A Twisty, Dark Mystery
The Midnight Feast
Murder Thrillers, Psychological Thriller
William Morrow
June 18, 2024
Ebook, Hardcover, Paperback, Audio
320
Secrets. Lies. Murder. Let the festivities begin...
"An irresistible whodunit with an irresistible Blair Witch-meets-Fyre Festival backdrop." -- People
"Sharp, stylish and stunning...Foley's best yet." -- Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End
"Agatha Christie for the Instagram age." -- Guardian
The deliciously twisty new locked room murder mystery from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List and The Paris Apartment
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.
The Midnight Feast, authored by Lucy Foley, is a chilling psychological thriller evoking the eerie essence of the Blair Witch Project and M. Night Shyamalan, with an added touch reminiscent of The Great Gatsby. The setting is a coastal village in England called Tome, where tension brews between the local farmers, pub workers, and fishermen, and the wealthy family residing in The Manor atop the rocky cliffs. The Manor is preparing for its grand opening as a luxurious wellness retreat. Guests will pay a premium to stay in contemporary treehouses or forest cabins, enjoying amenities like personalized crystals, tailor-made wardrobes, exquisite cuisine, and breathtaking seaside views. The highlight, a grand event called the Midnight Feast, is scheduled to coincide with the summer solstice in just a few days.
Mystery and local folklore lend a macabre air to the setting. The Manor is surrounded by an ancient forest. The locals believe that the forest is protected by the Birds: dark, hooded creatures with horrid beaks and black feathers that bring justice to those who would wrong their own. Foley’s vivid descriptions of the forest, its darkness, its ancient curses, and the Birds gave me the creeps (in the best way). It would make a fantastic film.
“You see them,” she says, “don’t you?”
I take a step back from her.
“You thought you were the worst thing in the woods,” she says. “Didn’t you?”
The narrative unfolds through various perspectives, including Francesca (the owner), Owen (her husband and the architect behind the renovations), Bella (a guest), Eddie (a dishwasher), and an investigator piecing together the events after the feast. The plot weaves through time, with hints about the feast night’s occurrences initially emerging from a 15-year-old journal. The multiple perspectives and the fast pace of the events that unfold to the final page made this story riveting. What a page-turner! Plus, the final lines of the story are worthy of applause.
The most captivating part of the book for me is the insight into Francesca’s perspective, the undeniable villain. She is the epitome of danger, a graceful heiress with a hidden streak of spite. Her selfishness and shrewdness make her the standout figure of The Manor. You do not want to cross Francesca.
Then she turns and, for a few seconds, meets my gaze. There’s a trembling of something in the air between us. Her smile remains in place and she continues surveying the room. I dip my face beneath my hair. But she saw me, I’m certain of it. A shiver passes through me. It’s the feeling they say you get when someone has walked over your grave.
I loved to hate Francesca in this story and being inside her head made that all the easier.
I won’t say more about the story because I don’t want to spoil anything for readers. This is book is a good one! If you love psychological thrillers, dark mysteries, murder, uncovering old secrets, and a chaotic take on what happens when self-absorbed affluence meets grassroots justice, then pick up a copy of The Midnight Feast.
Celeste is a woman who is unwavering about certain things in life; three of those being books, cats, and cold brew coffee. If she can enjoy all three at the same time, it’s going to be a good day. Her favorite genres are fantasy or sci-fi romance, historical romance, and historical fiction but every few books she likes to mix it up with contemporary fiction, a good psychological thriller, or an inspiring memoir. She has a busy schedule working full-time for an online university but she makes sure to unwind each day with stories, either by reading to her elementary school-aged daughter or tucking herself in bed with her Kindle or the latest book she picked up at a local book store.
