This gave me White Lotus meets Midsummar vibes. At the beginning, I was a little overwhelmed because we do have plenty of POVs and I was not sure how I was going to keep up with over 10 characters. Apparently this is normal for this author, but eventually it all got connected. D. I Walker POV was unnecessary, and did not add to the plot. I loved how the locals vs tourist( outsiders) profiting out of beautiful places was talked about, and wish was talked more throughout the book because it could have added more to the “spooky” vibes in the woods. I did love “the birds” aspect and the diary pov. THAT PLOT TWIST AT THE END regarding the birds was chef kisses. This was my first read by this author and I will continue to read more by her.

I sadly had to DNF this book and I think it must have been the lack of a protagonist I could root for. I sort of liked the farm kid and the diary chic, but their characters were touched upon before spending more time with others I cared less about. The suspense didn't build enough for me to care what happened by the time the investigation was referenced. I was intrigued by the birds but it never created enough atmosphere for me to really care what came next.

BOOK REVIEW

The Midnight Feast
By Lucy Foley

Plot: It’s the opening night of The Manor, and no expense, small or large, has been spared. And yet, just outside the Manor’s immaculately kept grounds, an ancient forest bristles with secrets. The local community resents what they see as the Manor’s intrusion into the local woods and attempts to privatize the beach, and small skirmishes have erupted on the edges of the property between locals and the staff. And the whispers keep coming, about an old piece of pagan folklore – the night Birds. Though surely everything at the Manor has been done above board.
On the Sunday morning of opening weekend, the local police are called. There’s been a fire. A body’s been discovered. Something’s not right with the guests. What happened?

Review: This book, like most of Lucy Foley’s novels, is a slow-burn and at first I was a bit nervous it would be too much of a slow burn. Silly me to ever second guess Lucy again. About halfway through the real drama began and I was hooked! The plot and twists were well planned and beautifully executed. I didn’t noticed any plot holes or moments of suspended disbelief. The web of lies is so perfected that I believe even the most savvy of readers will not be able to see all of the twists coming (or figure out who the spider spinning this web truly is until the last page). In the last 20 pages it was reveal after reveal after reveal! Bravo Lucy on a masterful piece of storytelling!

The Midnight Feast is out June 18th, 2024! Thank you to Lucy Foley and NetGalley for an ARC copy of The Midnight Feast in exchange for my honest review!

#themidnightfeast #lucyfoley #ScaryBooks #NewGallery #bookstagram #bookworm #bookish #ilovebooks #readerforlife #reading #bedtimereading #bookstagrammer #booknerd #thrillerbooks #booklover #goodreads #beautifulbooks #reader #newbook #bookreview #popularbook #review

3.5 ⭐️

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about doing this ARC because I didn’t love “The Guest List.” However, I did listen to that on audio and read this one and I think that made a big difference. The book was definitely a bit slow to begin and had multiple POVs so it was hard to get invested at first. But once things started to roll, I needed to know how the plot was going to play out. I had a similar feeling reading “The Paris Apartment” where once I was hooked, I couldn’t stop. I did feel like the pace of the book felt a bit inconsistent but the overall storyline kept me guessing throughout and the ending was definitely not expected.

📚 Thank you NetGalley, Lucy Foley, and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. If there is one thing Lucy Foley does well it's atmospheric thrillers where the setting is just as important as the character

The characters are well explored through alternative points of view, as well as two time lines.

I felt like the birds bit was a bit. Meh. But overall not bad. Not my favorite but not the worst!

A cast of characters come together to celebrate a beautiful new wellness center. Everything is perfect until a body is found at the base of the cliffs.

The owner and her husband have spared no expense and are determined to succeed despite the resentment from the locals. Each of the characters has their own agenda and although there are some obvious clues as to who is there and why, the story unfolds nicely at a good pace. A slight departure from some of here other titles but worth the read.

This was my first Lucy Foley book that I have read, so I was not sure what to except since I was not familiar with her writing style. The story intrigued me but I did find the style a little hard to imagine and follow along. The story was told over the span of 36 hours as well as 'summer journal' that showed events from 15 years prior. I had trouble keeping all the characters in check. There were too many, some of whom changed their names and identities over the 15 gap . Between the guests, the Manor staff, and the police, there are a puzzling number of characters to keep track of. It had only been 15 years since some of these characters had seen each other and yet they fail to recognize each other??

I gave this novel a 3.5 star rating. The story was good and when I got about 80% through, it really became intense and I was not able to put it down! I just wish I was able to imagine some of the images in my mind the way she had described them. Maybe I am just not familiar enough with English to be able to see it. That aside, I would still recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for the advanced reader copy of this unique mystery for my honest opinions.

DNF. This book was just too slow for me at this point. Hopefully I can come back to it one day. I think it just took too long to get into the story so I ended up not finishing it after reading about 30% of the book.

This is the third and last book that I will be reading by this author. There are too many character perspectives that don't have any personality. I don't ever care about what happens to any of them. Maybe the plot could have been interesting with better characters and writing.

The Midnight Feast started out very slow for me and was slow to hook my attention. However the last 100 pages were intense and worth the slow start. The way Lucy Foley tied it all together and the subtle twists at the end I did not see coming!

I was so happy when I was granted access to this ARC and couldn't wait to dive in. this is one of my most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint. it took me a bit to get into the story but once I was, I was able to fly through this book. I absolutely love Lucy Foley's books, and this is yet another I will be buying a physical copy of to add to my collection. I really enjoyed the folklore element and the diary entries throughout the book. thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

4.75 ⭐️

I received this as an Advanced Readers Copy via Harper Collins NetGalley!

When this comes out in June, READ. IT. So different than Lucy Foleys usual. Still a thriller, but with a more haunting/sinister undertone. Multiple POV/flashbacks and a plot that so satisfyingly unravels. Nothing is as it seems, and if you want to be constantly guessing, this is the book for you.

Lucy Foley is one of my favorite mystery/thriller authors for a number of reasons including her wild plots and exotic locations -- and luckily for me, The Midnight Feast had both. Wow, this book was a TRIP, in the very best way. I loved Foley's development of the main characters, particularly the extremely unlikeable Francesca, and the always-present thread of the Birds. Easily one of my favorite books of 2024!

Interesting premise, unique setting, colorful characters... but the plot moved so slow.

Not my favorite from Foley but a worthy read!

The Midnight Feast won't feed your soul, but that isn't why we read Lucy Foley books. There's a lot to like here: evil rich people, the put-upon and misused poor, possible cult/supernatural conspiracy involving vigilante birds. There's also nothing especially original here. These are stock characters in a scenario that's been depicted many times over. It's still enjoyable and you'll love to hate the villain; and while you won't love the supporting characters, you may feel sympathy for them and root for their triumph. The journal flashbacks are serviceable if a bit meh and cliche. Worth your time if British thrillers are your cup of tea.

3.5 Thank you for the ARC of this book NetGalley. I have read one other book by Lucy Foley before, and the style between that book and this one was very similar. You are thrown into a mix POV story where people's social class, morals, and personalities are at odds. I enjoyed the spookiness or almost supernatural feel from the "legend" of the Birds. The setup of the plot was a little static, but about halfway through I could feel the storm brewing, and it exploded towards the end. I'm always a fan of books where characters and details are weaved into the end when you might not have expected it. Overall, it was a good book with some surprises. I don't know if this is due to the version being an ARC, but there were some grammatical errors with apostrophes being replaced with quotation marks.

I loved this book! It was a fun read with some twists and turns. I couldn’t put it down. I definitely would recommend it to family and friends.

What a book!

There were so many details and storylines within The Midnight Feast that I don’t think it would be possible to be bored. We get to know the main characters, which include The Manor itself.

The Manor’s grand opening is an event for the ages, and as we learn about it, we’ve also been hearing from Bella about her past with Francesca and The Manor. As the current timeline events unfold, none of them are surprising or creepy, yet the story is entertaining. At a certain point, I definitely wanted to keep reading to see how this would end.

Advance reader copy provided by NetGalley and William Morrow publishing and all opinions are my own.

Great for fans of psychological thrillers. Told in 3 split storylines in a small out of the way coastal English town, ripe with tales of the Birds delivering justice and haunting the ancient wood. The long past, and 15 years later before the solstice and after. Francesca has remade herself and opened a posh retreat after inheriting her grandparents Oceanside home. She’s full of love and light…or at least she wants people to think so. Her husband, an architect, has his own secrets. Bella has come to opening weekend to right a wrong. DI Walker is investigating a body found on the beach after the solstice. And it’s all wrapped up together. Small towns have their secrets.

The queen of a locked room mystery expands to a rural coastal retreat, but with no less intrigue. If there's one thing Lucy Foley can do, it's create a thunderous pace with multiple narrator switches that keeps you flipping pages without getting (too) frustrated. Most of the twists weren't particularly unexpected, but a few were genuine surprises, and the journey to get there was just so fun and satisfying. Lots to love here... it's not great literature but it's very very good fun.