Rating: 3.75 out of 5

This is the third book by Lucy Foley that I’ve read (previously read ‘The Guest List’ and ‘The Paris Apartment’ [did a podcast episode on this]) and I think this was the most intriguing. It’s funny that this book gave me “The White Lotus” vibes before I had even started watching the show.

I won’t share any spoilers in terms of the specifics of my guessing but I eventually guessed correctly the multiple mysteries of this read. With that, I liked that this wasn't a typical one death and guessing who killed them but rather a web of lies and multiple options of potential victims that could’ve been the dead person or persons. That said, I did find the story to be dragged out and I struggled getting into the story. It also could’ve been a lot shorter, at least short of 300 pages. Overall, this was a very interesting read and different from the other two Foley books that I’ve read.

If you like:
The Village/Midsommar
Crime novels
Edgar Allan Poe
Vacay Gone Wrong
Local Superstitions
Thrillers that keep you guessing!

Then you’ll devour The Midnight Feast

Welcome to The Manor, a luxurious one-of-a-kind estate settled in a forested area of Dorset. Francesca Meadows aspires to be a bright, shining aura of positive energy and mellow vibes. However, under her surface there is a rage that has been burning, no matter how much she tries to suppress it. As the guests of The Manor unwind and make merry, Francesca senses an uneasiness creep back into her life. A mysterious guest, Bella, reminds her of her past. The past she has worked so hard to leave behind. As The Manor’s main event The Midnight Feast draws closer, tensions begin to rise not only among Francesca’s carefully curated environment but from the locals that are furious with Francesca’s disregard for their land and local superstitions. As the events of the evening unfold, who will be unmasked and who will survive this luxury vacation?

This book kept me guessing and guessing, overall I think I got 25% of my assumptions correct! This was such an enjoyable mystery to read. I felt like this story was slow to get into at first, but by the time the diary entries started popping up I was completely hooked. I thought the local superstition surrounding The Birds was woven into the main mystery so beautifully. It all felt very cohesive.

I loved The Guest List by Lucy Foley, but I think The Midnight Feast is my new favorite novel by Lucy Foley!

Highly recommend this book, this will be the perfect addition to your summer reading list! Thank you NetGallery and William Morrow for this advanced digital copy. Publish date 06/17/2024

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC of The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley. The Midnight Feast has a unique plot in the sense that the victim of the crime is not unveiled until the end of the novel. It was a "fun" experience trying to guess who was going to get the ax (figuratively speaking). I enjoy Lucy Foley mysteries and was glad to have a sneak peek of this one.

What happened in the past 3 days at The Manor that reduced it to ruin? The Manor - it’s the most beautiful, relaxing, and definitely expensive escape that money can buy in its area. Think linen, flower crowns, CBD cocktails, meditative practices, crystals, etc. The community around The Manor? Absolutely not happy about it drawing people to their hometown, having to share the surrounding forest and beach, and potentially even the town secrets. One of which is that the pagan folklore that tells of vigilante Night Birds is very much true. Through multiple points of view in the present and past we learn that there has been a fire at the manor, bodies have been found, and secrets/secret identities are being discovered.

I very much enjoyed this book once I really got into it! I cannot say enough about the atmospheric setting in this one - I had such a clear picture in my mind throughout. The setting of the manner in past and present just gave an overall vibe to the entire book that was fantastically done. There were so many points of view that I’m not sure who to call the FMC, but Francesca is definitely one of them, and she was a delightfully woo woo and crazy character. The folklore in the story was inventive, fun, and very ominous.

I predicted the big secret identity twist but it was still a really fun one and a great idea. The smaller one at the end was a surprise to me, also really fun.

I did find it hard to believe that certain characters wouldn’t recognize one another after 15 years, especially with the close proximity and shared setting. The story did get a little muddied/confusing for me at a couple of points with so many POVs to follow, plus the summer journal from the past.

Overall a great read. This is a great choice for a summer thriller and it’s release date is June 18, which is perfect! Thank you so much to Lucy Foley, the publisher and NetGalley for access to this arc.

This started strong, and I've enjoyed Foley's previous novels, but the last third or so was just a bit too absurd, even for this genre of thriller.

I'm a sucker for anything Lucy Foley puts out, and while the build up was a little slower than I like, this book definitely did not disappoint! Mystery entwined with a bit of magic/myth/folklore made this story almost impossible to put together. 100% did not see the ending as it was written. The story, told from multiple perspectives was woven together over time (multiple timelines) and put together in an ending I didn't anticipate. Would definitely recommend.

The midnight feast by Lucy foley Can one greedy, self absorbed rich woman, destroy a village. Will the village ever be able to fight back

I picked up Guest List a year ago from a little feee library and read it one day, so I was very excited to read this one! From the beginning I couldn’t really get into it but as it got going it got much better! I do think so many characters starts to be overwhelming. I never wanted to annotate until now because I kept having to flip back and forth! Also was not huge on the journal part. Otherwise the mystery itself was really interesting and had my attention until the end!

This was such a great read! Reminded me a lot of Nine Perfect Strangers. A great storyline with some addicting characters. Thank you Lucy Foley!

This was a page turner for me. I could not put this book down. The plot the twist were chefs kiss. I highly recommend everyone to read this book.

The Midnight Feast is the newest mystery from Lucy Foley, which takes place at an exclusive manor along the coast of southern England. Francesca's grandfather recently passed away and left the manor to her, and she's renovated it to be a resort for the elite. Opening weekend doesn't end the way she planned, but instead, with the manor enveloped in flames and a death toll. The book follows Francesca, her husband the architect, a mystery guest, and the kitchen help during the weekend - as it's slowly revealed the horrors that happened on that land in the past, and now the present.
This book was a slow burn, and very atmospheric. I've read The Guest List and The Paris Apartment, and loved them. However, this one is slower and took more time to get into. I did love the folklore aspect, and the reveals of how all of the characters are unwittingly connected. If you're a Lucy Foley fan this is worth checking out, but maybe start with The Guest List if you're new to her!Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.
ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Midnight Feast grabbed me right from the start. I loved the atmospheric Tome Manor and the multiple POV that Foley is know for. Tome Manor is a creepy manor in the woods with secrets and folklore. Basically it has a dark past and when a body is discover the police are called to investigate and secrets are uncovered. I loved the back and forth time line and how immersive the story became. Thank you Net galley for the virtual copy in exchange for my review.

I like Lucy Foley's work - it's twisty and focused on group dynamics. She may be caught up in her own success where this book had needlessly too much mystery and for no reason. Suspense and tension needs to be earned and not expected by an author. The story was far fetched and we never understood the villains motivations - she is a broad stroke text book villain, and we are expected to hate her. The timing is weird too - only 15 years have passed since major characters have seen each other and no one seems to recognize each other. I understand that we have to suspend some disbelief as we read but this was too much.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher William Morrow for my e-ARC! It’s opening weekend for a posh new hotel that has invaded a quaint seaside English village. Now it’s the locals vs Francesca Meadows and it’s about to get deadly! Never underestimate the power of ancient local lore. I normally cringe at multiple POV books (typical Lucy Foley), but this fast paced and super twisty thriller had me hooked. Get through the first few tedious chapters and things get dicey and you won’t be able to put it down. A solid 4.25 stars!

Release Date: June 18, 2024

Ugh - unfortunately this was not the book for me! The premise was interesting, but the execution of the plot didn't do it for me. I struggled with the pacing and the flipping between characters POVs. I found with the chapters and POVs so short, it was really hard to get invested or keep track of whose POV we were on. The birds confused me a bit, and overall I do wish that this had been a bit more thrilling.

I was so excited to get this - I love Lucy Foley - but this book just didn't do it for me. I had a very different expectation going into it. It took me a WHILE to get invested - It was a "slow burn" for sure. I feel like it got confusing from so many different point of views, but it did intertwine and make sense. The paranormal/folklore piece was unexpected - was a good twist. I feel like I just kept getting confused with the point of views, and also past/present/journal entries etc!

This one just wasn't for me - but I feel the writing was great and a lot of folks would love it!

It took a little while for me to get fully invested in this story. Multi-POV's can be hard to digest sometimes! Especially when there are so many characters. Once the lore and story unfolded more I was fully involved and couldn't put the book down. What a thrill, truly. The folklore was the best part to me, so if you're into that, you'll love this.

I absolutely loved this book. I was hooked right from the beginning and honestly the twists didn't stop until the very end. The characters were so easy to relate to I felt for them. I love when books like this are written in multiple points of view and this one did not disappoint. I love how throughout the story little pieces of the final puzzle were leaked out and they were told to you at the right moments. I had such a hard time putting this one down because I needed to know what was going to happen next! I was so excited to be able to score an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley.

The Midnight Feast
by Lucy Foley
Pub Date: Jun 18 2024
Interesting read. Told in differing viewpoints bouncing between different times (thankfully clearly labeled), this is a story of "haves" and "have-nots" intermingling with deadly consequences.
Bella attends the grand opening weekend of the posh new hotel/retreat experience created by the one and only Francesca and her husband world-renowned design architect Owen.. Everything is organic, free of chemicals, and good for the mind, body, and spirit. But Bella knows the dark secrets Francesca keeps, and has come to expose her for who she is. Money and status may have protected her throughout most of her life, but Bella is back to make sure she pays this time.
#netgalley
#midnightfeast
#lucyfoley

LOVED Lucy’s newest novel! I think this is my favorite of hers so far! Think Nine Perfect Strangers but everyone has vengeance for
the owner of the Manor. The number of characters was easy to follow along with and I left each chapter wanting to find out what was next. I was surprised by the twists and overall liked how the book ended! Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for an thriller/mystery/easy read for the summer.