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 .

"Like a switchblade hidden in a party cracker" -- Eddie
(This quote just sums up The Midnight Feast in my opinion!)

This book is so fun, twisty and captivating. I'm blown away with how much I enjoyed it and truly I found no faults at all with this novel. It really solidified Lucy Foley's reputation as one of the best suspense mystery authors of our time.

The first thing that struck me was how masterfully each POV captured the respective personalities of each character. A unique narrative style is used to differentiate between every perspective, which really helps to understand and connect with the characters. This was really cleverly done as there's more action than character-building in the book, but I still felt like I knew them all - their intentions, personalities, motivations - almost instantly. Foley is just great at capturing each person's essence and this is truly a testament to how talented she is.

The plot isn't completely unique - as Ruby said, "its definitely giving Midsommar" - but set in the West Country, with added themes of revenge and narcissistic overconsumption. It was also reminiscent to me of an unlikely 'Nine Perfect Strangers' meets 'Yellowjackets' combination.
However, the construction of the characters, the way their backgrounds intersect or contrast, and the unfolding reasons for why everyone is a suspect; these aspects make this novel unique and utterly addictive.

I lost track of the amount of times I internally exclaimed "the plot thickens". By the time the plot was reaching its climax, it was thicker than the dossier on Francesca!
I enjoyed the fact the murder(s) was concealed until the final part, as well as the suspects. This just added to the suspense and allows the reader to play detective up until everything is finally revealed. Just make sure you keep up as this is so fast-paced between POVs, revelations and timelines, that your head will be spinning trying to piece it all together! I just know Lucy Foley had a big, messy plot board with red string twisting to-and-fro to plan all this out because there's a LOT going on.
Like all great thrillers/murder-mysteries, there are twists aplenty in The Midnight Feast. It can also be quite dark and heavy at times. But this was balanced really well with comedic moments throughout. Many were a result of the cider, but I also found Francesca's holier-than-thou, faux-pagan perspective providing laughs. We all know someone like that - whether in real life or through their social media persona - so it was all the more satisfying and humorous to see her POV and downfall. Actually, all of the characters were so well written that they all felt totally realistic and believable. Again, this speaks to Foley's talent as all the characters are so different yet so well constructed and authentic.

Finally: what a shocking, brilliant and satisfying ending. It was exactly what I hoped for and it was a tumultuous, fun and twisted journey to get there. I absolutely loved it from start to finish.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, HarperCollins and Lucy Foley for this ARC. I was praying to Agatha Christie that I'd get a copy of this and I am so very glad I did!

When I first started reading the book I was not engaged with it at all. I found it hard to keep pushing on. I love the use of the multi-perspective narration, but the beginning felt slow and hard to be engaged in.

Once more characters were involved and the summer journal entries were shared I felt like I couldn’t put the book down. I was on edge trying to figure out who did it and who the mysterious unidentified character was. I felt like I was on edge trying to solve the murder mystery the whole time. When the journal came in to play the twists and turns started to roll out, and the harder it was to put the book down. It was slightly confusing at first to keep up with all of the characters, especially when some names had been changed. However after a few chapters it was easier to follow along and understand who each character was.

The use of a folklore was very intriguing and made me want to learn more. I was disappointed when we never really learned more about the lore than what was said. I felt like it could have gone deeper and had more of an effect on the characters. I would have loved to learn more about it through some of the other characters to give a more in depth understanding.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collin’s UK publishing for this ARC novel.

Set in Dorset, Frankie sets up a retreat. The first guests arrived and we are taking through a journey from the present to the past. Is everything how it seems or are secrets about to be unearthed? Thanks to Netgalley to the publisher for letting me review this book.

A gripping read! I have really enjoyed all of Lucy Foley’s books so far and this one also did not disappoint. Set in and around the sleepy Dorset town of Tome, ‘The Midnight Feast’ is the name for the festivities planned for opening of a new boutique hotel. Francesca Meadows is the owner of the hotel, running the place with her husband Owen Dacre. Neither of them are who they seem to be. Neither are Bella (one of the guests) or Eddie (one of their employees).

Darkness and mystery seem to permeate the hotel from the outset, from the dead bird nailed to a door to the mysterious bird-like creatures that the locals seem to fear. This sense of disturbance continues through the multiple narrative voices and the switch in timeline from just before the feast or just after. A body is found on the beach … but who has died? Have they been killed? What other horrors are hiding in this sweltering environment as a heatwave seizes the town.

This is the perfect summer thriller and is full of twists and turns. Even better than ‘The Hunting Party’ and ‘The Paris Apartment’.

Didn't really click with this book. Jumped around a lot with so many different characters. All seemed a bit unecessarily convoluted. Really didn't like all the folk lore stuff which was a bit boring really . Didn't really like any of the characters
Not overly convinced about the ending either.
Shame really as sounded good.
2.5/5 stars

It's the opening night of Tome Manor, potentially the new jewel of the Dorset coast. However, it is surrounded by ancient woodlands, and many locals are far from happy about the intrusion of the new manor. Several guests feel uneasy and want to leave their "hutches". Their instincts are spot on, as the day after the opening, fishermen notice a fire and discover a body floating in the sea. This is just the beginning.

While I don't think this is Lucy Foley's best novel, I still loved the book as it had some standout sinister moments! The story is told from multiple points of view, and I really like the premise of the novel, which goes far beyond the locals versus wealthy incomers theme you might expect at the start. The book is very descriptive, which helps with visualisation. The plot really ramps up, and towards the end, there are some excellent revelations that you would never deduce from the subtle hints dropped throughout the book, including one truly amazing twist!

I enjoyed this book way more than I thought! I usually don’t go for mystery books like this but it kept me at the edge of my seat while reading and was so hard to put away because the author created a very atmospheric story that lurks you in. I saw myself taking sides and spinning theories while reading since you got little bits and pieces of all the different characters as the story continued and was shocked and excited at the same time about the secrets that were revealed. I also really loved the scenery the author built in this one, the mansion/hotel thing was great!

What a weird , creepy book. Francesca has done up her grandparents home into a luxurious retreat. However, there is a back story from 2010. For one reason or another, many of the players from then are here at the grand opening. Gradually, the secrets are revealed and grudges are settled. This was a very atmospheric book, and rather unnerving as things come to light. The ending was great, and I especially enjoyed the final scene in the bar. Told from multiple perspectives and timelines, this is one that will keep you turning pages to find out who did what. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy to read and review.

Lucy Foley is superb!! I will be reading more of her books.
The story jumps between both recent past, 15 years ago, and present. It is told from different characters.
Bella returns to Tome, to stay at the opening weekend of a new hotel. Strange things happen, the past is catching up. Francesca who inherited the land and the manor from her grandparents and Owen, the architect brought in to design the new hotel,fall deeply in love and marry. However both of them have secrets they want to keep. Murder, arson, blackmail.
I absolutely recommend this book, I loved it. Thank you netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Midnight Feast is the latest murder mystery by bestselling author Lucy Foley, who has found a successful formula for modern locked room suspense fiction and is sticking to it. I’d read and enjoyed the Guest List, and do want to read The Paris Apartment at some point, so was happy to be approved for this one in spite of some lukewarm advance reviews. This time the exclusive gathering of self-satisfied socialites at the centre of the plot is the opening of a luxury clifftop lodge in Dorset, timed for the Summer solstice.

Francesca Meadows and her architect husband are finally opening her family’s ancestral home Tome Manor to guests - the ones that can afford it, that is. There are candles, crystals and cocktails, and the event is set to be the social event of the summer, culminating in a sumptuous dinner in the ancient woodlands around the property. However, not every guest is who they say they are, and many locals are unhappy about the changes being made. By the end of the weekend, the manor is in flames and a body lies at the foot of the cliffs. How did it all go so wrong?

This is one of those thrillers that sucks you in spite of the awfulness of most of the characters. The split timelines and multiple POV narrative means you don’t know which of them will turn out to be the victim, and that’s as much of the mystery as whodunnit and why. I liked the hint of the supernatural with the sinister Birds and the diary entries that slowly reveal the past events and how all the characters connect. I did suspect many of the twists ahead of the reveals, and felt that some were unnecessarily drawn out, but overall enjoyed it and will read more from this author.

Thanks to HarperCollins for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. The Midnight Feast is published on June 6th.

Francesca has inherited her family's ancestral home and turned it into a luxury hotel with the help of her husband Owen. It is the opening weekend and she has events planned which she hopes will turn this into the absolutely go-to resort for the rich and famous. However the locals (and others) don't have the same thing in mind.

What I liked about this book: Francesca is a well drawn character, absolutely ghastly in her 'wellness', positivity, crystal wearing persona and Lucy Foley has nailed this perfectly. It is very well plotted and there are plenty of twists and turns along the way to keep even the most seasoned psychological thriller reader happy.

What I wasn't so sure about: it can be quite a confusing read at times. It goes between past and present, multiple viewpoints and some of the characters have more than one name. Maybe not one to read on kindle. It's much easier when you have a physical book and can flick back a few pages.

Overall, a very enjoyable read. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC