I always enjoy picking up a Lucy Foley thriller. The Guest List is the book that got me back into reading and will always have a special place in my heart. So I always look forward to checking out her books.

Lucy’s books are always dashed with intrigue that can be borderline frustrating but always keep me hooked. Frustrating in a sense that I’m just like “tell me what the deal is now” lol. But it’s that feeling that always keeps me interested in her books. I feel like I often guess how some things will play out, but it’s never a disappointment when what I thought is what is true. If anything it just makes me feel like a good detective in that I was able to pick up the clues and figure things out.

This one was really interesting and reminded me of elements of so many other books and movies, but not in a way that feels copied. I always love getting multiple perspectives in a thriller and not only do what get perspectives from 5 different people but we also get diary entries from 15 years prior. All of these perspectives and timelines help to piece together a very intriguing puzzle.

If you’re a Lucy Foley fan I would pick this one up. A solid typical thriller from her. This one reminded me of:
•Nine Perfect Strangers
•The Village
•His & Hers
•Midsommar
So if you like any of those things, I would also consider checking this one out.

This thriller has moderate language.

Content Warnings: sexual assault (briefly on page), rape (implied)

This is one of those novels in which I expected so much, and it just somehow fell a bit short for me.

The book opens up during opening weekend of "The Manor" the brainchild of Francesca Meadows and designed by her husband, Owen, who is an architect. Francesca is calm personified, or so she wants you to believe, and she's sure that this opening weekend is only the beginning of great things to come.

What did I like? This story is told from multiple POVs and I'm always into that because it gives multiple insights and keeps you guessing. I also found the journal entries interesting because they allow us a glimpse into the past, helping us to understand why things are happening the way they are.

I loved the atmosphere and tension of this book, it definitely gave me some creepy feelings while also helping me to really dive into the book.

Unfortunately, it just fell short of its mark for me. There was some folklore in this novel that just felt very predictable, and when things unravel, I just wasn't wowed. I also don't understand why some of the characters don't recognize each other, people don't change that much in 15 years.

It was a quick read and it was fine, just not great.

This was a fun and fast-paced thriller, and I think that if you're looking for a locked room mystery or just want a well-plotted mystery then this will be up your alley. With multiple POVs to really propel this story forward, I found myself flying through to the end. Additionally, the atmosphere and tone of the story was really well cultivated, and I enjoyed the lore about the birds that were haunting the manor. The clues, the twists and the plot are all well done and made for a really enjoyable read. I can't wait to get our physical copies in for my patrons, thought the shelves won't see them for a long time because the holds list is already nearing the 100s!

The Manor is now a hotel owned by Francesca Meadows and her architect husband Owen Dacre. When Francesca was young, she and her brothers stayed at the manor in the summer with their grandmother as their mother summered in the Mediterranean. Since then, the Manor was left solely to Francesca. The manor has a nice pool, large grounds and is near a cliff leading to a beach. Francesca, with the help of Owen, transformed the Manor into a lovely hotel which offers a wellness atmosphere. The highlight of the stay is a celebration of the Solstice in which all the guests will participate. But a guest has arrived with a sinister agenda which may blow the entire event into smithereens.

It all started in 2009 when Francesca (known then as Frankie) made friends with some of the locals who joined her in her pool and engaged in other teenage stunts. There is a large wooded area with tales of huge birds that live in there and can kill. One of these stunts led to a devastating event that has left many of the locals scarred. With the reminder of this, many are not happy that Francesca is back and, thus, try to make her first event filled with problems.

OK. Honesty here. This is my first book by this author and I am disappointed. This is the kind of book that my son calls a “woo monster” story that had me rolling my eyes. The huge fear of the birds was ridiculous. All in all I was simply glad to say that i had finally finished reading it. Sorry. Not a favorite.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Lucy Foley is an auto buy author for me and I couldn’t wait to see what she had done next. The Midnight Feast is a great summer thriller when you’re looking to escape the heat.

I enjoyed the atmospheric setting and the legend of “the birds” that haunted the manor. The multiple view points kept the story going.

While I preferred other Lucy Foley books, I’m glad I read this. Looking forward to reading what Lucy writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This one wasn’t my favorite by Lucy Foley but it definitely was entertaining. The multiple POVs worked seamlessly and kept me hooked. Some of the plot just felt a little predictable while other little things were just kinda annoying.

Lucy, you’ve done it again and this MIGHT be my new favorite of yours!!

The Manor is revamping, becoming a retreat with sparkling pools, private beach, and specialty cocktails 🍹 but with old friends and enemies lurking amongst the guests, will a secret from 15 years ago stay buried? Or will it crash the party is a fiery flame?

You follow 5 POV’s plus a past view (which as some of you know is one of my FAVORITE ways to read!!). The story went back and forth, giving you little clues in the present as to why we’re following who we’re following and the past, why the characters are the way they are.

While I very much enjoyed this, a few points that might make you not enjoy the book as much as I did.
As is consistent with Lucy’s writing, it is confusing. You’re not going to know what’s going on for awhile (unless you my best friend Sydney who seems to catch everything 🤦🏻‍♀️). That being said, the journey of the clues given in each chapter with the reveal at the end is SATISFYING!
The other point, there are 5 POV’s plus a journal POV. Lots of moving points. Knowledge that one knows that the other doesn’t (There are some days I can hardly separate my own voices, so this isn’t nearly as clear cut 😂).

If the above points don’t scare you from reading this book, I 100% recommend! It was THRILLING figuring out how all the puzzle pieces fit together! How each person connected with the over all picture. I love love LOVE Lucy’s books and so VERY happy I got the chance to read this!! 😍 Thank you Lucy and Netgalley for this Thriller!!

Lucy Foley is a master at what she does. I love how different and real her characters all feel as she weaves together the mystery. The 'back to nature' angle was really fun and I just can't say enough good things about her. Propulsive writing, deep character layers, a satisfying mystery--she's one of my auto-buys!

It turns out that I've read this book before. It was Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Mortiarty and neither that book nor this book were good.

If you go into the woods today....
Francesca Meadows has turned her grandparents' coastal home into The Manor, the latest high-end destination hotel. It's opening weekend, and Francesca's vision, assisted by her architect husband's skills, has been realized and the hotel is fully booked. But the peaceful, well planned, elegant events of the weekend are disrupted by angry locals and someone from Francesca's past who has come to confront "Frankie" over something that happened 15 years ago. The story is told from multiple points of view and alternates between that summer 15 years ago and 3 days in the present, representing the day before, day-of, and day-after the big mid-summer celebration/midnight feast that Francesca has meticulously planned but goes wrong in many ways. Suspenseful and moody with some good twists.

This was a fun and fairly fast read with the short chapters. It's set up in typical Foley fashion, with multiple POVs and leading up to a death. But who is the victim and what happened at the Midnight Feast? The characters certainly all have secrets...

I really enjoyed the setting of the luxury holistic hotel with its crystals and treatments against the small town with strange folklore and struggling townspeople. The alternating points of view leading up to the death, as well as chapters after the feast and snippets of journals really keeps you turning the pages.

I think fans of Foley's other books will love this one, it's my favorite of hers yet.

3.5 ⭐️
Lucy Foley is always a go to author for me. So when I saw she was coming out with another book I was so excited to get my hands on it.

In typical Lucy fashion the multiple POVs of this book had me questioning everything. The summer journal alternate timeline thrown in this book also added another layer of excitement.

It definitely started off a bit slow but I'm glad I pushed through. The end had me shook and I loved the added folklore of the town! Added an extra bit of spookiness to the book. Had me trying to figure out if it was spirits or actual people behind the crimes.

A perfect summer mystery/thriller to add to your TBR

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for my digital ARC! Can't wait to get my physical copy to add to my shelf.

When a bougie wellness resort opens in an old historic manor, the locals are not happy about it. The proprietor is the granddaughter of the former owner who strives to put on a perfect outer appearance and is obsessed with her health. She has a dark past, which the reader learns about as the book unfolds. The story is told from multiple POVs, which initially confused me. Once I got about 1/3 into the book, the story started to find a groove. I couldn't help but make comparisons to Liane Moriarty's Nine Perfect Strangers although this was more of a mystery. I had never read any of Lucy Foley's books before, but this was just meh for me.

Thank you for the eARC!
Though I can’t say this was anything spectacular it had some fun twists! I wish there had been a little more well rounded ness of the characters and some more believability. But overall it was a fun read.

Great thriller and read! Multiple POVs, small town folklore, selfish rich people getting what they deserve, all around good fun.

⭐️ REVIEW ⭐️

🤩 Thank you @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for the Advanced Reader Copy (#ARC) of @lucyfoleyauthor latest novel: #TheMidnightFeast 🤩

🌟Rating: 5/5 🌟

Emojis: 🍗🍊🍏🏠🌳🏕️🪵🍄👀👁️🦅🦅🦅☠️🪦

This is by far my favorite Lucy Foley read to date. I’ve read The Paris Apartment, but this one takes the cake.

I loved the setting of this book: The Manor, which draws you in and makes you want to consider booking a stay….until you learn more about the history of its occupants and visitors, the current mysteries, and secrets of the past.

Each character has a secret. A cold case from the past begs to be solved. A murder in the present dismantles the reputation of The Manor. Each character’s identity shifts or becomes clearer as connections are drawn. And in classic Lucy Foley fashion, the timelines blend - taking us on a mysterious journey through the far past, recent past, and present.

I would highly recommend this read! I feel so incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to read this one before pub day, and I’m excited to share my thoughts and discuss with others.

👏🏼 Now that it’s officially PUB DAY — pick up your copy, and let me know your thoughts! 🧠

Are you planning to read this one?

Always expect the unexpected...especially if you're reading The Midnight Feast. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ While the first half of the book contained excellent detail/background, numerous character introductions (including multiple POVs), it was a little slow to start and there was a lot of information that was difficult to follow (including fictional folklore from the English countryside). However, that was not the problem for the last half of the book - I couldn't put it down! True to her nature, Lucy Foley has crafted a wonderful ending that will leave you guessing, especially with the numerous characters and viewpoints. If you liked The Paris Apartment or The Guest List, you'll enjoy this one too!

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the advanced reader copy!

Absolutely amazing! This is one of the best thrillers I’ve read so far this year!

A whodunnit with short chapters, easy to follow multiple POV’s, I was absolutely hooked right at the beginning and couldn’t put this book down.

It was my first Lucy Foley book and now I have a new author to binge!

The past and present come together in this twisty thriller set in Southern England. Francesca Meadows has created an elite getaway on the site of her family property, but the locals are not happy about the changes. As the opening weekend gets underway, the property is visited by pranks that get increasingly violent and come to a head at the Summer Solstice party. The story is told through a number of viewpoints, including that of Francesca, a local bartender named Eddie, Francesca’s architect husband Owen, and hotel guest Bella. As the story flies back and forth, the reader learns how these seemingly disparate characters are connected to a summer 15 years ago that ended in tragedy.

This was an enjoyable thriller. There was not a huge amount of character development, but the plot was interesting enough that I was invested in solving the mystery. The atmosphere was shadowy and creepy, and the short chapters made it easy to keep flipping through the pages. While I wouldn’t put this at the top of my summer reads list, it was a fun and enjoyable read if you want a quick page-turner.

The Midnight Feast offers exactly what we’ve come to love from Lucy Foley - an atmospheric setting, short chapters of alternating perspectives, and juicy twists. It delivers on all accounts as we’re taken to The Manor, an exclusive resort, on opening weekend. The “birds” - myth turned possible reality - lurk in the woods, threatening to destroy all Francesca as built, as well as her past that must be confronted.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow.