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.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Ms. Foley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

The Midnight Feast had a bit of a slower, more peaceful start, like the happy, bright-lit first few scenes of a horror movie, before everything goes downhill. The plot accelerates quickly though, building tension and apprehension through a quick-moving pairing of alternating POVs and alternating timelines. There is Francesca, wellness guru and owner of the Manor, a luxury wellness retreat/resort. Owen, her devoted husband, famous architect. Bella, resort guest and childhood friend of Francesca's. Eddie, local boy, dishwasher at the Manor, torn between his mates and his job. And, solely appearing in the "After" timeline, DI Walker, who along with his partner is tasked to investigate a crime scene at the Manor. But which crime scene, and whose murder(s)? Ms. Foley masterfully switches between POVs as each of them unravels under stress and fear. Meanwhile, a hooded and cloaked group of murderous vigilantes called the Birds lurks in the woods, seeking vengeance against outsiders whose crimes would otherwise go unpunished.

I feel it should be said that the setting was practically a character as well. Ms. Foley places perfect emphasis on the unsettling, dark, claustrophobic closeness of the trees in the woods, the stifling heat driving frustrations and stress ever higher, the tiny black feathers found in strategic spots. The Birds reminded me of the first season of True Detective, the one with the terrifying pagan forest antler-wearing people. There are also plenty of little clues and easter eggs, which I didn't really notice while reading, but which (afterwards) made it fun to connect the dots retroactively. I don't really like trying to solve the mystery while I read - I'd much rather be taken on the ride - but a more sleuth-like reader might well be able to parse out the clues much faster than I did.

The ending was neatly wrapped up; I had some questions but overall I was satisfied. Overall I found this to be a very enjoyable, satisfying read and would happily recommend it to readers looking for a good thriller/suspense/mystery. It would make a GREAT movie (honestly, I'm such a weenie, I might be too scared to watch it, lol).

Happy publication day to Lucy Foley and The Midnight Feast!

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”This doesn’t feel natural at all. It feels personal. It feels like a haunting.”

A children’s nursery rhyme, sung in an eerie tune. A wellness retreat where you don’t realize you’re being watched. Blood and shadows in the woods. A creepy urband legend that might have some truth mixed into the myth. A body at the base of a cliff.

Lucy Foley is the master of atmospheric thrillers, and The Manor, a creepy boutique wellness hotel at a junction where the woods meet the seaside, is the perfect place to kick off a summer of sinister, spooky reading! The Midnight Feast felt almost like a grown-up ghost story, savored over a late-night bonfire.

The multiple character perspectives were hard to follow at first, but once I figured out who everybody was (and their tightly-bound secrets started to unravel!), I was hooked!

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A huge thank you to Lucy Foley, William Morrow, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

It's The Manor's opening night, and the property is filled with guests ready to enjoy the finest luxuries. But this story truly began 15 years ago. Old familiar faces will appear and the surrounding forest is brimming with secrets. There's going to be a murder at The Midnight Feast.

While it started slowly, I ended up enjoying this one a lot! At first, the chapters from different characters/perspectives held me back from really getting into the story but by the end, I really liked that aspect. This was my first Lusy Foley read and it won't be my last! I love being surprised by twists and turns and this one really delivered on that!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC!

I feel really bad. Because I didn’t care for this book. It’s boring, cryptic and elusive and not in the way I like.

Let me backtrack for a minute here. I enjoy Lucy Foley’s work. She is a master at weaving the multiple point of views into one dynamic masterpiece. The Guest List and The Paris Apartment were both solid 4 star reads for me. So why, why, WHY did this one not work for me? Well, to put it into one word…Birds. I am (kinda) kidding about the birds, BUT Seriously…the birds? It was very strange. Very “Twilight Zone” feeling to me. Maybe a little too sci-fi for me.

I’ll keep this review short and sweet. This book just did not work for me. I had a hard time following the time line in some parts of the book and the ending was just blah for me. But will I pick up Lucy Foley’s next book? Yes, I will. Because even though I didn’t care for the content of The Midnight Feast, I highly appreciate the writing.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this advanced digital reviewer copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ohh I wanted to love this book so badly!

There were aspects I liked. First of all, Foley is just such a gifted writer in the mystery/thriller genre. I love that this book felt a story I hadn’t heard before. And, there were a couple of twists that were so well done.

But to be completely honest, that’s where the wins ended for me. If I wouldn’t have had an ARC of this book, I would have DNFed it. I wasn’t curious about the mystery or where the story was going until about 80% into the story and I just didn’t enjoy the storyline itself.

The last 20% redeemed it slightly and honestly like I said before, to be able to pull off twists that get me is impressive.

You remember that TikTok phrase “The Birds work for the Burgwaze?” Well in Tome, the birds work for something different.

A newly inherited land owner opens a wellness retreat that is not well received by the locals. Beneath her peace and love exterior is a past that is struggling to stay buried.

I am a sucker for diary-like chapters, so the past being told through journal entries was nice change up while reading. It also helped to keep past/present separate. While I understand the author didn’t use quotations on the journal chapters to give them a more authentic teen diary feel, it did make it difficult at times to follow who was speaking without having to backtrack.

I didn’t feel the supernatural aspect added anything for me personally. But it didn’t take away from my experience with the story either. One of the best thrillers I have read in a while.

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley. Pub Date: June 18,2024. Rating: 4 stars. Happy publication day to this mystery thriller! I’ve read most of this author’s other books and I’ve always thought they are the perfect bingeable mystery reads. In this novel, we’re taken to a new Manor in which the owner Francesca has long ties to the area, which ultimately come back to haunt her throughout the story. The reader is taken on a journey through opening weekend of parties, bizarre get togethers for the guests and people from the past appearing and a mystery is solved. I really enjoyed this novel and found it to be a compulsive read. Thanks to #netgalley and #williammorrow for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #bookstagram #bibliophile #bookworm #igreads #lucyfoley #themidnightfeast #newreads

Read this book if you:
- would totally book a stay at a luxury resort that you were drooling over on Instagram
- wear white linen and might even add a flower crown this summer (going for that Midsommar aesthetic!)
- are not afraid to traipse through the woods by flashlight at night, no matter what local folklore says is out there
- enjoy a murder mystery where you are trying to solve who the killer is AND who was killed

This book is a delicious read with multiple POVs and short chapters, which makes it right up my alley. There are many unlikable characters, secrets and lies everywhere, and twists galore! This book was very atmospheric, which I was into. A luxurious hotel in the scenic countryside, with a view to die for 😉, is so vividly described that I felt like I was there. Then add flashbacks in the form of diary entries to a time teenagers are doing teenage things in the nearby woods. This added a very creepy background to all the drama that I really liked!

The Midnight Feast was classic Lucy Foley. The Guest List is one of my favorite mystery/thrillers and this one is definitely comparable.

Read this book ASAP if you love a locked room murder mystery, multiple POV's, atmospheric storylines, multiple plot twists, and assorted hidden motives. I was on the edge of my seat through most of the book. Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced digital copy of the book.

I have heard so much about Lucy Foley books so I was so excited to receive The Midnight Feast read and review.

Pros:
Multiple POV - I loved this. I find it always adds so much to the story when I can get inside the minds of several characters.

Setting- Who doesn't adore a book set on a resort? Close quarters, lots of chaos to be had.

Characters - I enjoyed the revealing of character's and learning their role in the story as the plot progressed.

Cons:
Slow pacing - For me, the pacing on this book was a bit slow. There scenes that seemed unnecessarily drawn out.

Too many varying plots - There were so many different plot lines in the book competing with each other than I didn't feel like no real part of it got to shine completely. This was a situation of sometimes less is more.

Overall, I liked The Midnight Feast but it isn't anything I would consider a must read. A solid 3 out of 5 stars.

The Midnight Feast is a dark thriller that is perfect for summertime! Full of twists and secrets, this novel focuses on the opening weekend of The Manor, a newly renovated luxury hotel that threatens to overtake the natural beauty, culture, and traditions of the ocean village of Tome. Near The Manor is a forest full of secrets and legends, with whisperings and rumors of The Birds, whose unnamed members always find a way to seek justice for those in the community who have been wronged. Many dismiss the rumors as old wives’ tales…but things seem to happen in the woods that can never be explained.

When Francesca, the owner, plans the grand opening of The Manor during the summer solstice, a series of events unfold that result in multiple deaths and are linked to a tragedy that happened one summer 15 years ago. Told through multiple perspectives, the reader is led through the fateful solstice weekend…as the truth of what happened 15 years ago unfolds and those involved finally face the consequences.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this as a summer thriller! It’s dark with forest legends and folklore. I was surprised by a few of the twists, and really enjoyed how the plot came together in the end. I liked the multiple perspectives and the past/present timelines. It really is a great thriller to read on a warm summer night (but maybe not by a dark forest) 😳

Thank you to @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for this advanced copy, in exchange for my honest review!

"The Midnight Feast" by Lucy Foley is a thrilling 4-star read! Francesca and her husband Owen are opening an island resort for the wealthy. Some locals are on board and actually work at the resort, while others want to see the resort shut down. Just outside the walls of the resort is a mysterious forest that holds plenty of secrets.

This is my first read by Lucy Foley, so I am not sure if all her books are this way, but the story is told through the POV of five different people, as well as one character’s summer journal. The story also goes back and forth between the day before the solstice, the day of the solstice, and the day after the solstice. You know from a high level what happens at the end just a couple of chapters into the story. I thought it was easy to keep them all straight, but if you are not a fan of this type of storytelling, then I would avoid this book. The story kept me engaged, especially the further I got into the story, and there were a few twists along the way. Some were easy to predict, while others were a big surprise. Overall, I thought this was a good book, and I will be reading more by this author.

Thanks to William Morrow, Lucy Foley, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review.

A deliciously twisty new locked room murder mystery, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁, by Lucy Foley releases today!

Secrets. Lies. Murder. Let the festivities begin...

It all began with a secret, fifteen years ago. Now the past has crashed the party. And it’ll end in murder at…The Midnight Feast.

If you like dark and twisty books this one is perfect for you. I loved every page, I took this one for my trip and finish it before we arrivred at our final destination. Fun, atmospheric, suspenseful and addictive.

Thank you William Morrow for this gifted copy.

Lucy Foley is an author that when I see the name, I know I’ve read books from them that I’ve liked. I was super excited to get a copy of this to read, but I can only give this a 3 ⭐️ (and feel that is generous). I love a multi-pov, like different times, and I’m a sucker if there is direct insight (like the diary in the one), which gives me another sneak-peek into someone’s mind. This book had all 3, however they were hard to manage. Too many people, who change their identities from past to present … I had a really hard time keeping them all straight. I liked that this book was broken down into 3 parts, however I feel like it should have started with background info or a prologue to really pull you in. I felt the beginning was too wordy, I wanted to get to the point of the story, which it really didn’t until almost part 3. I wanted more folklore, more intensity, more darkness and birds … I wanted to know what a “Midnight Feast” should be, what the reasoning and history to having it should be. Why was it supposed to be so exciting, so that I could be excited about it. I think I may have liked this more if there was actually something supernatural and sinister going on.