This story started off slowly, allowing the reader to get to know the characters and some of their background and history. Then about halfway in it really picked up and was quite the ride! It did creep me out a few times with the spooky vibes, but in a good way. I am proud to say that I did predict two twists, but there were plenty more that I DID NOT see coming! 😲😳 Overall, a great and engaging read with a cool premise.

Unlikeable, shady characters (each with their own sinister motivations) gather at an opulent grand opening for The Manor--a newly renovated seaside retreat for the ultra-rich. The local community members don't want them there and are leaning into ancient local superstitions about the murderous birds! It's all very menacing, very unsettling. And the past has come back to haunt the Lady of the Manor. In the end, several will die.

This book is told through multiple viewpoints, as well as a journal from 15 years prior. With the bouncing around the short chapters, it can be difficult to keep up with where you are in the story. It moved remarkably slowly in my opinion...a lot of info, but not a lot of plot movement...and then all of a sudden all. the. things. happen. Overall, an entertaining read.

Thanks to NetGalley for early access to this atmospheric read.

This might be my favorite book by this author!

I loved the setting.! The Manor was ethereal, dark, and atmospheric. The descriptions made me feel like I was there and experiencing the tension and creepiness. The multiple POVs and split timelines made the story move quick and added complexity and depth. There were so many twists, turns, reveals, and unexpected connections that I was constantly kept guessing.

Overall this was an atmospheric thriller with lots of twists and I definitely recommend it!

A luxury resort and a summer’s Midnight Summer’s Feast sounds luxurious and festive – at least you would think so. But this one is anything but! The clientele seems oblivious to the eerie and mysterious undertones surrounding the Manor. In a multiple timeline and POV story, you’ll know quickly, things don’t go according to plan but the who and why unfolds throughout the story. The surprises keep coming in this one! Despite the many characters, they were easy to keep track even though some weren’t quite who they claimed to be.
I enjoyed it even though there were times I was heartbroken for some of the characters. The atmospheric setting was spot on! The suspense, the secrets, the twists and the ending will keep you hooked!

This book is hard for me to review, as I truly enjoyed parts and absolutely skimmed others.
Overall, I like this book. The plot is intriguing and figuring out who everyone *really* is and how the backstory plays into the present was fantastic, and everything unravels wonderfully. Loved the wrap up with its surprises and twists.
What I didn’t care for was the slightly gruesome plot points, particularly with the Birds/forest/community lore. I skimmed lots of those parts but I still got the gist of what was going on - & loved the twist at the end with that too.
All in all, another fabulous Lucy Foley novel!

Is it a fun, fast read? Sure!

Does it have a killer setting (see what I did there)? Yes!

Does it pretend it's anything other than it is? Nope!

A good summer read that both sticks the landing and somehow loses its bite in the end. It starts and hits its stride much better than it ties things up, but nothing feels cheap or unearned. Just a little less fun than the setup. But hey, that's the genre and you could do much worse.

If you like her previous books or just the setup/setting, it could be a good fit. Just know the journey is the destination.

Whew – this book was quite a page turner with many unexpected twists! Told from multiple POVs, we explore the opening weekend of The Manor, a posh new getaway, nestled in a small town with secrets of its own. In addition to exploring the present day, we also gain insight into a series events that occurred 15 years ago which led to a deep haunting secret. I recommend this book for those who love a good mystery/thriller. Thank you William Morrow & NetGalley for the eARC.

The Manor, a chic resort for the ultra-wealthy, is celebrating its grand opening at the solstice. Set on the English coast, the location is steeped in local folklore and a dark history. This was such a fun read! The timeline moves between the day after the solstice celebration, the days leading up to it, and years in the past via journal. As usual with this author, there are multiple POVs which alternate with each chapter. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that did a better job setting a vibe- it felt a little spooky and gothic from the very beginning. I found it to be a little slow in a few parts but the twist at the end was unexpected and that’s always what I’m looking for in a thriller. I can’t wait to reread this one in the fall!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC provided in exchange for my honest review!

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

I’m a big fan of Lucy Foley; her books always keep me guessing and I love reading from multiple POVs to figure out how everyone is connected, who is dead, and who did it.

It’s opening weekend at The Manor and the founder and owner Francesca Meadows needs everything to go perfect, however it seems people from her past are also there for the weekend and want to bring to light what happened on the grounds 15 years earlier.

I loved the way the author used different timelines to bring the story to life and also the use of local folklore was so good.

📝
Thank you to William Morrow & NetGalley for a free digital copy on exchange for an honest review. This book will be published 18 JUNE 2024.

This was very readable and interesting, if not entirely special. It was a very interesting premise, and I hung on to the plot for a while, and then it started fracturing a bit. I liked the overall themes of it, but I think it was too complicated of a story to fully drive any of these themes home.

3 Stars— Honestly, this book fell flat for me and lacked character development. I almost DNF a few times but decided to hang in and finish the story. I did not feel a connection with any of the characters and found the story too slow of a burn and a little confusing with the many different POVs.
It was hard for me to get into, and I had a hard time finishing it. I enjoyed other books by this author, such as The Guest List and The Hunting Party, but this one was not my favourite. I will continue reading books by Lucy Foley.

Others enjoyed this more than I did, so please read their reviews. We can’t love them all, which is the case with this book.

I want to thank NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are mine.

This book gets 10/10 for atmosphere in classic Lucy Foley fashion, but this ultimately felt like her classic formula is fell a little flat. I knew going in that this would likely be a multi POV, multi timeline story, which is was - but unlike Foley’s other works there just wasn’t enough tension in the plot to keep me wanting more. This felt like it needed more development in the first 50% of the book to make the payoff at the end more satisfying. 2.5 rounded up to 3.

Thank you, NetGalley, William Morrow, and Lucy Fokey for the ARC of The Midnight Feast to read and rate.

I have enjoyed other books by Ms. Foley and I know her schtick is mutli-charachter, alternating viewpoints/timelines....this was a rough read for me! There were so many people alternating past and present. Then, we throw in even further past in the form of a diary. But wait, there's more! Now, we start to realize the ties between these past and present people, yet that does not make it any quicker paced or more enticing. This felt incredibly slow and tedious at times, I found myself not wanting to pick it up and read. Honestly, at 80%, I was over it and ready to throw in the towel. I couldn't, just based on how far I'd made it, so I pushed through, I can't even say I'm happy that I did. I hoped the end would make it well worth it. Really though, I was just happy to be done with it. Yiu do get resolution to how everything and everyone ties together, but there were some strange elements that I just couldn't get on board with. I give this 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.

This is only my second book by Lucy Foley and I am honestly surprised at how well these work for me. I’m not exactly into the atmospheric slower paced books but something about her writing and the multiple character POVs just suck me right in. The multiple timelines helped keep my interest despite a slower start but when this book took off at the end, it was great. This takes place mostly at an inclusive retreat for the wealthy which previously belonged to the owner’s grandparents in a small, close knit town that likes to take care of its own. Many legends, secrets and mysteries here to uncover. So so weird but I ended up really enjoying it. 4⭐️

Thank you to William Morrow for the gifted copy!

This book follows the Lucy Foley formula!

The writing kept me engaged throughout; however, the twist at the end leaves me questioning timelines and ages, just like on her last work, The Guest List. It wasn’t a bad read, but it isn’t headed for a spot on my recommendation list.

Containing spoilers:
I didn’t like the writing when the guests were being drugged. I understand the immersive writing, but it was frustrating and didn’t make me want to continue on.
I also find the ‘twist’ a big stretch to believe (i know i know it’s fiction). It made everything less enjoyable to me.
Lastly, the police being his brother… what value did that add?? Weird.

Overall, I wasn't into it, but if you liked her other books then I’m sure you will like this one as well.

I have been sitting on this Advanced Review Copy of Lucy Foley's book for a hot second, trying to determine my feelings about it. It was not an instantaneous love that's for sure (like some of her others have been)

I think this is in large part due to the protagonists and NONE being likeable. Truly, there was hard to find anyone to root for which made the multiple voices sometimes annoying. (Like we were from one person we didn't like to another). Additionally, while journal entries usually help with the story...these journal entries suffered from bad writing (more of a stream of consciousness style and let's be real, sometimes that's bad writing. LOL)

It took me a while to get into this book. I was bracing for occult like themes and those are not my favorite. Truthfully I would have put this book down if that had been the case. But it was not and instead, it was classic Lucy Foley. With characters who all ultimately connect and are tied together by a secret.

I was happy in the end result but this book will not go down as an immediate recommend.

3.5 ⭐️

Still reading. Might give up on this author. Loved her first two books. DNF Paris Apartment, too many characters to keep track and didn’t keep my interest.

Been reading for about a week and only at 20% and not catching my attention.

May keep reading

Old friends and enemies circulate among the guests. Just outside the Manor’s immaculately kept grounds, an ancient forest bristles with secrets. And the Sunday morning of opening weekend, the local police are called. Something’s not right with the guests. There’s been a fire. A body’s been discovered. THE FOUNDER * THE HUSBAND * THE MYSTERY GUEST * THE KITCHEN HELP
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."

This was my first read by Lucy Foley and it will not be my last. I did think the book was a bit slow for the first few chapters but after that it caught my interest and I could not put it down. I really enjoyed the journal entries that were placed into the novel. There were multiple characters to keep track of which was hard for me at first.

I will be reading more books by this author. The twists and turns in this book led to a thrilling conclusion.

Thank you Netgally for the ARC copy

I really enjoyed Lucy’s 2023 release, The Paris Apartment, so I was eager to read Foley’s newest book, The Midnight Feast, but unfortunately this one missed the mark for me.

As The Manor throws open its doors to a lavish debut in a small seaside town, old grudges resurface and long-buried secrets threaten to unravel. Over the course of the weekend, the mystery deepens, culminating in a deadly showdown at The Midnight Feast. This is more of a “What happened” than a “Whodunnit” because the reader doesn’t find out who the body is until the very end of the book. Sometimes I find those type of reads enjoyable, but it didn’t work for me here.

This was a really strange read, and I struggle to know how to rate it. In typical Foley fashion, the story has multiple POVs and jumps between past and present. The story explores a bizarre piece of folklore that seems inexplicably real, and then boom: the manor is on fire and the police find multiple bodies. Plus, there's this old journal written by one of the characters when they were younger, which was kind of all over the place.

For the first 50% of the book (if not more), I struggled to keep up and understand what exactly was happening – and not in a good way, in a frustrating way. The story hinges on double identities and this recurring idea that characters wouldn't recognize each other from past encounters, not that many years ago. And let's not forget about the birds. The birds were just too bizarre of a plot device for me. I felt like a lot of the folklore didn’t make sense and was never really explained as well as it could be.

Things picked up around the last quarter of the book, but I had a moment or two when I thought I might not get through this, which isn’t typical when I read Foley’s work. I know a lot of people will enjoy this one, but unfortunately, it wasn’t for me. As much as it pains me, I'm giving this 2 stars. Foley is a great writer and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for the arc.

The story begins with the grand opening of The Manor, highlighting its extravagance and focus on well-being. Despite the outward appearance, a sense of unease is established. There are hidden resentments among guests, secrets within the surrounding forest, and a foreboding mention of the past. The townspeople are afraid of upsetting "the birds." I wasn't sure if the birds were real or not but it was creepy and ominous. The idyllic weekend takes a turn for the worse with a fire and the discovery of a body. The events seem to be connected to a long-buried secret from 15 years ago.

I've read a few books by Lucy Foley now and while the stories are usually interesting and have twisty endings, the amount of characters and constant flipping between timelines and perspectives slows down the pace of the story. Many chapters can pass by and nothing actually happens. It's the same case with this book. Luckily this didn't have TOO many characters so it was easy to keep track of. The diary entries were the best part of the book. The last 25% had so many reveals and tangents which normally would blow me away but much of what happened felt silly and unnecessary.

Read if you like:
✨locked room murder mysteries
✨dual timelines
✨multiple perspectives
✨wild rides