The Midnight Feast is the second novel I’ve read from author Lucy Foley, and I can firmly and confidently say that an area Foley excels in is giving me the creeps. Foley plays on the supernatural and the paranormal, however all deeds have a human explanation and presence behind them (although sometimes I do wonder…).

Let me tell you — I already had a wary distrust of birds before this (sorry birds) and this just heightened it for me even more so. Next time I sense those beady little eyes on me I will be thinking of this book.

I really liked how the past and present played off of each other in this, with the diary entries portalling us back in time to when our protagonists were younger and enjoying (to varying degrees) the summer season. I liked how this began to set up and weave with the plot in the present. However, I do feel like this was very slow paced and really drew out the tension and the suspense to the point that when it came to revealing what happened that summer and how it is intersecting with the present it was a bit of a let down.

I, like other reviewers, take umbrage with the different perspectives. I didn’t really think that the characters stood out from each other that much, and I never felt really connected or invested in any of them. While I was curious to know where it was all going, the plot barely revealed itself before it was time to conclude, and I did not feel there was much afterwards. There just felt like there was a lot of lead up, creepy vibes, a dramatic reckoning, and that was that.

I gave this three stars because I thought there was some decent writing, in particular when it come to settting up the atmosphere of the novel. However, I think the plot could have been better paced and more could have been done in terms of characterisation and making their individual perspective chapter more distinctive.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | HarperCollins for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review

I absolutely devoured this book. It's so readable & kept me gripped.
It's true Lucy Foley style, a good who dunnit, with lots of twists and turns.
The unmasking at the end made me laugh, but I also felt a bit sorry for young Eddie. Caught up in all of the chaos.
A good mix of weirdness, mystery & horrible people! Oh and birds. I loved the local tales and how each of the local people were involved in some way. Definitely a recommended read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As I was reading a thriller roundup on Guardian where Foley's book was mentioned, there was a comment in the line of: "Oh, is this another Foley's book about posh wankers on a holiday?" And I had to laugh because Brits are so good at snark but also because it is in fact another book about posh wankers.
And you know what? Nobody does it better than her.
After The Guest List, it seemed we got so many thrillers in the same vein, a group of pov characters in a secluded place with secrets escalating into chaos, but Foley simply knows how to keep this theme fresh. And then she does it again!

So, bare bones: The event we are following is the opening of The Manor, a grand spa resort catered to rich who are in tune with the nature and want the authentic spiritual experience in woodlands of Dorset county with the gala perfectly aligned with the solstice. The main players are Francesca Meadows, the owner of the Manor and the land that was in the possession of Meadows family for years. Bella, a mysterious guest who couldn't care less about the opening and seems only intent to confront her childhood friend Francesca. Owen Dacre, the handsome boyfriend of Francesca and the architect of the Manor and Eddie, a local youngster who started working as a dishwasher for the event without the knowledge of his parents. Intersecting with their chapters are the chapters after the solstice of the police investigating what happened at the Manor that resulted in a murder.

So, with the setup like that, of course you want to know what happened? Who died? What happened in the past that made Bella/Sparrow hate Francesca so much? How the local myth of giant Birds connects to all of this? But most of all, just how insufferable Francesca can get?
And this is the real reason Lucy Foley's books really work for me: she writes a whole rounded characters and she really commits to this: if they are annoying, they are annoying to the max. They are every cliche circling in your head, making you roll your eyes; if they are good, they are sweet cinnamon rolls you hope will prevail. But they are not bland, they are not there to just carry out the plot and the twist, they ere intriguing. Francesca is not the first posh, entitled character Foley wrote, but she manages to add something new every time and her faux spiritual, zen persona was so fun to read because it's so out of touch with real life and that's something only extremely privileged and rich can afford. She was not right in many ways and it's quite fascinating reading it through chapters covering barely a few days. Owen, a wonderful train-wreck of a character that will take through whole palette of emotions from loathing to rooting. Bella, Francesca's nemesis was a perfect conduit for the drama, but not really coming off good either. This is all accentuated when you compare them to the only genuinely nice character, Eddie, who when push comes to show has the courage to do the right thing despite being only 18 which says more about these middle-age disasters of people who in their youth didn't. True hero of the novel, a local farm boy who was taught well.
If she puts characters on a secluded place she makes sure they are not boring to read about.
If you like her books, there is a great chance you will enjoy this one as well. I had a lot of fun and for me it's on par with The Guest List and just under The Hunting Party in terms of enjoyment.

Thank you so much Harper Fiction for an advanced copy of The Midnight Feast!

This is a classic Lucy Foley style who-dunnit set in an extremely glamorous countryside retreat in Dorset.

I found the first 25% of the book a little slow but I don’t know if that was a book problem or just a me problem. I’d just read another who-dunnit prior to reading this and I don’t like to read this style back to back.

After the first quarter, I was addicted and I couldn’t put it down. The short punchy chapters certainly helped me to fly through it.

It was glamorous and wild and Lucy Foley managed to shock me many times with several twists. She is honestly so clever! My favourite of hers is still The Hunting Party but I did still really enjoy this!

Starting with the positives - the chapters were nice and short which meant I read the hook in two sittings. The writing was easy to understand and I think this would be a good transition between YA and Adult Fiction. However I just felt the plot progressed at too slow a pace. I don't feel like a lot happened and it was quite forgettable.

A compelling thriller set during the opening of a fancy hotel in Dorset. Foley draws us in with compelling characters, who are sympathetic and repulsive to varying degrees and continues to build the tension until the set=piece finale. A gripping, thought-provoking read.

I was eagerly awaiting the new Lucy Foley novel (publishing on 6th June) so delighted with an ARC from Harper Collins via @netgalley.
If you are a fan of Foley’s earlier thrillers I think you will enjoy this. The author is always very clever with the plot she creates and there are plenty of twists and turns that will surprise and enjoy.

However, I did not enjoy for 2 reasons, the first being I’d previously read a thriller where a family opened a high end hotel and people ended up dead, (The Retreat by Sarah Pearse) so I felt like I’d read a very similar book before. The second was the Birds element of the book, constantly reminded of Daphne du Mauriers short story. I was scared to death watching a play based on the story which was adapted by Conor McPherson in the Gate Theatre in Dublin about 15 years ago. It still haunts me to this day, and hence the use of similar imagery in this book did not work for me.

I was stuck between giving this 3 or 4 stars! I really enjoyed the story and I read it really fast.

The chapters were really short, there was a past, present and future POV, and there were multiple character POV’s as well. This was both a blessing and a curse. It moved the story along at a rapid pace which really held my attention BUT this did mean that sometimes it was hard to keep on top of the story because so much was happening 😂

The characters were pretty unlikeable, but this wasn’t a bad thing! I liked Eddie and I spent the whole book feeling bad for him. Bella was okay, I felt for her in the past POV and in the present day she was fighting for what she thought was right. The detectives POV was alright because we got to learn more about what had happened that night, but we didn’t get to learn a lot about him so I wasn’t attached to him at all. Owen’s POV was interesting because he was a bit boring but he was so clearly hiding some secrets 😂 and then Francesca was very unlikeable.

There wasn’t one big plot twist in this book, it was more like twists were sprinkled throughout it. I feel like this worked well with the pace of the book, although I’m personally partial to a big plot twist near the end which we didn’t really get.

And that’s all my thoughts! This was a really gripping story and I did enjoy it, but there was so much happening I don’t think I could explain to someone the plot and order of this book 😂 I absolutely loved the setting though and the really creepy vibes of the forest and The Birds.

I’ve enjoyed most of Lucy Foley’s thrillers and I found The Midnight Feast to be an easy and entertaining read.
It’s set during the opening weekend of The Manor - a luxury retreat on the Dorset coast and told through various points of view including that of Francesca, the owner, Eddie a teenage employee and Bella a guest.
I enjoyed the setting which is atmospheric and sometimes creepy and found the diary entries from 15 years previously compelling. The first half of the novel was well paced but I did find that some momentum was lost after this and I began to lose interest.
Overall this was not one of the author’s best novels but it was an enjoyable read that I’d recommend to those who enjoy this genre.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.
3.5 stars

I absolutely devoured this book. I could not put it down. It sounded like something I would enjoy but it exceeded my expectations.

I have previously read The Guest List by Lucy Foley and the book follows a similar structure with the multiple points of view and timelines. This works really well as the mysteries are slowly revealed. Whilst I enjoyed The Guest List, this book was even better.

The writing style was great. The book moved at a swift pace and kept me glued to the page, not wanting to put it down. The writing was also amazing at building the tension and suspense. There are elements within this book that even border on horror, which added to the mystery.

The characters were an interesting bunch as well. They all had their flaws which made them believable but most were likeable in their own way. It worked really well with the story. It kept you on your toes as you knew that any of them could be the victim or the murderer.

There is so much more I wish I could say about this book but I can't without giving spoilers. I just want to gush about this book and get everyone I know to read it.

I would highly recommend it for murder mystery and thriller fans. I completely understand why Lucy Foley is being established as a queen of mystery. This was just such a clever book. I will definitely continue to read more of her works in the future. This book will be released on 6th June so make sure you check it out.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lucy Foley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this mystery thriller from Lucy Foley and found myself eager to read. It centres on the opening of The Manor and some strange events.
Lots of characters stories intertwine and we re-visit the past through Belle's diary.
Really enjoyable read.

I love Lucy Foley's books, she's queen of the locked room thriller, UT this one surpassed all the others. The main 2 characters, Belle and Frankie, tell the story along 2 timeliness of their teenage summer and the present. It's set in the town of Tome, where Francesca is opening a new luxury wellness retreat/spa/hotel. Throughout the book there's a real eerie feeling, from sinister woods, strange markings and a black crow theme throughout. Totally spine tingling! Fantastic range of characters cleverly woven together through threads of the past. I absolutely recommend this book and give it 5 stars.

Lucy Foley just gets better and better. The Midnight Feast is her best book yet.

Set in the grounds of a luxurious manor house The Midnight Feast is told in Lucy's usual.split narrator style. As a reader you never get the whole picture. I love this style and there were a few jaw dropping moments along the way. Mixed in with this was the folklore of The Birds, a mythical group who carry out justice as they see fit. I won't say anymore about the story line except that it is excellent.

This is a book that gets under your skin and leaves you longing to get back to it. A very solid 4* read from me.

Overall, I found this book to be a good read even though it didn't captivate me. I wasn't too keen to pick it up as I felt there were too many POVs and the story wasn't really going anywhere. I'm interested to see if anyone else felt the same?

I received a copy to review below is the blurb:

"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.
It all began with a secret, fifteen years ago. Now the past has crashed the party. And it’ll end in murder at…
THE MIDNIGHT FEAST"

I really enjoyed this book especially the way it flipped between the past and current day. I didn't see how all the characters were linked initially and to be honest to start with I found the story a little slow. The more I read on, the more invested I became in the characters, their backgrounds and how they were all linked together. I don't give 5 starts lightly but this book was a great read, a little bit of a supernatural theme but more of a twisty psychological story.

This felt very much like Lucy Foley’s take on Nine Perfect Strangers, which unfortunately I was not a fan of. The overall premise is great, but it’s littered with some very bizarre themes throughout. I loved The Guest List, I found it so addictive but unfortunately this didn’t match that level I have previously enjoyed with Foley’s work.

A really fabulous book which I will certainly recommend to others.
Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it. Lucy Foley is a fantastic author.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! I was really excited when I was approved for this as I sped through The Paris Apartment and loved it. But unfortunately I’m putting this as a DNF at 40%. This just wasn’t for me, I wasn’t gripped by it and felt a bit lost with so many POVs and having the characters change identity within those POVs.

Absolutely devoured this, gobbled it up in one sitting, in the heat. A fever dream! Sinister, intriguing and pacy - Lucy Foley has done it again. A brilliant summer thriller,

Set at the hot new Devon luxuy retreat The Manor, The Midnight Feast follows the lead up to and aftermath of its grand opening on the summer solstice. People aren't who they seem and old grudges come to ahead... I'll leave it there so you can enjoy all the twists and turns Foley weaves in.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly granting access to the eARC - much appreciated!

The Plot: 4/5 The Characters: 4/5 The Setting: 5/5 The Writing: 5/5

Thoughts:

This was an amazing read!! My first Lucy Foley novel and I can understand now why her books get so much hype.
The multi-POV narratives kept me hooked throughout the story and I think the way Lucy Foley intertwined the characters stories was so smart! I never guessed any of the twists that were revealed towards the end.

I definitely recommend this book to any thriller enthusiasts! It had everything I look for in a thriller.

Tropes:

Folklore
Dual timelines
Mystery
Cult themes
Toxic friendships
Victim gets revenge
Tight circle suspects

Pros & Cons:

Pros: I loved the combination of past and present tense, the diary entries too!
+ short chapters 🤩

Cons: My only niggle of complaint would be that I struggled to comprehend how the characters who knew each other in their teens wouldn’t recognise each other in their 30’s. (Bar a couple of them, eventually).