The Midnight Feast

By: Lucy Foley

“Nature may be red in tooth and claw but our guests would prefer their version of it green and clean.”

Lucy Foley, The Midnight Feast

*This post contains spoilers for The Midnight Feast

Overview:

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

The overall setting and story line is very appealing. A large luxury estate full of wealthy patrons looking to commune with nature while still having 5 star service. Meanwhile, the people and the land don’t want them there.

The Birds

From the beginning it is unclear whether the people of the town are behind all the strange sabotages or if there really is a mythical being protecting the forest. In the end, it turns out to be older members of the town dressing as these creatures to sew havoc. However, I like to think of it as the townspeople becoming these creatures or being a conduit for their power.

When it comes down to it, what is the power of the birds? They protect the land and punish those that don’t respect it. All of this is true. So, the birds are a real threat, they just aren’t immortal all seeing beings.

The folklore aspect creates the entire vibe of the story and I wish it relied on it more.

Too Many Twists

The conclusion of the book is a little far fetched.

Having the investigator actually be Eddie’s long lost brother and Bella’s ex-boyfriend is messy. Honestly, I don’t think Eddie was needed as a character to tell the story or this connection.

Eddie was meant to be a bridge between the Manor and the locals. This was accomplished but not necessary. The conflict could have still been represented by several other characters.

Another twist that was impossible to believe was that Francesca did not know her own husband was the son of the girl she killed and buried. Francesca has every resource at her disposal and is cunning enough to keep eyes on everyone in her life. It is completely unbelievable that she would not have found out every little thing about the person she would marry ahead of time.

She has the forethought to put hidden cameras in all of the guests rooms but she didn’t do a background check on Owen? Very, very, very unlikely.

---

Overall,

I like Lucy Foley’s overall writing style. Jumping between the past and the future adds an interesting dynamic.

It’s not breaking the mold or anything but it’s nice to have an author that writes well and you know what to expect.

The overall vibes of this book is very White Lotus. Which I’m sure is on purpose as the idea of rich people on vacation with their (non-problem) problems is popular right now.

However, I cannot get over the poor plot twists at the end of the book. Had those been flushed out a little better or less characters been focused on, I think it would have made for a stronger book.

Rating: 2.5/5 stars