A wonderful immersive mystery. Told from varying point of view, from days before the "Midnight Feast", the day after, and 15 years before when another tragedy occurred. This may easily be my favorite of Lucy Foley's books. Interesting characters that are somehow interconnected and a creepy, suspenseful storyline makes this a can't-miss read!

Lucy Foley does it again! It's opening night at the Manor, a mystic, zen retreat built into the hills and the woods, owned by a goddess-like figure who is determined to create her legacy. Meet those who work there, those who visit, and the locals who aren't fans of the new resort in town. Flash forward a day, and the resort is on fire, and a body is found. Turns out, not everyone is who they seems.

Loved this thriller, it had the perfect amount of twists and turns. I remain a Foley fan!

"The Midnight Feast" by Lucy Foley is an intriguing and atmospheric novel that captivates with its blend of suspense and drama. Foley's storytelling excels in creating a richly detailed setting and a cast of complex, well-drawn characters, making it easy for readers to become fully immersed in the narrative.

The plot centers around a mysterious midnight gathering that unravels secrets and tensions among a group of friends, keeping readers on edge with its well-timed reveals and twists. Foley’s writing is crisp and engaging, drawing readers into a world where every detail contributes to the suspense.

However, the novel does have some pacing issues, with certain sections feeling a bit sluggish as the story unfolds. Additionally, some of the character motivations can seem a bit contrived, occasionally pulling readers out of the narrative flow.

Overall, "The Midnight Feast" is a compelling read that combines suspense with sharp character exploration, making it a worthwhile choice for fans of psychological thrillers.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars for an enjoyable ending

This was my first Lucy Foley book, so I cannot give a comparison, but I can say I enjoyed her writing style. My only complaint with the book was that it felt slow and dragged in places. The characters were well developed and lots of detail was given to set up the plot though m. It took me a while to get through the book because there was no real suspense or plot that seemed urgent to keep pressing through. It was much more of a slow build and burn. The ending definitely did pick up around 80-85%, and I felt like the ending tied a nice little bow on the story. All in all, I would recommend the book and the author with the preface of preparing for a slow burn.

The hunting party, the Paris apartment- those were great!! This? Not as much- however, what someone finds yuck, may find their yum… so, I think Lucy is still a phenomenal writer, I just feel this was a bit slower and fell flat comparatively.

Lucy Foley does it again. Perfect spooky setting with a hair-raising folk tale. The twists have twists, and those twists have even more twists. As we have come to know, Lucy wraps the book up in a perfect bow. Everything comes together. All the pieces in the puzzle. She is one of my favorite authors and always delivers. Different POVs and as the story unfolds you are rooting for this little town of Tome and its townspeople.

Francesca created a luxury retreat at her family’s estate, The Manor, along with the help of her architect husband Owen. The Manor is located on an the estate and has a dark eerie feeling about it along with woods full of secrets from the past and a large emphasis on the birds who may or may not be a superstitious myth. Locals are upset this property is bring turned into such a bougie vacation spot. Bella has been invited here, has past ties to this property, and she doesn’t know who invited her. Eddie is an employee at the manor and he is trying to solve the past mysteries. Bella is running into people who she used to know 15 years ago and is wondering who brought them back together or why.
This story is told from multiple different people’s perspectives both before and after the solstice with added old diary entries. It made it a bit hard for me to keep track of the timeline with the flipping back and forth between before and after. Besides, Owen, Bella, Francesca, and Eddie, it is also told from Detective Walker’s perspective after the fire and the deaths. I didn’t expect a couple of the twists but overall, I wasn’t incredibly interested in the storyline and the flipping back quickly between characters and timelines was a bit confusing to me.
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Perfect Summer Thriller! The book got off to a slow star for me, and it was a little tricky to keep track of all the old and new characters, but it really came together as the story kept going. The plot was masterful, building to a surprising and satisfying ending. Definitely recommend!

A midnight feast is planned at the Manor in Dorset for its guests, to celebrate the summer solstice. The owner Francesca has inherited the Manor from her grandmother. The beach below is private and for guests only, but local boys access it by boat from the sea, claiming right of passage through the grounds and woods for the local residents. Strange things began to happen: there is a fire at the manor house, a guest finds a black feather on the bed, the local area is rife with pagan traditions, there are hidden cameras, a cave in a hidden cove by the sea, and then someone falls from the high cliffs overlooking the sea onto the rocks below.

Atmospheric setting, contrasting characters of locals and visitors - but the reader doesn't know offhand who the bad guys or girls might be in the final analysis.

The setting was memorable, the plot just so so, the characters did not really stand out for me. An average thriller from the plot point of view.

It always takes a little while to get into a book with multiple POVs. But once the story picked up I was invested. I 100% did not guess that ending, and it kept me guessing the whole time! The pacing felt a little off, but I still enjoyed this read, Thank you NetGalley, Lucy Foley, and William Morrow for this ARC!

It’s opening weekend at The Manor, a new luxury resort that spares no expense. On the night of the Midnight Feast, celebrating summer solstice, things go haywire as a fire breaks out, guests begin behaving strangely, and a body is found. Secrets from 15 years prior may be exposed as police begin to investigate this deadly evening, and the mysteries of the surrounding woods.

This book ended up being a pretty middle-of-the-road thriller for me! The whole “The Birds” concept was strange and almost seemed unnecessary to the story at times, and I also felt like some parts of the plot could have been developed a bit better. However, the book had some good twists and a solid ending, and was incredibly fast-paced with the multiple POVs and an action-packed plot. Overall, while not my favorite Lucy Foley thriller, it was a decent read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Williams Morrow Books for my gifted e-ARC!

Sadly, i could not get into this book. No worries, didn’t books satisfy different people! That’s the beauty of reading.

Francesa opens a resort on family property and causes rifts in the community. Townspeople resent the intrusion and the lack of consideration for their businesses that could benefit economically. In addition, a past death on the property is revisited and longheld secrets come to light.

I am so torn about this book. I’ve usually liked the rotating narrators from Foley’s past books, but it felt a bit overwhelming this go around. I spent the first third of the book very confused about who was who, but I did eventually settle into the rotation, and once I did I really appreciated the different perspectives. The plot itself also felt a little too similar to a couple of her past books (particularly The Guest List). Fans of her older books may be overjoyed for more of the same, but it didn’t always feel like we were getting something entirely new. That said, there were a couple of things I really did enjoy about this book. First, I loved the atmosphere and the setting of this book - the small, superstitious community added so much for me, and it really fed into the Agatha Christie vibes. I also really enjoyed watching the relationships between the characters unfold, and I feel like the best parts of the mystery were really found in how they were all connected vs. the whodunnit. Overall, I’d say if you’re already a Lucy Foley fan then you should absolutely check this out. If you’re new to her work, I would go back and read her others first, then make your way back here. If you haven’t liked her before, then this definitely isn’t for you.

I have heard so many good things about Lucy Foley's books, but never had the chance to read one before now. The cover was enticing with the dark woods lit by hanging lanters. The description on the Midsummers celebration sounded like a great setting. But when it came down to it, I just didn't feel a connection to the story, and I wasn't as impressed as I hoped I'd be.

The story was a bit confusing at first, until I started to understand the characters and understood that some chapters were being told in the present, some in the future (the day following the party), and some in the past (through journal entries). There are many twists and reveals with characters not being exactly who they were presumed to be, but it felt like it took too long to get to that point for it to catch my interest. By about 75% of the way through, I was finally invested in finding out how it was going to wrap up, and I was eager to finish the book. But before then, it was hard to push myself to try to get back into the story.

I wanted to love it, but I just didn't get there. Still, I would consider trying Foley's books again in the future and hope for the best!

Thank You to William Morrow and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Lucy Foley's *The Midnight Feast* offers an engaging premise with a group of friends reuniting for a lavish dinner party. The suspense builds effectively, and Foley's knack for creating atmospheric settings is evident. However, the plot felt somewhat predictable, and some character arcs lacked depth. While it's a decent read for fans of Foley's previous works, it doesn't quite hit the mark compared to her other novels. Still, the book's twists and turns provide enough intrigue to keep readers turning the pages.

A fun atmospheric thriller that has a LOT of characters and tangled history — with some twists and turns amid a Midsommer-like retreat.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This is by far my favorite Lucy Foley novel. Told through multiple POV. And it seems like everyone is out for revenge,

Lucy Foley does it again! She has crafted such a twisty, atmospheric mystery with quite the cast of characters!

This is as much a story of filthy rich vs poor as it is a murder mystery, and I think Foley does a great job at showing how money and influence can really corrupt ones morals and ethics for life.

Apart from that, this was just a really fun read! I enjoyed the back and forth between past and present, and seeing how everything came together in the end!

This was a quick mystery. While spooky at times, it wasn't overly scary and I was pretty eager to find out what was going on. While not a favorite of the year, Lucy Foley never disappoints.