whilst the manor behind them is burning. I will say the one downside of this book is the that the timeline is all over the place

Honestly, I spent the initial 30% of the book questioning whether I liked it. There might have been slightly too many points of view for my taste, and I struggled to get a decent grasp on them. Despite this, I couldn't put the book down because I was eager to discover what would happen next and what twists awaited—and there were definitely twists! Trust nobody!

I'm giving it 4 stars, but that's only because it took me a while to become fully engaged with the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lucy's publishing team for the opportunity to read this. I'll be recommending it to everyone.

It was a good read but quite predictive. It was enjoyable though. It is just that it is quite convoluted for me and things are not piling up.

The best yet from Lucy Foley!

Such a thrilling book, that had me hooked from the very start. I enjoyed the characters, location, and storyline of this book. It was easy to read and follow and would definitely recommend to others.

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



✨ 2 timelines
✨ lots of pov
✨ mystery thriller



✨ wow. What a great read. This book actually put me out of my reading slump!

✨ story was in a small town in Dorset, in a manor which is francesca is the madam of the house.
Freaky things starts to occurs when a local myth/folks call it the birds which they think it’s a reason why murder happen.


✨ the story was split into two timelines with multi pov’s. Which is need to be read properly as you get easily confused .


✨ it’s an intriguing story with a twist on the end which I never actually thought it will be.
one of the best book I have read so far🫶🏼



✨ Thankyou @harpercollinsuk for the arc copy of this book for a honest review.


🫶🏼shaye.reads

Another banger from Lucy Foley. A story of deep, dark woods, a touch of the supernatural, class differences and a long held, dark mystery. A cross between The Birds, The wicker man and the opening of a luxury boutique hotel.

This was an excellent thriller, a tense, well-structured novel where people’s long held secrets are forced into the open.

The setting was fantastic. This novel all takes place in a small town on the Dorset coast. The wealthy grand-daughter of the land and manor owner has inherited the estate upon his death and has chosen to develop it into an expensive resort. Francesca outwardly displays calm, spiritual goddess vibes but really, she’s selfish, callous and a horrendous snob. She’s a fantastic villain as she so firmly believes her own narrative believing she’s helping the people she treats disdainfully. She clashes with the locals who are furious with her cutting off their right of way to the woods and the coast. She believes she’s helping them by creating jobs, but this is false as most people are hired from elsewhere. There’s a really interesting juxtaposition of the genuine local folklore and pagan beliefs and superstitions of the townsfolk versus the fake, just for instagram nature worship that Francesca spouts.

This novel is told through multiple perspectives and this works really well for keeping the novel well balanced and providing a believable way for characters to gain information and uncover secrets as they interact with each other. Voices were distinct and the pacing was excellent.

Two timelines are shared through this book, twenty years apart. This was well handled through the use of a journal for the earlier time period which was kept by the teenage self of one of our perspectives.

I thought this book was utterly gripping and a fantastic thriller! Really enjoyable with a great theme and setting!