This was one of my favorites of Lucy Foley! What a great setting and premise. Foley knows how to ride out the tension until it explodes in an unforgettable story. I do enjoy a dual storyline where you can see the past as well as the present playing out in the plot. Just a lot of fun! Possible great beach read! #themidnightfeast #lucyfoley #netgalley #goodreads

4.5 ⭐️ My favorite Lucy Foley to date! This is told in same multiple POV style as The Guest List and The Paris Apartment. Foley is a master at slowly and suspense-fully revealing secrets that give you the keys to what is really going on. I loved The Midnight Feast because it felt a little more supernatural than her others and uses fairy tales and Alfred Hitchcock like elements to tell a story about a remote town called Tome (pronounced Tomb). The setting is as beautiful boho retreat that is surrounded by the sea and the woods. The characters are all connected to the town and its dark history. There are so many other things at play including a teenagers journal from many summers ago where some terrible things happened, and some folklore of the birds that live in the forest and seek retribution. I received this ARC on NetGalley.

Lucy Foley at her finest. Told from multiple POV's this book twists and turns through the past and present. Francesca has opened an exclusive nature inspired resort experience, but the locals aren't happy with what she is doing with the sacred land. Eddie is a nineteen year old employee who lives at the farm next to the resort. Bella is a resort guest with a mysterious past, and Owen is Francesca's architect husband who is hiding a secret that could ruin everything he's worked so hard for.

The book starts out with a body being found at the bottom of the cliffs and the resort on fire. Who has died, and who set the fire? The truths are slowly unraveled as each character tells their story. The pacing and story format reminded me a lot of The Guest List by Lucy Foley, so if you were a fan of that book, I'm sure you'll enjoy The Midnight Feast. This was a five star read for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

This was so different than Foley’s usual whodunnit storyline but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The cast of characters were hard to keep track of at times. I had to keep flipping back to the start of the chapter to see whose perspective I was reading. I enjoyed the mystery element that the journal entries added and the creepy woodsy vibes. Overall, this was a fun little mystery thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A dark, twisted murder mystery that reads like a fairytale.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an advanced reading copy in exchange for a review.

Lucy Foley's "The Midnight Feast" is a murder mystery that unfolds in the Manor, a newly opened resort that quickly becomes the scene of a dark and intricate drama. Foley crafts a narrative that's as captivating as it is cunning, with characters that seem to leap from the pages into the reader's imagination, each carrying their own secrets and shadows.

The novel’s initial pace might test some readers' patience, as Foley takes her time laying down the intricate layers of her plot. However, this deliberate pacing is not without purpose; it builds a palpable tension and anticipation that grips the reader until the very end. The multiple points of view presented in the story add a rich texture to the narrative, allowing readers to see the unfolding mystery from various angles and adding depth to the storytelling.

"The Midnight Feast" is a mind-bending journey that cleverly manipulates expectations and perspectives, keeping readers on their toes with its twists and turns. This book was my introduction to Lucy Foley's work, and it has left me eager to dive into her other stories.

I've read a few books by Lucy Foley and they have sucked me in almost immediately, this book didn't do that A few of the chapters felt disconnected from the rest of the book, it was a very slow build up, and I was left with questions to which there were no answers. I had hoped the diary would offer more insight but for the most part, it felt like a typical useless teenage diary.
I think the premise of the book was a great idea but there was so much going on and so many POVs to keep up with, that it fell short for me. This was not my favorite book by Foley, but I'm excited and ready for her next to come out.

Absolutely fantastic! Lucy Foley is a master storyteller and just like every other story I’ve read of hers, the characterization in this one was on point! I found myself loving all of them except Francesca. I mean I REALLY disliked her. She spends the whole story talking about how positive and centered she is with her yoga-crystal-rich-soccer-mom-without-kids vibe, meanwhile she’s sabotaging people and calling them parasites. The hypocrisy was out of control in the best way! She was the epitome of the stereotype we all picture of a person like that. I also loved the introduction of the Birds. The whole story was a bit bananas (again, in the best way), but thoroughly entertaining. I was almost sad when it ended because I just kept wanting more! Read this one, you won’t be sorry!

Huge thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

Opening weekend of The Manor, a swanky, wellness retreat run by Francesca Meadows, a health guru. Francesca had inherited the land, an old family property, and converted it to make money off of elite wellness junkies. Told in multiple POVs and jumping around in timelines, this mystical whodunnit thriller, is full of characters with hidden agendas and secrets. Overall a fun read but the mentions of “The Birds”, the towns sort of urban legend made it hard to follow sometimes.

I appreciate NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for an advanced reader copy.

The book was so boring I can usually read a book in about two days. This book rook me over a week. Nothing kept my attention at all. About 50% of the way through it slightly picked up, only to start dragging on again.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC of The Midnight Feast in exchange for an honest and independent review.

As a huge fan of Lucy Foley's previous novels, The Guest List and The Paris Apartment, I was so excited to get my hands on this much anticipated ARC. Now don't get me wrong, there wasn't anything fundamentally wrong with her most recent release, I just think I had much higher expectations built up in my own head. Lucy is known for her mind bending thrillers and her genius multi-person story telling perspective that helps build the suspense throughout the entire novel. In most cases, her books are incredibly hard to put down and you find yourself reading through them from cover to cover. However, I just didn't get that experience this time around, which was mildly disappointing.

For the most part, the entire book spans the course of about three days, with the occasional jaunt back in time. The Midnight Feast is a fast moving storyline that certainly keeps you on your toes. As the reader, you are transported to the celebratory opening weekend of the posh retreat known as The Manor. Decidedly out of place in Tomb, The Manor is perfectly situated on the cliffs overlooking the sea and gives off an air of pure elegance and arrogance. The Manor has become an eye sore and rather controversial addition to Tomb that leaves the locals up in arms.

All to quickly, secrets of the past unravel one after the other and the guests that have paid a small fortune to attend The Manor on opening weekend are about to get more than they ever bargained for. At the end of this over-priced weekend, not everyone will make it out alive and more than just one or two secrets will be unburied.

In retrospect, I give The Midnight Feast a solid 3.5-4 out of 5, rounding up. While I thought the storyline was creative and the characters had some unseen, well thought out connections, it ultimately just didn't live up to my expectations. There was just something missing from the storyline of "The Birds" (not going to go into detail here for the sake of the review) that I felt if present or vetted out a little more completely, the story would have come a little more full circle for me. At the end of the day, I will always be overly excited for Lucy Foley releases, as her writing style really does go unmatched when it comes to multi-person perspectives. I love the intricacies that are usually wrapped up in her mysteries, which always leave you guessing or lulling you into a false sense of security where you think you've got it all figured out.

I'm interested to see if others feel the same who have read her previous works. All in all, still a solid read for fans of thriller/mystery genra.

This could be called The Midnight Read, because it’s that hard to put down.

Francesca lives in the present. She’s created a resort from her family’s ancestral home. Tome Manor is packed with wealthy guests for the opening. She’s planned their stay to be full of luxury and spectacle. Meanwhile, the townspeople of Tome remember the past - and what the family in the manor has taken from them. They have a different kind of spectacle planned.

Lucy Foley does everything right to make this a fast-paced read. The chapters are short. The point-of-view swings between characters brimming with secrets. And of course there’s murder.

I enjoyed her other novels in this genre, but this should go right at the top. Five stars and thanks for the advance read to NetGalley and William Morrow.

I swore off Lucy Foley books after The Paris Apartment because of how much I hated it. This redeemed her. The reveals weren’t the most shocking, it wasn’t as scary as I wanted it to be, and part of the ending was a let down. But I enjoyed every character’s perspective, which has been an issue for me in her past books. I also loved everything to do with The Birds, the slow reveals about everything, and the overall vibe and atmosphere. I wouldn’t recommend it if you read lots of mystery/thrillers and want something unique with a twist you won’t see coming. But if you just want a fun read that keeps you engaged and intrigued, this is the perfect book.

I have read many Lucy Foley books, and I think this is my favorite so far! It was a page turner for sure! I loved the storyline and the mystery of the connections between all the characters! This is definitely a must read.

Perched on the precipice of the summer solstice, heiress/influencer/It Girl Francesca Woodland is poised to make certain the whole world knows about her newly renovated, ultra-luxurious resort, where the wealthy escape to get their chakras aligned, fondle energetic, vibe-rich crystals, drink local organic free range gluten-free juices and all sorts of other nonsense that gullible people with more money than sense are into. Her doting architect husband, Owen, is at her to side to ensure everything runs smoothly and continue work on the property. Despite their best efforts to present a perfect facade to the guests and the public, unsettling and disturbing things are happening around the resort. Is it the enigmatic stranger, possibly from Francesca's past, who is slyly disguised as just another guest, ready to exact vengeance for some mysterious event that occurred 15 years prior? Could it be the villagers who were unhappy that Francesca had begun construction in the woods, taking down trees that were sacred to the community and part of their local legend and lore? Could it be Owen himself, who we soon learn is hiding secrets of his own? Told from multiple perspectives and dual timelines, we read as Detective Walker tries to piece together how the posh resort came to be a smoking ruin, with several dead in the fire. What strangeness happened on that solstice evening, and how does an incident from a decade and a half ago fit into this narrative? There's not a single character in this story who is not keeping a secret--from the absolutely awful Francesca to her not-quite-what-he-seems husband, from vengeful Bella to the intrepid detective, to the hotel support staff to the villagers to the haunting entities in the woods--everyone here is a bit of a riddle, has an agenda, and fits into the puzzle in different ways. One of Lucy Foley's finest stories yet.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to read an early copy of The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley in exchange for my honest opionion.



The Midnight Feast is about a small town named Tome, which is steeped in folklore and legends. These legends involve questions about a society that oversaw that justice was fulfilled for the members of the town. Francesca Meadows is a famous holistic influencer who has used her inheritance to set up a retreat in Tome for the extremely wealthy. This retreat for the wealthy isn’t well received by the town residents which most live in a state of poverty. Francesca has a past that involves many people in the town and this past is showing back up.



This was a fun time! It did start kind of slow and a bit confusing. For the first 20%, I had no idea what the mystery was about. This book was in typical Foley format with multiple points of view and every piece of the puzzle is doled out one at a time until it all comes together at the end. After the story got going, I had a hard time putting it down and couldn’t wait to see how it ended. Once you get through the initial setup, the rest of the ride is wild. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in mystery, small towns and folklore.

My first Lucy Foley was "The Guest List," which I found utterly fascinating. She lost me a bit with "The Paris Apartment", but if you preferred TGL, this one's for you!

Alison is on a summer break with her family to Tome, with her parents. They aren’t extraordinarily well-off, so they are staying in a caravan park. Alison spends some time at a local beach where she meets Frankie (Francesca). Frankie’s family is well off, she is spending her summer at Tome Manor (owned by her grandparents) with her twin brothers, as well.

Alison quickly learns that Frankie is a bit dodgy. She does some weird things to “test” Alison’s allegiance to her, tries to dissuade her from continuing to meet local boys at the beach (Jake), and runs very hot/cold at the weirdest of times. Additionally, she tells a “scary story” of The Birds and the mysterious tree of eyes that accepts written grudges to be resolved.

Fast forward 15y and it is opening weekend of Francesca’s (highly advertised) business venture - a high-end, outdoor oasis, at (the inherited) Tome Manor. There are outdoor bungalows in the woods, an infinity pool, a spa, and….townspeople who are (rightly) angry that Francesca has taken over some “shared space” that used to be walking trails used by the locals. Francesca’s husband, Owen, is the architect that has brought this dream to life.

All guests attending opening weekend have been vetted for the appropriate energy (by providing bios and photos). Bella, a single guest assigned a bungalow on the woodside, keeps to herself. She attracts Francesca’s attention the first full day when Francesca wonders if she recognizes Bella as someone from her past. That afternoon, Owen finds a mysterious handwritten letter addressed to Francesca. Finally delivering it to her that evening, Francesca indicates the letter indicating a “midnight meeting in the woods” must be some sort of prank, but it has confirmed (to Francesca) that Bella is not who her bio pretends her to be.

Will the past come back round and will wrongs be righted? Will the rich continue to be able to skate by on their loads of cash with no repercussions?

Thank you Netgalley for the eArc!

The Midnight Feast is set up similarly to Lucy Foley’s other novels, with multi-POV with a timeline of about 24 hours, though there are “flashbacks” to the past. We have the opening of The Manor, a fancy wellness retreat sort of setting that’s run by Francesca Meadows, a Gwyneth Patltrow wannabe with a questionable past. We also see from her husband, Owen’s POV as well as Bella (a guest, or someone else??), Eddie (a teenage worker at the hotel), and Detective Inspector Walker, whose point of view we see after the inciting event has occurred (a body is discovered after a wild summer solstice! oooh!).

I can typically keep track of multi-POV stories, and I really enjoyed it for The Guest List, but The Paris Apartment fell flat for me. This felt similar to The Paris Apartment where everyone’s perspectives felt disjointed with each other’s, and there were a couple (ahem, Francesca) that I just couldn’t stand reading from, because they were just too over the top.

The middle of the book got a bit better for me, and I found myself wanting to pick up the book more to see what happened; it felt like everything was building up to this crazy solstice night with the fear of “The Birds” in the woods, but then the ending fell pretty flat for me. I rolled my eyes quite a bit at the cheesiness of the ending, honestly.

What I liked: The multi-POV set-up kept the story moving, and kept things interesting for the most part. I thought the scenes in the woods were particularly tension filled and creepy. I like reading about rich, privileged people getting their due.

What I didn’t like: There were a lot of different names thrown around outside of the main POVs, which made this story very confusing at times. Similar names used in present and past timelines didn’t help. The past timeline is told through journal entries, which I’ve solidified is a writing device I strongly dislike because it provides a surface level telling of what happened, at least that’s how I feel when I read journal entries; I feel like I’m not getting the full story. The whole concept of “The Birds” was so interesting in the beginning, and I feel like the full potential of that storyline was not realized. There could’ve been more creepy scenes with them! The story line with the trespassing teenagers seemed incredibly unnecessary. You’re probably thinking now, wow there were a lot of storylines and components to this story! Yes, you’re right, and they didn’t all fit together at all, which made the story convoluted and took away from the meat of it, in my opinion.

Overall, giving this a 3 star. I liked it more than Paris Apartment, but didn’t beat The Guest List for me, but I will keep giving Lucy Foley a chance in the future.

Lucy Foley returns to form with another fantastic dark, edge of your seat thriller. Told from multiple POV's that brings the past into the present, once you learn who everyone is, you will be truly mind blown.

Loved the atmosphere, the creepy dark woods with some supernatural elements and loved the ending!

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I could not put this book down. Similar to the Guest List and Hunting Party, Lucy has a way of sucking you into a thriller. The different POVs really help the story along and the twists are great. I thought I saw some coming and I was totally wrong. Definitely pick this book up!

I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher.