I found myself immersed in a narrative that emphasized not the destination, but the paths each character traversed. Bella, Francesca, Owen, Eddie, and DI Williams each embarked on their own journey, navigating through life's twists and turns. While the plot lacked the exhilarating twists typical of a thriller, it compensated with its straightforward approach, allowing the characters to take center stage. Foley's strength lies in the meticulous development of characters, with each protagonist undergoing a transformative journey, for better or worse. However, amidst the rich character tapestry, Bella stood out as a glaring anomaly. Unlike her counterparts, Bella's character felt underdeveloped and lacked the depth that would have enriched the narrative. The confrontation between Bella and Francesca, a pivotal moment in the story, fell flat, failing to contribute meaningfully to the overarching plot. Additionally, Owen's character, despite being the most profoundly impacted, remained largely peripheral, a missed opportunity to delve deeper into his psyche. Despite these shortcomings, "The Midnight Feast" is a poignant exploration of personal growth and the myriad ways in which life shapes us. This is a must-read.

I would like to express my gratitude to William Morrow and NetGalley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this one! It has a unique premise and an interesting blend of characters.

Francesca is opening up a resort named The Manor (think White Lotus), and she has hired some locals (Eddie, Ruby) to staff the resort. Along with her architect husband Owen and resort manager Michelle, they are overseeing the grand opening and the "midnight feast"/solstice celebration. Will their plans for the resort be thwarted by the locals or maybe even the guests?

I liked how this novel had tension between the locals (the "have nots") and the resort (the "haves"). There were enough POVs to be interesting but not overwhelming. And I thought the writing was fairly strong, particularly at the beginning, when it was setting the scene.

The downside: This one really dragged in the middle, in my opinion. Most of the story leads up to the "midnight feast"/solstice, but then it will occasionally flash to afterward. While the reader doesn't find out the details until the end, broad strokes are brushed far before you get there. To me this took away the tension, and the middle was a little saggy.

I did like how one character shows up towards the end. I found that gratifying.

Overall, I think this will be one of Lucy Foley's more memorable novels!

This was my first Lucy Foley book and it turned out to be a quick and fun read for me. It’s told in multiple POVs but was easy to follow and not confusing. The chapters are short, the pacing fairly quick, and each chapter leaves you with a cliffhanger making you want to read more and more. The story wasn’t predictable and I was not sure who did what until everything unfolded.

4.5 ⭐️!! Lucy Foley can really do no wrong in my opinion, but this was by far my favorite Lucy Foley book I’ve read. It was unique in that you’re figuring out what happened and to whom at the same time. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like that element, but found myself saying “one more chapter” … and now it’s finished. It was gripping and I enjoyed it from beginning to end!

Thank you to William Morrow and author for this ARC!

3 ⭐️. I was so excited to get Lucy Foley’s newest book but unfortunately this one wasn’t it for me. It is a very slow burn, it unfolds through past, present and the day before present with multiple POVs. Many chapters were “cliff hanger” chapters that set up something up or teased something crazy happening but it felt like they never delivered on the build up. It got to a point where I felt like nothing was ever going to be revealed. I was rolling my eyes when one after another chapter was like that, too repetitive with minimal payoff. It picked up the last 20% of the book, which was a little too late to save it for me.

Quick blurb, takes place at a new fancy resort for the wealthy with exclusive guest lists and something happens one night on opening weekend that slowly (and I mean super slowly) gets revealed as the book unfolds. It is told from the perspective of the owner, a guest, a worker, a detective and the owners husband. Typically multiple POVs and time jumps can get jumbled, but this is Lucy’s specialty it seems since it is done in such a way that it never gets confusing. I also really enjoy locked room/isolated settings, so that worked really well too. I do think it ended a bit too abruptly and it could have gone into more detail but I wasn’t too bummed.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow and Lucy Foley for access to the egalley in exchange for my honest review.

I am a huge fan of Lucy Foley's books and this one proved to be just as good as the rest. Something I love about her books is just when I think I've figured out whats going on there's a twist that shows I was wrong. Part of the fun of these books is trying to follow the mystery, whether I'm guessing correctly or not. The story unfolded The setting for this one was certainly spooky, as there really is something scary about a forest after dark. The characters were compelling and I enjoyed the swapping between their POVs. If you've enjoyed Foley's other books, then you'll definitely enjoy this one. I will for sure be recommending it to my friends!

I haven’t read a Lucy Foley book I haven’t liked yet, and this book is no exception!
15 years after a terrible night a midnight feast happens. The craziness that ensues through this book keeps you guessing after every page! I absolutely could NOT stop reading until the very end of this book!
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

This mystery story tells about secrets and other things before, during, and after the opening weekend of The Manor. Each chapter is in each character’s point of view. There’s also journal entries from the past. When I read this book, I couldn't put it down. Thanks to the publishers William Morrow and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this book and do a review.

Lucy Foley does it again with another multiple POV masterpiece mystery to keep you guessing ‘till the very end!

Old, ancient secrets, secret agendas and secret pasts. Who dies and who survives?

This was so fun to read, the journal entries were such a fun touch, I was engaged cover to cover.
Getting chills, biting my nails, and ultimately dropping my jaw!

So fun, love a good Lucy Foley and this not disappoint!

Keep a look out for this on pub day June 18!
Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this gifted eARC!

Lucy Foley did it again! This mystery-thriller kept me on the edge of my seat the entire read, I didn’t know what was going to happen next! This book definitely could be a TV series of “who did it?!”!

SUCH a great read. Highly recommend.

I will link and post my public review below this, these are just some thoughts/suggestions directed to the author.

-Include a map drawing (it works perfectly because there is one in the diary anyway) at the start of the book. It was difficult to build a mental image of the area with the descriptions alone and would be a great touch.

-Completely change the wind blowing the diary open to. a convenient page, that read kind of lazy.

- The “I’m your brother, Eddie” line wasn’t great and that whole scene felt inorganic.

-Personally I would ditch Owen having the bird tattoo. There was enough misdirection in the book, not everything needs to be a twist or subversion.

*I received this book for free for review purposes*

#NO SPOILERS#

“Deep in the woods they gather. The same clearing they have always used; and their forebears before them, since the legends began. A strange flock. Black-robed, beast-headed. Born of the unknown depths of the wood: an image from a medieval woodcut, a dark folktale to frighten badly behaved children.”

Lucy foley has the impeccable ability to write thrillers that read like dramas.

From the deep interpersonal connections between characters, to the rich world building, you never quite know what you stepping into... but you know it'll be good.

Set on the sprawling English contry side of the Dorset Coast, Secrets lie deep in the brambles of tribal forests.In the year 2025 Francesca Meadows has decided to turn her ancestral manor into an Insta-worthy luxury resort. With the love of her life Owen by her side opening weekend is promising to be a smash hit, she has seen to every detail and left nothing to chance.

However, the locals in the nearby town are less than pleased with her plans for their native lands, old friends have decided it’s time for past secrets to come to light, enemies have infiltrated her perfect world, mysterious cults lurk in the shadows, and absolutely nothing is as it seems.

With maybe just one too many twists, this is a fun read that is highly engaging. You may have to operate under some suspension of disbelief to fully immerse yourself into the fantasy of the story, but if you do it’s worth it!

Creepy, claustrophobic and stunning and spectacular! I love Lucy Foley and this is another great novel!

The Midnight Feast refers to a tradition that a bored little rich girl started in the Summer one year. When it all goes awry, the participants
move far away from each other and try to forget the night. Many years later, a glamorous woman opens a luxury retreat in the town.
One of the summer participants returns and their flashbacks add tension to the story.

What is everyone hiding? You will not guess the twists!
#WiliamMorrow #Themidnightfeast #lucyfoley

In Lucy Foley's "The Midnight Feast," readers are immersed in a gripping mystery set within the luxurious confines of The Manor. What sets this novel apart is its eerie atmosphere and relentless pacing, making it a compelling page-turner that's hard to put down. Foley skillfully crafts a tangled web of secrets and betrayals, keeping readers enthralled until the final page. With each twist and turn, the tension mounts, drawing readers deeper into the heart of the mystery. For those seeking a captivating read that will keep them guessing until the very end, "The Midnight Feast" delivers in spades.

Thank you Lucy Foley and William Morrow for the chance to read this ARC!
*Will be posting my review to Amazon on publishing day.

The latest from Lucy Foley… and unfortunately not my favorite from her.

I do like a good locked room mystery and have enjoyed this author’s past works, but felt like her latest fell flat and was also was just a bit weird with some of it’s plot and themes.

Majority of the story occurs in Tome during the opening weekend of a luxury resort owned by by Francesca Meadows. Francesca grew up in Tome and there was always animosity between her family and the other locals and those sentiments have remained and even worsened leading up to the weekend. We have other POVs and timelines too: In the past there are journal entries written by a teenager, Bella who is befriended by Frankie, and spends a summer together only for it to end in horror. Bella is now a guest in the present looking for answers, there’s Eddie a local teenager, and Owen who married Bella but has secrets of his own. In the future there’s DI Walker who arrives at the scene to determine who died and why.

However, I struggled to like any character (Eddie maybe the only exception) and found them pretty annoying. Francesca especially, though that very well may have been intentional. I also thought all the characters were one dimensional and there wasn’t much development to them at all.

Then there’s the plot itself. Told in quick chapters, this was a fairly easy read and I did find myself interested into how all the puzzle pieces would come together at the end to tell the story. And as it progressed it did, but there was also so many extra side characters and plot points that didn’t really have a lot of relevance to the overarching story. There was also the idea of “The Birds” which sounded like small town folklore and I was curious about it early on! But the more it come up, the weirder it got and I ended up just not enjoying this inclusion.

The ending did have lots of stuff revealed and there were some full circle moments that really tied up some loose ends of the past and current. Ultimately while I think the premise was there, the execution didn't deliver for me.

This was a bit of a slow burn for me, but it picked up about a third of the way in and left me on the edge of my seat until the very end.
The story takes place at a newly-opened, high end resort in a rustic small town. Past and present story lines intertwine throughout the book, which simultaneously answered questions about the plot but opened many more.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it. That said, there were a few parts I didn’t love (i.e. the teenage-style writing in the journal, which made sense in context but annoyed me for some reason I can’t quite put my finger on). I did love how characters were unveiled in the end, but it did require a bit of suspension of disbelief in some instances.

This book is set in England at a newly renovated hotel named The Manor, the plot revolves around a mysterious event that occurred years ago. A group who wore costumes resembling giant birds appear from time to time and when they do, a death occurs. Francesca is determined to successfully open her new hotel, but everything is getting in the way. Despite a supportive husband Owen, support staff, and memories of growing up on the estate, a darkness continues to surround them.

This was a different read for me, the story unfolds through 3 POV’s plus 2 additional POV’s ( Eddie & Detective Walker), A Summer Journal from 2009 that lets the reader in on secrets from the past when Francesca ( Frankie), & Bella ( Sparrow) were young girls growing up in the town of Tome.
While I enjoyed many parts of it I also struggled with scenes that didn’t seem to connect, things that went unexplained and there were too many changes in POV. I think there was a good foundation to the story, it was just a very different reading experience from an author I have read from before.

If you like twisty thrillers with some folklore/paranormal aspects, I'd recommend giving this a read!

Available June 18, 2024.

Many thanks to NetGalley & William Morrow for granting me an early release e-ARC of The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley. I have enjoyed all of Lucy’s backlist. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review

THE MIDNIGHT FEAST is Lucy Foley at her best!

In rural coastal England, a new swanky resort is having its opening weekend. Owner, the eccentric and charismatic Francesca, has spared no expense and has invited London's most wealthy. But what she doesn't know is that there's someone from her past who's there to expose her--and some guests won't survive the night.

This one had all the hallmarks of a Lucy Foley book--locked room, compelling characters, and a lush setting. There were multiple POVs that kept me guessing the whole time, and so many reveals that came out of nowhere.

The VIBES of this book--IMMACULATE. Slightly Gothic, creepy, and a hint of witchyness gave the book a great ambiance.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC of this book!

The Midnight Feast is my favorite Lucy Foley novel to date. We get another locked room murder mystery, this time set at The Manor, an old house that's been made over into a luxury resort despite ire from locals. The story is set slightly in the future, in 2025, and secrets are revealed as a mysterious guest relives what happened 15 years ago in this very place. Multiple POVs keep you guessing as to what really happened all those years ago that leads to the disaster in the current timeline. In addition to the main characters, there's also the mysterious (and creepy) The Birds that seem to be haunting the woods and willing to take revenge on trespassers. Great murder mystery to keep you guessing and entertained.

Having eagerly anticipated delving into Lucy Foley's acclaimed works for some time, receiving an advance copy of "The Midnight Feast" was a thrilling opportunity to finally immerse myself in her storytelling.

While my expectations were high, I must admit that this particular thriller didn't quite hit the mark for me. The twists and turns, while present, lacked the electrifying shock-factor I had hoped for, leaving me yearning for more profound revelations.

One aspect that proved challenging was the abundance of characters to keep track of. At times, juggling multiple narratives became overwhelming, detracting from the overall enjoyment of piecing together the intricate plot.

Additionally, while I appreciated Foley's unique storytelling approach, I found the inclusion of "The Birds" storyline to be somewhat repetitive and, in all honesty, unnecessary. Its presence seemed to distract rather than enhance the main narrative, leaving me questioning its relevance.

Despite these shortcomings, Foley's writing style undeniably shines through, showcasing her talent for crafting compelling prose and intricate plots. Though "The Midnight Feast" may not have been my favorite, it hasn't dampened my enthusiasm for exploring more of Foley's work in the future.

Thank you to Lucy Foley, William Morrow, and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book but I just didn’t. It felt really dragged on and I felt kinda bored at a lot of points. I gave 3 stars because the ending was pretty good. The twists and pieces falling together was put together really well.