4 stars!⭐

Thank you to William Marrow, and NetGalley for an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun, fast-paced, drama filled, twisty and turny thriller novel. I am SO happy I had the chance to read this!

The newest up-and-coming vacation spot is a luxurious manor located in the Woodland Hutches. Every detail IS perfect. Everything in the manor is made from the finest of materials. Only the best for Francesca Woodland. However, some of the townspeople are VERY unhappy with this new spot disturbing their peace and worst of all their forest. Is this a place of dreams? Or of nightmares?

We follow multiple POVS in this story. We have the founder, the husband, the mystery guest, and the kitchen help. Each character plays a significant role in the plot and the chapters are short and sweet. This kept me wanting to keep on reading so I could unravel more secrets.

Francesca, what an interesting and troubled woman. Owen, what a hurt and sad soul. Bella, what a determined person. Eddie, what a committed employee. DI Walker, we couldn’t solve the mystery without him.

I would hate to give anything away but there is SO much beneath the surface happening in this book than what you initially believe. It was messy, and I was LIVING for the drama.

The diary entries really helped to paint a picture of what life used to look like back at the manor all those years ago, and frames how we got to where the characters are at in present time. This felt like a cozy mystery, and I was LIVING for it.

I can't wait to read more from this author! ❤️

2.5 ⭐️
Lucy Foley is a solid thriller writer that I’ve enjoyed previously and while her books aren’t necessarily groundbreaking in the genre they are often a good time.

However, Midnight Feast didn’t quite do it for me. It was initially giving White Lotus vibes but it lost me quickly. The plot felt boring while also being a bit convoluted and it was a lot longer than necessary.

I’m used to Foley having a myriad of characters and POVS and while I know one POV was necessary to a twist later, 98% of the time that POV felt so unnecessary and took me out of the plot. The writing felt a little basic and even the plot couldn’t hold me. It wasn’t a giant let down but I’ve been reading a lot of amazing thrillers lately and this doesn’t quite hold up to the others, including Foleys previous works.

Thank you to William Morrow for the ARC via NetGalley of the Midnight Feast! It was an unexpected treat.

Lucy Foley’s back again with a new twisty thriller, the Midnight Feast, after stunning with prior entry–the gripping The Paris Apartment (my personal favorite of her novels). The Midnight Feast follows the opening weekend of the Manor, a high-end destination spot and luxury resort where everyone seems to have an agenda, and long-abandoned history creeps up unexpectedly. Founder Francesca Meadows is determined that everything should go on without a hitch, though the stability of the grand debut is threatened by locals unhappy with the Manor’s opening, and something sinister that seems to come from the woods.

Jumping around between POVs of staff, guests, and detective uncovering a gruesome murder, the story unfolds with foreboding excellence and discomforting quiet. An uncovered diary promises to fill in some of the missing pieces, as the past becomes prologue in conjunction with the splashy and glamorous festivities. Like always, Foley is a pro at creating an atmosphere that is both delicious and haunting, set in a world populated with wealthy, glamorous and guilty. Yet, the myriad of narrators and diary entries were at times a formidable task to remember and keep straight. I found myself having to re-read some passages and couldn’t help but feel that the story would lend itself more to a visual presentation than written, not only because of the tactile nature of the surroundings, but to keep the particulars in order. I got a little lost.

Overall, it’s always a pleasure to step into the world of Lucy Foley, and I was very grateful to be granted the opportunity to read the Midnight Feast. The local myths and legends and the eerie imagery of the Birds was unsettling and highly effective. While I wandered here and there, the ending was engrossing and brought everything together as always. Highly recommend for anyone who wants to bite into something as juicy (and a little bit rotten) as this curated getaway. Just stay out of the woods.

Another hit book!! I LOVED the mystery and secrets revealed!! Gives a new meaning to “those old birds…” in the BEST way possible!

My summary: A posh hotel opens in Dorset on the edge of the woods that locals consider to be sacred. The owner, Francesca, has poured herself into the Manor to make it a an exclusive and inviting resort for the wealthy, with an emphasis on spiritual wellness. Celebrating the opening weekend during the summer solstice, it is sure to be unforgettable and put the Manor on the map. But Francesca’s ethereal world starts to crack as bits of the deeply buried past begin to emerge during opening weekend. From the owner to the guests to the employees to the locals—no one is telling the truth and everyone has something to hide. And the locals, far off the beaten path in their small town of Tome, have always found that justice seems to be meted out when deserved.
My thoughts: Attentive reading is richly rewarded in this deviously dark thriller. If you like doing puzzles, this book is very satisfying. Lucy Foley masterfully weaves this story together until you feel like you’ve been transported directly into the middle of it. I was quickly pulled into the thrall of this twisty story set in an otherworldly feeling town. The story unfolds with jumps in time between the past, the weekend before the solstice, and the weekend after the solstice. I had no idea where the story was leading at any point, and many of the twists are completely unexpected. It was really satisfying as the pieces clicked into place and the mystery unfolded as you read. I can’t tell you many how many “Aha!” moments along the way made me want to go back and reread from the beginning after more pieces clicked together. There are a lot of characters and it feels like there’s a lot going on, with truly impressive depth to the layers of the story. Everyone seems to have motive, which is always my favorite in a mystery. Lucy Foley is absolutely a mad genius. This book rekindled my love of suspense and mystery books. This is—by far—my favorite Lucy Foley book yet.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the sneak peak on this book.
I am a fan of Lucy Foley BUT I have come to the realization that no book she writes will be better than The Guest List (in my opinion). This book was a VERY VERY slow burn. Almost to the point that I was about to give up. BUT, the ending 50 pages... OMG! Perfection. The book was really confusing and switching between time/POV's added to the frustration. This is definitely one that you have to stick with in order to get the wonderful twist gift at the end.
This could have been shorter without so much of the needless bird weirdness. It wasn't even germane to the plot. The characters were forgettable but if someone mentions this book, I will probably remember I liked the ending.

ok listen I really wasn’t feeling this premise even before I picked it up - and that’s saying something because lucy foley is the queen of locked door remote location thrillers!! and the atmosphere of this one (a hotel in the middle of the woods) was perfect!

except, the characters were not it 🥴🥴 I never felt so annoyed and disconnected as I did with these folks!! it was set up to be a mean girl revenge story as bella returns to her childhood best friend, francesca’s new hotel to confront her about the past - but bella had absolutely no plan, was constantly derailed by flirting with a 19 year old for no reason, and spends more time reading her old diary than having the gumption to just talk to francesca?? it all felt very unnecessary

the side characters of eddie and francesca’s husband, owen, were also very unnecessary. they could have been introduced through the POVs of the ladies without having chapters of them moaning about “poor me” and “if I done things differently” 😐

this entire book would be completely null and void if bella and francesca had one conversation 😬

what I did enjoy was the secrecy of “the birds” (caw caw motherfuckers!!) in what was a clear misrepresentation of alfred hitchcock’s the birds… BUT! it added a spooky element that kept me from DNFing the book 😅

overall, I still will read anything lucy foley writes but this was a yikes miss from me. thank you to netgalley and william morrow for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: chile chardonnay

This was my second Lucy Foley - I really enjoyed the spooky atmosphere of the setting - which was a character onto itself. I was genuinely creeped out by The Birds, and the woods. I liked the set up of peeling back the layers of the past and the present. Thank you to Netgally for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I did enjoy this book- I would give it a solid 3.5 stars. It took some time for me to really get into it. Once the diary entries were introduced, I felt like the overall plot of the book started to make sense. I did enjoy how none of the characters in the book were exactly who they seemed. I also liked that my thoughts about the various murders in the stories were not correct. The story is complex and well written. The suspense just took longer to get into then I had hoped.

It’s the Summer Solstice and opening night at The Manor, a hotel in the woods. I read on to see what happens at The Manor.

Each main character describes what is going on from their point of view. I have to admit that, at first, The Manor seems like a place I would like to visit. I change my mind as the hints of what is to come start piling up, and my discomfort kicks in. While the construction of the book is interesting, especially the journal entries, I find I don't care enough about the characters. Despite this, I continue reading. Secrets are exposed until the end, but I mostly read to simply finish the book. Thank you, William Morrow and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

Listen. I'm not one to pop off a five star unless I find a book to be absolutely superlative, but I just don't have a single complaint here. And I love complaining!! But I picked this up to read while eating lunch and I did not put it down until I finished it (RIP the work I was going to do this afternoon). This book had a bunch of compelling, really believable characters, including Francesca, a modern wellness-pilled rich woman using therapy-speak to create the persona of a good person while actually being horrible down to the bone, a portrait that was so on-point that it gave me war flashbacks to my shitty bosses at the Los Angeles fashion line where I suffered for five years in a toxic stew of Moon Juice, botox, and the fakest veneers of kindness you've seen since TikTok teeth.

I just really enjoyed this book, the twists were great and the resolution was satisfying as hell. Props, Lucy Foley, you crushed this one.

My thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book - especially once I was able to wrap my head around how many perspectives there were! It did throw me off having so many moving pieces with jumping forward and back in time and switching between characters, but once I wrapped my head around it, I was able to settle in and really enjoy the ride. The similarities to Midsommar were frequent but felt very purposeful. By the end, I genuinely didn’t see many of the plot lines ending up the way they did. This was a great read!

7/10

*ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for feedback. all opinions are my own.

While this book won't be entering my pantheon of thrillers alongside The Silent Patient and Rock Paper Scissors it was still entertaining and full of many twists and turns.

Most notable was the character work. Some of the characters I felt for, while others I just wanted to punch in the face. Others I didn't really like but hey I understood where they were coming from.

While some of the suspense is taken away by narrative choice to flash between POV before and after the big events there are still plenty of surprises in store, some of which I genuinely did not see coming.

I don't think this is one that I will find myself talking about years from now still, but it is definitely entertaining and worth the time to read.

I just couldn’t connect with this one. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters and the storyline drug on. It felt like nothing really happened. I’ve enjoyed Lucy Foleys other books but this one just wasn’t for me. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

First, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel.

The novel was a slow start for me as the characters were pretty unlikeable and there was a lot of jumping from character to character and learning their backstory. However, once I got into it, wow. The end had many twists that I didn’t see coming. I usually enjoy Lucy Foley and this was no exception.

Lucy Foley's "The Midnight Feast" is a captivating thriller that expertly weaves the mystique of a dark, brooding setting with the intense, personal dramas of its characters. Told through multiple points of view, each character intricately reveals their secrets and motivations, pulling the reader deeper into the narrative with every page turned.

The novel alternates between the present and flashbacks, tracing the impacts of one fateful summer on its characters—a summer that forged a complex web of relationships and set the stage for the dramatic events that unfold. The lush, evocative descriptions of the setting almost become a character in their own right, enhancing the atmospheric tension that Foley crafts so well.

The inclusion of local myths—particularly the eerie omens of strange birds—adds a unique layer of supernatural intrigue that kept me riveted. This element, while peculiar, was woven into the storyline with enough skill that it embellished the overarching mood without overwhelming the core narrative focused on human experiences and relationships.

Lucy Foley's prose is fluid and compelling, making it easy to get lost in the world she has created. The Manor, with its haunting woods and mysterious past, provides the perfect backdrop for a story that is as much about the place as it is about the people. Foley’s talent for creating suspense is evident as she leads the reader through a maze of past and present mysteries that are skillfully linked, culminating in a satisfyingly dramatic conclusion.

However, the story was not without its minor flaws. The pacing occasionally felt uneven, particularly with the late introduction of crucial elements like the journal, which became pivotal but could have been integrated earlier to enhance the story's flow. Additionally, while the multi-POV format was generally effective, it sometimes caused the narrative to feel fragmented, which might distract some readers.

Despite these points, "The Midnight Feast" is a thrilling read with enough suspense and intrigue to keep any reader engaged. The dark undertones and complex character dynamics forge a compelling narrative that explores the depths of human relationships and the secrets we keep.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy. I highly recommend this book to fans of psychological thrillers and those who enjoy novels that not only explore the complexities of human nature but also integrate myths and legends to add depth and flavor to the narrative. Lucy Foley has delivered another engrossing read that is sure to be a hit with her existing fans and newcomers alike.

I really loved this book! It is told from the point of view of each of the main characters. Each one has a secret.

The story starts out with young girls becoming friends one summer - one rich, one poor. The events of that summer shape all of their lives in different ways.

The novel alternates between the present and the past and what happened and what will happen unfolds as you keep reading.

There is lots of suspense and a dark side about strange birds that keep appearing. This was a fast read that kept me on tenterhooks until the final page. Highly recommend!

4 / 5.
* my TL:DR is at the bottom
** I would like to say a huge special thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for a review.

This was my first Lucy Foley book and I can without a doubt say I am a fan.

She cultivates a story involving the rich, celebrity type people (you know the kind we love to glimpse their drama and can’t get enough of) while steeping it into an occult cocktail of old-world myths. It seems even the rich are not impervious to legends.

This is a multi pov with characters that at first seem like they couldn’t possibly know one another until the discovery of a journal shows us just how impossibly tight all of them are knotted together.

The characters are so well written and so different from one another that I found myself wanting more as I read on.

Eddie the 19 year old who lost his brother and has been chasing happiness since. A local at that, who has to keep it on the down low that he works at The Manor. Francesca the owner of the most chic, posh, and upscale boho pagan retreat that England has ever seen. Bella, a troubled woman who lives with a haunted past, who wants nothing more than to right her wrongs and give her daughter a mother to believe in. And then Owen, the husband to Francesca and the architectural mastermind behind The Manor.

We meet other characters along the way including our DI Walker who comes to opening weekend at The Manor which was supposed to be mindful, and relaxing but instead there are three bodies and a puzzle which needs to be solved. But even he has a story to tell.

Foley really shows a lot of care and love to her characters, she makes us, the reader, care about them as well and uses them as the driving force behind everything. She introduces the fractured town of Tome who is at odds with Francesca by using Bella’s journal and while creating the present day, weaves in the past until they impactfully unite in a memorable clash.

The seaside setting seems perfect, the town once thriving is now on the brink of deteriorating. Everything starts out in near perfection until the fractures begin to show through and we find The Manor at the head of accusations by the town for soul sucking the life out of everything.

But if The Birds have their way, Tome will be restored with retribution.

I wanted more from the ending, I was so invested in everyone that I feel as though they could have had a bit more to really do them justice. I was left with questions and I hate wondering and having to draw my own conclusions sometimes, it didn’t ruin the overall book for me though.

My only other critique is I wish the journal had been introduced a little bit earlier on. It is very important to the story and while Bella must go retrieve it, I wished she had done it sooner. Or maybe even arrived with it. It really was the difference maker between a 5 star and 4 star. It changes the entire story and pacing with it. It wasn’t enough to discourage me though.

I highly recommend this book if you want a thriller to get lost in that is a quick read and a page turner. This would be an amazing by the pool or beach read for summer! The multi-point of views really makes this book, and I couldn’t see it without. The occult and care of the setting alongside the well written characters make this hard to put down. I am so thrilled to have gotten a chance to read such a haunting and climactic story. I look forward to more from this author and I plan on reading her other books!

** There are some triggers in the book to be aware of including: violence, death, sexual assault, inferred rape, attempted suicide, drug use, abuse, animal death (bird and a bull), and alcoholism.


TL:DR Breakdown
Book: 4/5 (a variety of characters who all have something in common with The Manor and the more you read the harder this book is to put down, perfect read for summer or on the beach)
Plot: 5/5 (she took a standard troupe and twisted it while adding in her own unique touch of occult)
Characters: 5/5 (she really got into them and made them extremely believable while making us care)
Setting: 5/5 (England. Fancy manor. Haunted woods. Creepy birds. What more could you ask for?)
Pacing: 4/5 (the journal. I wish the journal had been a thing since the very beginning, probably would of helped the pacing since the story took on a completely different turn with it)
Ending: 4.5/5 (I felt the characters deserved a little more after all they went through)
Overall Prose: 4.5/5 (not purply but not dull, she is very precise with relatable content, and I didn’t get tripped up over the UK English)
Spice: 0/5 (very vague, some sexual themes but nothing crazy)
Re-Readability: 4.5/5 (easily able to be picked back up and read again, the characters are so great that it draws and keeps you within even if you know how it will all end)

#TheMidnightFeast #NetGalley

Yet another great book written by Lucy Foley!! I really enjoy her style of writing and the twists, turns and development of characters throughout the story make her books so worthwhile to read. I highly recommend The Midnight Feast for readers that enjoy B.A Paris, Riley Sager and Frida McFadden. You will not be disappointed! Thank you Net Galley!

I read this book in one day! I loved that it is told from multiple povs. Not to mention the short chapters. This was my first Lucy Foley book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The beginning started off a bit slow but when the stories started that is when it started getting good. Definitely a great mystery thriller worth reading!

Thank you to Netgalley and Lucy Foley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!