I hate to say it, but what an underwhelming read. There are too many books in this genre with great concepts, but disappointing deliveries, and The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley is one of them.

Set during the opening of the luxury ‘the Manor’ (an overpriced holiday stay where you can hire Seaside Cottages and Woodland Hutches… if you have the money that is), Midnight Feast follows owner and irritant Francesca and her architect husband Owen, as they prepare for their big night. Throughout the novel, there are points of views of guests, workers and townspeople, is anyone who they say they are, or does everyone carry their own secret?

It’s main issue was it was overly long; this made everything drag because there simply wasn’t enough plot to fill the pages. Instead, we were given multiple timelines and too many storylines where nothing happened, making it dull and boring.

The cast of characters were also formulaic, with stereotypical ’rude’, poorly behaved rich people versus the underprivileged, trampled on victims. If I had to single one out, then Eddie would be the most likeable and interesting, however, even our main protagonist Bella was rather weak and lacking depth.

I need a book with more plot and better characters please.

I found it slow at the start but at about 20% it picked up a little bit. It was a slow read for me. Not one of Lucy's best.

There was still suspense a certain part.

I just didn't gel with this book.

I loved this book!! Thank you to NetGalley and Lucy Foley for the advanced copy of this book!
I love Lucy Foley and this book did not disappoint!!
Brilliant twists and turns! Would recommend!!

This book tried to give so much; a thrilling whodunnit, creepy local lore, birds, annoying rich people, and intrigue. I just felt that it tried to do too much
As is standard for this author, we got multiple POVs which was fun but each POV had a lot of additional characters. It wasn't a locked room mystery so the character list just kept getting bigger and bigger
I really liked the creepy bird elements of the story and I wish they were featured more. They were the most exciting part of the book
The characters felt flat to me and by the time we found out who the victim was, I no longer cared. The twists were very obvious and I just felt so disappointed. I was hoping for a repeat of The Hunting Party and The Guest List but this was a bit of a flop for me
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This is the second book I've read by this author and it didn't disappoint. A blend of thriller and horror, it kept me engaged and guessing until the end. The characters are well written, and I'll definitely be reading more of her books.

If you are a fan of Lucy Foley then you know what you are getting – multiple narrators, multiple timeframes, it’s dark and twisty and you should not trust anyone.

Foley is an absolute queen of unreliable narrative.

The Manor is about to open. It is lavish and exclusive. The perfect spa party for the rich and famous. Owner Francesca Meadows is known for her attention to detail and no expense has been spared. Her partner, architect Owen Dacre, has made her every dream come true.

The local residents are less than impressed as while Francesca outwardly supports the local area and it’s businesses there is a lot of resentment. Very few local people have managed to secure jobs at The Manor. Eddie is working in the kitchen with hopes of becoming a barman, but he is keeping it a secret as he feels he is betraying his community.

The novel begins at the end. The opening night of The Manor descends into chaos as a fire sweeps through the building and a body is found.

Who is the body?

With flashbacks to the past through the diary of Alison, a girl on holiday at the beach who becomes infatuated with Frankie, the gorgeous girl from the mansion, the reader can gradually piece together the different strands of the story.

The past and the present intersect and the secrets of The Manor are revealed.

It’s a clever and twisty read made even darker by the ever present Birds. The local myths of giant and deadly birds that avenge evil and the shadow they cast.

I won’t say anymore as it will give away the secrets. I must admit I had no idea how it all fitted together so I found the ending really satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley for gifting me a digital advanced copy of The Midnight Feast.

A wonderful and enjoyable read, I read it in three sittings. I am glad I got to dive into the authors world and the characters had me gripped and intrigued. Recommended.

Lucy Foley has carved a niche for herself in the realm of suspenseful, atmospheric thrillers, and The Midnight Feast continues in that tradition—though not without a few bumps along the way. Set in a remote countryside retreat, this novel revolves around a group of guest who unite for a lavish, yet ominous dinner party. As the wine flows and secrets come to light, the evening quickly spirals into chaos.

Foley’s signature style is present throughout. The novel is rich in mood, evoking a strong sense of unease from the very beginning. Her knack for building tension through shifting perspectives and subtle hints of hidden agendas shines, pulling readers in with just enough mystery to keep turning the pages. The isolated setting, guests with secrets, adds to the chilling atmosphere, making the book a compelling read for fans of slow-burning thrillers.

However, where The Midnight Feast slightly falters is in its character development. While the multiple perspectives add intrigue, many of the characters feel more like archetypes than fully fleshed-out individuals. The high-flying socialite, the brooding loner, the enigmatic host—each of them fits neatly into the roles you’d expect in a locked-room mystery, but they lack the depth to truly surprise. This makes the emotional stakes feel lower, as it’s hard to become deeply invested in their fates.

The plot itself, while engaging, is somewhat predictable. Foley weaves a complex web of secrets and lies, but seasoned readers of the genre might find themselves ahead of the story at times. The twists, though satisfying, don’t pack quite the same punch as those in her previous works, such as The Guest List. That said, there are still enough surprises to make the journey enjoyable, particularly for readers who appreciate more of a slow-burn, atmospheric mystery.

Where the book shines is in its examination of friendships and the dark undercurrents that often lurk beneath long-standing relationships. Foley skillfully explores how past grudges, unresolved tensions, and jealousy can fester over time, ultimately leading to explosive confrontations. The dynamics between the characters are one of the novel’s strengths, even if the individuals themselves lack depth.

Overall, The Midnight Feast is a solid read, delivering a moody, tension-filled story that’s perfect for fans of locked-room mysteries. While it may not reach the heights of Foley’s best work, it still offers an enjoyable escape into a world of intrigue and suspense. For readers new to Foley, this book is a decent introduction to her style, though longtime fans may find it more familiar than fresh.

Verdict: 3.5/5

The Midnight Feast doesn’t break new ground, but it provides a satisfying, atmospheric read with enough mystery to keep you hooked—perfect for a cozy evening in, even if it leaves a little to be desired in character depth and shock value.

After being disappointed with the Paris Apartment, I’m very happy to have read this book by Lucy Foley. The story follows a bunch of characters, as usual with Foley’s books, and there’s a lot to uncover. First of all, we find ourselves at “the Manor”, a luxurious place for the opening weekend of the holiday hutches. And its opening weekend should be the highlight of the year, especially for Francesca, who runs the place. However, quickly there’s weird things happening.

We switch between timelines and POV’s quickly, but for me, it didn’t get confusing, so I really liked this.

Did I see some things coming? Yes, I did. It however really didn’t bother me and I had a very good time with this story!

3,5 ⭐️

Another Lucy Foley page turner that I devoured as quickly as I could turn the pages. Set on an ultra exclusive holiday retreat for the richest people in the country, owned by the well-connected and super -ambitious Francesca, where a catalogue of earthly and unearthly disasters unfold over opening weekend, Midsummer.
Told in a series of flashbacks and flash-forwards and through a mixture of characters, I was completely engrossed in this eerie tale of folklore and privilege. Lucy Foley's best yet.

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley is very dark, suspensful and very atmospheric. It was spooky, scary and tense.

It is a slow burn book, character driven with multiple points of view, and it went back and forth between past and present.
It was done very well, I had no problem following the characters even when the story switched back and forth. Each of them was quite memorable and distinctive. They had depth and their development was obvious.
The story flowed at a solid if a bit slower pace but I didn't find it boring nor did I lose interest in reading.
I liked how it wrapped up nicely at the end, and there were several surprises as well.
it is another hit for Ms. Foley.

The Midnight Feast is the fourth Lucy Foley book i’ve read, so expectations were high after thoroughly enjoying her previous books! I certainly wasn’t disappointed. The Midnight Feast is another locked room murder mystery which is what Lucy is known for. This time the action is centred around a gorgeous new country retreat called The Manor located on the Dorset Coast surrounded by old and dense forest with ocean vistas at the front.
I cannot recommend this twisty, tense unsettling and addictive book enough and am already excited to read whatever Lucy Foley writes next.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction, which did not influence my unbiased and honest review of the book.

I had an odd time with this book, i wouldn't say it was bad by any means but at times i really struggled to get into it. I found that once i was in i was hooked but getting to that point is sometimes a bit difficult. The characters were all written well and i liked how distinct they all felt. They all seemed to have layers to them and that came across in their own voice and when in conversation with ours. The main conflict was drip fed well and this did help keep me hooked when i went back to it.

Honestly - her books are such a bingeable delight!! ready to get lost in an epic heart racing book!? look no further!

On the idyllic Dorset coast, The Manor, an exclusive wellness resort, prepares to welcome its first guests - a who's who of the beautiful, rich and connected. No expense has been spared to ensure that this opening weekend is the most talked about event of the summer, and at the centre of it all is Francesca Meadows, The Manor's founder.

But not everyone is here for the signature cocktails and infinity pools; one guest has waited fifteen years to expose a secret which ties together many of The Manor's staff and guests - including the ethereal, untouchable Francesca.

The latest offering from bestselling author Lucy Foley is a tense, twisty story of secrets, and the chasm between the versions of ourselves we construct and create and our reality, which draws together elements of mystery, bildungs roman and folk horror to build an enjoyable summer thriller.

The Midnight Feast begins with a classic whodunnit set-up: a body has been discovered at the foot of the cliffs The Manor perches upon, and the police have been called to find out what happened and why. The reader is also kept in suspense as to who the unfortunate victim is, a secret which the author keeps close to her chest until the very last moment.

Our second timeline begins on the eve of The Manor's opening weekend, and it is this narrative which relays the events which led up to the discovery of the body on the rocks. A third timeline is later added, which tells the story of fifteen summers earlier, and the secret which set the events of the book in motion.

The setting serves the story perfectly, the dramatic beauty of the landscape and the simmering midsummer heat being juxtaposed effectively with the ratcheting tension of the plot. As in her previous work, Foley uses multiple narrators to weave the various threads of the mystery together, each seemingly a disparate narrative until connections are exposed through a series of well-paced reveals and clever misdirects, leading to an ending which feels a tad contrived but is nonetheless satisfying.

For me, the weaker elements of the book included the references to the Night Birds, a group of mysterious local pagans who have protected (or terrorised, depending on who you ask) the land where The Manor stands for generations. The sense of menace they are suppsed to convey never quite felt convincing, and I didn't really think that they added much to the story. One of my pet peeves is adult writers attempting unsuccessfully to portray contemporary young people's dialogue, and there are some cringey moments here; it is evident that millennial author Foley is comfortable capturing the way teenagers spoke in 2009, when the flashbacks take place, but flounders in depicting 2024 teens credibly. There is a halfhearted rumination on motherhood which feels like an afterthought, and I hoped for more than the very limited back stories we get to explain what motivated the most awful characters to act as they did.

Overall though, The Midnight Feast is a compelling, exhilarating book which will keep readers guessing till the final page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

Maybe it's me but I was comparing this to the guest list?
This book had good moments, I couldn't put it down but the multiple plotlines and the timelines shifts just got a bit much and I didn't understand what was going on anymore.

Lucy Foley always creates an interesting read with a unique angle. This book is that, although with lots of characters and a busy setting (the opening weekend of a spa hotel retreat) to get your head around, I found myself less involved with the characters/ story and more thinking about who was who for the first part of it.
The setting is gorgeous, no stone left unturned for the guests to enjoy. The nearby woodland carries the promise of intrigue and history.
The dual timelines add interest as the reader learns more about the characters along with the history of the village / manor.
Overall, I found that the plot, although slightly improbable / unbelievable, was intriguing nevertheless.

Lucy Foley is back with a bang with her latest psychological thriller. This time, she’s whisking readers away to the beautiful English countryside, and the opening of an exclusive new retreat hotel. The Manor sits on land surrounded by forests and coastline, owned by the glamourous Francesca Meadows who inherited the building from her grandparents.

For Francesca, everything about the opening weekend needs to be perfect, and no expense is spared. Guests stay in rustic wooden huts while being treated to lavish parties and decadent cocktails, and the hotel staff are expected to tend to their every need. But beneath the perfect facade, there’s layers of drama about to unfold in this tense, pacey story packed with resentment, revenge and long buried secrets (and bodies).

The story is told in short, punchy chapters with interchanging narratives. We hear from Francesca, her partner Owen, the bartender Eddie and mysterious guest with a hidden agenda called Bella. Each has an extremely distinctive voice, from Francesca’s over-the-top affectations to young Eddie’s casual tone.

I have mixed feelings about the different voices in this novel. Some felt a little immature – there’s a series of diary entries from a 16-year-old which had just a bit too much teenage angst for me. On the other side, the ultimate villain of the story feels complete unapproachable and a little caricature. I wonder if the author may have been better off telling the story using her own voice (as she does with some of the sections set after the event) as opposed to trying so hard to emulate her characters.

Characters aside, this book is all about atmosphere, and it’s delivered here in spades. There’s a ritualistic, almost Pagan feeling to how things are done at the Manor, and a touch of horror in the setting of a town steeped in old traditions and superstitious. Overall, it’s an extremely readable story with a great setting and atmosphere – I just wasn’t a fan of the characters in this one as much as some of her other novels.

Stepping into the luxury of The Manor, where the cocktails flow and strings of laughter fill the air, I was ready for an unforgettable summer escape. But as the sun set and shadows loomed, Midnight Feast quickly turned into a gripping tale of secrets and betrayals.

Lucy Foley has a knack for creating a sleek atmosphere, and the setting was undeniably enticing.
However, I couldn’t help but notice a familiar pattern repeating itself in her recent works: the recurring element of a body being discovered, with the true identity of the victim kept in suspense until the very end.

This central twist, where we navigate through a cast of intriguing characters, each with their own motives, only to find that the suspense hinges on “who is the victim?” feels increasingly predictable and rather old. 🤔

While the build-up was thrilling and the characters intriguing, this formula is becoming stale for me. How engaging can the mystery really be when we know we’ll be left guessing until the final pages about which character meets their demise?

All said and done, Midnight Feast offers a lavish setting and enough twists to keep you entertained, but I’m hoping Foley spurs some fresh plot lines in her future works.

Midnight Feast is not a book for everyone. While the writing is well-crafted, with short chapters and multiple points of view, it can feel fragmented at times due to its many storylines, which converge only at the end. The narrative also jumps between the present day and a summer journal from several years ago, adding layers of mystery and tension.

One notable aspect of the book is its deeply unlikable characters. Despite their lack of charm, they serve a clear purpose within the story, adding to the atmosphere and driving the plot forward in ways that make sense for the overall narrative. There's also a lore surrounding "The Birds," which adds intrigue, though the ultimate outcome feels somewhat underwhelming.

In the end, while Midnight Feast is a solid book with good elements, it doesn't leave a lasting impression. It's enjoyable in the moment but ultimately forgettable. If you're in the mood for something with layered storytelling and complex characters, it may be worth a read, but don't expect it to stick with you long after.