The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley
Picture this: Opening weekend at an incredibly posh hotel, The Manor, but everything is a farce. Nobody is who they say they are, everyone has secrets … even Tombe, the small town where all of this takes place. The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley paints a beautiful picture of an idyllic English countryside, a beautiful relaxing estate and small-town drama … and fear of the woods that surround town. In my opinion, the recipe for a perfect thriller.
The Characters and Their Hidden Connections
This book is made of multiple perspectives, and we follow Bella, Eddie, Francesca and Owen throughout the story. They are all involved with The Manor in some capacity whether they own it, work there or are guests. But there are also hidden connections between the four of them as well. Though no spoilers in this review, I promise.
What becomes apparent to the reader very quickly, is how muddled and convoluted the perspectives of each character are. There is so much bias with sprinkles of entitlement, self-consciousness and personalities mixed in. But one thing rings true for all, is that this town is run by The Birds, who pass judgment and maintain order across their realm. Who are they and are they even real? Nobody knows, but just about everyone has an experience that leads to yes.
Unveiling the Layers of Hidden Lives
It’s really funny how small towns hold the most secrets even though everyone knows each other. And I can say that from firsthand experience growing up in a town of barely 6,000 people! Everyone knows everything about everyone … until you realize you don’t. And that is exactly what gives this book wings, the fact that everyone knows next to nothing about the rest of the people, though they feel they know everything. It’s that interesting concept that we all know that people around us have lives. But what we don’t inherently realize is that the people we pass on the street are living lives just as vivid, as beautiful, complex and layered as our own. And people who don’t realize that, who can’t conceptualize that are very much like one of our main characters, Francesca Meadows. The owner of The Manor, she has spent every year summering in Tome, and picking a local to keep her entertained each summer … her “plaything” as her brothers call it. She wants people who can be easily manipulated and molded into something that serves her exactly the way she wants.
Bella and Eddie are really interesting characters, mysterious but I felt they were very genuine. Eddie is definitely more quiet and a protector and you can pretty immediately tell that Bella wants revenge but for what? And Eddie, he seems so gentle and thoughtful, yet if you pushed him too far he might snap. They balance Francesca’s self-absorbed nature. And then there is Owen. I found him to be odd from the second he was introduced. You know instantly there is something that he is hiding (because he tells us) but he seems like the cliché guy who married the rich, beautiful woman who could give him a better life. But it’s almost like he has Stockholm syndrome, he loves her and is obsessed but also seems to hate her. Again, a different perspective that helps balance all of the other personalities.
A Perfect Summer Read
Overall, I am a huge fan of Lucy Foley and continue to be after reading this book. If you love psychological thrillers, especially reading on a beach or by the pool during summer, definitely pick this one up … enter The Manor and hopefully, stay out of the woods.
About Lucy Foley:
Lucy Foley studied English Literature at Durham and UCL universities. She then worked for several years as a fiction editor in the publishing industry – during which time she wrote The Book of Lost and Found, which was a bestselling debut of 2015.
Lucy now writes full-time, with her crime novels The Hunting Party and The Guest List being published in 2018 and 2020 respectively to critical acclaim.
Her novel, The Paris Apartment, published in March 2022, instantly took the number one spot on The New York Times bestseller list. It has sold in over 40 territories and the movie rights have been acquired by Sony.
