‘The Midnight Feast’ by Lucy Foley is a dark, twisty, eerie tale set on the opening weekend of a luxury deconstructed hotel with glamorous accommodations dotted around the natural Dorset coastal landscape surrounding a grand romantic Manor House… While the setting sounds idyllic, a midsummer heatwave, unhappy locals, mysterious characters and old grudges mean that the midnight feast at the culmination of the celebrations is set to be anything but perfect!

As the book begins, we are introduced to a number of intriguing characters - lone traveller Bella who was drawn to The Manor like a moth to a flame, visionary Francesca who has turned her inheritance into what she hopes is tourism gold, architect Owen who designed the dreamy buildings for his dream woman and dishwasher Eddie who is torn between town loyalty and his paycheck. Soon flames of tension burst from the pages and old secrets are spilled like fresh blood.

The multiple perspectives make this novel compelling, and the shifting timelines from the solstice night revelry to the police investigation the morning after and the reminiscence of a pivotal summer long ago mean that the reader is drip-fed information and connections until the clever tapestry of the story weaves together. I admire how Foley gave distinct voices to her narrators and gave us deep insight into our motivations, and how she used the sweltering heat to ratchet up the stakes. The book also has a taste of the supernatural, with local legends merging with contemporary revenge to great effect.

This was a five star read for me - even though it started a little slow, I was totally gripped by about 40% and binged the rest, eager to piece everything together and hopefully see just desserts served. I’d highly recommend to fans of Lucy Foley’s previous works, Charlotte Vassell’s savage takedowns of the privileged and Catherine Cooper’s addictive destination thrillers.

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Harper Collins UK via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

new resort for relaxation is having it's opening weekend but the locals aren't happy to see it there. It's destroying their lives in order to build new and shinny things in their land.

The forest surrounding the Manor is a place you don't want to mess with, scary and unexplained thigs are happening year around and the locals know to stay sawy from it all.

The guest are part of the elite and all there to be part of a special experience and let's be honest, to be able to say that they were there first. But some of the guests aren't who they say they are, they are hiding secrets that can indanger the perfect opening of the Manor and the owner.

The story is being told by multiple povs and in different timelines the past helps to understand the present and see a bit of the future and the aftermath of the opening weekend, it's helpful to understand how everything came to be.

As for the characters I liked some more than others, but it was designed for some of them to be unlikable so I think that was well done.

It was a very interesting story and I liked the build up leading to the Midnight Feast. The multiple povs made it very intriguing and helpful to see each person's motive behind their actions.

I enjoyed the final twists and especially the way it was all revealed.



* I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion.

A dark and atmospheric read. Bit of a slow burner but it soon became a storyline that sucked me in.
Well written characters and once again Lucy Foley did it again.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

I was so excited to get an early copy of this book to read and could not wait to dive in. I read this in 2 sittings, talk about a page turner. With its short chapters and multiple points of view, this is a book that is asking to be binge read.

A new high end wellness resort on the Dorset Coast. Opening weekend is sure to be massive, and Francesca will ensure that it is. She is it the only one, unbeknownst to her. I don’t want to say too much about the story, but just know that things don’t exactly go to plan. Dark secrets from the past are threatening to be revealed in a spectacular way.

I really enjoyed the back and forth timelines, learning about that summer 15 years ago through a teenagers diary. I thought it was a very clever way to clue the reader into what was happening in the present. There were so gather nasty characters and creepy dark woods that heightened the tension.

A massive thanks to Harper Collins UK for the advanced copy to read. Publishes on June 6th.

Lucy Foley writes sick great awful rich people. Loved the vibes and increasing melodrama through most of this, although I'm not sure the structure really allowed us to understand the many many characters' different motivations so the end felt slightly unsatisfying when it came.

Thank you NetGalley for this E-ARC

This was the first book I read by Lucy Foley. I had no idea what I could expect. I really enjoyed the multiple point of views. It made the story feel faster and more entertaining. It was easy to understand and I had a fun time getting to know all of the characters. Sadly the plot wasn't something I liked. I did however like the dark setting, it wasn't something I have read before.

For whatever reason, I received two copies of this book, so I am going to be reading the other one and providing feedback on it.

This is the type of party you will be scared to miss! Lucy Foley turns up the heat, and the suspense, with this closed room mystery, taking place in a secluded manor when some well hidden secrets threaten to destroy everything the guests hold dear. A spectacular read!

Well Lucy has done it again! The way she pulls you into a mystery is sublime. The storyline keeps you guessing until the end and I loved that little sucker punch twist - I wasn’t expecting that at all. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Lucy is a go to author for me - I don’t even need to read the blurb to want to read.

‘I do hate it when people let me down’
This is the refrain of one of the main characters in The Midnight Feast, luckily Lucy Foley once again does not let me down. This book is a hauntingly atmospheric dark thriller which incorporates horror and folklore elements. The writing is well paced and intelligent, the reader is often left to infer what is happening rather than being spoon-fed. Set at a newly opened, highly exclusive wellness retreat, this story is told through multiple POVs many of which are unlikeable or morally grey. Nuanced and believable depictions of the ‘class divide’ add yet another layer to the plot, people are not always who we think they are. I really enjoyed the addition of the journal entries and felt this added to the intrigue. The creepiness of the setting and the pagan folklore really kept me wanting to pick this book up and with references to Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds’, a solstice celebration reminiscent of ‘Midsommar’ and more than a hint of ‘Wickerman’ vibes this story is not just your standard thriller. As Long buried secrets from the past begin to emerge, there are twists and turns aplenty, some of which are signposted, some of which come as a real surprise and all of which are satisfying and (mostly) plausible. At times this story is dark and cynical but it also has a sense of nostalgia and at times is actually quite heartwarming.
I do think the ending may be quite divisive, in some ways it seems a little too neatly tied up although this didn't affect my enjoyment one bit

Thanks to the author, HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this intriguing book in exchange for an honest review

A good read with a slow start. A 'select few' have been invited to the opening weekend of a swanky new wellness resort/spa, The highlight is to be a midnight feast. Unbeknown to the guests, the owner has a hidden agenda linked to her childhood in the village. Then here are The Birds (shades of Hitchcock), a group of locals who dress as ravens and have secret meetings. There are so many points of view that it takes a while to remember who is who and what their past is. The reason for the inclusion of the teenage journal chapters only becomes clear late in the book. Gradually we realise why everyone's been brought here, as the story works up to a dramatic climax.

There are some excellent twists and the latter half of the book flies by so I'm sure that it will be a big hit with fans of this genre but I prefer something a little less formulaic. It's written in what has become Lucy Foley's typical format, so much so that it's almost a carbon copy of The Guest List with the names and grievances changed; plus multiple timelines and multiple POVs make it very hard to get invested in the story.

When a lavish new wellness resort is launched in rural Britain, the wealthy punters who congregate for the opening weekend's events have no idea what they are letting themselves in for...

Lured by promises of obscene luxury, and curated events that include a midnight feast harking back to bucolic childhood pleasures, they are mesmerized by the charismatic owner of the resort and her talented architect husband who has done the restoration work.

But behind all the glamour and glitz, there is a dark history to this location, and a number of the players in the original events decades ago are onsite for this new reincarnation of the place - whether or not they are aware of each other's presence!

Throw into that mix a group of resentful locals, a dark pagan history involving The Birds, rich people misbehaving, long-delayed revenge and creative reinvention, and it all adds up to a juicy new novel from Lucy Foley that delivers on its promises.

4.5 stars
I've enjoyed every Lucy Foley book that I've read so far and this is easily one of my favourites.
This had me gripped from the very beginning and I liked the dual timelines, as well as the multiple perspectives that Lucy Foley is known for at this point.
I liked that they were distinct enough, with each one hinting at what could be to come.
The short, snappy chapters were great too.
I maybe could have done with less of the teenage journal chapters, even though I understood why they were necessary.
However, the setting was an intriguing one and I did feel fully immersed at The Manor, both in the past and the present.
I'm not entirely sure what I thought of 'The Birds'. While this seemed creepy and almost cult-like, it didn't quite work for me. It did add a sense of foreboding and had you wondering just how involved they were but the folklore behind it is never really explained.
Plus, characters like Nathan never felt fully fleshed out. He almost felt like a pantomime villain.
I will say, I didn't expect the final few twists but I always like the way that Lucy Foley reveals just how interconnected the lives of the characters have been along by the end.
This would make a great summer beach read and is one that you can easily devour over a day or so.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the weakest Lucy Foley for me. This novel has all her typical trademarks, however, it's missing the creepy atmosphere and strong sense of setting her other books had. This one felt a little boring and flat, the pacing was all over the place and nothing really happened until the last 85%.

I didn't like the diary entries either, they made a story with already many POVs even more confusing and it didn't add as much to the story as it could have. I also don't think we needed all these POVs, I'm aware that's just her thing but I can't get behind it. The writing also felt weaker, as well as the resolution at the end. There was just never really any suspense during the whole read, which wasn't an issue in her other works.

Rating: 2.8/5

I have relished my previous experiences of reading Lucy Foley's work and was very much looking forward to this latest offering. Overall, I still enjoyed the experience, but "The Midnight Feast" is not up to this author's usual standard.

There are some trademark Lucy Foley elements: as usual, rather than presenting a straightforward whodunnit, the writer creates more of a "whodunnwhat" or a "whydunnit" with considerable time being spent creating questions as to who may have done "something" and why certain individuals may have had motive to do various "somethings" depending upon events and developments. As usual, the narrative is presented from the viewpoints of a number of key protagonists and each one is given a clear, distinct voice by the author.

However, against these favourable aspects, there are facets that I do not typically associate with Lucy Foley and that do not work as effectively. Drawing on influences of other writers that you respect or admire is nothing new, but it seems to be particular prevalent in this book. The conflict between a holiday resort and the local population is nothing new and, in fact, it formed the central conflict in "Our Holiday" by Louise Candlish very recently. There are very clear (and acknowledged) references to Daphne du Maurier's, "The Birds", but the whole folklore thread and the sense that something supernatural may be at play was reminiscent of the work of C.J. Tudor or Stephen King. No doubt the intention of the author was to create a sense of mystical foreboding, but it all seemed a little forced and was far from convincing. In a similar vein, each of the main protagonists readily admits to the reader that they are not what they appear to be on the surface. Such secret histories are nothing new or uncommon in this genre, but the somewhat melodramatic and simplistic manner in which it is executed in "The Midnight Feast" is not what I associate with Lucy Foley. Nor is the characterisation up to the standard that I have come to expect from this writer. It lacks depth and credibility, with certain players coming across more like pantomime villains.

As I said at the outset, in spite of its unexpected shortcomings, I still enjoyed the experience of reading this novel. The pace is good and it is entertaining - it just lacks the usual level of quality that I expect from this writer. Nonetheless, I have little doubt that I will be returning for her next mystery too.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

Big fan of Lucy Foley’s work but having been slightly disappointed with The Paris Apartment I was a little apprehensive going into this one as her books can be quite similar in formula. Thankfully I really enjoyed it and would say I think this is my 2nd favourite after The Guest List.

We have a great setting, very Midsommar vibes and some creepy folklore mixed in as well. As with a few of her books there are quite a few characters to keep track of and there were also a few aliases in this one as well which might put some people off.

Overall 3.5 rounded up - kept me entertained and enjoyed the setting

Thanks to netgalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review

With many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for this free arc and I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily

I do love a Lucy Foley book, she’s always bang on the money with the ‘locked room’ type story. Set in a luxury manor resort with Lucy’s trademark multi POV we get an array of intriguing characters as the author spins her web of mystery. A touch of the supernaturals with the Birds gives the story an eerie feel as does the descriptive narrative. The inclusion of the diary entries entwined with the present day is brilliantly done and adds to the intrigue. Wonderfully written with some good twists along the way. Another winner from this talented author

Wow! Talk about a fiendish, sharp, wicked read - a real feast of motives and surprises with compelling characters everywhere you looked!
I cannot praise this book enough, it was everything, so well written with a plot which was woven so skillfully to take the reader to an explosive end.
A wild ride which started in youth leading to the present day and crimes to be answered for with the veneer of respectability torn away to reveal a vindictive character at the center of things.
An the end few lines in the pub! I cant.....
Brilliant!!!

Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for this ARC. The publication date is the 6th June. I loved the premise and the setting of this book. Whilst reading the book it was evident and portrayed mystery lurks around every corner which made it even more gripping!

This book shifts between past and present which I liked and Eddie as a character I thought he was sincere. I’d give this book 5 stars! 🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟