I loved Lucy Foley’s previous books but this one is exceptional. I read it in two sittings. With a multiple POV and timelines this shouldn’t work as easily as it did. There’s an almost frantic sense of doom hanging over the whole and most of the characters have distinctly unlikeable traits. The ancient woodland and ritualistic Birds add to the general feeling of unease. There are twists and turns aplenty as might be expected, some more unexpected than others. All in all a well written and intelligent read. I loved it and highly recommend it.

A brilliant thriller that keeps you turning the pages, I couldn't put it down. Lots of twists and shocks, really recommend it!

I am a huge fan girl of Lucy Foley and was over the moon to get approval for this arc on NetGalley!

The Guest List has been one of my favourite thrillers for the last few years so fair to say I was super excited for Lucy's latest novel, The Midnight Feast.

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Synopsis: Guests gather for the opening of the Manor, the luxurious mindfulness retreat hosted by the glamorous Francesca Meadows. However, something dark is stirring, and old enemies are creeping out of the shadows.

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No spoilers from me but this was creepy, immersive and haunting. Sometimes a book can have too many similar characters and you can struggle to differentiate between them. Happy to say this is not the case here. I really liked the characters in this, in particular Eddie.

This book has an element of classism, where the local community was affected by the wealthy and their poor decisions.

If you're a fan of short chapters, multiple POV and plenty of twists then pick this one up when it is published in June!

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Harper Fiction for my ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

It’s the opening weekend of luxury resort, The Manor, and while guests gather the locals are not pleased about this intrusion. With whispers of local folklore and strange occurrences in the woodland, it is soon apparent that the weekend is not going as it was planned. Will dark secrets come to light?

This is a well written, slow burn thriller, which slowly reveals the truth and results in a satisfying ending. The setting and the inclusion of the folklore added a creepy, immersive undertone and it was easy to imagine yourself in the setting. The story is told in multiple perspectives, which can sometimes be confusing but worked well in this story. I was never confused by the characters and found them well written, as well as easy to differentiate. I also liked the use of the past told in diary entries and found this added an extra layer of intrigue.

The story picked up by the mid way point and multiple unexpected twists added a lot of enjoyment and satisfying moments. This was definitely a compelling, complex interwoven story and having read all this author’s books, I would say it is one of my favourites. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

Lucy how do you come with this fantastic plots! I started reading and didn't expect at all what happened. What a ride. Really enjoyed this one and felt that it was a clever thriller. That cover is burnt orange and I just love it.

This book was all over social media and kept coming up on my feed so I just had to read it and glad I did. I loved the characters and storyline. I love the rich v poor and how different people are brought together, throw in some secrets and jealousy and there is bound to be trouble. This one didn’t let us down, another brilliant book and will read more by this author!

It took me a little while to get into this book, there was a lot of information between many characters--including lots of nicknames from when they were teens which was annoying to decipher at times.

The plot was enticing to a point, the ending was better than the first 3/4 of the book. The writing is beautiful, easy to read. I just couldn't get into the whole back and forth between the characters, the changes in timeline almost every chapter and the diary that had been kept.

The ending was fast paced, it tied everything up but it was anti-climatic. We sort of know what happened at the beginning of the story, there was probably only one sort of surprise factor at the end (who did it) but it didn't seem thrilling? Maybe it's just me but it should've been far more dramatic.

Still a nice read!

3.5/5

The Midnight Feast is a classic Lucy Foley - dark and twisty, with some great plot twists.
Unfortunately this didn't quite hit the spot for me, the beginning didn't grip me instantly and I found it to be a slow build. Whilst the ending had some satisfying twists it felt underwhelming compared to her other publishing.
3 stars.

Another 5 star read! I devoured this book! A little slow to start but all of a sudden it had me hooked and I needed to know what was going to happen! The characters are very believable and each person came across relatable and overall well written. Get this book added to your list for your summer reads! It’s well worth it!

Lucy Foley is an auto-buy of an author for me. I’m loving her resurgence as a psychological thriller writer. She is solidifying herself as an author to look out for, up there with Lisa Jewell and Alice Feeney, having created a solid backlist of pacy, suspense reads. The Midnight Feast is just another read that can be added to her impressive list of accruing suspense novels. For me, this book was a sure hit. I devoured it in two greedy gulps over a weekend unable to put it down.

Having read other reviews, I know a few readers found there were too many narratives and flashbacks to keep track of but that wasn’t a problem for me. If anything I loved the back and forth, and multiple cast of POVs. It added pace and intrigue, especially to see what secrets the characters were keeping from each other.

We have now/present narrative which follows residents of this small town in Devon discovering a dead body. It’s the usual the detectives come, and little clues are sprinkled to build up suspense in terms of who might have died. This is a narrative that Lucy employed in her previous novels like The Hunting Party and The Guest List. This part of the story was a bit cliched and predictable at times but these chapters are short and added a burst of quick pace and suspense.
Then you have the main narrative which follows four main characters: Eddie, who is working in the hotel; Francesca, the pretentious owner of the hotel; Owen, her husband; and Bella, who has history with Francesca. About a quarter of the way through Bella finds her teenage journal dating about fifteen years ago and we start to see how the storylines connect.

If you suspend your disbelief a little and don’t overthink the coincidences (which there are some), you will enjoy this. It is a solid, escapist thriller read that is satisfying which wraps up nicely tying all the loose threads. Yes, some of the characters are unlikeable but that’s the point of the book. Francesca, especially is the embodiment of privileged, white feminism whose entire business image as this “calm, with nature lifestyle guru” is a facade that satirises the all-organic-food-and-drink-come-to-my-retreat influences/youtubers. Maybe it’s a question of taste but I love unlikeable characters if they’re written well with a bite. I loved the folklore horror aspect too of the birds. There’s a creepy, broody atmosphere to this story. This was an easy five stars from me.

The Midnight Feast is set on the Dorset coast where guests have assembled at The Manor for a midsummer solstice party. There is tension between the locals and incomers and a rich/poor divide. There are a lot of characters in the story, many with assumed names so it is not always easy to keep up. I love the different timelines and the many POVs, showing how past deeds affect the present. The author conveys a menacing atmosphere throughout, particularly with references to local folklore, the Birds and horrors in the nearby woods.
An atmospheric, pacy read with lots of twists and turns and a dramatic ending.
Highly recommended.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book. I couldn’t put it down.
Set in the Dorset Coast on the opening weekend of an exclusive hotel, The Manor. On the Sunday morning the local police are called. There’s been a fire and a body has been discovered.
It’s dark, twisty, full of drama, secrets, lies and murder with a feast of suspects and motives. It keeps you guessing right to the end.
It’s told through multiple POV’s and dual timeline. The story flows very well with descriptive writing. The scenes with the birds are very creepy. I loved the intrigue and the woodland and seaside setting.
The characters are well written and believable. I enjoyed learning how the characters were connected and their backgrounds.
Overall, a brilliant atmospheric entertaining read. Definitely recommend. If you like murder mystery thriller you’ll love #TheMidnightFeast.
I can’t wait to read @lucyfoleyauthor next book.
With thanks to #NetGallery #HarperCollinsUK @#HarperFiction for an arc of #TheMidnightFeast in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 6 June 2024.

This book is like a chocolate bar, I had to read it in sections because I was desperate not to finish it too quickly, what a rollercoaster of a read, I thought I knew where the plot was going, but then Lucy delivered another twist. This will make an amazing beach read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book with no obligation to review.

You know you are in good hands with Lucy Foley - nothing to set the heather on fire, nothing particular to ponder, simply a good solid thriller. This one has some slight supernatural elements and I would have liked to have learned more about the Birds.

The characters are well drawn and believable, especially the rich, entitled ones. There a couple of good reveals which I didn't see coming and it all ties up satisfactorily at the end.

Well written, well plotted and good to read but not, I suspect, very memorable in what is, after all, a very full genre.

3.5 up to 4.

For fans of locals vs millionaires, multiple POV, dual timelines and genuinely creepy moments this book is definitely your cup of tea.

Francesca Meadows has opened a wellness retreat/hotel and opening on the summer solstice means she can have the opening party of her dreams. But what if her past were to be at the party too? Francesca has built this hotel in her Grandfather’s old house in Tome a small coastal town. Everyone knows everyone and they don’t like new things.

I loved the setting and hearing how the locals felt about the development, this added so much to the myth and history of the area.

I did find this book very creepy in parts and this certainly gave the atmosphere it needed to keep me reading late in to the night.

Foley is very skilled at multiple POV and while there were a few people to keep track of it felt seamless to me.

I would find it hard to believe this book wouldn’t go down well with any reader.

I received this book as an ARC from netgalley in return for an honest review, which this is.

🍝THE MIDNIGHT FEAST🍝

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@lucyfoleyauthor 's new book did not disappoint!

Swipe for synopsis👉🏼

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In true Foley style, there are multiple POVs, unreliable narrators, and different timelines. There are lots of characters in this book who have secrets and act very suspicious. I wouldn't say this is as fast paced as other books by this author but it definitely picks up. From about half way through, I was hooked and sooo intrigued as to how it was all going to end!

The woodland and seaside setting of the new hotel was perfect. Somewhere that should have been relaxing but had an unsettling vibe.

I really enjoyed discovering how all the characters were connected and their backgrounds shaped them.

Midnight Feast kept me guessing right to the end and it's a book I definitely recommend adding to your tbr if you're a thriller fan! 🔪 It's out on the 6th of June and would be a fab summer read!

Thank you @netgalley for letting me read this eARC✨

A decadent Gatsby like house party meets The Wicker Man! Lots of interesting twists in this tale told from the contrasting viewpoints of the main participants as we discover that the events of an idyllic Summer 15 years ago have repercussions in the present day. Are The Birds an imaginary product of local folklore or a real threat to the ghastly Francesca whose visions for her hotel retreat run roughshod over their traditions? I enjoyed this mystery enormously as it built up towards the eponymous solstice feast. The ending tied things together neatly and offered the hope of redemption to some of the more deserving characters.

I always look forward to a new book by Lucy Foley as have really enjoyed her last three books.

The Midnight Feast is an exciting twisty tale, based on opening day of the very exclusive Tome Manor on the south coast of England.
The book flits back and forth between the past and the present. There are various points of view from different characters of when they grew up in the village as children and now much later as the Manor opens as a luxury wellness retreat for the very well off. The book flows very well with great descriptive writing putting you right in the thick of the location and able to imagine it well with lots of twists and turns and of course there's also "the birds" that give it a very creepy and haunting atmosphere. Is everything as it seems?

The pace was a little slower than her other books but still a really great and fun summer read. The book really came alive half way through.
My lower rating is for the slower pace and I found one of the of the main characters a bit overbearing.

A big thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | HarperCollins for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Raced through this in a few hours, I couldn’t put it down. Loved the horror elements and the neat ending, and the weaving of realisation scattered through the book.

I absolutely loved The Midnight Feast, it’s a spectacular read! Going back and forth between the then and now seemlessly, & with such wonderful characters it’s a joy. The writing is superb, the storyline wonderfully intriguing, a real page-turner and highly recommended.