The Midnight Feast
Lucy Foley
368 pages
HarperCollins
Published on June 6th, 2024
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This is the latest murder mystery by bestselling author Lucy Foley, who has found a successful formula for modern locked room suspense fiction and is sticking to it. I’d read and enjoyed the Guest List, so was happy to be approved for this one in spite of some lukewarm advance reviews. This time the exclusive gathering of self-satisfied socialites at the centre of the plot is the opening of a luxury clifftop lodge in Dorset, timed for the Summer solstice.
Francesca Meadows and her architect husband are finally opening her family’s ancestral home Tome Manor to guests – the ones that can afford it, that is. There are candles, crystals and cocktails, and the event is set to be the social event of the summer, culminating in a sumptuous dinner in the ancient woodlands around the property. However, not every guest is who they say they are, and many locals are unhappy about the changes being made. By the end of the weekend, the manor is in flames and a body lies at the foot of the cliffs. How did it all go so wrong?
This is one of those thrillers that sucks you in spite of the awfulness of most of the characters. The split timelines and multiple POV narrative means you don’t know which of them will turn out to be the victim, and that’s as much of the mystery as whodunnit and why. I liked the hint of the supernatural with the sinister Birds and the diary entries that slowly reveal the past events and how all the characters connect. I did suspect many of the twists ahead of the reveals, and felt that some were unnecessarily drawn out, but overall enjoyed it and will read more from this author. Thanks to HarperCollins for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
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