3.5 stars

Foley writes a consistently good thriller, but I usually end up hating all of the characters. The Midnight Feast happened to be an exception!

We had 4 different POVs both past and present over the course of three days, and also journal entries from 15 years before. I liked the quick takes from past to present to give the reader more information into the motivations of one of the main characters, Bella.

I was getting Nine Perfect Strangers vibes at first, but the small, coastal town vibes gave some serious creep factors when the local lore of The Birds was discussed. Time spent in the woods for any of the characters gave me major chills.

Typical of some of Foley’s characters from other books, there were some who gave me major ick and others I felt truly sorry for. There is a rich kids vs poor, local kids dynamic where the rich are never reprimanded nor seem bothered for the trouble they cause as someone is always cleaning up after them. There was definitely a lot of trauma and heartache stemming from the events of the diary leading up to present day events.

The Midnight Feast hits all the right thriller notes; there are some major twists and turns you won’t see coming. This is a darkly tense revenge plot that will play out to a satisfying end.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Marrowj and Lucy Foley for an advanced e-copy of this book.

Not going to lie, I was disappointed by this book. I felt like the build up to this book was great and kept me invested. The short chapters were great and I loved how quickly the book was paced. However, once we figure out what is going on, it seems a bit of a let down. I feel like the ending and the huge night that we all were waiting for was kind of thrown away and there was not a whole lot of suspense or crazy twists. It just seemed like the author gave up halfway through and there was a lot left unanswered.

I had to DNF this one. It sounded so intriguing but I just couldn't get into it. I tried multiple times. I know other people are loving it though and I do think some people are going to enjoy this one. Was just too slow moving for me.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

Thank you NetGalley, Lucy Foley & Harper Collins for the free ARC.
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Wow! I am not entirely sure where to start with this one. This was yet another excellent read from Lucy Foley. The Midnight Feast, like her other novels, follow a series of characters as you piece together a crime & a shared history. This one was a little darker than her others but it was so well done. She is a master at weaving stories & throwing multiple twists in throughout.
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I recently met Lucy at Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate & it was such a great experience. Hearing her speak about her writing process & how she creates her characters & stories made me love this even more! Thank you Lucy for another great story!

I'd like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

I am a big Lucy Foley fan and this one did not disappoint!! It starts as a nice, slow burn, but the buildup and big reveals at the end are all worth it!

The book is told from alternating timelines of 15 years in the past, and the present. The present timeline leads us slowly through the days/nights leading up to the big Midnight Feast (Solstice) and then the day after. The main characters are Francesca - the leader of the Manor, her husband and architect Owen, guest Bella, staff members Michelle & Eddie, and a whole lot of unhappy locals in the town of Tome.

Things go from bad to worse on this opening weekend of The Manor and its pièce de résistance, the Midnight Feast, which is some sort of local tradition. Francesca seems like an all-around horrible human being from the get-go, which is not surprising given the excerpts from the past in which she is a horrible teen as well. She did some really horrible things; things her friend "Sparrow" can never forgive her for. Somehow, she managed to find the perfect husband, who worships the ground she walks on -- but it seems they are both hiding big secrets about who they are from each other.

Bella is at the Manor, initially for unknown reasons, but then it becomes clear she wants revenge. Poor, local, farm boy Eddie, gets pulled unsuspectingly into Bella's plans and gets in way over his head. The night of the Midnight feast is complete chaos: sabotage, birds, drugs, drunken debauchery, fire, death, revenge, Birds, justice, truth.

And then there's The Birds. Initially thought to be just folklore or a hallucination. Turn out to be very real, very deadly, and very close to home. This book is full of lies and secrets. Secrets and lies. Hardly anyone is who they seem.

This book is SO GOOD!! Seriously, go read it! The reveals will knock your socks off! I will definitely be recommending this one to my book clubs and Mystery/Thriller friends!

Although I have enjoyed other Lucy Foley’s book, I found this one to be a bit odd. It just wasn’t for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks so much to Lucy Foley and William Morrow for the eARC of the title. This was such a great mystery Thriller book, I’m definitely reading more of her work. It first part of the book took me a bit to get through but once I hit the 2/3 mark I finished it so quickly. Will definitely recommend.

Unfortunately there were just too many storylines/characters for me to keep straight, so instead of being “thrilled” I was just confused. Perhaps I wasn’t in the right headspace for this type of thriller but overall it was a fine book.

Like Lucy Foley does, she keeps you on your toes and flipping those pages like it’s your job to do it.. You question everyone, and trust no one. I think though- there were some aspects that just felt a little surface level for me but overall I enjoyed the story.

Francesca Meadows is the driving force behind The Manor, an exclusive woodland retreat for the rich and famous who want to get away from it all while being pampered. The guests have been invited for the opening weekend, which coincides with the summer solstice. Francesca herself works hard to radiate calm, peacefulness, and serenity. She expects her staff, recruited mostly from the local village, to handle all emergencies great and small. The locals aren't too thrilled that this new business is taking over farmland and woods that were previously open to everyone. As the guests arrive, it turns out that someone from Francesca's past has gotten herself invited and is hoping to settle an old score. As the story opens, a body has been found on the beach below the cliff where The Manor sits. The police are investigating, and the story moves back and forth between the present police investigation, the days leading up to the death, and the past events that Francesca is trying too hard to hide.

For the most part, I enjoyed the story and the way it unfolded. The chapters were told from the viewpoints of various characters and the chapters were short. There was a bit of local folklore about "the birds" in the village taking it upon themselves to punish any wrongdoers, so Francesca might need to watch for any swooping feathered entities! Of course, nearly everyone has something from their pasts that they are trying to conceal, and as the action heats up, it was interesting to follow the many clues and wrong paths to try to work out who the dead bodies (there turn out to be more than the one on the beach) might be and who was responsible for the deaths. I didn't really enjoy all the sinister bird discussions, but I think the author did a good job of confusing us as to whether the deaths might have a supernatural element. I also thought the whole "that terrible thing we did 10 years ago is about to come out!" trope was a bit tired. It was an enjoyable enough read otherwise, with several people you love to hate!

A solid 4.5 stars and my favorite by Foley yet!

If you enjoyed the Paris Apartment by her, I think you will enjoy this one as well. Another book surrounded rich, arrogant people where their years of treating everyone less than them come back to bite them in the butt.

Francesca Meadows opened the oasis of her dreams. It's opening weekend and everything should be perfect. But the town she opened it in have something to say about the resort. And some people from her past are finally ready to talk about what happened 15 years ago...and do something about it.

I thought it was fast paced. I saw a few reviews who thought there were too many POVs, I didn't think so. I didn't feel confused at all. As someone who reads a lot of thrillers, I’m surprised to see this not getting more love! The journal entries keep you on edge, the characters are interesting, there are a lot of twists and most of which i didn’t see coming. I overall really enjoyed the novel and will continue to keep reading Lucy Foleys novels. Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

First off, a massive shout-out to NetGalley & William Morrow for hooking me up with this ARC. Seriously, you guys made my TBR pile a lot happier! I've been eyeing this book for ages, and when I finally got the green light, I might have done a little happy dance. Spoiler: Foley did not disappoint!

Picture this: a quaint, secluded town with a B&B so picturesque it screams "take a selfie here!" But wait, there's a twist—this place, called The Manor, has a past darker than your ex's soul. The owner? Imagine Nicole Kidman's character from "Nine Perfect Strangers" but sprinkle in some extra entitlement and a dash of murder.

We dive straight into the action with The Manor going up in flames and a dead body taking a dip in the water. From there, Foley whisks us back in time to unravel the deadly events that led to this fiery chaos.

Foley masterfully cranks up the suspense and dishes out twists at the perfect moments. Sure, I saw a few coming, but there were plenty that left me gobsmacked (that ending, though!). I've seen some grumbles in the review world, but honestly, I had a blast with this book and would totally recommend it! I'm giving this 4 stars!

This author seems to be hit or miss with me. This book was just okay, in my opinion. As is typical these days, chapters alternated between different POVs and timelines, creating a little confusion occasionally. I think the "birds" could have been eliminated as they didn't really add anything to the storyline but a bit of nonsense. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I found this a very strange story. Lots of storylines and characters and a crazy folklore about The Birds. It took a long time to get into this story, there was so much going on and I know it was all needed to make the story fleshed out - but it just took to long for me to get into the real storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review. I enjoyed Lucy Foley’s The Guest List a few years back and was looking forward to this release. Overall I found it… fine? I enjoyed the exposition at the beginning and the setup explaining the resort and the small English town it grew out of. But I think there were one too many “big reveals” especially involving characters who were someone else than who they were pretending to be. I just didn’t buy the believability of the plot line much. It also wrapped up a little too neatly at the end as well. I gave it 3.5 stars as I found it enjoyable but wouldn’t necessarily rush out to recommend it.

Similar to a few of her other books, Lucy Foley’s latest book is a claustrophobic story as tension mounts and the reader recognizes how isolated the characters are at the retreat. Again, this isolation has been done before, so it was hard not to compare Ms. Foley’s books, but she is an entertaining writer.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars for this one. It wasn't terrible, but I wasn't very impressed with it.

Lucy Foley's "The Midnight Feast" is a captivating read that delivers on atmosphere and intrigue but falls short in a few key areas. The novel's strength lies in its richly described settings and the palpable tension that Foley masterfully builds. The story revolves around a group of friends who gather for a weekend getaway, only for secrets and past grievances to surface, leading to unexpected and dramatic outcomes.

Foley excels at creating complex characters, each with their own motives and hidden depths. However, at times, the large cast can be overwhelming, making it difficult to keep track of everyone's backstories and relationships. Some characters feel underdeveloped, leaving readers wanting more depth and insight into their actions and decisions.

The plot is engaging and keeps you turning the pages, but it occasionally relies too heavily on clichés and predictable twists. While the suspense is well-maintained, some of the reveals feel a bit forced and less impactful than expected.

Overall, "The Midnight Feast" is an enjoyable book with a compelling premise and a gripping atmosphere. It's perfect for readers who love a good mystery with a touch of drama. However, the underdeveloped characters and predictable plot points prevent it from reaching its full potential.

I was surprised with the content of this book. I couldn’t quite keep up with the characters while reading but closer to the end, it all came together. It did have a surprising ending A good book doesn’t always need the foul language to draw people in.

I will always pick up a Lucy Foley book so was excited when I heard she was coming out with a new book. The premise of this book sounded interesting however overall it was alright.