The Midnight Feast: A Novel

Name: The Midnight Feast: A Novel
SKU: 82446
Availability: InStock

4 | 11,889 ratings

Price: 22.04

Last update: 01-06-2025

Top reviews from the United States

NZLisaM

The Midnight Feast was Unsettling, Creepy, and it Sure Kept Me Guessing!

Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2024

June 2025 – It’s the opening weekend of The Manor, an exclusive, cliffside, health and wellness resort hotel, nestled away in the tiny village of Tome, Dorset, with the beach on one side and the woods on the other. The retreat promises three days of luxury, spirituality, and pampering, culminating in a Midnight Feast on the Day of the Solstice.

But just before dawn The Day After the Solstice fishermen make two grisly discoveries, floating in the water is a body, and high up on the cliff The Manor is burning!

Just what went on at The Midnight Feast?

After finishing The Midnight Feast I can honestly say that Lucy Foley is the master of misdirection – the plot had more twists than the trees featured in this novel – the mystery was multi-layered, clever, and exciting, and the shocks and secrets just kept on coming. I can’t stop thinking about that last 25%!

The characters were a mix of one’s I cared about, other’s I wasn’t sure about, and a few that were evil to the core. All were compelling, three-dimensional and intriguing. I even teared up a couple of times and was surprised how emotionally invested I was in some of these character’s situations and trauma. The setting of Tome took on a life of its own – steeped in class conflict and divide, exacting justice, and customs and folklore. Now, I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I’m terrified of birds – although I’m not keen on their squawking, flapping wings, and beady eyes – but the bird legends featured in this novel, coupled with the fact that people kept finding ominous feathers, really freaked me out.

There were several timelines to keep track of. The present story arc, which took place over the three-day retreat weekend – Opening Night, The Day Before the Solstice, The Day of the Solstice – via four POV’s. Then there were flashbacks to the summer of 2010 in the form of italicised journal entries, as well as flash forwards to The Day After the Solstice beginning with the discovery of the fire and an unidentified body. There was also a spooky, foreboding prologue titled, The Woods. The summer journal was the standout for me, that is until the last 25% when every moment was my favourite.

Now I can’t decide which Lucy Foley book is my favourite, this one, or The Guest List. I think I love them both equally.

As a teenage I also devoured Bella by Jilly Cooper, as well as the other books in the series, Harriet, Octavia, etc.

I’d like to thank Netgalley UK, Harper Collins UK, and Lucy Foley for the e-ARC.

Gali

A great book!

Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2024

I've read a couple of Lucy Foley's books before, so I was excited to get my hands on her latest release. I'm a sucker for locked-room murder mysteries, and this one piqued my interest right away. Set at the seaside Manor in Dorset, the story unfolds through the perspectives of several key characters:

* Francesca Woodland: the founder and owner of the manor, a posh resort.
* Owen, her husband, is an architect.
* Bella - a guest at the hotel with an agenda.
* Eddie, a nineteen-year-old kitchen helper.

The book alternates between the present and the past, beginning before the events at the Manor and then shifting to its opening night, where Francesca is determined to ensure its success. However, things quickly go awry. The locals, unhappy with the Manor’s encroachment into the local woods and its attempts to privatize the public beach, are disrupting the guests' peace with their actions. Add the appearance of crows, black feathers stuck on doors and people, and a guest determined to wake sleepy dogs, and the stage is set. Thus, a chain of events is set in motion that can end only one way.

While 'The Midnight Feast' is an enjoyable and interesting read, I must admit that the pace felt rather slow, and the suspense didn't truly kick in until halfway through. Nonetheless, the main characters are well-fleshed out and interesting, although not all are likable. Each harbors secrets that gradually unravel as the narrative unfolds, compelling readers to eagerly turn the pages to uncover what is going on.

Narrated from multiple perspectives in the first person, the story seamlessly weaves between characters and timelines, including events from fifteen years prior recounted through diary entries. I particularly enjoyed the incorporation of folklore surrounding the woods and the Birds, as well as the subtle nod to Hitchcock's iconic film "The Birds," which I found delightful. Foley's writing flows smoothly, providing insightful glimpses into the characters' minds. I appreciated how their narratives intertwined and converged as the plot progressed.

Overall, "The Midnight Feast" is a solid read, albeit a tad slow-paced, earning it four out of five stars from me. While it may not keep you on the edge of your seat, the story remains compelling enough to maintain interest throughout. With its enchanting twists on ancient myths and atmospheric storytelling, I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery and a peek into the complexities of human nature.

Lisa G

I loved this one!

Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2024

Foley raises the stakes in this page-turner. I love all of her books, but this one is now my favorite. There is a large cast of characters but it isn’t difficult to keep track of them as they are all distinctly different.

Francesca Meadows is rich and not well liked by many. When she opens a new resort, The Manor, her opening week is both luxurious and chaotic. Francesca is under the illusion that nothing ever goes wrong for her. She has always had an easy life and has always looked down on those that she feels are less than. But when her past comes knocking, her life takes a brutal turn.

This book touches on classism, revenge and even a little folklore. It’s written in classic Lucy Foley style with multiple POV’s and the great twisty ending.

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