The synopsis of this novel is really compelling, and whilst I enjoyed much of it, there were aspects that I felt were less effective. There are, for instance, a lot of different viewpoints and timelines. From a writerly, narrative perspective, I can see (and felt, as a reader) how this combination ramps up the tension, but it also obscures quite a lot in a way that, to me, began to feel irritating. The joy of 'crime/murder mystery' fiction is the sense that the reader is being taken along into a puzzle that they might solve. Here, even as an avid genre reader, what I felt was that the constant refocus, rather than elevating the suspense, sometimes dampened it. Don't get me wrong, there is much to enjoy about this novel, which contains all the tropes of the genre, but I felt it was trying to be more clever than it ought to have been. My grateful thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to Harper Collins, Lucy Foley and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Lucy Foley is an autobuy author for me. I loved the Guest List and the Hunting Party and when I saw the Midnight Feast pop up I had to request it. Super stoked to have read it before release day!!

It’s a 5 star read for me and already I’m sure it’ll be one of my best books of 2024.

No spoilers as always but the multiple pov, twists and turns and how everyone’s worlds collide into a crescendo at the end was *chef’s kiss* Great pace, story building and so well thought out as a plot overall. Loved it and would highly recommend to anyone who will listen.

A clash of class, privilege, folklore and trauma all comes to a head in such a memorable way I will be thinking about this book for a long time!

After not loving The Paris Apartment, I was hopeful that The Midnight Feast would prove a more enjoyable read and thankfully it was! There are still quite a few characters as is common in a Lucy Foley book but not too many that it's a struggle to get to grips with as all are pretty distinguishable although you may only like a couple of them.

The very visual setting of the Manor was one I really liked and it wasn't hard to imagine it sitting proudly in Dorset. I also thought the folklore tales of The Birds along with the summer journal entries added a nice touch and helped provide context to the twists and turns of which there are plenty in The Midnight Feast.

The only thing I found a little much (and a tad eye-roll-y) was how many characters had ulterior motives and were hell bent on revenge - all at the same time but this was still an entertaining read regardless.

Lucy Foley’s The Midnight Feast is set in the summer of 2025. We are all invited to the opening of Tome Manor, a high-end wellness resort which lies between the Dorset coast and ancient woodland. It is built with an uber-wealthy, but pretentious clientele in mind. The building has upset many the locals, who believe the area should remain as is, steeped in local folklore. Their ire, however, does not affect Tome Manor’s owner, arrogant and single-minded Francesca Meadows. We then cut to the day after the Solstice and some fishermen notice a huge fire in the vicinity of Tome Manor, then they see something strange at the foot of the cliffs and realise it is a body. The story then goes through different timelines and is told from different points of view:
Owen - Francesca’s younger architect husband
Eddie – a likeable kitchen porter who finds himself unwittingly drawn into the mysteries at Tome Manor
Bella – a mysterious, enigmatic character with a link to Francesca’s past
A 2009 journal where Alison a socially inept teenager strikes up a friendship with confident, manipulative Frankie.
The premise of the novel is strong. Throughout the story, there is an undercurrent of menace, which is deftly handled by the author. There is also the usual deep characterisation that we have come to accept from this author. Add a dose of mysticism and you have a captivating story that leaps right at you. The author has constructed one twisty plot, where I had no idea of the truth until the very end. One of its main advantages, is you have to suspend belief, but the storytelling carries it along so well you don’t mind. That is a difficult feat to pull off.
I’ve read all of Lucy Foley’s novels and have to say I don’t think this is the best of them. but it is certainly worth 4 impressive stars for a brilliant story well told.
My thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow and Lucy Foley for the much appreciated ARC in exchange for an honest and open review.

I am a Lucy Foley fan and have read all her other books so looked forward to this one. However I was a little disappointed. The story jumps back in time to 2010, forward to 2025 and then before, after and on Solstice day 2025. Confusing or what? There are also lots of characters, some with dual names depending on which year they're in. None of the characters are very nice and I didn't really care if any of them got eaten by the Birds or attacked by the Trees! I did finish the book but it was hard going until the last few chapters when it redeemed itself by tying up all the loose ends very cleverly and throwing in a few twists for good measure. Even so I'm afraid it's only 3* from me for the Midnight Feast.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

This is an absolute must read for all readers who love thrillers.

Told in multiple POV'S the story started off as a bit of a slow burn but then morphed into being a fast paced masterpiece.

The added details such as the diary entries had me hooked and I was turning the pages quicker and quicker eager to read more. What I loved most were all the unexpected twists and turns honestly I was kept on the edge of my seat.

As always the author has a superb talent for creating such an atmospheric read and this book did not fail in that aspect. The setting was haunting and creepy especially with the folklore of the 'night birds' I hope not to be in any woods anytime soon that's for sure.

I appreciated how the author portrays the consequences of wealthy people making bad decisions and how the local people were fighting for justice and trying to save their community. I definitely felt there was a hidden reality within the story.

Overall an amazing thriller with short chapters and a super creepy vibe that certainly left me with the shivers.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for granting me access to the book in exchange for my own opinion.

I have enjoyed all of the author's books, but this one I struggled with. The mystery in the book isn't bad, but the narrative technique of switching between different narrators made it difficult to get into. While the book improved as it progresses, overall I felt it lacked the punch of the previous Foley novels.

This was incredible, with dead ends and twists, I was gripped from the first page. I think a lesson in not returning to somewhere you were unhappy is first and foremost in this book. I would definitely recommend this atmospheric page turner.

A midnight feast at a select opening weekend of a re-imagined family retreat, with a select clientele invited to pay for the privilege - what could possibly go wrong? Well, fortunately, quite a lot in the hands of Lucy Foley, whom I sense had much fun creating Francesca, the grown up owner of what was her childhood family home and where, 15 years ago, much friction existed between the people in the posh house and the locals in the village. As I said, what could go wrong?

Francesca is literally the woman who has a fit if the pot pourri is the wrong colour, so managing a staff and attempting to open her stylish new retreat to all her guests is quite the task. But there are so many undercurrents at play here, as witnessed in the dual timelines of then and now. Whilst it would be easy to presume someone is out to gain a simple revenge on something that happened 15 years ago, there are too many players in the game and more than one has something to hide... Or something to discover, maybe? After all, people don't just disappear....

There are some absolutely exquisite moments early on that contribute enormously to someone's fall from grace, and watching, as if through a fourth wall at times, meant that a couple of shockers really were just that. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Thanks to #NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an #ARC of #TheMidnightFeast.
This is my first Lucy Foley book to read, but it won't be my last. I was expecting twists and sticks, and they were delivered. I found the first 1/3 of the book a little slower than u expected, but I couldn't put it down towards the end.
Highly recommend

"I take a deep breath. Then I lift the notebook back onto my lap. Before anything else I trun to the back, willing my trembling fingers to work properly. There it is. A crawled map, drawn in biro. The house, the cliffs, the wood. X marks the spot. Time to drag the past screaming into the light. I flip back to the front. I read the first line. Feel a sudden sting of tears. Stupid little fool."

A fan of the author, I have read most of her books, so jumped at the chance to read this. With different timeliness and character perspectives she weaves a tale of past, teenage crimes and local folklore coming back to haunt wealthy celebrity wellness retreat owners in coastal Dorset. I struggled with the number of characters and the teenage angst found in the diary entries, although when the diary was introduced it did become more clear which direction the plot would likely take. Wealthy incomers and superstitious locals meant it felt a little predictable in parts, the five POVs and some double-identities) made it difficult to keep track of and the dislikeable characters meant I wasn't invested in the outcome. I enjoy the tense atmosphere and rural location, but it's not my favourite of the author's novels.

I requested this book because I have read a couple of Lucy Foley's novels and enjoyed them, however this one just didn't quite live up to her usual standard. The timeline jumped about too much making it confusing to read and figure out what is happening when, and there were just too many character POVs to keep track of, both making this novel a bit of a disjointed read. However, there were still some good twists and turns.

A compulsive page turning read that had me on the edge of my seat. The heatwave brings an oppressive tension to the events told through mutiple characters points of view. This is Foley's best book yet with impressive twists and turns and shocking moments that I really admired. The perfect summer read with really interesting complex characters and a hunt of gothic horror that was very creepy. A must read for thriller fans!

My first book by Lucy Foley, and I loved the multiple points of view. I really enjoyed her writing style. The storyline moving between past and present with the diary entries was a great way to tell the story.

The storyline was a bit of a slow burn for me, picking up pace near the end with a few exciting twists. I'd give this book 3.5 ⭐

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you are a Lucy Foley fan you will enjoy this. She follows her usual pattern of multiple POVs and people are not what they seem.

A fast read, though it was a bit slow to get going. Francesca is the owner of The Manor - a newly opened luxury hotel in an idyllic location. Francesca is, or seems to be, a person into healing crystals, grass juice and reiki. But, this is Lucy Foley and things are not what they seem.

An okay read but not really my cup of tea.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Oh my goodness me!! I’m breathless having just finished this rollercoaster of a book. Nobody, and I mean nobody is as they seem. The story is told via various characters plus a look back over an incident many years ago. It all comes together in the most dramatic way possible. A touch of The Birds, adds a new dimension to the story and makes it all the more thrilling! Lots of characters, most you can’t possibly like…And for a good reason!

Fabulous book, thoroughly recommend it

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review

Another great read from Lucy Foley!

A story involving hidden identities, stories from the past and long ago secrets that compile a tale in the modern day that kept me guessing.

The Manor, a childhood home where secrets were made, kept and buried is the focus of the launch party of the fabulous wellness location brainchild of Francesca and her new husband Owen. Its glamorous clientele have been arriving ready to take the party by storm, whilst annoying the local population. But the party will only just have started when a dead body is found at the bottom of the cliffs…..

This novel very cleverly weaved together a myriad of stories featuring characters from the book. I really enjoyed piecing it together.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review.

This book had me continually guessing. There were so many plot twists that I didn't see coming. I really enjoyed how the characters were developed, and the changes in POVs made the story really fleshed out. I would recommend this to everyone!

If you go down to the woods tonight you may be in for a very big surprise….

I just loved this book. A murder mystery where no-one is who they seem to be and everyone is hiding something….

The Midnight Feast is a brilliant suspenseful thriller which hops between past and present building to a fast paced dramatic climax. It's based around the opening of a luxury resort, with flashbacks to what happened there 15 years before when the main characters were in their teens.

I read this book in a day as I couldn't put it down, there were plenty of twists, it really kept me gripped.

I've enjoyed all of Lucy's previous books so I knew I'd be in for a good read with this, and I wasn't disappointed.