The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley – Review

Published: June 18, 2024

Publisher: William Morrow

Series: N/A

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 354 (Hardcover)

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Synopsis:
Secrets. Lies. Murder. Let the festivities begin…

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.

But under the burning midsummer sun, darkness stirs. Old friends and enemies circulate among the guests. Just outside the Manor’s immaculately kept grounds, an ancient forest bristles with secrets. And the Sunday morning of opening weekend, the local police are called. Something’s not right with the guests. There’s been a fire. A body’s been discovered.

THE FOUNDER * THE HUSBAND * THE MYSTERY GUEST * THE KITCHEN HELP

It all began with a secret, fifteen years ago. Now the past has crashed the party. And it’ll end in murder at… The Midnight Feast.

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It’s been a few years since I’ve picked up a Lucy Foley book, but The Midnight Feast sounded like a very appealing thriller. Murder occurs at the grand opening of an exclusive seaside resort called The Manor. The locals aren’t happy about the rich, crystal clutching Francesca coming in and taking over what used to be a beautiful forest and beach with public access to cater toward her wealthy clientele.

The story has multiple POV chapters and flips back and forth between present day and journal entries from 15 years prior. The main POVs are that of Francesca, her husband Owen, a suspicious Manor guest named Bella, and a young dishwasher named Eddie. There are also a few chapters following other characters who discover and deal with the aftermath of the Midnight Feast that went up in flames. 

Francesca is immediately loathsome for a multitude of reasons. Her entitlement and sense of intellectual superiority (along with all the woo-woo spiritualism and crystals) were a thin veneer over the cutthroat bitch she hid deep down inside. Owen, her architect husband, seems so over his head and the reason for this becomes clear as the story progresses. He’s not a bad fellow, he just fell for the wrong woman. Eddie is a very sympathetic character. This kid is a local who just wants to get the chance to leave his hometown for the glamor of London and learning to bartend at the Manor sounds like his big ticket out of there. He’s sweet and naïve, but there’s also a sense of tragedy to his life thanks to the loss of his brother Jake 15 years before. Then there’s Bella, who is staying at the Manor under an assumed name with the intention of confronting Francesca for some past wrong. 

It doesn’t take long to see how each of these characters are intertwined and the dramatic unfolding of events was very satisfying. The ending in particular was quite explosive and left me in shock despite the fact I knew terrible things were coming! There’s also a local legend that seems to be haunting Francesca and the Manor at every turn. The Birds are rumored to come for people who’ve done wrong and they keep leaving signs – a dead bird nailed to the door, birds covering the lawn, a sacrificed bull in the forest. Perhaps Francesca will get what she deserves after all. Overall, this kept me entertained and kept me guessing but I’ve enjoyed other Lucy Foley books more.