Lucy Foley always provides the twists and turns needed for a good thriller. I loved reading along different POVs to figure this one out. Thank you for this ARC!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a digital arc of The Midnight Feast, in exchange for my honest review.

Every time I read a Lucy Foley book, I think I have all the surprise twists worked out and I’m surprised I was able to predict them. Then she hits us with twists I would have never thought of in a million years. She truly is a master of her craft and this book confirms I will read absolutely anything and everything she writes.

I could feel the tension throughout the entire time I was reading this book, wondering how the characters were connected to one another. Foley’s settings always feel like their own character in the story, with The Manor and its surrounding woods seeming to come to life when interacting with each person who enters. I thought I would get confused that the book switched back and forth before the day before the main event, the main event itself, and the day after, but it was fairly easy to keep track of where I was in the story. The one thing I would add to this book would be a chapter from Michelle’s perspective at the end, just to really tie in her connection to what happened.

I really enjoyed the story but the writing style was not for me. I love Lucy Foley books, but this one was a miss for me.

My brain struggled to comprehend the writing. The multi POV got very confusing and I also found it difficult to connect with the characters.

Whatever you do- do not upset the birds!! In "The Midnight Feast," a multi-perspective thriller, readers are drawn into the enigmatic world of The Manor's grand opening weekend. As the story unfolds, we're introduced to Eddie, Bella, Francesca, and Owen, each harboring their own secrets and agendas. A fire, a corpse—seemingly disparate events—yet all interconnected in a web of intrigue. Lucy Foley masterfully crafts a tale where mystery lurks around every corner, revealed through the intricate layers of each character's past and present.

As a newcomer to Lucy Foley's work, I approached this book with high expectations, considering her reputation for delivering top-notch thrillers. However, while the story had its merits, it ultimately left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed- leading to the 3.5 star rating.

One of the main challenges I encountered was the frequent shifts between past and present timelines, which made it difficult to fully immerse myself in the narrative. Keeping track of the numerous characters and their evolving identities proved to be another hurdle, causing some confusion for me along the way.

The initial pacing of the book felt sluggish, with an extended buildup that took up a significant portion of the story. It wasn't until the final quarter that things began to fall into place, compelling me to read through to the end in a single sitting. Prior to this, progress through the book was slow, requiring me to read in intermittent chunks over a period of two weeks—quite a departure from my usual experience with gripping thrillers, which I typically finish in just a few days.

I’m sitting on my couch in shock and feeling so fulfilled. As someone who has read three other of Lucy Foley’s book, this is perhaps tied for my new favorite with The Guest List.
As a Christian (and certified scaredy cat) I was a little nervous going into this book as it had a much darker feel to it with the setting, journal entries, and legend of “The Birds.” But I felt that in the end, the explanation of The Birds made complete sense and it was… dare I say… wholesome?
As the story really began to unfold and secrets were brought to the light around half way through, I couldn’t read fast enough. As is the case with other Foley books, the hidden relationships and connections never cease to make me literally gasp out loud!! I felt that the “time jumping” from the day before the solstice, day after, and journal entries from 2009 (along with the multi POV) made for a fast paced read.
I will definitely re moment this to friends and colleagues!!!

Thank you to William Morrow Books @Williammorrowbooks and Netgalley @Naetgalley for the e-arc. All thoughts are my own.


It’s opening night at the Manor, and no expense has been spared.

But just outside the Manor’s grounds, an ancient forest bristles with secrets and folklore.

On the Sunday of opening weekend, local police are called. There’s been a fire. A body’s discovered. And something’s not quite right with the guests. What happened on the grounds of the manor over the past 36 hours?

Everyone has an agenda. Everyone has a past. But not everyone will survive…the Midnight Feast.


I always know that I can count on Lucy Foley to deliver a twisty locked room thriller and because I have read and really enjoyed some of her previous works, I know that sometimes, I need to have a little patience. Patience was key here because there was seemingly a lot going on in the beginning. There was a dead body we didn’t know how it connected, then there were several points of views. Like I said, a lot is going on with seemingly no connection, then little pieces started coming together and clicking and then some more, and more and all of a sudden everything clicks and its just an aha moment. Then there’s one more reveal and it’s a good one, I enjoyed the final twist a lot. The tensions were high in this book, and I was never truly sure who was a “good” guy and who was a potentially “bad” guy though they were all well developed. I loved the inclusion of diary entries for the past chapters, it was a fun way to experience that.

I do think that this is one of those books that you must be all in to read or you might not be able to fully understand all the intricacies.


Publication Date: June 18, 2024

Loved! It’s such a good slow burn! I haven’t read a Lucy Foley book I haven’t enjoyed. This was one of my most anticipated books for the year and I’m glad it didn’t disappoint!!

This book felt like whiplash. Going back and forth between the long ago past, one day ago and the present day in chapters that are way too short really killed my enjoyment of this book. It bounced all over the place. I think it would have been a much stronger book if it were put together differently. As it is, there’s really nothing in there that hasn’t been written before and makes this book stand out in any way.

Tense, thrilling, and explosive is how I would describe Lucy’s new book. A Midnight Feast is the perfect time and place for a locked room thriller to take place. You won’t know what happens next.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to read this ARC! I love a good twisty mystery with multiple POV and this one did not disappoint. We also flash backs which all is to piece together the mystery of how all the characters are connected and why they are there. I did not see the ending coming and now I can’t wait for another book from one of my fav authors!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Midnight Feast was a triller that kept me on the edge of my seat with suspense. I enjoyed all the twists and turns in the story. The characters were well developed and I liked the multiple POV’s and timelines. I’ve read several of Lucy’s books and this one is my new favorite. It’s always nice to switch it up from romcoms and indulge in a mystery/triller! I highly recommend this book, you won’t be disappointed.

✩ rating: 5/5 ✩

universally despised francesca meadows has just opened her new hotel, The Manor, coveted for it’s relaxing beachside cottages and exclusive events. this story is told from the pov of bella, a resident staying in the manor, eddie, a worker at the manor, owen, francesca’s husband, and francesca herself.

i ate this book up !!! all the different povs kept me engaged throughout the entire story, and i genuinely did not predict any of the plot twists. being in the mind of francesca specifically was alarming and i have no idea how foley managed to capture that level of psycho and out of touch-ness🫣

one thing i was confused about a little were the ages of the characters, i feel like i was supposed to guesstimate them since they weren’t ever explicitly mentioned so i thought they were older than they were (i really thought francesca was an old woman for the first 25%…😭) also i thought owen and francesca were the same age and cora was like 19.
the multiple povs couldve gotten confusing but imo foley handled them well, although sometimes it was unclear how slow time seemed to be passing.

ty for the arc! this was my first lucy foley book & now i want to read more. eddie has my heart btw.🥰🥰

I enjoyed this book by Lucy Foley. It had mystery, suspense, and intrigue. The characters were well-developed, and the ending was satisfying. I would definitely recommend it. I've read other Lucy Foley books, and she follows the same format with multiple POV's and multiple timeframes which adds to the intrigue.

Thank you William Morrow & NetGalley for the ARC!

Admittedly I have an incredibly high bar for what makes a good thriller. Because so much of thrillers/mysteries are plot-driven, if I feel the plot does not instantly grip me with intrigue, I lose interest quickly, Unfortunately, that is what happened here. There just wasn't enough for me to grab onto, and I had a hard time getting through this book, even with such short chapters. The story picked up around 70% of the way through, but sadly it wasn't enough to salvage it for me. Will always remain a Lucy Foley fan though!

Thank you again for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed Lucy Foley’s other books so I was excited to read this.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 chilling stars!
This book gripped me with its icy little talons right off the bat and never let go.

🎶 “If you go down to the woods today, beware of a big surprise. If you go down to the woods today, you’d better go in disguise.” 🎶
Most people would recognize it, I suppose. Except in the version I learned, there was something much worse than teddy bears lying in wait.

Told in multiple viewpoints, this story spins a tale of a brand new chic getaway in the woods… beautiful lodgings in the wooded countryside with instagram-worthy views, organic eats and spa treatments. But not everyone is happy about the new lodgings and not everyone is who they seem.
Unhappy locals and creepy legends of creatures in the woods make for a gripping and eerie story. I really enjoyed the Midsommer imagery and chilling descriptions of the woods and The Birds.

The story alternates between the present and past (via diary entries) and had me staying up late to see what was going to happen next. Very twisty and dark. Well done! I loved it!

I was really looking forward to this book, but was unfortunately disappointed. I found there were far too many characters and switching POVs. On top of that, it was written in 3 different time frames with one being the poorly written journal of a teenage girl. I found the plot uninteresting and found I couldn’t wait for it to be over

Wow! That was an excellent story about your sins coming home to roost. Long ago a crime was committed and now 15 years later, the people who were involved, either culprits or witnesses or victims return to the Manor, now newly changed to a luxury hotel/resort with the owner, Francesca and her new husband, Owen overseeing it all and making a grand opening, complete with a "midnight feast" to take place on the solstice. However, with several parties meddling to make sure the truth is known and the culprit is brought to justice, chaos reigns.

With the short chapters and the different viewpoints from a mystery guest, to the employees of the resort, and of course the owners slowly revealing what happened 15 years ago, plus the actions taken in the present just before the solstice and then the day after, it is a very hard to put down book. Lots of secrets and hidden identities also drive up the suspense. And it is not only the people of Tome trying to save their town from the greediness of Francesca, but also a creepy group which may or may not be supernatural called the Birds. A shadowy force that receives requests for grave justices to be dispensed at the base of the tree of a hundred eyes. The atmosphere of this story is wonderfully dark and creepy and I absolutely loved it and the ending was very satisfying and left a nice feeling that maybe something more than meets the eye had a hand in ending the murderer.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book to read and review.

Lucy Foley delivers another well-constructed, page turner in The Midnight Feast. A posh new resort (The Manor) is celebrating its opening weekend during the summer solstice. Its clientele includes celebrities and well-off guests that want to experience a bit of the British countryside in a secluded forest setting with a view and access to the beach. Your stay includes well curated activities, a focus on wellness and a special solstice event. The owner is Francesca, a sophisticated and visionary woman who has inherited her Grandparent's property and converted it into this new destination.

Not everyone is thrilled with this new development, specifically the locals who see this as an intrusion into their peaceful town and sees this as a battle between the haves and the have nots. The town also has a bit of a mysterious lore where certain trees are sacred and "the birds" settle disputes.

We start to meet the characters including Francesca, her doting husband, Owen, hotel guest Bella and bar back Eddie, and learn that they are more connected to this place than they realize. Bella spent summers in the trailer park, and we learn she was befriended by Frankie (now, Francesca) and spent time at the Grandparent's manor. The story moves between the characters, but also between the past and the present via Bella's journal that describes the experience as Frankie's "project" and tells of a tragedy that was long since forgotten by some and life altering for others. We also learn there was a fire and crimes committed during the solstice event as we also get the POV of the detective sorting through the aftermath.

I loved how the book progressed and we learned how the characters were related. Knowing what happened to the Manor early in the book built the suspense as we are trying to figure out the "who, what and why". Those with ill intentions were brought to justice, and closure was received for others. I definitely recommend picking this book up!

Thanks NetGalley and William Morrow for supplying me with an advanced copy!

I really wanted to like this, but unfortunately I just couldn't get into it. I made it about a quarter of the way through, but I still didn't understand what the mystery was, nor did I feel emotionally connected to any of the characters.

I most definitely let out an "Oh shit!" in the staff lounge while reading one of the big twists in this delightful thriller (and I'm a librarian so everyone wanted to know what I was reading). Lucey Foley is just TOO GOOD at weaving multiple storylines and timelines together into a beautiful masterpiece. First we have Francesca, an uppity controlling owner of a new resort that just opened on her family's English cliffside property, with a major secret. Her husband is Owen, an architect who helped her create her vision, but with dark secrets of his own. Then we have guest Bella, who has a connection to Francesca but is hiding her identity while she stays there, and Eddie, a young employee trying to work his way up to bartender at the resort, and whose family farm located next door is in danger of being taken by Francesca to expand the resort. Throw in some dark woods on the property, dead bodies, scary folklore of dangerous birds, and flashbacks to one unforgettable summer, you have a perfect thriller that readers will just devour. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC for a fair and honest review.