This was like candy, in a good way. I couldn't get enough of the ultra-posh and ultra-privileged setting, these were characters you loved to hate. The ending was disappointing in some ways and extremely, unexpectedly satisfying in others.

Lucy Foley's The Midnight Feast is a twisty thriller packed with ominous folkloric elements in which past and present collide to bring a dark secret into the light. I was particularly excited by the theme of community care and the exploration of class and power. It's a perfect summer night read, especially if you’re like me and read it while watching fireflies blink in the night woods.

I had originally received this as an ARC from the publisher and netgalley. But I was in a major reading slump and could only get through audiobooks. Sorry to the publisher for not reviewing it on time.

But I just finished listening to the book and I loved it.

A new fancy posh resort has opened in a small tight knit community. A former resident of the elite section of town (the mountain) returns home to welcome rich people to her new place.

Two timelines. Reluctant return home. Multiple twists. I was confused and yet confident I knew how it would go. And I was proven wrong time and again. I do feel bad for one character though.

Lucy is one of my most favorites! This book didn’t disappoint. I was hooked from the very beginning and I couldn’t put this down. Thank you so much for sending me this to review! It was a great mystery thriller and dare I say creepy? Loved the POV’s

This is the fourth Lucy Foley book I've read and they just keep getting better and better. In some of the earlier books, I've felt like the first part of the book dragged and everything just came rushing out in the latter part of the book. The pacing in The Midnight Feast was much better and still had everything I've come to love about Lucy Foley - multiple narrators, a dual storyline, and a narrative that builds in layers until all the secrets come out at the end. I thought this one had a satisfying conclusion that was not a "Hollywood" ending and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Very eerie book. Took me awhile to get into it but once I did it did not disappoint so good. Would definitely recommend to others

I couldn’t wait to find out how The Midnight Feast ended. The luxurious setting and the unfolding mystery kept me hooked. However, it wasn’t my favorite book by this author. The characters and their relationships felt a bit underdeveloped compared to previous works. While it’s an intriguing read, it didn’t quite measure up to the author's best.

If Fyre Fest & The Blair Witch Project had a baby... I will never look at birds the same way.

Lucy Foley is known for her mastery of multi-POV narratives, and this one did not disappoint. My jaw was on the FLOOOOOOR about the twist with DI Walker like WHAT???? so good.

If you’re a fan of jaw-dropping plot twists and characters that make you want to shake them and hug them at the same time, you’re going to want to read The Midnight Feast.

Let’s talk about the manor real quick— I imagined it as a luxury spa. It gave me “Nine Perfect Strangers” vibes. Francesca has poured her heart and soul (and a ton of cash) into this place, and she’s determined to make the grand opening perfect. Imagine a place so opulent, even the chandeliers are judging you. But of course, nothing ever goes as planned, does it?

Francesca, our hostess with the mostest; Owen, her supportive yet mysterious husband; Bella, the guest who is hiding a secret or ten; and Eddie, the kitchen worker who knows more than he lets on. Each getting their own POV chapters. If you’re thinking, “Four? That’s a lot!” Relax. Foley makes it work! Each character is so well fleshed out, and their stories weave together perfectly. They are each crucial to the story and having each of the POVs just makes so much sense, especially while reading it.

Guests show up expecting a weekend of pampering, but the vibe quickly shifts to something out of a horror movie. The woods surrounding The Manor? Totally creepy, like something straight out of “Stranger Things.”

One of the best parts is the way the story is structured. Short chapters, alternating perspectives, and journal entries from 15 years ago that slowly unravel the backstory.

Here’s a little taste of the atmosphere: “It's the feel of the woods hemming me in, the trees pressing against the windowpanes as though they're trying to have a good look at everything.”

Gives you chills, right? The story is rich and almost pagan, teetering on the edge of folk horror, and let me tell you, it’s glorious.

I couldn’t put this book down. Each new chapter was like playing a game of whack-a-mole with plot twists—you think you’ve got it figured out, and bam! Another twist pops up. The Midnight Feast itself is an event you have to read to believe. By the end, I was practically speed-reading to find out what happens next.

“The Midnight Feast” is Lucy Foley at her absolute best. The plot is intricate, the characters are unforgettable, and the suspense is off the charts. This book is like a perfect binge-watch, but in reading form. Seriously, add this to your summer reading list ASAP. If you’re into mysteries with clever twists and rich atmospheres, you’ll love this one.

Huge shoutout to NetGalley, William Morrow and Lucy Foley for the ARC—this was one of my most anticipated reads, and it blew my expectations out of the water.

I would like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

Lucy Foley's books for me are spooky, twisty alternative to the traditional light rom-com beach read, and The Midnight Feast belongs to that category. It's moody and a nice read for a fall afternoon. The Midnight Feast is set in a secluded posh resort and has all that you'd expect from this type of setting- a too-perfect but mysterious owner, creepy woods, quirky townfolk who don't like the development of the resort near their quaint town. It also falls into the type of plot category with an outsider teen befriending the popular kids and then weird and tragic events or accidents that bond them and come back to haunt the later story.

It had some interesting plot points. There's a supernatural element hinted at with a weird and witchy "Bird" group that haunts the forest. I wanted to know more about that lore, even after the book had ended, and it was maybe a missed opportunity to not provide more color to that portion of the story through townspeople's stories, etc. There are a few interesting characters, including Eddie the guy who does the dishes and wants to become a bartender, and his family. It had short, easy chapters that kept me turning the page and getting further and further in.

That being said, the book had a few problems that kept it from being among my favorite recent reads. I don't want to get into spoilers, but getting into The Midnight Feast requires one major suspension of disbelief, that people from a small town will consistently not be able to recognize one another later in life. For me, this was a bit too far-fetched, and it might have been more believable if it was one character who underwent a major transformation or was in disguise, but the idea that people could be "hiding in plain sight" in modern day with all of its technology and social media was too much for me. The jumping timelines from day-after to day-of to night-of and on and on also made it a little bit hard to follow and broke up the pace for me. When the chapters are short, it makes me want to continue down the timeline linearly, and I had to keep checking to see when in the chain of events I was. From the beginning, I think I had a pretty good idea of what had happened, though a few of the details in the chain of events did provide some surprises. I also wanted to be more invested in the characters, and just a little bit more development or backstory might have helped with some of that and made for a more satisfying conclusion.

Overall, The Midnight Feast is a quick read but doesn't get deep enough into some of the elements to strike the right chords to get truly creepy or shocking, and I just wasn't able to get past a few of the critical assumptions that the book needed me to make in order to really work to its full potential and hit the big satisfying payoff moments. Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

This book was very slow to me. There are five characters taking turn each chapter and time line goes back and forth, which was very confusing to me. I liked other Lucy foley's other novels but somehow I was struggling with this one. I really wanted to like it because I like Lucy foley's other books and the premise of this book.it was unfortunate.

*gifted ARC* OKAY so was it basically the same set up as the other books? Yes. (Remote hotel location with multiple POVs) BUT!!! Idk this one really hit for me. Queen of twists on twists on twists, Lucy Foley. I will never tire of the “eat the rich” “kill your abuser” mentality that goes into her books. She really serves my favorite flavor of justice in these stories. Loved the twisted backwards feeling of reading from Francesca’s point of view. Loved the macabre Midsommar local legend vibes. THE END OF THE EPILOGUE with “the birds” meaning? Badass. Deffo worth the read - stayed up until the AMs to finish it. Had a great time!!

The only reason I truly finished this was because it was an ARC. Which really made me sad because I normally love this author. I got to the end and truly retained next to nothing and didn’t really understand what I had just read. 🥲

I will continue to read this author, however, because I have loved everything else she has written. 🫶🏼

3.5 stars

Foley writes a consistently good thriller, but I usually end up hating all of the characters. The Midnight Feast happened to be an exception!

We had 4 different POVs both past and present over the course of three days, and also journal entries from 15 years before. I liked the quick takes from past to present to give the reader more information into the motivations of one of the main characters, Bella.

I was getting Nine Perfect Strangers vibes at first, but the small, coastal town vibes gave some serious creep factors when the local lore of The Birds was discussed. Time spent in the woods for any of the characters gave me major chills.

Typical of some of Foley’s characters from other books, there were some who gave me major ick and others I felt truly sorry for. There is a rich kids vs poor, local kids dynamic where the rich are never reprimanded nor seem bothered for the trouble they cause as someone is always cleaning up after them. There was definitely a lot of trauma and heartache stemming from the events of the diary leading up to present day events.

The Midnight Feast hits all the right thriller notes; there are some major twists and turns you won’t see coming. This is a darkly tense revenge plot that will play out to a satisfying end.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Marrowj and Lucy Foley for an advanced e-copy of this book.

Not going to lie, I was disappointed by this book. I felt like the build up to this book was great and kept me invested. The short chapters were great and I loved how quickly the book was paced. However, once we figure out what is going on, it seems a bit of a let down. I feel like the ending and the huge night that we all were waiting for was kind of thrown away and there was not a whole lot of suspense or crazy twists. It just seemed like the author gave up halfway through and there was a lot left unanswered.

I had to DNF this one. It sounded so intriguing but I just couldn't get into it. I tried multiple times. I know other people are loving it though and I do think some people are going to enjoy this one. Was just too slow moving for me.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

Thank you NetGalley, Lucy Foley & Harper Collins for the free ARC.
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Wow! I am not entirely sure where to start with this one. This was yet another excellent read from Lucy Foley. The Midnight Feast, like her other novels, follow a series of characters as you piece together a crime & a shared history. This one was a little darker than her others but it was so well done. She is a master at weaving stories & throwing multiple twists in throughout.
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I recently met Lucy at Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate & it was such a great experience. Hearing her speak about her writing process & how she creates her characters & stories made me love this even more! Thank you Lucy for another great story!

I'd like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

I am a big Lucy Foley fan and this one did not disappoint!! It starts as a nice, slow burn, but the buildup and big reveals at the end are all worth it!

The book is told from alternating timelines of 15 years in the past, and the present. The present timeline leads us slowly through the days/nights leading up to the big Midnight Feast (Solstice) and then the day after. The main characters are Francesca - the leader of the Manor, her husband and architect Owen, guest Bella, staff members Michelle & Eddie, and a whole lot of unhappy locals in the town of Tome.

Things go from bad to worse on this opening weekend of The Manor and its pièce de résistance, the Midnight Feast, which is some sort of local tradition. Francesca seems like an all-around horrible human being from the get-go, which is not surprising given the excerpts from the past in which she is a horrible teen as well. She did some really horrible things; things her friend "Sparrow" can never forgive her for. Somehow, she managed to find the perfect husband, who worships the ground she walks on -- but it seems they are both hiding big secrets about who they are from each other.

Bella is at the Manor, initially for unknown reasons, but then it becomes clear she wants revenge. Poor, local, farm boy Eddie, gets pulled unsuspectingly into Bella's plans and gets in way over his head. The night of the Midnight feast is complete chaos: sabotage, birds, drugs, drunken debauchery, fire, death, revenge, Birds, justice, truth.

And then there's The Birds. Initially thought to be just folklore or a hallucination. Turn out to be very real, very deadly, and very close to home. This book is full of lies and secrets. Secrets and lies. Hardly anyone is who they seem.

This book is SO GOOD!! Seriously, go read it! The reveals will knock your socks off! I will definitely be recommending this one to my book clubs and Mystery/Thriller friends!

Although I have enjoyed other Lucy Foley’s book, I found this one to be a bit odd. It just wasn’t for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.