I loved this author's 3 mystery/thriller books, so I was so excited when I got approved for an ARC a few days ago. Since then I've been listening to it as much as I could. I love that the chapters are short, ranging from 5 to 15 minutes at regular speed. I also really liked that there is a range of narrators with different accents for each character's POV and within conversations with the side characters. The story jumps around a bit with diary entries from 2010 as well as chapters on and around the Summer Solstice of 2025. At first, I thought this would be a bit confusing but it really wasn't and I quickly realised that it was a clever way of adding the context of the events 15 years prior. There are so many twists and turns and I felt like both the pacing and the writing were brilliant throughout the story. I especially liked the addition of the folklory group of murderous birds that seem to terrify all the locals and added a creepy paranormal aspect to the story.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook for The Midnight feast.

First of all, the narraters used for the book were perfect for the roles, which made listening to this story even more exciting. I enjoyed this book definitely could not guess what was going to happen the victims and who did it.
This story follows four different perspectives: We join these characters on the first night of the grand opening weekend at The Manor, a luxury retreat that Francesca has created, along with the help of her husband, Owen, upon her familial coastal estate.
I was at the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading this. I found the story to be so gripping, enjoyed the short chapters, you think you have solved it but then another gripping story enters next which takes your mind into another scenario.

Enjoyed listening to this story, but would love to read the book to compare my thoughts and feelings

I've always enjoyed Foley's previous works in audio, particularly The Guest List, and I'm continuing the trend with this one! I love how the audiobook has a cast of multiple narrators, and they all do a good job at the accents (here, Dorset working-class and London super-posh). Eddie's perspective was my favourite, as it didn't shy away from the challenges facing locals in a rural region where second homes have long contributed to diluting community cohesion and affordability. As always with Foley, there's complex characters and time-shifts, hidden agendas and dark foreshadowing. Fans of Midsommar will love it!

i haven't read anything by this author before, so i wasn't really familiar with her writing style, which might have contributed to why i felt like this style of thriller wasn't really for me. i think having two sets of characters' names to remember (from the past and present timelines) made it a little harder to follow, and therefore lots of the revelations later in the book weren't as shocking as they could be, had the cast been smaller / more memorable. i think the setting and the timeline of where / when this story takes place was really suited to the overall 'thriller vibe,' but unfortunately lots of the folklore about 'the birds' was lost on me and slowed the pacing down too much for me to still be excited about it.

thank you to netgalley and harper collins uk audio for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Alright, let’s dive into this wild ride of a book that completely changed my view on Lucy Foley! In her latest novel, we follow Francesca Meadows, who decides to revamp her old home into a luxurious resort catering to the ultra-wealthy. The story is told from multiple perspectives, and boy, do those perspectives bring on the drama and twists!

First up, there’s Bella, who at first seems like just another guest. But through flashbacks and current events, we quickly realize she’s much more than the single lady in a bungalow. Then there’s Owen, Francesca’s partner, whose indifferent attitude towards her keeps you guessing about his true feelings. And sweet Eddy and his family add a whole other layer of mystery—seriously, figuring out where they fit in is like solving a puzzle!

This book kept me hooked from start to finish. The multiple plotlines spun my head around in the best way possible. My only minor gripe? The characters are pretty complex, and keeping track of everyone was a bit of a challenge at times. But honestly, it was worth the effort.

I’ve had mixed feelings about some of Lucy’s previous books, but this one? It was a hit. I couldn’t wait to keep listening, and when the ending hit, I had to go back a few pages just to make sure I got it right. It was that good!

Big thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for letting me listen to and review this audiobook ARC. If you’re looking for a gripping, multi-layered mystery/thriller, give this one a go!

A miracle to have finished this.
I only read ine book from lucy foley and that was ‘the guest list ‘ and compared to this one, while the guest list didn’t get from me a lot of stars, i was entertained more.
This book was chaotic, around 30% i was still confused, i had no idea what was going on. I can understand why she has to have so many characters and i have to admit that the ending did save the book, it felt like it was worth getting through it.
( you kinde see through francesca since the beginning fyi)

Thank you netgalley and HarperCollins Uk for the arc 🫶🏻🫶🏻

I'm not normally a mystery/thriller girly, but Lucy Foley's stories have a chokehold on me that I cannot explain. while it wasn't a mind-blowing experience, I listened to this book in a single sitting and just couldn't stop. the twist after twist that was delivered is kinda addicting, I have to say.

3.5 stars rounded up.

I got this as an ARC from netgalley in both audio and ebook form so read them in tandem. If you've read a Lucy Foley book before, you'll know her books follow a format - a group of people are gathered in a semi wilderness setting, a body shows up (in this instance 2 - a historical body and a recent body) and they figure out what happened. It's a good book with a good format. It's well written and the main characters are sufficiently developed. I enjoyed it and will likely read more books by this author.

5 stars

thank you netgalley for the e-arc and audiobook arc
-
the audiobook was literally so perfect and completely brought the book to life and just gave it that extra touch. the narrator truly elevated the reading experience for me.

i’m already is lucy foley reader and this book was just another amazing book. the book’s setting is so addictive and so easy to get fully immersed in. the writing is so stunning and i loved the aspect of not knowing who did it and who was the victim. i cannot wait to buy my own edition when it’s out.

A slow burn of a mystery, The Midnight Feast follows several characters over dual timelines showing us the opening weekend of a luxurious Manor House owned by Francesca and her husband. We also follow a flashback timeline to 15 years previous which gives a very differnet view of the lady of the Manor!

This is one that needs a bit of concentration dye to the amount of different characters and the different names they are known by.

I’m a huge fan of Lucy Foley and was really keen to listen to her latest book, The Midnight Feast.

The book moves between two timelines. The present timeline centres on the weekend of the grand opening of a luxury retreat hotel opening in Dorset in South West England. It also glides into another timeline of the past and the events from a summer fifteen years previously where the teenagers of the ‘big house’ spent the summer with the locals and teenagers from the holiday caravan park.

The hotel is bordered by a woodland and the coast and the book builds up an eerie and atmospheric setting. It also fuses midsummer magic and superstition from a remote part of the country with a backdrop of class, privilege and locals pitted against outsiders.

The story unfolds from the point of view of the teenagers from the summer fifteen years ago and as adults in the present day, as well as other characters involved in the hotel opening. The book was really bought to life by the excellent cast including Roly Botha; Laurence Dobiesz; Joe Eyre; Tuppence Middleton; Sarah Slimani.

I was completely sucked into the story and didn’t see the twists and turns coming. One thing is for sure - the past is never lost or forgotten.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, HarperCollins UK, for making the e-audio-ARC available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Lucy Foleys books always hit the spot, av never read a bad one. Easy listens, easy to follow. Typical in terms of you know what to expect but also because you know you’re gonna get something decent. Liked the characters and the plot always keeps me intrigued and The Midnight Feast was no different. A good 5 star and have recommended to the lasses in my book club

From the start of the book, there is a sense of dread and a hint of something ominous. The switching perspectives and timelines initially confused me, causing me to restart the book twice.

However, once I focused my attention, I was captivated. I'm happy I kept listening because everything comes together seamlessly in the end.

I received this book from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio | HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.

As guests gather for the opening of The Manor hotel, something dark is bubbling under the surface, threatening to ruin the night's event. There is a certain history hidden behind house, and with the locals against this opening, the past is coming back in many unexpected ways.

It took me a while to fully get into the story with all its different timelines and POVs, but the audio really did wonders for that and made it so much easier to find my footing. The pacing was great, and once I was in it, I genuinely flew through this. I couldn't stop listening, I loved the eerie atmosphere the folkloric elements created, and I had so much fun trying to unravel everything that was happening. I do always love the way everything wraps up and perfectly connects in a Lucy Foley book, there just is something so satisfying in watching how all these random people you've been following are actually very tightly connected.

The multiple narrators really made this so much fun and definitely easier to follow and properly understand. Everyone did a sensational job, especially upping it all a little in the more dramatic bits, making it impossible to stop listening.

Many thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio & NetGalley for allowing me the ALC. All opinions are my own.

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



✨ 2 timelines
✨ lots of pov
✨ mystery thriller



✨ wow. What a great read. This book actually put me out of my reading slump!

✨ story was in a small town in Dorset, in a manor which is francesca is the madam of the house.
Freaky things starts to occurs when a local myth/folks call it the birds which they think it’s a reason why murder happen.


✨ the story was split into two timelines with multi pov’s. Which is need to be read properly as you get easily confused .


✨ it’s an intriguing story with a twist on the end which I never actually thought it will be.
one of the best book I have read so far🫶🏼



✨ Thankyou @harpercollinsuk for the arc copy of this book for a honest review.


🫶🏼shaye.reads

I love Lucy Foley’s books and was so excited to pick up her latest - couldn’t tear myself away!

This felt like her most ambitious book to date, with a large and detailed cast, appreciating time points and POV, a gloomy gothic setting and a rich and complex local history. It’s worth trusting the process -with so many characters it takes a little while to get inside their heads. However Foley masterfully wove the various threads as perspectives together to a great crescendo of a reveal that did not disappoint!

I really enjoyed the nuance of the varied characters, and the social complexity that The Manor evoked in the small town. Frankie’s character occasionally slipped into feeling a bit cartoonish, but I loved Eddie and his family, with their complicated dynamics.

I was lucky to read this as an ebook and audiobook, and loved both versions. The narration of the audiobook was sensational, with the feel of a full cast narration, and a heightened sense of drama. The characterisations and crisp accents really helped to establish the different characters, and immerse you into the threads of the story.

Would highly recommend!

Thank you HarperCollins UK, HarperCollins UK Audio, and NetGalley for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

This is only the second book I’ve read from the author the other being The Guest List, and it was so long ago I can’t really remember what I thought of it, I know I enjoyed it, I can’t remember why, however this, well I definitely enjoyed this.

Dear Lucy Foley - I was just beginning to become alright with birds, as long as they were little, and you’ve just walked right in and hitchcocked the shit out of me. Thanks for that 😂

So, are you ready for the feast?
What an opener.

The manor is Francesca’s baby, a beautiful renovation of her ancestral home, with views over the beach of Tome and a backdrop of dense forestry the aim is tranquility spirituality, with perfection and plaudits, this is Francesca’s dream along with her husband Owen - Both characters were absolutely AWFUL, I nearly rolled the eyes right out of my head several times. The opening weekend of the manor is set to align with summer solstice 2025 and a midnight feast. Everything is going to plan and both Francesca and Owen are right on track - like seriously smug.

There’s a history with the house, and the forest, a dark history, the locals are fairly against all of the moneyed people coming in and taking over the town, and it seems the past is about to come back in more ways than one.

The story took a little getting into, there’s a now/then and before/after storyline and there are quite a lot of characters to become acquainted with, and we get the story from each POV, but once I was in I was right in, from around the first quarter of the story the pace is rapid, the use of Folklore in the story was excellent it added so much atmosphere and the tension was palpable. BIRDS though, I wasn’t expecting birds, and my heart was thudding, which obviously added to the tension for me.

Creepy, tense, eerie, chilling and rather satisfyingly dark!

The multiple narrators was the perfect choice for the audiobook in my opinion, it made the multiple characters a bit easier to get to know quickly.

Thanks to HarperCollins UK audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for a fair and honest review.