Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to review this ARC 🥹

3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

Overall, the storyline kept me engaged! Loved the multiple viewpoints

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC! The Manor is a new resort set in the Dorset Coast surrounded by down on their luck locals. The owner, Francesca, plans a grand opening weekend but things keep going wrong and the rumor is “the birds,” a local legend, is to blame. The story is told from 5 different point of views and jumps back in time via old diary entries. Everyone has secrets and the connections slowly unfold as the book goes on. In true Lucy Foley fashion, there were twists and reveals I did not see coming but the excessive POVs, and timeline jumping made the plot hard to follow. The ending was satisfying though, and I liked the added element of a local folklore and history.

Many thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC!

This is my first book from Lucy Foley and in all honesty...this was quite difficult to read. While there were moments I found enjoyable, there were also a lot of multiple identities, strange sequences that seemed unrelated to anything else, and a constant assumption that people wouldn't know others from the past.

The premise sounded interesting and I liked the setting but there were too many characters some of them have even changed their names and identities. Between the staff and the police, it was hard keeping up with all the characters. I did enjoy reading pasts of a journal that ties into the story and there were some twists and turns that raised my eyebrows!

even though this book was not my favorite, I will definitely be reading other books from her like The Paris Apartment!

💕read if you…💕
-binge watched white lotus
-love locked-room mysteries with multiple povs
-enjoy books that keep you second guessing up until the very end
…
👍🏻what i enjoyed…👍🏻
-the setting was perfect and really anchored the story between the past and the present
-each character was deceptive and morally grey in their own way which created this extra layer of complexity to the story
-the plot twist literally had me gasping! i was totally caught off guard and i loved that!
…
💬thoughts💬
wow! just wow! the midnight feast is one of my most anticipated releases of 2024 and i’m so grateful that i received an ARC! lucy foley one of my auto buy authors and the midnight feast did not disappoint. told in multiple povs and following a non-linear timeline, i found the characters to be deceiving and the plot utterly addictive. i mean, who doesn’t love a “whodunit” plot set on a luxury manor resort where people’s lies, deceptions, and secrets will all be revealed?
overall, if you have the chance to buy the midnight feast when it’s released in June 2024… DO. IT. you won’t be disappointed!

No one writes thrillers like Lucy Foley! I am exceedingly partial to her multiple POVs/short chapters. I was definitely expecting a little more from this though, as it falls short of her previous novels imo.

I found Eddie’s character extremely grating, but I did love Francesca and Bella’s characters. <spoiler>I do wish Foley had delved further into why Frankie was such a psychopath killer. I was expecting a little more insight into that. </spoiler>

I did find the local folklore aspect really interesting as well. I do wish it had relied slightly less on modern lingo/criticizing influencer culture, as I feel like that really takes me out of the narrative. Just a personal preference though!

Overall, I wouldn’t reread but will definitely recommend to friends who enjoy spooky thrillers!

First I want to say that it blows my mind how this author intertwines her characters and the twists, this one was no different in that respect. It is told from multiple POVs, going back and forth over several days and incorporating a journal from the past. Unfortunately, the overall story just didn't grab my attention. It was very slow and the "bones" of it felt comparable to a previous book of hers.

The Midnight Feast left me hungry for so much more.

The synopsis promised intrigue, creepy forests, and a gripping locked-room mystery. But I was so bored reading this.

There are five POVs, none of which are interesting. The more POVs added, the more watered down the characters are. Other than Francesca, the characters merged in my head. Unfortunately, Francesca only stood out because of how awful she was. If an author wants to write a large cast, they need distinct traits for each character. Otherwise, you get what you have here: main characters that provide no grit to the story and make it supremely uninteresting to read.

Maybe I could have forgiven the lack of personality if there had been a plot to follow. Mostly, it was just bullies, immature adults, and random folklore bits (which were the best part.) The actual murder victim isn't revealed til 75%, which is unforgivable. I slogged through so much just for the victim reveal to be lackluster and anticlimactic.

The last 15% of the story was easier to digest. All the random plot points and boring characters wrapped up into an ending that would have been satisfactory, even clever if the first 85% hadn't been such a chore. I believe the author was trying to create a slow-burn thriller, but it was more of a flashbang. As everything came full circle, I felt relief that the story was over and didn't care how it came together.

I'm disappointed because the ending and folklore had potential, but it was wasted. There are much better multiple-POV murder mysteries out there.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the advance digital copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

An ostentatious manor house, creepy folklore, sinister woods, entitled rich folks, trodden down locals, traumatic childhoods, vengeance, secrets, and lies--this novel has it all and Lucy Foley delivers it in this wonderfully dark package of a novel.
It's the opening weekend of the Manor; a luxurious resort for the filthy rich carefully crafted by the luminous host, Francesca Meadows. Pedaling enlightenment, Francesca is determined to turn her family's inheritance into the most coveted destination with grandiose amenities, spiritual rituals, and a touch of folklore magic appropriated from the local town. But someone is digging up the past and trying to sabotage Francesca's dream. Is it the mystery guest? The angry locals? Or the mysterious Night Birds that roam the woods?
Alternating between several character's perspectives (as is common for a Foley novel), we follow a series of events and memories that piece together what happened at the Manor the night of the solstice. Someone is dead, there has been a fire: Who is responsible? Foley is a master at building the tension and suspense in this novel till its boiling over. Everything you think you know is an illusion and no one is who they seem. A thrilling and stylish novel about the means people will go to hide their true selves and the ugliness that lives in all of us.
I really enjoyed this book. It felt like a late summer night campfire story--sure to give you chills but you're determined to hear the end. A definite summer thriller to add to the list!

Through multiple POVs and timelines Lucy Foley delivers this unputdownable novel, "The Midnight Feast."

Foley successfully takes almost every elements of books that I love and spins them into one masterpiece.
- Posh Hotels for the rich, labeled as "healing"
- Locals with a vendetta
- Creepy Legends
-Murder

I will recommend this book to everyone! Lucy Foley is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!

3.5 stars rounded up
I have enjoyed Lucy Foley's previous novels so I was excited to read this one.
The premise was interesting and I loved the setting of the manor, the woods and the beach. The plot was intriguing enough to keep me engaged throughout, and I was really interested in the mystery of "the birds" and the folklore of the woods. I did think there were too many characters and POVs and it made me feel a disconnect to most of the characters, and I only really cared about one character (Eddie). All other characters were unlikable and one-dimensional. I think the character of DI Walker should have been explored more and he should have had more depth so the reader would care more about him, [I think that would have made the ending and reveal a bit more satisfying.]
I did enjoy the tension and the atmosphere, but the ending felt a bit rushed and unbelievable. But I really enjoyed the premise. I also enjoyed the journal entries from the past.

Overall I did enjoy reading this book and it kept me engaged and intrigued.

3.75 🌟

Do not read if you are scared of birds. 🤣

This book started out a little slow but once it picked up.... it picked up. I liked the multiple POVs and didn't find keeping up with the characters hard (I'm looking at you Guest List). Thr bird part was a little meh for me but I did love the ending!

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Lucy Foley has delivered again with a spooky, tense mystery full of twists and turns. I think this might be my favorite so far? Definitely not one to read when you're home alone!

Thank you to the publisher for gifting a review copy.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for an arc copy in exchange for an honest review!

Lucy Foley is the queen of: you think you know exactly what is going to happen, only to be hit with a plot twist that seems so obvious yet so shocking at the same time.

This was nothing earth shattering, but I could not put it down after I was halfway in. The plot really engaged me and had an ending I was happy with. The first few chapters had very flowery writing that I was excited about, but then as the book progressed I think the plot took over and the writing took a back seat. I would have liked for the “midsummer gothic” feel to have been more prominent, ie rituals, chants, references to the folklore. I do think these has a unique feel for a multiple pov thriller, as the setting almost feels like horror genre, but toes the line so it stays more on the mystery side. My favorite part of all the characters is getting to do the casting in my head with all their descriptions and personalities.

Fun cast:
Bella - Victoria Pedretti
Eddie - Noah Centino
Francesca - Emma Roberts
Owen - Matthew Daddario
DI Walker - Scott Eastwood

I enjoyed these characters and the way the author always has them come together in the end blows my mind. Lucy Foley will always be an automatic read for me. This was my fifth book by her, and probably my third favorite.

3.5 ⭐️

I liked this one.... it kept my attention and had me guessing who was responsible for what. I found all the characters unlikable, but think that was the point. Def worth the read!

I had so much fun reading this book! Lucy Foley’s writing doesn’t blow me away, and I had to suspend my disbelief occasionally. However, she’s excellent at building suspense and had me audibly gasping on more than one occasion.

This was a great read. It kept me engaged and I finished it easily. The characters were developed and the story line was great.

I enjoyed the setting and the characterization. The structure was interesting, and kept me guessing and wondering until the end. I enjoy this author

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

This is the third book by Lucy Foley that I’ve read (previously read ‘The Guest List’ and ‘The Paris Apartment’ [did a podcast episode on this]) and I think this was the most intriguing. It’s funny that this book gave me “The White Lotus” vibes before I had even started watching the show.

I won’t share any spoilers in terms of the specifics of my guessing but I eventually guessed correctly the multiple mysteries of this read. With that, I liked that this wasn't a typical one death and guessing who killed them but rather a web of lies and multiple options of potential victims that could’ve been the dead person or persons. That said, I did find the story to be dragged out and I struggled getting into the story. It also could’ve been a lot shorter, at least short of 300 pages. Overall, this was a very interesting read and different from the other two Foley books that I’ve read.

If you like:
The Village/Midsommar
Crime novels
Edgar Allan Poe
Vacay Gone Wrong
Local Superstitions
Thrillers that keep you guessing!

Then you’ll devour The Midnight Feast

Welcome to The Manor, a luxurious one-of-a-kind estate settled in a forested area of Dorset. Francesca Meadows aspires to be a bright, shining aura of positive energy and mellow vibes. However, under her surface there is a rage that has been burning, no matter how much she tries to suppress it. As the guests of The Manor unwind and make merry, Francesca senses an uneasiness creep back into her life. A mysterious guest, Bella, reminds her of her past. The past she has worked so hard to leave behind. As The Manor’s main event The Midnight Feast draws closer, tensions begin to rise not only among Francesca’s carefully curated environment but from the locals that are furious with Francesca’s disregard for their land and local superstitions. As the events of the evening unfold, who will be unmasked and who will survive this luxury vacation?

This book kept me guessing and guessing, overall I think I got 25% of my assumptions correct! This was such an enjoyable mystery to read. I felt like this story was slow to get into at first, but by the time the diary entries started popping up I was completely hooked. I thought the local superstition surrounding The Birds was woven into the main mystery so beautifully. It all felt very cohesive.

I loved The Guest List by Lucy Foley, but I think The Midnight Feast is my new favorite novel by Lucy Foley!

Highly recommend this book, this will be the perfect addition to your summer reading list! Thank you NetGallery and William Morrow for this advanced digital copy. Publish date 06/17/2024

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC of The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley. The Midnight Feast has a unique plot in the sense that the victim of the crime is not unveiled until the end of the novel. It was a "fun" experience trying to guess who was going to get the ax (figuratively speaking). I enjoy Lucy Foley mysteries and was glad to have a sneak peek of this one.