Thank you, NetGalley, William Morrow, and Lucy Fokey for the ARC of The Midnight Feast to read and rate.

I have enjoyed other books by Ms. Foley and I know her schtick is mutli-charachter, alternating viewpoints/timelines....this was a rough read for me! There were so many people alternating past and present. Then, we throw in even further past in the form of a diary. But wait, there's more! Now, we start to realize the ties between these past and present people, yet that does not make it any quicker paced or more enticing. This felt incredibly slow and tedious at times, I found myself not wanting to pick it up and read. Honestly, at 80%, I was over it and ready to throw in the towel. I couldn't, just based on how far I'd made it, so I pushed through, I can't even say I'm happy that I did. I hoped the end would make it well worth it. Really though, I was just happy to be done with it. Yiu do get resolution to how everything and everyone ties together, but there were some strange elements that I just couldn't get on board with. I give this 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.

This is only my second book by Lucy Foley and I am honestly surprised at how well these work for me. I’m not exactly into the atmospheric slower paced books but something about her writing and the multiple character POVs just suck me right in. The multiple timelines helped keep my interest despite a slower start but when this book took off at the end, it was great. This takes place mostly at an inclusive retreat for the wealthy which previously belonged to the owner’s grandparents in a small, close knit town that likes to take care of its own. Many legends, secrets and mysteries here to uncover. So so weird but I ended up really enjoying it. 4⭐️

Thank you to William Morrow for the gifted copy!

This book follows the Lucy Foley formula!

The writing kept me engaged throughout; however, the twist at the end leaves me questioning timelines and ages, just like on her last work, The Guest List. It wasn’t a bad read, but it isn’t headed for a spot on my recommendation list.

Containing spoilers:
I didn’t like the writing when the guests were being drugged. I understand the immersive writing, but it was frustrating and didn’t make me want to continue on.
I also find the ‘twist’ a big stretch to believe (i know i know it’s fiction). It made everything less enjoyable to me.
Lastly, the police being his brother… what value did that add?? Weird.

Overall, I wasn't into it, but if you liked her other books then I’m sure you will like this one as well.

I have been sitting on this Advanced Review Copy of Lucy Foley's book for a hot second, trying to determine my feelings about it. It was not an instantaneous love that's for sure (like some of her others have been)

I think this is in large part due to the protagonists and NONE being likeable. Truly, there was hard to find anyone to root for which made the multiple voices sometimes annoying. (Like we were from one person we didn't like to another). Additionally, while journal entries usually help with the story...these journal entries suffered from bad writing (more of a stream of consciousness style and let's be real, sometimes that's bad writing. LOL)

It took me a while to get into this book. I was bracing for occult like themes and those are not my favorite. Truthfully I would have put this book down if that had been the case. But it was not and instead, it was classic Lucy Foley. With characters who all ultimately connect and are tied together by a secret.

I was happy in the end result but this book will not go down as an immediate recommend.

3.5 ⭐️

Still reading. Might give up on this author. Loved her first two books. DNF Paris Apartment, too many characters to keep track and didn’t keep my interest.

Been reading for about a week and only at 20% and not catching my attention.

May keep reading

Old friends and enemies circulate among the guests. Just outside the Manor’s immaculately kept grounds, an ancient forest bristles with secrets. And the Sunday morning of opening weekend, the local police are called. Something’s not right with the guests. There’s been a fire. A body’s been discovered. THE FOUNDER * THE HUSBAND * THE MYSTERY GUEST * THE KITCHEN HELP
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."

This was my first read by Lucy Foley and it will not be my last. I did think the book was a bit slow for the first few chapters but after that it caught my interest and I could not put it down. I really enjoyed the journal entries that were placed into the novel. There were multiple characters to keep track of which was hard for me at first.

I will be reading more books by this author. The twists and turns in this book led to a thrilling conclusion.

Thank you Netgally for the ARC copy

I really enjoyed Lucy’s 2023 release, The Paris Apartment, so I was eager to read Foley’s newest book, The Midnight Feast, but unfortunately this one missed the mark for me.

As The Manor throws open its doors to a lavish debut in a small seaside town, old grudges resurface and long-buried secrets threaten to unravel. Over the course of the weekend, the mystery deepens, culminating in a deadly showdown at The Midnight Feast. This is more of a “What happened” than a “Whodunnit” because the reader doesn’t find out who the body is until the very end of the book. Sometimes I find those type of reads enjoyable, but it didn’t work for me here.

This was a really strange read, and I struggle to know how to rate it. In typical Foley fashion, the story has multiple POVs and jumps between past and present. The story explores a bizarre piece of folklore that seems inexplicably real, and then boom: the manor is on fire and the police find multiple bodies. Plus, there's this old journal written by one of the characters when they were younger, which was kind of all over the place.

For the first 50% of the book (if not more), I struggled to keep up and understand what exactly was happening – and not in a good way, in a frustrating way. The story hinges on double identities and this recurring idea that characters wouldn't recognize each other from past encounters, not that many years ago. And let's not forget about the birds. The birds were just too bizarre of a plot device for me. I felt like a lot of the folklore didn’t make sense and was never really explained as well as it could be.

Things picked up around the last quarter of the book, but I had a moment or two when I thought I might not get through this, which isn’t typical when I read Foley’s work. I know a lot of people will enjoy this one, but unfortunately, it wasn’t for me. As much as it pains me, I'm giving this 2 stars. Foley is a great writer and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for the arc.

The story begins with the grand opening of The Manor, highlighting its extravagance and focus on well-being. Despite the outward appearance, a sense of unease is established. There are hidden resentments among guests, secrets within the surrounding forest, and a foreboding mention of the past. The townspeople are afraid of upsetting "the birds." I wasn't sure if the birds were real or not but it was creepy and ominous. The idyllic weekend takes a turn for the worse with a fire and the discovery of a body. The events seem to be connected to a long-buried secret from 15 years ago.

I've read a few books by Lucy Foley now and while the stories are usually interesting and have twisty endings, the amount of characters and constant flipping between timelines and perspectives slows down the pace of the story. Many chapters can pass by and nothing actually happens. It's the same case with this book. Luckily this didn't have TOO many characters so it was easy to keep track of. The diary entries were the best part of the book. The last 25% had so many reveals and tangents which normally would blow me away but much of what happened felt silly and unnecessary.

Read if you like:
✨locked room murder mysteries
✨dual timelines
✨multiple perspectives
✨wild rides

Francesca has opened a boutique hotel at The Manor where she summered with her grandparents growing up. However, the locals in the area are pretty unhappy with the new business in the area.

A story told from multiple POVs, this book was a slow burn. You had to get to know each of the characters and then the backstory. However at about 70% the book takes off and everything begins coming together and the twists and turns are impossible to predict. I ended up really enjoying it!

I really liked the Paris Apartment but this one was just not for me. I DNF's at 40%. It was too wordy and nothing exciting was happening. The birds made me not interested in the story at all. I did hear how it ends and glad I didn't continue.

This one was a nailbiter from start to finish. I loved the mix of explainable and supernatural events, leaving the reader wondering if the birds are real or if it is all explainable. It grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go. Foley is a master of suspense, ratcheting it up page by page to the explosive conclusion. I have read a lot of books, and I still appreciate when a writer is able to completely surprise me. I thought I had it all figured out pretty early, but I was definitely wrong. Favorite read of the spring!

Another page-turner by Lucy Foley! This time, the scene is a super-fancy new hotel on the site of an old English manor. We go back and forth in time between opening night and the past, slowly unveiling secret (and not-so-secret) feuds and rivalries along the way that culminate in disaster.

Lucy Foley did a great job of building the connections between the present and the past in a way that really captured my interest and made me want to keep reading to try to figure out what exactly those connections meant. She is also so good at making the reader feel as if they are right in the middle of the action.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great read. I enjoyed with the “haves” vs. “have-nots” storyline combined with sweet revenge.

Two minor issues. The supernatural bird curse and its seeming reappearance was a bit weird, sometimes losing my interest. And wouldn’t you recognize someone from your past, even if you were young teenagers at the time?

Regardless of those critiques, this was a mind bending experience. I loved the plot puzzles to be solved, and the surprises along the way. The duel timeline was easy to follow, and the story kept me hooked.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for letting me read and review.

I love Lucy Foley and was ecstatic to read “The Midnight Feast”. The story centers around multiple POVs and an alternate timeline, similar to her other novels. The story gives off a “the past will always catch up to you” vibe and it’s a page turner as you try to assemble all the puzzle pieces you’re given throughout the different characters point of views. There was some BIG twists, I didn’t see coming, which I loved. However, the story fell a little short for me and I just didn’t love it as much as her other novels. This would still be a great read for any thriller lover, 3⭐️

Thank you to William Morrow for an advanced readers copy of this title via NetGalley.

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the e-ARC of one of my most anticipated reads this year. It did not disappoint. I highly recommend picking it up when it’s published on June 18, 2024 (right around the solstice – perfect timing!).

I value my sleep above pretty much anything else, so when a book makes me stay up late because I can’t stop reading, you KNOW I’m into it. I’m so happy to say that I loved this. I was a little hesitant because Lucy Foley’s last release, THE PARIS APARTMENT, let me down a bit after loving THE GUEST LIST and THE HUNTING PARTY. But we are SO back.

If you enjoy summery thrillers with short chapters, multiple POVs, and a bit of folklore at the core, this one’s for you.

Set around the grand opening of a posh new resort on the Dorset coast during the summer solstice, the plot follows five POVs: Francesca (the owner), Owen (the husband/architect), Bella (the mystery guest), Eddie (the kitchen help), and DI Walker. All is not as idyllic as it seems, as secrets and lies begin to emerge from the surrounding woods. By the time the weekend ends, the hotel is in ruins and a body is found.

Without giving too much away, I loved the small-town legends and mythology at the center of this story that heightened the immersive, dark, atmospheric vibes. Like any good thriller, this was full of twists and kept me guessing at every turn, but it also employed a level of predictability that I appreciated. Sometimes I find that thrillers with multiple POVs and timelines have the potential to get overly complicated, but this one had the right balance for me. I devoured this in just a few days and truly enjoyed the experience.

My biggest criticism would be that I felt the cast lacked a bit of diversity, even with a high volume of characters.

I’m already looking forward to Foley’s next release. Keep ‘em coming!

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I loved this book! My first book of hers & I devoured it. Every time I thought I knew what was gonna happen, I was wrong. It was twisty & mysterious in all the right ways. The chapters were short, which I personally like, and I liked the depth of the characters & how it all circled back together cohesively.

However, it wasn’t without its flaws. The timeline is a bit all over the place & there are issues with the days in some chapters, which hopefully get fixed before release. The journal entry chapters are sometimes difficult to follow because it’s all in italics & there is no distinction of what is dialogue & what is the characters own thoughts. In one chapter they mention a specific animal’s skull & then literally two chapters later, minutes after in the timeline, that same skull is somehow not a skull but a fleshy head? And I know this is an uncorrected proof, but it was hard to ignore the extra quotation marks every single time they were used & the altogether missing quotations.

The Midnight Feast was reminiscent of the Paris Apartment and had some of the same "spooky cult" vibes throughout. I love what is becoming Foley's signature style- a large cast of characters tied together through loose shared history and all caught up in a murder. Compulsively readable summer thriller!

STORY LOVES
♥️♥️♥️♥️.5
rounded

SPICE
🌶️ closed door(ish)

RECOMMEND
💳 yes

I recently had the pleasure of reading "The Midnight Feast" by Lucy Foley, and the experience was captivating. The book is set in The Manor, a luxurious hotel situated near an ancient forest on the Dorset coast, and it delivers a tantalizing murder mystery. The setting itself plays a pivotal role, infusing the story with elements of horror and folklore that contribute to its depth.

The narrative begins at a measured pace, meticulously establishing the setting and crafting an ominous atmosphere. This deliberate approach effectively lays the groundwork for the complex plot that unfolds later. As the story progresses and the first major plot twist occurs, the pace accelerates, coaxing readers to engage and unravel the events themselves.

The characters are intricately developed, each boasting a unique backstory and motivations that enrich the story. The plot is teeming with suspense, introducing spine-chilling concepts that keep readers fully gripped. The mystery unravels satisfyingly, providing a thorough view of the intricate community of characters.

Despite the initially gradual pace, "The Midnight Feast" turns out to be an exciting thriller that had me engaged from beginning to end. The unique premise and vivid setting were utterly absorbing, and Foley's ability to sustain suspense throughout the book is quite impressive.

In summary, I wholeheartedly recommend "The Midnight Feast" to fellow fans of thrillers. It offers a fresh and intriguing perspective in the genre, providing an exciting read that consistently keeps you on edge. Prepare for an exciting journey into mystery and suspense with "The Midnight Feast" – The very last sentence! GAH!

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this book in advance and introducing me to Lucy Foley.

An absolutely amazing book. Honestly, this authors best book.
I was a little nervous about the birds because I don’t like fantasy but this exceeded my expectations on where it was going.
The character development was excellent. I felt like I knew who every character was and the twists!!! Twist after twist shocked me and I never guessed anything happening in the book!
I loved the ending and how nicely everything tied together and left no questions.
I couldn’t put this book down. Easily the best of the year so far for me.

I think this is Lucy Foley’s best yet! I was pulled in from the start and as the plot thickened, I found it harder and harder to put down. The story was good and the reveals were better. I had some 9 Perfect Strangers vibes for sure-but this one was a better book. (I couldn’t get Nicole Kidman out of my head as Francesca though-it fit!)
I love how Foley always includes family dynamics and relationships. Some heartwarming moments. Powerful themes throughout.
Bonus, I learned that Brits call the early 2000’s the noughties.
I loved this one. Highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!