I was so excited to read another book by Lucy Foley! And this one did not disappoint. The perfect blend of mystery, suspense, characters you root against, and puzzles that start to click together page by page. Definitely recommend for fans of Lucy Foley.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this fun and exciting thriller! I'm a fan of Lucy Foley and this is probably my favorite of hers so far.
Like her other books there are multiple perspectives. Luckily it wasn't too confusing to keep up with.
Even though all of the characters are complex and have flaws, there are more characters that you root for than those you don't, which I really liked.
The book centers on a brand newly open expensive hotel/retreat in the English countryside. They are having their opening weekend. As the weekend progresses and they prepare to have their solstice midnight feast event, strange things begin to happen. There is a rift between the fancy location and owners and the local town so it is tricky to know who and what is causing the odd and disturbing events.
It was a fast-paced book. There was lots of action and a mystery unraveling.
It had a clever ending with multiple great twists and character/plot developments.
If you are a fan of the author, murder mysteries, and multiple perspectives, where you try to figure out who are the victims, heros, and villains, then this is the book for you!

I like to try a thriller every now and then because they are quick reads. But I’m definitely not someone that reads them often. I’ve read “The Guest List” a few years ago, and I enjoyed it. So I was willing to try her books again. And coming across this new book on NetGalley gave me an opportunity to read another.

“The Midnight Feast” is all about a new retreat for the rich and famous. But of course, nobody is who they seem. And as with all thrillers, something that happened in the past is about to bubble to the surface. And man, this is a whole lot of dirt to bring to the surface for one little lady.

The characters are typical characters for the thrillers I’ve read before. Nothing drastically different than the formulas we’ve seen before. And everything unravels into a giant climactic ending, like we’ve seen before. It’s always incredible to me that one person can garner enough hate to make people trying to kill them in one evening.

I’m not sure I enjoyed ‘the bird’ aspect of this thriller. It felt psychedelic at moments and difficult to understand. I mean, I understood what was happening, I just didn’t understand why they were there. Was there really this much crime that warranted their presence and justice?

If I’m honest, I didn’t guess the ending, so that was a plus. And I did enjoy this. But I didn’t love it. It was exactly what I needed from the thriller. It’s was a quick read that distracted me from some tough days. So I’m thankful for that. Lucy Foley has entertained me twice and for that, I will probably continue to pick up her books randomly when the thriller mood hits.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advanced copy. This was my honest review.

This was my second book from this author; I was not a fan.

I had a hard time getting into this one for some reason. The characters didn't connect with me, the plot was average. There was no wow factor for me.

If you like this author though I have no doubt you will love it.

I really enjoyed the AUDIBLE performance of last year’s “The Paris Apartment” so I was eager to read this year’s offering from Lucy Foley, but unfortunately this one wasn’t quite as satisfying for me.

3 stars ⭐️

June 2025
It is the opening night at “The Manor”-the new luxury resort built between the Dorset coastline, and a dense bristle of ancient forest. Hundreds of lanterns have been lit, (see the gorgeous book cover!) and the welcome drinks are flowing at the very edge of the trees.

This is the culmination of a dream for its founder, Francesca Meadows, a woman who is all about white linen and wellness, and it’s been designed by her architect husband Owen Dacre.

Bella has been summoned to “The Manor” but she is not sure who sent her the article about the opening and how much they know about her history with Francesca. She no longer goes by her given name-nor does she resemble the girl she once was.

The story unfolds through their three POV’s and through two additional POV’s-that of the kitchen help, Eddie, and that of Detective Inspector Walker-after “The Manor” BURNS to the ground the Day After the Solstice. (not a spoiler) 🔥

Who is responsible?
Who doesn’t survive?

Could the fire have been started by the unhappy locals who arrived in the grotto just in time to ruin the opening party?

Or, have the myths and folklore of the local woods come true?

Granfa warned Francesca that she must “KEEP THE BIRDS HAPPY!” 🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛
And, yet she didn’t heed the warnings of the black feathers that were found all weekend long…

And, she insisted that her treehouse suites be built despite that the tree surgeons hired refused to cut down the Elder trees that were in the way. 🌳🌳🌳

Superstition says that you must ask permission from the Elder Mother- the spirit inside the tree-before you even trim a few branches and cutting the whole tree down? Properly BAD LUCK.

And, yet-Owen grabbed the chainsaw and took the trees down himself.

A SUMMER JOURNAL from 2009, fills the reader in on secrets from the PAST, when Francesca (Frankie) and Bella (nicknamed Sparrow) were just young girls in a town called Tome (pronounced Tomb).

Most early reviewers felt the story really took off when the “diary entries” started, but I am the OUTLIER who disliked these chapters as I personally grow bored reading about spoiled rich kids and the poorer kids they bully.

And, the characters were not any more likable as adults.

My favorite part of the book were the AFTER chapters, which brought the story full circle, and offered up some SURPRISING (fun) revelations-loved the epilogue and final scene at the PUB! 🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛

Available June 18, 2024.

Thank You to William Morrow for the gifted ARC provided by NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

Lucy Foley's books are entertaining and easy to read. Still, I'm usually hesitant to pick up another one of her books because the storylines revolve around a cast of largely unlikeable characters.

"The Midnight Feast" was my fourth Lucy Foley book, and I'm so pleased I kept picking up her latest reads because this was my favorite book to date.

The writing was true to her usual style and tone, but she gave us several likable characters to root for, and I loved that. It was creepy and atmospheric, with a twisted tale unraveling as fast as some characters. And I mean that as a compliment.

The chapters were told from a handful (or more) of POVs, so I had to go back sometimes to remember whose POV that chapter was in, but it all came together for a satisfying and surprising ending!

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

This book has all the elements that you would expect from a good suspense novel! Multiple narrators, past and present timelines, a town with an interesting past, and twists and turns that come together in the end to surprise you! I will say there were a few predictable twists but enough surprises to keep the book interesting. This is a quick read and I highly recommend it!

It’s the solstice and opening weekend for The Manor, a luxury resort that is hated by the locals and is filled with old secrets. The book features owner Francesca, her husband, architect, Owen (he has a secret you’ll guess in about two seconds), guest-with-a-secret Bella (you’ll guess in about one second) and dishwasher from a local farm Eddie. One of them won’t live out the weekend.

While the premise has great potential, complete with a compelling setting, this one just didn't pan out. To start, there were too many points of view that (spoiler) all ended up intertwined and connected - but I think the story would've been stronger with half the number of characters. I know this is sort of a Lucy Foley signature - but it doesn't work as well here as it did in the Guest List & Hunting Party. A few other criticisms: First, it was really implausible that none of these people would recognize each other. Second, the entire plotline of "the birds" felt really unnecessary - sort of a cheap way to inject suspense and creepiness. Ultimately it could've been lifted out without consequence. Finally, the characters were all so one-note. Likely a result of not having enough time with any one of them because of so many POVs.

So obviously this one didn't work for me! I'm sure others will enjoy the creative setting and intertwined narrative.

Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for the ARC!

Bella comes back to the town she grew up in 15 years later to uncover a secret. Keeping track of thy many characters, with multiple identities, proved difficult at times. I typically love these types of stories and can't put them down. This one got me there but it took halfway through the book. The last 30%, I couldn't put down and was reading as fast as possible to find out what happened at The Manor.

Stick with it and it finishes really well! First half of the book 🌟🌟 and the second half 🌟🌟🌟🌟, so I am giving it 🌟🌟🌟.

This one was a strange one! I’m not a huge fan of paranormal and animal symbolism but I did make my way through this one. I feel bad because I was given an ARC for this but I feel I should give it my fair and honest review. I was drawn in immediately by the storyline of Francesca and Owen. The good looks, the new state of the art luxury hotel, the wealth, the inspirational wellness aura.. I was hooked. Then the storyline dives into the past where it sets up the small town vibe, introduces you to the characters and how their lives intersect. The book dances between past and present well, you find yourself rooting for some characters.. and other ones not so much. The “Birds” is the theme I had trouble not rolling my eyes at. I get the book needed a central focal point to connect the storylines but I just found it creepy and weird. To each their own! The ending is sweet, stick with it, it does come together.

Thanks for the advanced reader copy from Netgalley!

I love Lucy Foley's books and was excited to receive her new one! The storyline is a bit unique and there's a lot of back and forth from past to present but I enjoyed it and think her fans will too.

Lucy Foley is such a good author. I like most of her books and this is one of them for sure. Thank you netgalley for this arc.

I did enjoy The Midnight Feast. It felt a little slow, and it did pick up about halfway through and things started to come together and there were a few things at the end that did surprise me. However, you do need to pay attention to what you’re reading. It isn’t complex, but there’s a lot going on between flashbacks and flash forwards and I found myself a little confused sometimes. It does require you to be patient and to give it your attention

If you enjoy the way, Lucy Foley writes this is just like the guest list or the hunting party. I really found it similar and framework and and the way that everything is set up. So if you like Lucy Foley as an art author, you will enjoy this book too. I think I did enjoy this one more than her previous books, but it is very similar.

Overall, I did like it. It was a little slow for me at the beginning, and the twist and turns weren’t as sharp as I would’ve liked them to be considering that it was kind of slow but I gave it a solid four stars.

Thank you to Nat Galley, and the publisher for letting me read this ARC.

Another great Lucy Foley read! Small towns with long memories and old wounds. Ridiculous rich and privileged people with no redeeming qualities. Fantastic escapism from Foley.

Bella, Owen, Francesca, and Eddie all have secrets in this whodunnit thriller/mystery. This story takes place on a remote island where Francesca and Owen have built a bougie resort for extremely rich people to 'relax.' But, some of the guests have some pretty big secrets. The mansion is located on land that the locals warn are guarded by The Birds in the woods. I really enjoyed the mix of folklore intertwined within this story. I devoured this! Lucy Foley continues to be an author that can write a compelling thriller that I can never put down.

* Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book.*

This had a little bit of a slow start for me but when it picked up, it was twist after twist after twist. I guessed a couple of them but some I had no idea what was coming. Lucy Foley does dark, twisty thrillers SO well!

This one was very interesting. I really liked the premise but not sure the execution was there. As always I love the locked room theme! This time it’s a remote resort and lots of secrets amongst the employees. It kept me guessing until the end but the payoff was meh. 3/5 ⭐️ thank you Netgalley, William Morrow and Lucy Foley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you loved “The Guest List,” you’ll love “The Midnight Feast”! Lucy Foley has bested herself!

You’re invited (for a very steep price) to the grand opening of “The Manor,” presented by influencer Francesca Meadows, for a summer solstice celebration, held at midnight, themed “pagan chic”, in a “woodland” near the Dorset coast (unfortunately on a disputed public footpath where ancient ley lines converge), with “woodland hutches” and “woodland spirits” (the drinkable kind, probably laced with CBD oil). Among our narrators:

Francesca — the owner who inherited the estate, determined to make her resort the coveted destination of millionaires
Bella — a guest with a grudge
Owen — Francesca’s new younger husband and the architect who “woo-wooed” the property from a rundown mansion into a forest-bathing masterpiece
Eddie — the dishwasher, Dorset local farm boy, with dreams of being a bartender, whose own family has a lot of secrets
DI Walker — the detective who’s trying to figure out what happened (obviously, something happened)

The multiple POVs and shifting timeline are interspersed with chapters called “The Day After the Solstice” and “Summer Journal.” And the Hitchcock moment is when there are multiple warnings “Don’t upset the Birds” amid inconspicuous sightings of misplaced feathers, a murdered cockerel, dark flocks of crows, and costumed interlopers with beaks.

The characters are incredibly well-drawn and multi-layered. Francesca is the central character of mixed layers — serene and angelic to most anyone who sees her; ruthless underneath while trying to create her “vision” (even as her assistant thinks Francesca is going for a “Midsommar” vibe without knowing how that movie ended).

Owen is far more than Francesca’s boy toy. Bella has a memory she wants publicly unearthed. Eddie is eventually caught up in family secrets he doesn’t even know about. There’s a constellation of locals, past and present, who weave in and out, adding more context little by little. Plus this is really a good, um, commentary (?) on the ultimate ultra rich “wellness” nature resort experience (“White Lotus” on the English coast).

Foley is the absolute master of multiple points of view. Each character slowly contributes to the puzzle and mystery grows and grows until you can’t put the book down. I had no idea how it would end, so I raced to the last pages to be rewarded with more twists. 5 stars! Another masterpiece for Foley who absolutely owns the multi-POV mystery genre.

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO No eye colors mentioned, but there is the Tree with a Hundred Eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO I did love the superstition about not cutting down elder trees because it’s bad luck if the Elder Mother doesn’t give permission. The trees get cut down, and Mother must be furious…

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

I feel so bad leaving this review but it was such a disappointment. Honestly I really wanted to DNF but pushed through it as I enjoyed The Guest List. I felt like I spent half the time confused with all the timeline changes and multiple POVs. I think the story would’ve been more enjoyable if it was a bit shorter and they left the birds part out of it. I will say that I definitely did not see the final twist coming.
If you don’t mind lengthy books with multiple POVs and timelines that switch a lot, you will probably actually enjoy this book alot more than I did.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for this pre release copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the first third of the book but then I was distracted by the many points of view and time frame changes. But near the end, I was glad I had continued reading. It was a satisfying read. I loved the twists at the end!