This was quite enjoyable! The secret/resolution was unexpected and I liked seeing how everything fell into place. I really liked the setting/aesthetic and wondering if it would end up being supernatural. The different POVs were fun but ngl Francesca’s might have been my favorite, she’s so terrible and deluded and full of herself.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the digital ARC; all opinions are my own.

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley is a well done thriller that is highly entertaining and intriguing.

I’m a big fan of Lucy Foley’s novels! From The Hunting Party to The Guest List, I think her thrillers all have that readability, can’t-put-down quality to them. There’s always a big mystery, and she provides plenty of character development and context as well. She also writes vivid settings. And it was especially so with The Midnight Feast.

I keep these spoiler-free so I can’t go into too much detail but overall, I thought this was an entertaining thriller. It had a unique premise with a vivid setting. And I also think she gave plenty of backstory as well and motivations for all the characters. It felt very much like a complete story too.

Overall, an entertaining thriller!

I've read the rest of Lucy Foley's books and while this wasn't my favorite of the bunch, I enjoyed it! She's such a master at telling a story with several characters and keeping the suspense going, which I really felt with this book. It was a fun cross between Midsommar and a Grimm's fairy tale - dark, twisty, and suspenseful. There was expert storytelling, scene-setting and weaving characters together throughout the story. While I anticipated a couple of the twists, she got me several times as well and I really liked the conclusion, which is where a lot of thriller fall flat for me. It dragged a bit in the middle and there were a few stray side characters that probably could've been cut, but overall I really enjoyed this and think it would make a great Summer/beach read.

It’s the opening night of The Manor, and no expense, small or large, has been spared. The infinity pool sparkles; crystal pouches for guests’ healing have been placed in the Seaside Cottages and Woodland Hutches; the “Manor Mule” cocktail (grapefruit, ginger, vodka, and a dash of CBD oil) is being poured with a heavy hand. Everyone is wearing linen.

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 area, 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, an avenging force that can be called upon to make right wrongs that elude the law. 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.

Brilliant! It took me a minute to get into this one, but it wasn't long before I was hooked. I couldn't put this one down. I loved reading each of the characters POVs, the drama with the mystery guest, and all the surprising twists and turns in this one. Fantastic writing and intriguing story. It's Lucy Foley at her best!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

"I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

Lucy Foley is such a good thriller writer. She always leaves you wanting more and can't just put the book down.

The Midnight Feast is all about The Manor and it's opening weekend. How are the owner, guests, and residents related? It's not quite what you would expect. I do love the dueling timelines and points of view. The past affects the future of everyone involved. So good!

What a page-turner! Lucy Foley has done it again with an intriguing, drama filled story. This nuanced tale of greed and privilege brought up so many emotions as we learned about Francesca’s past. I was thoroughly pleased with the ending and felt that the story wrapped up nicely!

🌲The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley🐦‍⬛
Thank you to @netgalley for this arc, for my honest review!
⭐️⭐️⭐️
My thoughts: This was told was multiple povs from different characters over different timelines. I got a little confused and had to map out a timeline of events lol. I tried so hard to love this but it wasn’t my vibe and the rating was my own experience, and not the quality of the book. This was my first book by this author and although it wasn’t for me,I’m still curious about their other work.

I have enjoyed The Hunting Party and the Guest List by Lucy Foley, and this book joins the rank of the others! The Midnight Feast revolves around a high-end resort experience in Tome, a city where the original inhabitants are anything but glad for the intrusion. The main character, Francesca (Frankie, as a child) draws the ire of townsfolk and guests alike as her opening weekend develops into a nightmarish experience for all involved.

I love a good mystery, and the gradual unraveling of Francesca’s past mistakes and her current mental state made for juicy reading. The close-knit community of Tome made its slow appearance in the form of various guests, each of whom holds a place in Francesca’s history in one form or another. I also couldn’t help but (unfortunately) admire her guileless manipulative character, who was so certain in her own innocence and righteousness at a very high cost.

Though it felt like the pieces of the puzzle fit almost a bit too well, the mechanics of why this is the case do reveal themselves over the course of the story. The book makes for interesting reading in this way, and I especially enjoyed the final reveal of The Crows at the very end of the book. All in all, I would recommend this for fans of a moody mystery, and especially to fellow readers of Lucy Foley’s other works!

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC.

I’m just as surprised as anyone, but I genuinely loved this. I liked some of Lucy Foley’s past works, but the Paris Apartment was one of my big letdowns so I went into this with a healthy dose of skepticism. It has all of the dark past and ridiculous opulence of The Guest List but with much better pacing (I was truly on the edge of my seat whenever I was reading) and some of the later twists were both jaw-dropping and incredibly moving. The aesthetic of both the main set piece and the lurking mythology is so perfectly poised and spooky. There’s a little too much over-explaining in the end, but as a whole this really got me.

This is only the second Lucy Foley book I’ve read, but after reading this latest thriller of hers, I can confidently state that she has a type. When you read one of her novels, you know you’re in for multiple alternating POVs, characters attempting to reconcile some horrifying event from their past, hot takes on class differences, and plenty of alcohol and (not graphic) sex. This thriller was also deeply steeped in the supernatural, and provided a much-needed critique of New Age-y wellness culture.

I didn’t like the plodding first half of this book. The multiple POVs kept the plot moving enough, but made it difficult for me to keep track of how everything and everyone fit together. However, after the halfway point (when the twists and turns really took off) then I was a more engaged reader. As Foley, one by one, revealed all the spoilers in the final chapters amongst the eerie setting of the Manor and the rural bramble of the town of Tome, I concluded that this was a much better thriller than I thought. The final scene and line were brilliant.

Perhaps I will read this one again. I think "The Guest List" is better overall, but "The Midnight Feast" deserves a second read-through from me.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

This book HOOKED me from the first chapter. I could not put this book down to the point I was denying I was falling asleep just to keep reading. I thought I could tell where the story was going, but the reveals at the end truly made me gasp. I wish I could read this book again for the first time.

I’m a huge Lucy Foley book and was thrilled with the opportunity to read The Midnight Feast. A twisty tale told across multiple view points and timelines it’s one where attention to detail is key! I think with so many characters it did detract from the pace of the story and unfortunately falls towards the bottom of my favorite a Foley books list but nonetheless a fun ride. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Two unlikely friends share a dark secret. One is overcome with guilt and has a vendetta against the other. She returns 15 years later to confront the other and to make her confess to the horrible thing she has done. This book is amazing! It took me a little while to really get into it, but once I did, I could not put it down! It was full of secrets, twists, turns, and a climax that had my head spinning! Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this ARC! I thoroughly enjoyed it! Lucy Foley has a brand new fan!

What I liked best about The Midnight Feast was how easily I could picture every scene. Foley created such distinct images in my head that I can still remember how I imagined the Hutches, the woods, the manor, the farms, and the beach to look. It's not often that I have a very vivid picture of a setting that stays in my mind long-term! I think this would make a great screen adaptation. I can definitely picture Nicole Kidman playing Francesca.

I liked the split timeline of The Midnight Feast--multiple POVs in the present and Bella's diary to fill in the past. There were some dark twists that came together wonderfully, and it was fun to see the past come back to haunt Francesca in more ways than one.

Overall it was a solid read and an interesting thriller. It's quite fast-paced, so I was able to read it quite quickly. It felt like a cross between Midsommar and Nine Perfect Strangers (and maybe The Birds, but I haven't seen that).

This book reminded me of Nine Perfect Strangers for some reason, maybe the retreat all natural atmosphere. I was surprised at the ending of the main female character.

It’s the grand opening for the exclusive getaway known as “The Manor”. Francesca, the owner, has spared no expenses to ensure her guests have an unforgettable experience. The local residents are unhappy about the privatized, wealthy, guests that have invaded their territory. Rumors begin to spread that a local folktale, The Night Birds, has been summoned for justice against this intrusion. Francesca, despite being a local, doesn’t believe in the lore but she does have a feeling one of her guests is out to sabotage her opening night. A Midnight Feast, an avenging folklore, and a dead body will definitely make this a weekend to remember.

The Midnight feast is a deliciously twisty tale in which the past and present collide. Nobody is quite who they appear to be as the tale unfolds and reveals secrets meant to stay buried. The story follows several key characters as opening night, the Midnight Feast, and each of their plans creeps closer to fruition. Despite my dislike of the main antagonist this novel had some surprising fun twists and turns..a must read for 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for access to the ARC for The Midnight Feast! I wasn’t crazy about The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley, but I absolutely LOVED this one! It was super creepy, and I couldn’t put it down. It had me guessing clear until the last couple of pages! Sooo many twists!

An enjoyable read!

A little disappointing compared to Foley’s other books in that most of the twists were predictable. The characters tell a little flat for me too. Would be a good beach read and entertaining but not truly memorable.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Riveting, a wild thrill ride that I couldn’t get enough of! I love Foley and expect her books to have some twists but couldn’t have predicted how wild and well planned the plot was. Her writing just keeps getting better but this was my absolute favorite!