I feel really bad. Because I didn’t care for this book. It’s boring, cryptic and elusive and not in the way I like.

Let me backtrack for a minute here. I enjoy Lucy Foley’s work. She is a master at weaving the multiple point of views into one dynamic masterpiece. The Guest List and The Paris Apartment were both solid 4 star reads for me. So why, why, WHY did this one not work for me? Well, to put it into one word…Birds. I am (kinda) kidding about the birds, BUT Seriously…the birds? It was very strange. Very “Twilight Zone” feeling to me. Maybe a little too sci-fi for me.

I’ll keep this review short and sweet. This book just did not work for me. I had a hard time following the time line in some parts of the book and the ending was just blah for me. But will I pick up Lucy Foley’s next book? Yes, I will. Because even though I didn’t care for the content of The Midnight Feast, I highly appreciate the writing.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this advanced digital reviewer copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ohh I wanted to love this book so badly!

There were aspects I liked. First of all, Foley is just such a gifted writer in the mystery/thriller genre. I love that this book felt a story I hadn’t heard before. And, there were a couple of twists that were so well done.

But to be completely honest, that’s where the wins ended for me. If I wouldn’t have had an ARC of this book, I would have DNFed it. I wasn’t curious about the mystery or where the story was going until about 80% into the story and I just didn’t enjoy the storyline itself.

The last 20% redeemed it slightly and honestly like I said before, to be able to pull off twists that get me is impressive.

You remember that TikTok phrase “The Birds work for the Burgwaze?” Well in Tome, the birds work for something different.

A newly inherited land owner opens a wellness retreat that is not well received by the locals. Beneath her peace and love exterior is a past that is struggling to stay buried.

I am a sucker for diary-like chapters, so the past being told through journal entries was nice change up while reading. It also helped to keep past/present separate. While I understand the author didn’t use quotations on the journal chapters to give them a more authentic teen diary feel, it did make it difficult at times to follow who was speaking without having to backtrack.

I didn’t feel the supernatural aspect added anything for me personally. But it didn’t take away from my experience with the story either. One of the best thrillers I have read in a while.

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley. Pub Date: June 18,2024. Rating: 4 stars. Happy publication day to this mystery thriller! I’ve read most of this author’s other books and I’ve always thought they are the perfect bingeable mystery reads. In this novel, we’re taken to a new Manor in which the owner Francesca has long ties to the area, which ultimately come back to haunt her throughout the story. The reader is taken on a journey through opening weekend of parties, bizarre get togethers for the guests and people from the past appearing and a mystery is solved. I really enjoyed this novel and found it to be a compulsive read. Thanks to #netgalley and #williammorrow for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #bookstagram #bibliophile #bookworm #igreads #lucyfoley #themidnightfeast #newreads

Read this book if you:
- would totally book a stay at a luxury resort that you were drooling over on Instagram
- wear white linen and might even add a flower crown this summer (going for that Midsommar aesthetic!)
- are not afraid to traipse through the woods by flashlight at night, no matter what local folklore says is out there
- enjoy a murder mystery where you are trying to solve who the killer is AND who was killed

This book is a delicious read with multiple POVs and short chapters, which makes it right up my alley. There are many unlikable characters, secrets and lies everywhere, and twists galore! This book was very atmospheric, which I was into. A luxurious hotel in the scenic countryside, with a view to die for 😉, is so vividly described that I felt like I was there. Then add flashbacks in the form of diary entries to a time teenagers are doing teenage things in the nearby woods. This added a very creepy background to all the drama that I really liked!

The Midnight Feast was classic Lucy Foley. The Guest List is one of my favorite mystery/thrillers and this one is definitely comparable.

Read this book ASAP if you love a locked room murder mystery, multiple POV's, atmospheric storylines, multiple plot twists, and assorted hidden motives. I was on the edge of my seat through most of the book. Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced digital copy of the book.

I have heard so much about Lucy Foley books so I was so excited to receive The Midnight Feast read and review.

Pros:
Multiple POV - I loved this. I find it always adds so much to the story when I can get inside the minds of several characters.

Setting- Who doesn't adore a book set on a resort? Close quarters, lots of chaos to be had.

Characters - I enjoyed the revealing of character's and learning their role in the story as the plot progressed.

Cons:
Slow pacing - For me, the pacing on this book was a bit slow. There scenes that seemed unnecessarily drawn out.

Too many varying plots - There were so many different plot lines in the book competing with each other than I didn't feel like no real part of it got to shine completely. This was a situation of sometimes less is more.

Overall, I liked The Midnight Feast but it isn't anything I would consider a must read. A solid 3 out of 5 stars.

The Midnight Feast is a dark thriller that is perfect for summertime! Full of twists and secrets, this novel focuses on the opening weekend of The Manor, a newly renovated luxury hotel that threatens to overtake the natural beauty, culture, and traditions of the ocean village of Tome. Near The Manor is a forest full of secrets and legends, with whisperings and rumors of The Birds, whose unnamed members always find a way to seek justice for those in the community who have been wronged. Many dismiss the rumors as old wives’ tales…but things seem to happen in the woods that can never be explained.

When Francesca, the owner, plans the grand opening of The Manor during the summer solstice, a series of events unfold that result in multiple deaths and are linked to a tragedy that happened one summer 15 years ago. Told through multiple perspectives, the reader is led through the fateful solstice weekend…as the truth of what happened 15 years ago unfolds and those involved finally face the consequences.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this as a summer thriller! It’s dark with forest legends and folklore. I was surprised by a few of the twists, and really enjoyed how the plot came together in the end. I liked the multiple perspectives and the past/present timelines. It really is a great thriller to read on a warm summer night (but maybe not by a dark forest) 😳

Thank you to @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for this advanced copy, in exchange for my honest review!

"The Midnight Feast" by Lucy Foley is a thrilling 4-star read! Francesca and her husband Owen are opening an island resort for the wealthy. Some locals are on board and actually work at the resort, while others want to see the resort shut down. Just outside the walls of the resort is a mysterious forest that holds plenty of secrets.

This is my first read by Lucy Foley, so I am not sure if all her books are this way, but the story is told through the POV of five different people, as well as one character’s summer journal. The story also goes back and forth between the day before the solstice, the day of the solstice, and the day after the solstice. You know from a high level what happens at the end just a couple of chapters into the story. I thought it was easy to keep them all straight, but if you are not a fan of this type of storytelling, then I would avoid this book. The story kept me engaged, especially the further I got into the story, and there were a few twists along the way. Some were easy to predict, while others were a big surprise. Overall, I thought this was a good book, and I will be reading more by this author.

Thanks to William Morrow, Lucy Foley, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review.

A deliciously twisty new locked room murder mystery, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁, by Lucy Foley releases today!

Secrets. Lies. Murder. Let the festivities begin...

It all began with a secret, fifteen years ago. Now the past has crashed the party. And it’ll end in murder at…The Midnight Feast.

If you like dark and twisty books this one is perfect for you. I loved every page, I took this one for my trip and finish it before we arrivred at our final destination. Fun, atmospheric, suspenseful and addictive.

Thank you William Morrow for this gifted copy.

Lucy Foley is an author that when I see the name, I know I’ve read books from them that I’ve liked. I was super excited to get a copy of this to read, but I can only give this a 3 ⭐️ (and feel that is generous). I love a multi-pov, like different times, and I’m a sucker if there is direct insight (like the diary in the one), which gives me another sneak-peek into someone’s mind. This book had all 3, however they were hard to manage. Too many people, who change their identities from past to present … I had a really hard time keeping them all straight. I liked that this book was broken down into 3 parts, however I feel like it should have started with background info or a prologue to really pull you in. I felt the beginning was too wordy, I wanted to get to the point of the story, which it really didn’t until almost part 3. I wanted more folklore, more intensity, more darkness and birds … I wanted to know what a “Midnight Feast” should be, what the reasoning and history to having it should be. Why was it supposed to be so exciting, so that I could be excited about it. I think I may have liked this more if there was actually something supernatural and sinister going on.

Thank you to NetGalley & William Morrow Publishing for the eARC.

3/5⭐️

Lucy Foley is the queen of atmospheric reads & she absolutely delivered on this one! The story is set at a luxury manor in a small town on the English coastline. The remote location gave the story a locked door vibe and all the town’s lore about “The Birds” just added even more to the creepy vibes. There were several POVs to keep up with which can sometimes be confusing but in this book I thought it worked well to add to the tension. The pacing was a bit slow at times & I found the twists a tiny bit predictable, but I still had fun reading this one! If you enjoy a remote setting with supernatural vibes then you should definitely pick up this book!

This eARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC! "The Midnight Feast" by Lucy Foley is a captivating and atmospheric novel that transports readers to the glamorous and mysterious world of a grand country estate in England. Set in the 1920s, the story follows a group of aristocrats gathered for a weekend of revelry, secrets, and intrigue. Foley's writing is elegant and immersive, painting a vivid picture of the opulent surroundings and the intricate social dynamics at play. The characters are richly developed, each with their own motivations and hidden agendas, adding layers of suspense to the narrative. The plot unfolds through multiple perspectives, creating a sense of suspense and anticipation as dark secrets from the past come to light. With its lush descriptions, evocative setting, and compelling storyline, "The Midnight Feast" is a delightful read that will appeal to fans of historical fiction and atmospheric thrillers alike.

Thank you Netgalley, Lucy Foley, and William Morrow for the ebook! This book was wild. A great slow burn story that had so many twists come out at the end! A must read!

Lucy Foley, author of The Paris Apartment (2022), returns with an immensely satisfying new thriller, The Midnight Feast.

A new coastal retreat called “The Manor” has just opened offering an exclusive escape for wealthy clientele. Francesca, who grew up in the town, and her architect husband, Owen, have teamed up to create this upscale and unique destination. Their efforts have angered town residents who fear the new resort will stir up the local folklore and anger “The Birds” who reside in the woods. On the last night of opening weekend, a body is found and something is terribly wrong with all the hotel guests. Is there a killer among them or has the folklore come true?

Told from multiple perspectives of the guests and staff, The Midnight Feast builds in suspense as each character’s back story is revealed. The author adds a new spin to her latest thriller novel with supernatural elements that create a chilling element of horror. The menacing atmosphere and never ending twists make this novel a quick read that’s hard to put down. Perfect for readers of Ally Condie’s The Unwedding or Alice Feeney’s Daisy Darker.

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the advanced readers' copy.

DNF'd at 52%. I think it's time I admit that Lucy Foley is just not the author for me. I've given all of her other books (that I've read) 3 stars, and I only requested to read this one because of how hyped and buzzy the author is. I just don't have a good time reading her books. While I for the most part enjoy isolated, closed-circle mysteries, this one centers characters and backgrounds I have no interest in reading about. The timeline is also a bit confusing, jumping back and forth between past and present (and journal entries) from multiple perspectives. I think the book is also trying to do something interesting and creepy with the woodsy setting and alluding to something scary being in the woods, but it's not at all intriguing enough for me to keep reading. I am sure that readers who loved The Guest List and The Hunting Party will enjoy this follow-up book by the author, but if you were meh on them I don't think you're missing out on anything new with this book.

I would definitely consider myself a Lucy Foley fan. I believe the she is a master at creating eery settings that add to the suspense of the story. So, whenever I saw that she was releasing another book, I was very excited! But, this overall fell very flat for me.
I even DNF'd this at around the 50% mark, which is not a common thing for me.

I love a slow and drawn out mystery, but this moved a way too slow. I think what Foley has mastered in her last few novels is starting out with a very intriguing premise and slowly building from there with these incredibly interesting, yet unreliable narrators. This novel has the same format as her others, but where it ultimately fails is the characters. The characters in this are supposed to be ridiculous. I get that! But, as she was trying to achieve almost satirical, there was just a misstep there that made the characters not work in that sense, which ultimately lead to the novel not working for me.

There was just really no suspense for me that made me put down the book and never pick it back up again!

Thank you to Natgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read the ARC for this book!

This book was amazing so much more than I thought it would be. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was atmospheric and beautifully written. I love how we got to see a lot of different perspectives and we had time jobs and they left you with questions. This is one of those thriller books where I really didn’t know and couldn’t keep up with the twist. They all caught me by surprise. Absolutely loved

Thanks NetGalley!

This is by far my favorite book by Lucy Foley yet! Some many things I didn't see coming. Midnight Feast was a book I couldn't put down. I loved the multiple character perspective. The lore of the Birds was and excellent touch and gave the whole novel a bit of mysterious edge. So many twists and turns I didn't see coming that I was not able to put it down!

It’s the opening night of The Manor, but secrets are hidden in the woods. On the last day of opening weekend a body had been found and something is not right with the guests. It all began with a secret, fifteen years ago. Now the past has crashed the party. And it’ll end in murder at… The Midnight Feast.

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley is a mystery set during the grand opening of a fancy boutique hotel- The Manor. Owner Francesca Meadows has set up the special dinner for the solstice celebration to mimic those of her childhood. What she doesn’t plan is for several attendees to have a connection to her and one of those such childhood events that turned deadly.

I found the plot of this interesting and liked how the author revealed information slowly. However, there were a lot of POVs that switched back and forth as well as multiple timelines which sometimes was a little much to follow. Overall a good read, but not my favorite Lucy Foley book.