Rating: 3/5 stars

The Manor is a new exclusive resort, but it harbors dark secrets…

I’ve enjoyed all of Lucy Foley’s past books, but unfortunately this one just didn’t do it for me. The pacing was way too slow, and I felt like I didn’t know what the “questions” were until the “answers” were already revealed—my least favorite kind of thriller. The characters were also very unlikable to me, so I struggled to stay invested.

That said, this is an atmospheric book, and I really enjoyed the ending specifically (the epilogue was the best part by FAR). I’ve seen some good reviews floating around and I think those who enjoy a super slow burn thriller may find more to enjoy here, as well!

CW: Murder/death/violence; animal death; suicide attempt; drug use; sexual assault

After reading “The Guest List” and “The Paris Apartment,” I had high expectations for this book. While I’m currently on summer break, I was hoping this book would provide the same mystery, intrigue, urgency, and surprise as Foley’s other thrillers. However, I found myself spending most of the book just trying to orient myself. While I’m used to navigating multiple perspectives and time jumps in thrillers, I found that I had a lot of trouble orienting myself with this one. From characters having multiple names, to the prose being very similar for several characters, to the introduction of some potentially supernatural/magical elements (still unclear), I spent most of this book just trying to figure out what was going on in a given chapter. It wasn’t until the last 25% of the book when I finally figured out who was who and what was going on, and could finally get into the actual plot. On top of all of that, the big reveal was underwhelming. In fact, the biggest shock to me was something that was arguably insignificant to the plot.

Despite my qualms, I still would recommend The Midnight Feast for your next book club. I have high expectations for Foley after her prior works, but this is still bound to spark conversation at your book club or on the beach this summer.

*thank you @netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

I was excited going in to this read because I really enjoyed The Guest List and was in desperate need of a thriller! This one is very slow paced in my opinion, but the overall story line was entertaining enough that it kept me going, however…

there were so many povs and timelines going on and I’m so confused on what actually happened, yet the story was still somehow predictable? idk there were just so many elements and twists happening that it was hard to be attached to any particular aspects of this story and every character kinda sucked.

this one def had rich people murder mystery vibes that made for an entertaining summer thriller!

read if you like: multiple pov and timelines, murder mystery, Hitchcock’s “The Birds”, who done it

rating: 3/5 ⭐️

Lucky Foley has done it again. She kept me glued to every page and I sat there and enjoyed the ride of many twists and turns! Bravo! Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy!

This is an excellent murder mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The book starts off with a body on a shore, discovered by some fisherman, and then it just takes off into the unraveling of how this resort came about and how all the characters all with their own agenda contribute to what eventually happens at the midnight feast. This was a really well tall story that unfolded in such a great pattern, where even with all of the characters within the story, you could still follow along and feel the angst and anger and emotions of each and everyone involved in this story.

Holy. Cow. Lucy Foley truly is a genius at storytelling and keeping you guessing.
I absolutely loved The Guest List because you had no idea who was killed or who done it until the very end. And she does it again. The twists and turns are just incredible.

The Midnight Feast has five POV’s. The owner of The Manor, her husband, the mystery guest, the kitchen help and the detective. They all have secrets from 15 years ago that just won’t stay buried. It’s kind of like if Gwyneth Paltrow had a dark past and it decided to unravel at the height of her career. You don’t see all the connections until the very end and the reveals are just mind blowing.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with a digital review copy of this amazing mystery novel.

I had the opportunity to read the arc of The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley!! This is a perfect summer thriller. A rich manor turned hotel pops up in a small town with a creepy history. There are references to solstice festival and one of my favorite things- a journal that gives you insight to the main characters lives summers earlier. As you slowly connect the pieces, this story will keep you on your toes until the very end. Thank you again to NetGalley for the opportunity. You can find The Midnight Feast wherever you typically buy your books!

“if you go down in the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise.”

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

It’s opening weekend at the Manor & no expense has been spared. Among the luxury linen aesthetic the guests spend the weekend trying to have a peaceful luxurious escape from their daily lives. Francesca Woodland, the owner, is planning to host a summer solstice feast when dark secrets begin to unravel. Surrounded by an ancient forest filled with mysterious creatures, folklore & the telling of old secrets this weekend might not turn out to be as luxurious as planned especially when a body is discovered.

When I tell you I INHALED this entire book. From the moment I started it to the last page I could NOT put this book down. At the beginning it definitely took me a second to get into the story but once I did it was absolutely worth it. Lucy Foley is a master in every facet but especially when it comes to multiple POV. It added so much dimension to the story & helped tell it in such a creative & consuming way. Being able to spend time with each character in their POV was so much fun & really had me trying to put together the puzzle pieces. Although I did try the twists in turns in this story were absolutely unpredictable in the best way possible. It kept me on my toes from beginning to end.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the incorporation of folklore that surrounds the forrest & the town of Tome. It interlaced itself with the mystery & brought together the past & present so seamlessly. I would be reading this & know realistically I was no where near this forrest but could feel the eeriness of the so called legend of “the Birds”. This book had such a submerssive reading experience. It completely took me out of my head & felt like I was transported into the Manor as a guest & watching the events play out.

I absolutely loved the flow of this book . It’s structured in short chapters with fast paced dialogue & details to help keep us hooked into the story. I had so much adrenaline while reading. I haven’t been scared from a book in a long time & this book actually had me looking over my shoulder. Absolutely loved every second of it & didn’t want it to end. I don’t want to give too much away but this is a must read.My favorite from Lucy Foley & one of my favorite reads of 2024!

Thank you so much to NetGallery and William Morrow for providing me with an ARC to this amazing thriller!

This initially kind of reminded me of Midsommar because it definitely gives rich people cult vibes but what kept me reading was that each narrator was distinct from the others. The story timelines were wibbly wobbly as we have come to expect from multiple POV thrillers so sometimes I needed to remind myself where in time we were but it never made the story less engaging. There was an undercurrent of that feeling you get in a movie where there’s suspenseful score but nothing happens…So you’re kept on edge until it eventually crashes. Lucy Foley has done it again and I’m so thankful to Net Galley and William Morrow for the advance copy of this book! It has started my summer of reading off right.

I really tried to get invested in this read, but I just couldn’t. The characters were dull, the plot moved slowly, and I wasn’t dying to turn the pages to find what happens next. I didn’t find the end result to be very original or interesting, so ultimately I was disappointed with the read.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

This is my favorite Lucy Foley novel yet! We have childhood friends reunited combined with rich people behaving badly combined with a super posh party at a swanky new hotel. Francesca Meadows is thrilled to be finally opening up her wellness retreat hotel for the privileged along with her new husband, Owen. She has a whole weekend planned around the solstice and wants everything to go as planned. Unfortunately for Francesca, we can't always get what we want.

The book is written from several points of view over the course of a few days. There are also flashbacks to Francesca's past as well of those of some of her guests and employees. As the book unfolds, we come to see how all these storylines interconnect as a terrible secret is revealed. There is a theme of locals vs. the super-rich and how each feels about sharing the same property lines. There are twists and turns throughout. The short chapters keep the pages turning. Even though the chapters tend to jump from one person to the next and past timelines are revisited, Foley never loses or confuses her reader. You are just left wondering how it all plays out in the end.

I highly recommend this one to anyone looking for a twisty mystery thriller book to add to their collection. The atmosphere woven throughout is fantastic and the ending is super satisfying.

I said it before and I will say it again…. I love love love @lucyfoleyauthor books!! 😍 She is one of the best in my opinion of mastering a good atmospheric read!! Locked 🔒 room mysteries that literally make me.. feel panicked.. 😳😂 Huge thank you to @williammorrowbooks #partner for this absolutely gorgeous gifted copy!! 🥰🥰

Pub day is June 18th!! 🥳🥳

This book was wild!!! Listen to this… A luxurious manor… exclusive… you must be “vetted” before staying there…Francesca insists if you are staying at her retreat… she will know who you are.😉

The atmosphere was my favorite thing about this book. It was so creepy and ominous!! 😳 There were BIRDS… not normal birds… 🦅 … I tell you… it freaked me the hell out!! What was that?!! 😮 In between the healing 🧘‍♀️ vibes Francesca was putting out… there was sooo much chaos…

What did I love???

✅ Locked room mystery
✅ Creepy… almost borders on horror 😳😍
✅ Manor Mules for EVERYONE!! 🥃Cheers! 😉
✅ Freaky Birds 🦅
✅ A absolutely mouth dropping.. gasp worthy twist… that I NEVER saw coming!! 👏👏🤯🤯 Okay there is more than one twist but this one blew me away. 🤩

I absolutely loved The Guest List and this gives me a similar vibe… just waaayy darker!! 😍 I loved it!!

💚💚💚 Is this on your TBR? What is your favorite @lucyfoleyauthor book??

Predictive text… this should be good.. 😉… The Midnight Feast was so good and I loved it!! OMG 😳… PERFECT!! 👏👏 💚💚💚

The Midnight Feast, by Lucy Foley, is a compelling, cryptic, legend-filled folk story with mystery, murder, mischief and mayhem.

Taking place at the Manor, a highly exclusive, new-age, health and wellness resort for the uber wealthy, the locals are none too pleased and make their feelings known. The three day opening event for the retreat culminates in a Midnight Feast on the summer solstice. The days leading up to the Feast are riddled with unusual, mystifying problems. When a body shows up on the beach, discovered by local fisherman, we work our way backwards, reading from the day before the feast and the day after the feast, with different POVs. We unravel, piece-by-piece, the mystery of who was found and what lead them to their demise.

The Midnight Feast is a highly suspenseful, eerily creepy story with layers of deceit and secrets galore. I found it to be unique, with local folklore built into the plot and characters with impactful histories. It’s a sinister story that is entertaining, captivating, and a great choice for summer, or anytime of year.

This book felt too similar to the guest list for me and I couldn’t get fully into the plot unfortunately. But I did like it more than Paris apartment!

When Bella arrives for her stay at the opening weekend of a resort, it turns out there is far more at play than a vacation. The owners, Francesca and Owen, have their own secret ties to the land; however, the neighboring town is unhappy with the opening, since they no longer have access to their land. They also have to deal with the town legend of the Birds who have their own ways of dealing with the wrongdoings in their area, and they are making their presence known during the opening. As it turns out, the main characters, Bella, Eddie, Owen, Francesca, and DI Walker, all were called to the area because of an event that occurred years before. I did not see one of the final reveals coming, and I did enjoy the way the past came to light at the end.

Opening weekend at The Manor, the new high end hotel where the owners have gone all out to give their guests a great experience including the Midnight Feast on the midsummers evening. But the next morning the police are summoned as a body had been discovered on the beach, and a fire has consumed the beautiful building. Is this the work of local folklore The Bids that have been rumored to haunt the woods?

The Midnight Feast is another great Lucy Foley book. It is similar to her other works with multiple characters and dual timelines going back into the past to reveal secrets about our main characters. It took me a little bit to get into the story but once I did I was hooked and really enjoyed the story. I thought the ending was twisty and great

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Lucy Foley and the Publisher William Morrow for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Midnight Feast is another amazing thriller by the author of The Guest List, The Hunting Party, and The Paris Apartment. I love all of her books and this one doesn't disappoint.

The lies and secrets of the past come out when The Manor, a luxury resort, opens in a rural area by the sea. Local legends, tension between the locals and the resort goers and the secrets they are all keeping collide in this fast paced thriller. I highly recommend it!

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. I found myself so sucked in to the story and the mystery and couldn’t put it down. A perfect pool side read this summertime

Bella Springfield makes her debut to the Manor, though this time to come to terms with the Manor of days past. The posh Francesca Meadows has revived the Manor, making it the hottest place in town to be (literally, on the day of the Midnight Feast). Secrets become overturned with glimpses of the past at Bella's time here in her old journal from the caravan park. Will her days at the Manor for the Midnight Feast be full of fun and glamour, or will they become days full of even more secrets to be hidden once again?

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(Spoilers)
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this Lucy Foley novel. It was my first book by this author and I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. The switching between characters slowed the plot down too much at times - so much so that I skipped ahead to character chapters to continue with their storylines. I was thrilled that the ending brought justice to some of the characters and didn't leave readers with too many open ended questions. I really just wish it had been faster paced!

One of the best thrillers I’ve read this year. The eeriness of “The Birds” added a layer of mystery, to the puzzle that is this story. I loved how the characters backgrounds weaved together in the present day - the locals amongst the bourgeoisie. The underlying theme of locals standing their ground to protect their land and each other was truly enjoyable. I’d recommend this thriller for beginners, as the plot/writing was not too sinister or grotesque. This one will keep you on your toes with the multitude of twists and turns.