New Lucy Foley! 😳

I have read a few of her books and love how atmospheric and creepy they all have been. The settings in each book have been fantastic so far, and The Midnight Feast continues that streak for me.

I tried a few times to write a brief summary of this book and I could not properly write anything because the premise is wild and strange. 🤣 I will say that like her other books, it is told from the perspectives of a few different people. In this case, people involved with a luxury resort in a rural English town that is rumored to be haunted by "the birds." That's the best I can do.

I enjoyed the weird vibes and I liked how it all came together in the end. If you like Lucy's other work, then I think you will find this one entertaining as well.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

After an unfortunate (for me) detour to France in The Paris Apartment, the author is back in her wheelhouse with a fast-paced closed circle murder among posh British people in an idyllic setting. It is a cracking return to form.

It is the opening weekend at The Manor, a luxury retreat on the Dorset coast. Francesca Meadows has transformed her ancestral home and herself into the pinnacle of glowing upmarket relaxation and spiritual wellbeing. But the local villagers are not as thrilled about the way she has ridden roughshod over rights of way and land ownership.

There are multiple well-defined narrative viewpoints and a gradually peeled back dip back into the past. We know early on that there is a body but we don't know whose it is and there is a fire but we’re not sure what has burned. The characters all have secrets that emerge over the course of the weekend and there are hidden connections between them all and with the local population.

There’s a spooky bit of village folklore about a group called The Birds who dish out vengeance and justice and it all weaves to a climax at a Bacchanalian solstice celebration. Comeuppances are dispensed, a few last minute twists are thrown in, and it is all very satisfying.

It’s quite close to The Hunting Lodge and The Guest List, but has enough differences on a successful formula to make it worth your while if you enjoyed those two. I wouldn't read them back to back but with the lapse of a year or two, The Midnight Feast felt pretty fresh.

Thanks to William Morrow and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

I read the Guest List not too long ago, and I enjoyed Lucy Foley's adept skill at shifting timelines and interweaving relationships of characters who are full of secrets. Her newest book, The Midnight Feast, did not disappoint. While it also has shifting timelines and characters full of secrets, I liked Midnight Feast even better. The Midnight Feast is about a hotel opening weekend that goes wrong, and a wealthy owner driven to make it successful at any cost. Think White Lotus meets Cersei Lannister. My mind was blown at the end as I didn't see the twists coming. What a fun thriller of a book.

This book's publish date is June 18, 2024. Thank you to Lucy Foley, @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for the ARC .

This book wasn't for me due to the writing style and the cookie cutter characters. I felt like the writing eas very disconnected. That being said, I would recommend this to anyone who likes Lucy's other works.

Thank you NetGalley for a gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my second Lucy Foley book and I was a little nervous going into this one since I didn't love some themes in one of her other books. This story follows a few different characters at "The Manor's" grand opening. This book is true Lucy Foley style in that it's multiple POV and very short chapters, which I'm always a fan of. The story takes place at "The Manor" which is located just outside of an ancient forest that is filled with secrets. The local's to the town see the Manor as an intrusion, and it's no secret they don't want it there. There are whispers of a fake(?) group called 'The Birds' that is said to avenge any wrongs. There's a fire, a body, and something isn't right....

The setting of this book hooked me in from the beginning. I was a little confused on the plot as it started out, but I think that's the point. The further I got into the book, the more it made sense. The short chapters kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time with all the mini cliffhangers throughout. Lucy kept dropping hints of secrets that kept me turning the pages until the very end. I didn't care much for the characters - but I also think that's the point? This was a book I wanted to keep reaching for because I wanted to know what was happening. I do think the climax of this book let me down just a little bit, but overall, this was a good murder mystery book that kept my attention until the end.

I was thrilled to get this-Lucy Foley books are my beach read/vacation novels......gorgeous locations, excellent foods and murder! Her books are excellent and this tracks! I thought the story flowed and everything wrapped up nicely! Its a page turner with a satisfying ending. I love her books!

I am forever chasing the high that Foley gave me with The Guest List, one of my all time favorite thrillers. The Midnight Feast was easily one of my most anticipated 2024 reads. It certainly didn’t top The Guest List for me, but I had a great time reading it. Foley is a master at setting an eerie scene and making you question any and every character. That was no difference here. I loved the past and present timelines, adding another layer to this mystery. I guessed a couple twists but I loved how everything came together in the end! I do feel a bit of suspension of belief is required to fully enjoy this one, but that’s pretty common in the genre. I felt the short chapters with their cliffhanger endings did a good job at holding my interest throughout the story and it was a really fast read.

While this one isn’t my favorite Foley, it is a very fun and bingey summer thriller that will make a fantastic beach read.

3.5 stars
I wasn't sure this book was for me. I almost DNFd, but Im glad I stuck it through and kept reading because towards the end, it picked up.
The whole birds thing was kind of freaky, and I kept wondering if they were actually real. I loved the journal entries that gave more background to the whole story. It has quite a few characters, and I can see how some may get confused. I found myself going back to re-read stuff to see what characters POV I was reading.

Lucy Foley is back with her best yet!!! I am a huge fan and was SO excited to receive this ARC! This story has all that I have come to expect and more from this author! I can always count on a locked-room type setting and unlikeable characters who may or may not be either the killer or dead body in question. This one was a bit different. It is set in a small seaside town at a new wellness retreat owned by an obscenely wealthy and out of touch woman. The locals are upset as land and livelihoods are being taken away. A body has been found and we do not know who it is. There is also a legend about mysterious birds to add to the creepiness. Now, I was a bit apprehensive going in, having not fully loved the author's previous story, The Paris Apartment, but I absolutely loved every aspect of this one. Super-fast-paced, great atmosphere and people you love to despise. I even liked a few of the characters! I rooted for Eddie, and I liked Allison. All in all, a highly entertaining, fun read! I am already excited for the next one!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Lucy Foley and William Morrow for this much appreciated ARC! All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Instagram and other retail and social media sites upon publication.

Oh. My. Good. God. I fell in love with Lucy Foley when I read The Guest List years ago. I loved her books in between, but The Midnight Feast brought me back to the jaw dropping twists and turns of my introduction to this author. Told through multiple points of view that jump from the past to the present, we watch as a glamorous cliffside hotel opens for their first weekend with a Solstice themed celebration. The owner has eliminated local access to the beach and woodland paths, and the local residents are livid. Not only that, but we slowly learn that the owner has a previous connection to the land and isn’t exactly who she seems to be. Nobody is. Oh and by the end of this celebration someone dies. (Of course they do, it’s Lucy Foley!) There are so many reveals along the way you won’t want to put this down. Just when you think there is a lull in the action and you can stop reading to go to the bathroom, nope, yet another shocking detail is revealed. This could have been an example of overdone misdirection and red-herrings, but Foley is masterful at creating a complex story and interweaving characters and storylines that all have a purpose in moving the story forward. And then at the end pulling back curtain after curtain to reveal character motivation and identity. Perfection!

Thank you @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for this early copy in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book as an ARC review
Lucy Foley has done it again! This is a locked room type thriller set at a wellness retreat in a small island town where the local have a deep dislike of the new retreat and the clientele it brings with it. It is told from dual pov and timelines. It draws a map from childhood to adulthood and how sins of the past will always come back to haunt you. I love the lead up to each twist. I gave it 4 stars because the beginning was a bit slow and I did see one of the twists pretty early. Overall it was a good read. After it picked up I could not put it down.
#TheMidnightFeast #NetGalley

The Midnight Feast is a thrilling mystery novel where the past and present intersect. It tells the story of the divide between the wealthy and the less fortunate, and how justice ultimately prevails. The setting is the opening night of The Manor, a luxurious seaside resort. However, the locals are unhappy with the outsiders who come to stay and attempt to privatize the beach and ancient forest. The story is told from multiple characters' perspectives, and as you read, you discover that everyone has their motives. This book has many twists and turns, making it an exciting read. Thank you so much to NetGalley and William Marrow for the ARC. #TheMidnightFeast #NetGalley

The twists and turns and reveals in this book were so fun! The second half where everything starts to come together and be unveiled is very fast paced and a little chaotic and overall exciting! (All in a good way) The first half is a little slow moving as we get to know the characters and I would have liked the lore and some of the background to be explained a little more. It switches between character POV and timelines pretty quickly which was quite a lot to keep up with sometimes.
But at the same time as the pace picked up and chaos ensued it was hard to put down! The reveals were done very well and I loved how everything came together. I had a couple jaw dropping moments which is what I’m here for. I also loved the overall unsettling feeling that was over the entire book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and William Marrow for the ARC!

A really good dark and twisty book. It kept me guessing through the book. I feel like this could be a movie. I could picture it so clearly through the whole book!

This is a locked room murder, and arson, mystery with secrets old and new. It took a couple chapters for me to get into it but once there, I just had to know where it was going.

I enjoy twists and a nothing-is-as-it-seems story and this has both in multiples. The characters each have their issues and questions abound as to who caused them and how. I love the setting and especially how local folklore is interwoven so perfectly.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the early e-book.

The Midnight Feast was such a twisted, suspenseful ride! I loved being able to piece together the puzzle of what happened the summer Sparrow and Frankie met and spent together at the Manor. Mysteries of the woods, the push and pull between locals and Frankie’s outsider wealthy family, manipulation…. I was kept on the edge of wanting more. The storytelling was vivid, and it was an emotional roller coaster.

Everyone has a past. Everyone has secrets. In this Midsommar-esque thriller, all the players from a past tragedy are back in place. And the town of Tome doesn’t trust the rich and privileged invading their space. The whispers about the vigilante Night Birds and the darkness of the forest make everyone uneasy.

Lucy Foley kept me on the edge of my seat with The Midnight Feast. The aspect of the local folklore was chilling and had my jaw dropping multiple times. I really enjoyed how the story was told from so many perspectives and included pieces of the past with a diary. The chapters were short and made it seem like each one had a cliffhanger. I HAD to keep reading.

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

I am a big fan of Lucy Foley and her newest book did not disappoint! This multi-POV mystery totally sucked me in and kept me guessing until the very end. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for their next mystery read.

The plot twists were so good and unexpected. The story reminded me of clue which is high praise. Love Lucy foley and this did not disappoint!

Rating: 3.25/5

I am one of the biggest Lucy Foley fans (that I know of), so when I was approved to read an advanced copy of her upcoming book coming out in June I was ecstatic. Foley's newest book is not like anything I've ever read from her before and yet it still seems vaguely familiar to her previous books. It opens up on The Manor which is a luxury hotel and spa experience marketed towards the wildly rich and famous. Sounds like a great vacation destination, right? Well, I hate to break it to you, the whole thing is burnt to the ground. In the pages that follow, a corrupt, twisted, and villainous mystery is unveiled to us. Who burnt down The Manor? Who's body is identified by the cliff's edge? And is there a larger, more evil power at fault? Now I will warn you, upon reading the premise of this book I was a bit wary as it was a bit "out there" for me. However, I feel like Foley doesn't overplay her hand here. She knows it's a bit strange, so she doesn't push the threshold of what her audience can take as normal versus "What the hell did I just read?". Well, perhaps the end is a bit odd for me, but I still found it to be a memorable ending filled with delightful twists and turns. With all this being said, I do wish the reveal of clues and such were spread a bit more evenly throughout the book. The beginning was a tad bit slow whereas the ending had me reeling and wishing I had a giant corkboard and miles of red yarn to map everything out. If you're looking to start reading a bit more this summer or just want something to keep you entertained at the beach, this book will definitely come in handy.