Spooky revenge vibes. I enjoyed the different point of views and the current timeline vs past diary. Plenty of twists and surprises.

I love a book that starts with the ending and The Midnight Feast pulled me in right away. Unfortunately, I felt like most of the book dragged just a bit. There's this beautiful sense of gothic foreboding, timeline changes, and plenty of characters to pay attention to but I felt like all the action and reveals were reserved for the very last 20% of the book, which is not my personal preference. The Midnight Feast is very well written, I just prefer a thriller that is action packed all the way through!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

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My first Lucy Foley book and it didn’t disappoint me?!

I almost DNFed around 40% because I didn’t like the idea of the birds. It kept reminding me of the village. But other than that a great read!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for my gifted copy!

I am a huge Lucy Foley fan, so this pains me to review. I don't want to say anything that would prevent people from reading this, because although it wasn't my favorite, I know it will be a favorite for many.

Between all of the POVs, the timelines, and slow pace I thought there would be more excitement to the story. I know I'll love her next one!

I had a hard time with this book. It went from past to present and then throw in a journal from the past . The chapters were about the characters. It was confusing at times . The book picked up at the end . I thought it had a good ending. I just wished it was good throughout the entire book!

Rich & spoiled Francesca is opening a luxurious new resort in the English woods, the Manor. Opening weekend promises many surprises, including the midnight feast. This book has many different POVs, murder, cults, duplicitous characters & a few surprises.

Overall, the book kind of dragged for me. I was most interested in the diary, entries section of the book. Some of the main characters are plainly unlikable, and I wasn’t very invested in them. I love a good thriller, but for me, this was not it

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with a digital review copy of this book

The Midnight Feast is easily one of my most anticipated releases of 2024, coming from one of my go-to Mystery/Thriller authors, Lucy Foley. I love her classic style, her sense of place, as well as her dramatic characters. The moment I read this synopsis, I needed it.

This story follows four different perspectives: Francesca, the founder, Owen, the husband, Bella, the mystery guest, and Eddie, the kitchen help. On first observation, you may think four perspectives it a lot, but honestly, it never felt like it here. They're all equally interesting in their own right, and so well developed. Additionally, each play an important role in the events that play out over the course of the story.

We join these characters on the first night of the grand opening weekend at The Manor, a luxury retreat that Francesca has created, along with the help of her husband, Owen, upon her familial coastal estate. The unique property is sold out for the weekend and all guests are expecting the best of the best, to be pampered and low-key treated like royalty. Francesca is pulling out all the stops, no expense has been spared, but will it all come off without a hitch? She's beyond stressed.

It doesn't take long after you meet all the characters for the ominous tone to set in. There are some mysterious things happening and the property itself seems to be mired in a darkness. It's unsettling; wicked and wild. The abutting woods feel like they are looming over the resort, like they may harbor secrets and other disturbing things. The local lore surrounding these woods certainly doesn't help matters. This atmosphere got under my skin fairly quickly and I was eating it up.

Further, I loved the construction of this story. The chapters are short and you alternate between all of these perspectives. With each chapter you're learning more and more about what is actually going here, the history and connections. We also get some journal entries, which take us back to the property, I believe, 15-years prior, and the horrific events that happened there at that time. Through these journal entries we learn a bit more about some of the players in our modern timeline. Enlightening stuff.

I was at the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading this. I found the story to be so gripping. As each chapter ended, it felt like another puzzle piece falling into place. I was scrambling to get through it. I had to know the truth behind all the connections and what was going to happen on the night of the Midnight Feast. It was a real race to figure everything out. I had so much fun with it.

I'm trying not to give too much away about what happens. It's best to just go in and be surprised. This definitely went places that I wasn't expecting.I can't stress enough how great this atmosphere felt though. I'm an atmosphere-girlie through-and-through. That's the number one thing I want out of my stories and Foley delivered it in spades here. It felt rich, dangerous, hedonistic, and a bit pagan in nature. It almost toes the line into Folk Horror territory, if I'm being honest, and you know I love that.

This was wildly-engaging and non-stop entertainment. There's no lulls ever in the forward progression of the narrative and mystery of The Manor. The conclusion was exciting and included more than one jaw-dropping moment. In my most humble opinion, this is Foley's strongest work yet. Everything about this gets top marks from me. I literally have no complaints.

It comes with my highest recommendation. If you haven't already, you need to add this to your Summer TBR. If you love atmosphere, clever plot development and non-stop twists and turns, you are sure to enjoy this as much as I did.

Thank you so, so much to the publisher, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy to read and review. As mentioned above, this was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and it far exceeded my expectations.

Well done, Lucy Foley. Well done!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed the way the characters wove in and out of each other's lives both past and present. Almost all of the characters were living some kind of double life and just about everyone was a suspect.. I love that Foley didn't give away who the dead bodies belong to until she absolutely had to. You have no idea whether your current narrator (multi POV) is actually alive at the end of the story until you get to the end! I think this one will be really popular this summer.

First I would like to thank the publisher, William Morrow, and NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for my fair review. I have read nearly every Lucy Foley book published, and I normally really enjoy them. The last few books have been rather formulaic, but I had really high hopes for this after reading the synopsis. Who doesn't love a good murder mystery with a spooky secret society in the woods?! In theory this book should have been great, but for me, in execution, it was kind of a mess. I struggled with so many character POV's as well as hopping between three timelines. The story itself has good meat to it, but the twists were a bit weak in the end. Overall, I'd give this 3/5 stars. It won't keep me from reading her next book, but it was definitely not my favorite Lucy book so far.

This was a classic Lucy Foley book. Great characters and fun premise with location and The Manor. The build out was a slow burn getting to know the main characters and their backstories. I did think the twists were great - surprise character unveilings and unique connections - loved them! It was a fun read!

At first, this book had me hooked! I couldn't put it down. The writing was excellent! The multiple POV was done very well and not confusing at all. Up until maybe 75/80% into the book it took a very predictable turn. This had such a unique concept from the beginning and it gave me all the cult vibes I love but it wasn't how I thought it was going to end and that isn't always a good thing. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

It is opening weekend for the new exclusive luxury resort, The Manor which is owned by the Gwyneth Paltrow-esque Francesca Meadows. She and her architect husband, Owen Dacre are determined to make sure everything goes perfectly despite making enemies of the locals and being behind on construction. Bella, an old friend of Francesca’s, is ready to confront Francesca about their shared past which is revealed to readers via Bella’s diary. Another timeline for readers to keep track of reveals that the opening weekend went horribly wrong with the police investigating a death.

If you don’t like following multiple POV characters and multiple timelines, this may not be the book for you. The pacing of the first half of the book was slow but the action does pick up towards the end. I haven’t read a lot of Lucy Foley but what I have read I’ve enjoyed, Midnight Feast included.

A who dun it mystery novel all about The Manor, some very luxurious resort that has many guests freaking out about about its grand opening but during the party, there’s a murder. Turns out, The Manor has some secrets of its own. I had to throw this one on my reading list because I was fascinated by it's cover and plot and great news, I wasn't disappointed at all. It was fun, mysterious, kept be entertained and thoroughly captivated 'till the very end.

This is my third book by Lucy Foley and I gobbled it up like a tray of loaded brownies. It was giving Midsommer X Fyre Fest vibes. If you’ve read The Club by Ellery Lloyd, it was a similar premise but even more enjoyable in my opinion. A bunch of posh bastards getting a dose of karma. Definitely add it to your summer TBR if you love thrillers and a good roasting of the upper class!

The Guest List is still my favorite of hers, but Lucy Foley can’t write a bad book in my opinion! I enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed The Paris Apartment! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me! Thank you Net Galley for the ARC! This comes out June 18th!

If you mix the dark folklore of Midsommar, the secretive small-town vibes of Bodkin, and the puzzling narrative of The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, you might get something like Lucy Foley’s The Midnight Feast. Throw in a dash of the 2022 film The Menu for good measure, and there’s a satisfying tale of revenge, trauma, and wealth inequality.
When guests arrive at Tome Manor for the Summer Solstice, wellness-influencer-turned-hotelier Francesca is the only one having a good time. The rest of the cast forms a web around her: a local farmer, a bitter childhood friend, a doting husband, a cold case detective, a social-climbing manager. And, of course, The Birds.
Although this is my first Lucy Foley read, it seems she’s a fan of multiple POVs and Agatha Christie mysteries. Some might find the short chapters and character-jumping a bit confusing, but I enjoyed the way everyone’s stories intersected and added layers to the plot.
My only critiques were that certain stylistic choices were less effective than others. The chapters from a teenager’s journal entries felt forced and overly embellished, making it clear that the writer is trying really hard to emulate angst. In a similar vein, the depictions of the rich hotel guests, while necessary for the critiques of social class, were a bit two-dimensional. The pop culture references were also heavy-handed, and I worry they’ll make the novel age poorly; calling a character Goopish and directly referencing Blair Witch multiple times seemed out of place.
That said, the plot kept me on my toes, and I loved the way it all came together. The characters were interesting and distinct (impressive considering the sheer number of them), and the pacing was thrilling. In a word, The Midnight Feast was exciting, and I definitely plan on picking up some of Foley’s other novels to add to my shelves.

I typically always enjoy Lucy Foley’s writing, but think this one may be my favorite so far! This will be a huge thriller for the summer.

Lucy Foley's "The Midnight Feast" steps into a new territory, blending a cult thriller with her classic suspenseful style. Set in a luxurious new hotel, the story unfolds with intriguing characters and a chilling atmosphere. Although the beginning is slow and the plethora of characters can be confusing, the eerie build-up and multi-perspective narrative keep you turning the pages. With a mix of folk horror and unexpected twists, this book is a compelling read despite a few shortcomings.

Lucy Foley steps outside her usual locked room mystery to something closer to a cult thriller in “The Midnight Feast”.

The story unwinds and unfurls at the opening of a new luxury hotel in which old friends have come to dig up old secrets. The characters we follow, while sometime hard to discern in the first few chapters, find voices of their own that make them unique perspectives to read from.

The setting here is the strongest aspect of the book. The reliance of Midsommar references, while perhaps too soon after the film, creates an eeriness to the woodsy folk horror that lurks under this story. The Birds are a fascinating concept, while not being fully explored, and left me craving more about them.

Ultimately, this outing for Foley is a step outside what we see from her, and with its faults, it maintains a compelling vibe and characters that make you turn the page.

Oh man. This one was rough, and not in a good way. This book took me over two weeks to get through, but I literally had no interest in this story whatsoever. I originally thought this one was just a slow burn, but it took me getting 80% of the way through this book to actually be invested in the story. This book is filled with horrible, un-redeeming characters and plot twists that were not exciting. Not for me.

I have read all of Lucy Foley's books and I was so excited to check this one out. I love how Foley does locked room mysteries and the setting of a fancy new hotel called "The Manor" that is surrounded by a haunted forest made for an interesting story. However, this one fell a little short for me because it was just plain old weird. I felt the eerie build up in the first 2/3 was well done but by the time I got to the end, I felt a little underwhelmed. I did like the multiple POVs and the short chapters, but this isn't a book that will stick with me over time.