Lucy Foley’s The Midnight Feast is an atmospheric locked-room murder mystery set at a luxurious retreat called The Manor, nestled between the Dorset coastline and an ancient forest. The story centers around the grand opening weekend, which quickly turns dark when a fire breaks out, and a body is discovered. Foley’s signature multi-POV narrative unfolds through the perspectives of Francesca Meadows, the founder; her architect husband Owen; a mysterious guest named Bella; and Eddie, the kitchen help. The narrative also includes diary entries that reveal secrets from 15 years ago, adding depth to the mystery.

The novel’s setting is wonderfully creepy, with the dense forest and local legends about vengeful birds adding an extra layer of unease. Foley’s ability to create a sense of place is one of her strengths, and she uses it to full effect here. The twists and turns kept me engaged, with a few surprises that genuinely caught me off guard. However, the story took a while to get going, and the diary entries, in particular, felt repetitive and dragged down the pacing.

One of the main issues I had with The Midnight Feast was the characters. Many felt underdeveloped and unlikable, making it hard to connect with or care about their fates. The complexity of the multiple timelines and perspectives sometimes made the narrative feel disjointed and hard to follow. Despite these issues, the final third of the book ramps up the suspense and delivers some satisfying revelations.

In comparison to Foley’s previous works like The Guest List and The Paris Apartment, The Midnight Feast didn’t quite hit the mark for me. While it has its moments of tension and intrigue, it ultimately fell short of my high expectations. If you’re a fan of atmospheric mysteries and can handle a slow burn, it might still be worth a read. For me, it was a mixed bag.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you go down to the woods today
You better go in disguise
If you go down to the woods today
Beware of a big surprise . . .

It’s opening night of The Manor and everything has been planned with extra attention to detail. The linen-clad guests are imbibing in signature cocktails and enjoying the entertainment. But, just beyond the Manor’s immaculately kept grounds lies a forest bristling with secrets. And when a body is discovered the next morning, the woods just might hold the answers.

The premise of the latest Lucy Foley thriller sounded so intriguing, and while it was a good page-turner, it was not my favorite of hers. The book is told from multiple points of view, which in the beginning made it difficult to settle into. I struggled to engage with any of the characters, so that may have made this book just feel “meh” to me. My curiosity for what was happening on the premise was what ultimately kept me reading.

While this may not have been my cup of tea, this locked-room murder mystery is perfect for fans of The Yellow Jackets and M. Night Shyamalan films.

Thank you to Lucy Foley, William Morrow and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of the book for an honest review.

This was another solid mystery from Lucy Foley! The setting was very atmospheric and rich- both in the environment and the cast of characters. There were multiple POVs, short chapters, and jumping timelines which I enjoyed but was also frustrated with. This structure kept the story moving but it did make it a little difficult for me to get invested. The payoff was eventually worth it as things were finally revealed and the story became more linear! I particularly enjoyed seeing how it all came together in the end.

If you’re a fan of Foley, you will enjoy this one! It’s a good twisty mystery to keep you company at the pool this summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

3.75 stars rounded up!

The Midnight Feast
By: Lucy Foley
4 stars

First, thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC! I loved The Guest List and enjoyed The Hunting Party from Foley so when this came to me I was so excited. I will say it started a bit slow for me, while there were not as many characters to keep track of as The Guest List it was still enough and the flashback journal entries added another element.

But I loved the mystery in the thriller and trying to piece together who was behind it all! Francesca is the quintessential snotty, high class woman who is into crystals, mediation and deep breathing and curating a one of a kind experience for her clientele at the Manor. And then you have Owen, a brilliant architect and husband to Francesca, who doesn't seem to quite fit into her world but dotingly does as she asks.

And Eddie...he is an awkward 19 year old trying to figure himself out and finds himself working for Francesca. He lives in the town but no one knows that he comes from one of the farming families.

Bella who seems like any other guest but we soon learn she is more than just the single woman in her Hutch. And the flashbacks just add a whole other layer to some of the characters that just makes you want to keep reading and figure out this mystery.

I loved the twists and turns Foley took us on and I did not see the ending and connections coming but they were oh so good. This was a great summer thriller and another great one from Foley.

This is my second book by Lucy Foley the first being the Paris apartment. This books was just as good told by multiple point of views as well as throwing in a diary to follow the time line past and present. I enjoyed some of the characters but there were just. Few I just could not connect to.

Overall I would recommend this book if you like multiple view, different timeline’s and several twists. If you have read anything by this author in the past and liked it or loved it give it a try.

Thank you Netgally, Lucy Foley and William Marrow publishing for the ARC of The Midnight Feast.

Foley's The Midnight Feast is a dual timeline suspense filled story of a new luxury resort, hated by the locals, and the dark history that comes along with it.

Its opening weekend of Francesca Meadows's "The Manor", a high end, serene hotel located on what once was her family's extravagant vacation property. The residents of surrounding Tome are less than thrilled by the overtaking of the land, and decide to make that known during The Manor's opening weekend.

No one is exactly as they seem. And "the birds" seem determinied to uncover everyone's secrets.

The Midnight Feast is a slow burn that has you guessing until the end.

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for a copy of The Midnight Feast in exchange for my honest review.

Okay this book took me a while to get into. Multiple POV is always an adjustment. This book jumps thru multiple time zones and POV and has a lot going on. There is deceit, lies and murder.

The Manor is opening and everything must be perfect. It's on a Seaside Cottage where the locals are unwelcome unless they are the help

But remember be aware of the birds

Thanks NetGalley for the arc!

Another great read by Lucy Foley. Imagery was vibrant, characters all connected by their past- it came together in such a meaningful way.

“𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆
𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗴𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗲
𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆
𝗕𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 . . .”

Rating: 2/5 ⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: 6/18/24

Thank you @netgalley and @harpercollins for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was my second Foley novel, after saying The Hunting Party would be my first and last.

I hate to be harsh, but The Hunting Party should have been my last.

The writing was great, easy to follow. I did love the short chapters and multiple timelines and POVs.

The story was so boring. No thrill or suspense whatsoever. I wanted to DNF multiple times but forced this finish. Ironically, it’s what I did with The Hunting Party too.

Many loved this story so far, I am not one of those and unfortunately, I do not think this author is for me.

#themidnightfeast

I have yet to find a book by Lucy i’ve not loved. They’ve made their way to one of my auto buy authors! It seems every book I read gets better. It was packed with twist and especially one I didn’t see coming. I loved everything about it!

Four and 1/2 ⭐️s. Foley is a favorite murder mystery thriller author. The blurb says “closed room mystery” but it really isn’t. That does not lessen my appreciation of a complex plot line with more twists and turns than a mountain road, great character development, and a very satisfying ending.

Frankie is actually a nut job. I love the past and now aspect throughout the book and I enjoyed the creepy feeling it gave me the entire time. The bird situation was so weird, I never knew what was going on. All I can say is, you got what you deserved. Bella I’m amazed that you held it together for so long. Jake you’re a true hero, along with Eddie!

This is extremely gross and trashy writing. I’m sorry, I try not to give such negative feedback. But I’m dnf’ing this at 15%.
In my opinion good writing doesn’t need a ton of cussing and vulger talking. In addition to this the constant switching of multiple perspectives, and I honestly have no idea what’s going on.
Not for me.

The first Lucy Foley book I read was The Guest List. I adored it so much that I bought the audiobook for my husband and even bought a copy for my mother-in-law to read while recovering from an injury. I've since re-read it, and it held up great. I read The Hunting Party next, and it felt too similar to The Guest List for me. It's been a while, but from what I can recall, this similarity wasn't necessarily because of the locked-room-type mystery; it was something about the cast of characters and how much each stereotype reminded me of someone from The Guest List. Because of that, I was hesitant to pick up The Paris Apartment, but I did, and it was different enough that I decided to check out The Midnight Feast as well.

The Midnight Feast was interesting. I especially enjoyed that the journal chapters were revealed at *just* the right moments, and I also admired the buzzword-heavy, superficially-holistic way Francesca was written. The imagery at the final midnight feast was very well done, too; the writing is cinematic as it describes the overripe, almost putrid scene.

Although I enjoyed the book for the most part, about 80% of the way through, I found myself wishing that it would hurry up and get things over with. I'm not sure that Lucy Foley will remain an auto-buy writer for me. It's getting to the point where I read the book and wonder who each person was in the past and what their ulterior motive is for turning up, because I assume everyone's got one. I still didn't manage to solve this one, but at the same time, the past identities of a handful of people were not a surprise to me.

I'd recommend this one with reservations. If you enjoy mysteries, you'll probably like this. If you enjoy the consistency that comes with all of an author's books having a similar feel and formula, you'll likely enjoy this one. However, if you prefer your authors' work to evolve over time, or even for them to try something different...this might not be for you.

A bingeable thriller yet ultimately the story and characters are forgettable. I had high hopes for Foley's latest novel as I have been a fan of the author. I enjoyed the setting in the woods along the cliff side and the sea as well as the myths and folklore of the small town outside of London. The story just felt forced and had been done before as well as was mostly predicted. Read if you enjoy rich people misbehaving and acting wicked, myths, and folklore. The story is told through multiple POVs and between present day as well as past. It was a fast read and kept me mostly interested.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars!!!!!!

Lucy Foley has done it again! She has left my jaw on the floor and my brain absolutely exploded.

Going into this book I was nervous that it would not live up to some of her other work that I absolutely adore; however, that was NOT the case.

It’s the opening weekend of The Manor, and no expense, small or large, has been spared. But under the burning midsummer sun, the birds are watching, and no guest should go into the woods past dark…
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.
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.

My favorite part about this book and all of Lucy Foleys previous books, is that no character is wasted. There are no filler characters that serve no purpose to the story… Every. Single. Character. Matters.

At times, I was tempted to get out a whiteboard and track details about the characters because as more of the story was revealed, so was the genius that is Lucy Foley. No detail was too small to be relevant to the end game of the story - and I was always kept wondering what was next.

If you live to have your mind absolutely blown by a book… Pick up a copy of this book when it comes out on June 18th 2024!!!!!

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley is a great thriller/suspense read! A mystery from years before unfolds through many characters. In Lucy Foley fashion so many twists & turns you won’t see coming! Definitely recommend this book!

I was really hoping this book would help me like Lucy Foley’s writing style a little more. Unfortunately, I still cannot get into it. The multiple point of views is great to add detail to a story line, but it also makes me so confused with what is happening. If you’re a fan of Lucy Foley, obviously this is for you. If this is your first time reading a book by her, I might choose another book to start with. The book description is great, but again, I just got lost with so many pov’s. The time line constantly changed and I feel like not a lot of ground was covered. HOWEVER, throughout the entire read, I honestly had no idea who the culprit was.

Sadly, this wasn’t my favorite Lucy Foley book. The atmosphere was great, and the story kept my interest, but the thrills just didn’t thrill me.

After not enjoying The Paris Apartment, I really loved this one! The cast of characters was easy to follow and the back story was excellently woven in! Lots of twists and turns in the last 100 pages!