This is a little bit later than I wanted this review to go out but I just struggled to put into words quite how special this was. I thoroughly enjoyed Foley’s previous work and set a very high standard for The Midnight Feast to hit, but it surpassed it. Thank you to HarperFiction for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Midsummer, the Dorset coast
Guests gather for the opening of The Manor hotel, the new jewel on the Dorset coastline. The champagne is flowing, the guest list sparkling, the sun setting on an unforgettable summer solstice.
But under the cloak of celebration, something dark is stirring. The Manor has a secret history; built in the shadows of an ancient wood.
Now old friends and enemies are creeping out of the shadows.
And they’ll soon discover what other deadly secrets come out at night . . .
Publication Date: 6th June
TW: fire, death, murder, arson, sexual assault, rape, harassment, traumatic flashbacks, guilt, grief
My Thoughts:
The Midnight Feast pulled me into its entrancing embrace and refused to let me go. Lucy Foley simply is a master of the genre.
I really enjoy Lucy Foley’s style of writing and the way she plays with the expected structure of a mystery narrative, seamlessly threading together complex narratives that often play with the linear structure. She smashes it out of the park again in this claustrophobic and chilling read. It is my favourite of hers since The Hunting Party and that book set my standard of modern thrillers, so it was not easy to surpass.
This is the kind of book that sends a shiver down your spine – it walks that line between supernatural influence and human monstrosity so well. You are keenly aware of this isolated settings and the local legends that swarm around it. From that arresting opening, you are all in. Foley expertly balances different timelines and characters’ narratives, giving you glimpses of the larger jigsaw picture you are slowly piecing together. It is a well-layered mystery, with secrets to uncover in both the past and present timelines that utterly distort everything you’ve read so far. The mystery is just phenomenal, with so many rabbit holes to lose yourself burrowing down. There are plenty of smaller clues seeded earlier on that build to devastating and explosive conclusions. All the time you are on the back foot, trying to understand exactly what may have occurred and why. In short, this was exceptionally executed and will be recommended to everyone I know.
The entire concept of this book is genius. We focus on the ultimate ‘wellness’ retreat, The Manor, which allows Foley to skewer certain stereotypes we may expect to see in this space. It is a symbol of immense privilege, causing tensions to rise amongst the locals, with a sinister history and folklore associated with the site. All of this is kindling for the roaring inferno Foley has planned. That folklore edge allows for the suggestion of the supernatural to come into play, adding a new element to the mystery that makes it that much darker and ambiguous. The shadows seem a little more ominous than before. Your mind goes into overdrive as we follow several characters, all with their own voices that hook you in even as you may despise them a little. There are a multitude of secrets here and almost everyone has something more to them than first seen. I would recommend going in with as little information as you can and just let Foley take you on a wild trip through the woodland.
The Midnight Feast is one of my top five mystery reads of the year so far – it is a chilling, character focused and carnivorous beast that will tear everything in its path apart. At once it is pulse-pounding and slowly builds its dread to a conclusion that I will not forget any time soon.
A Short Book Lover 
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