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lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
"The Midnight Feast" is the latest multiple POV mystery from Lucy Foley. Tonight is supposed to be a grand affair: the much-anticipated midnight feast during the opening weekend for the luxury hotel: The Manor. Everyone is dressed perfectly, all of the food and drink was thoughtfully sourced, and things seem to be going well, until something terrible goes wrong. Is someone out to put an end to The Manor, or are the rumors of the Night Birds true, and they have come to exact their revenge?
This novel was very fast faced, and very easy to get into. In true Lucy Foley fashion, the story follows several points of view and jumps around in the timeline a lot. This definitely makes the story fly by because the reader is only receiving some information at a time and has to read several chapters more to get back to the big reveal. I do think Lucy Foley does a great job at keeping the story coherent and easy to follow despite how erratic the storytelling is.
The characters were diverse, and all had a unique voice, which greatly helps the reading experience. All of the characters seem complex as well, which was great to read. No one is simply "good" or "bad". All of the characters had redeeming qualities, which makes the reader empathize with everyone in one way or another.
By far, my favorite character was Eddie. He arguably had the least connection to the mystery of fifteen years ago, but his role in the present day was so pivotal to the story. For someone so young, he really seemed the most mature and level-headed.
The reveal that took me most by surprise was Owen's connection to the mystery of fifteen years ago. I did not see that reveal coming and it had me gripping my Kindle and devouring the rest of the book voraciously.
I was okay with what ultimately happened to the person responsible for all of this hardship. I think they met a poetic end, but I wish they could have had a little more justice served to them first.
As much as I enjoyed this book, I did have a few grievances. I figured out a lot of the mysteries early on in the story, which is satisfying, but slightly disappointing. I also could not stand Francesca's point of view. She screams entitlement and way too New Age for me to enjoy reading about her finding good vibes. I can appreciate her character as a contrast from the others, but she was just awful to read from.
"The Guest List" is a book I have fondly looked back on because of how much I enjoyed it, and unfortunately, I have not found that same magic in a Lucy Foley book since. I think her books are great, but I am not as captivated as I was.
I do think this book is a great summer mystery read, and I recommend it to those looking to uncovering the secrets of rich people who behave badly.
Graphic: Murder, Alcohol, Death of parent, Classism, Stalking, Grief, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Car accident
shybearfog's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Sexual assault, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Drug abuse, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Drug use
kriseaf's review against another edition
5.0
Setting: If you are like me and want to read a mystery/thriller in the same setting as the book, you’ll want some combination of: luxury resort, an old world forest, or a cliffside over a beach. Enjoy!
My thoughts: The first 40% was very slow and hard to engage with. There are a lot of characters, though they’re very interesting, and a lot of information/backstory is very obviously being withheld from the reader. The story elements are intriguing, though, and the setting and ambiance and approaching tension and escalation are very well-crafted. The surprisingly disparate characters also bring a lot of “how is this person possibly connected?” small thoughts to the reader.
Foley is a master at nailing the execution, though. Everything escalates so smoothly, so inexorable, so alarmingly high and tensely. All of the secrets are revealed, one by one, and complete a wonderfully detailed, intricately woven plot. The ending is so satisfying on so many levels, not the least of which is from a craft perspective.
I had so much fun reading this!
Recommended for: I think this book has broad appeal, honestly. It’s more on the thriller side than the mystery—a lot of the secrets unwind quite naturally, rather than any one character trying to solve something within the world itself. There’s also nothing alarming or problematic that I would recommend anyone stay away from the book either.
I realize that one of Foley’s previous books has a big, ugly “Reese’s Book Club” sticker on it that we must all suffer, but I do think her books lend themselves well to chatting with friends or discussing in groups. There are plenty of fun elements that you can think about more deeply or consider how you yourself would react to.
It’s also not bad for reading slowly and in sections, if need be; the story changes POVs frequently and that gives you easy points to enter and exit. I do urge people to push through to at least halfway before giving up on it. I struggled in the beginning but the action-packed second-half more than redeemed any slow moments!
Content/trigger warnings were not included in my version, here’s what I noticed:
Sexual assault (on page and off), physical assault (punching), emotional abuse/gaslighting, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, psilocybin/mushrooms use and abuse (non-consensual and graphic), death (on page and graphic), attempted suicide (off page), blood (descriptive), animal sacrifice (farm animal, off page), familial abandonment, birds*
*Included because my mom is deathly afraid of birds thanks to The Birds movie, and this book would freak her out. So if anyone else has the same issue, this is not your book.
Graphic: Blood, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Death, and Drug use
Moderate: Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Animal death, Abandonment, and Suicide attempt
amateur_bookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
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Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing for the ARC copy of this book.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Confinement, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Violence
Moderate: Stalking, Abandonment, Animal death, Bullying, Classism, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Sexual assault