The Midnight Feast: A Novel

I DEVOURED this read!! Such a well-thought-out, well-put-together story! Not only were the storyline and imagery amazing, but there were so many twists and turns and jaw-dropping moments in the book! Additionally, the book was just the right amount of spooky and creepy, keeping you on the edge of the seat, but had so many sweet moments. Wow. I loved the characters, I loved the multiple POVs, and the entire concept was so unique. Awesome read. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would!! Hats off to you, Lucy! I’ve never read a book like this before! Incredible and so beautiful.

A twisted novel of dark deeds, old secrets, and folklore. Lucy Foley is a go-to author for me, and this book is proof why. I think it’s her best yet. I loved the edge-of-the-forest setting for the resort, the creepy woods behind the manor, the legend of The Birds and the what-will-happen-next-intrigue of the summer journal. Of the POV characters, Francesca Meadows, is over-the-top loathsome, but so good at it, you can’t help appreciating how cold, selfish, fake-friendly, and manipulative she is. A character you love to hate.

With the wide assortment of characters comes a myriad of plot threads, and they all tie together superbly at the end. Shockingly well, with more than a few jaw-drop moments along the way. I was gob-smacked more than once. I devoured this book in two days and hated to see it end.

EXCUSE ME, while I pick my jaw up off the floor! OMG !this book was beyond PHENOMENAL. The TWISTS just kept coming. This book had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end! I loved everything about it from the summer solstice setting, to the folklore, to the modern day present & of course MORE! This is the BEST book that Foley has written so far!! it is the BEST book I have read all year!!! absolutely hands-down, solid 5 stars! I suggest you run out and grab this book this is my New FAVORITE and will have a nice display on my bookshelf! THAT COVER!!!!!!!!!

A revenge thriller set at The Manor resort on the Dorset Coast.

A creepy beach read based on a return-to-the-scene-of-the-crime formula. Fifteen years ago, as a teenager, Bella had a traumatic experience at the previous incarnation of The Manor. Unexpectedly, she gets an invitation to be present at the opening of The Manor as an upscale resort. Bella encounters her nemesis, Francesca the resort owner, and others from her past. After a scary walk through the woods, there’s a murder.

Lucy Foley likes to write from multiple points-of-view, but it doesn’t work here. And there’s an underlying class-warfare theme that feels heavy handed.

Enjoyable thriller with flaws.

This book is not as good as the previous books by this author, but I'm not sure why. A group of people have gathered at a renovated mansion to celebrate the summer solstice. Guests and staff tell the story in rotating chapters. No one is who they say they are, and when a dead body is discovered, all bets are off. The story sounds better than it turns out to be. I was a bit disappointed.

Did both the audio and book, which enhanced my overall experience. If you had to choose, listen to the audio. I found myself quickly immersed into the story and hated when I had to stop. Loved that it was told from different POVs. It gave you a chance to learn the characters better. After MT last Lucy Foley read, this one definitely put her back up higher on my list.

4.5 Stars!

This author never ceases to amaze me with her words, her plots, and her characters.

"Because when you've behaved for this long, it feels so good to be a little bad."

Lucy Foley does it again with this eerie and enchanting story that is White Lotus meets Nine Perfect Strangers.

It's the summer solstice and a posh new resort is having their inauguration under the trees - The Manor. But what many of the guests do not know is that there are secrets in these woods.

Told in multiple POVs between the present and the past, including the old journal of a young girl, the truth about what once happened in these woods begins to uncover.

Once I started this book, I was immediately pulled in. We have Eddie who works at the resort, a sweet an innocent 19-year old kid. There's the "founder," Franchesca, and the characters in her POV were truly brilliant because you can immediately tell just how unhinged she is. There are also the Architect, the mystery guest, and a whole slew of employees who also live on the outskirts of the forest.

But before the night is over, there's a fire, and a body is found.

I loved the past and present and how ALL the connections started to unfold. And the presence of the forest itself was so well done that I could see it like a movie in my head. This is a perfect summer thriller. It took me a tiny bit to get into it and I don't think I loved it as much as The Guest List and The Paris Apartment but those were absolute FAVES of mine and will be hard to beat!

"Because the Birds are like nature. And nature always finds a way."

I've read several Lucy Foley books and was excited to pre-order this one. There is a good story under there, but it was hard to get into and hard to follow. I didn't really get into it until about the 1/3rd mark. There were a lot of characters in both the past and the present, and I had a hard time keeping them all straight. Arguably the main character, Francesca, was too much of a caricature to be believable. There was a hint early on that she sexually abused her husband, but the thread was dropped and never picked up again. The husband's character development also did not make sense to me. it seemed like his character did whatever was convenient for the storyline.

There were some loose threads that stayed loose, including some fairly important things. The twists, though - those were impressive. About 60% of the way through the book, I remember thinking that I could see the ending coming a mile away; I was very wrong. I do wish the twists had been spread out more than they were; they were all jammed into like the same 20 pages at the end. I particularly enjoyed the resolution of the area's folklore.

It felt like the editor let things slide more than usual since Lucy Foley has been around for a while now. I'll definitely read her next book, but this will one was not my favorite.