Sign In / Register
The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley
A warped yet thrilling story, The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley is full to the brim with suspense, mystery and chaos. The story revolves around the opening weekend of The Manor, a hotel in the English countryside marketed to the rich and powerful, but the image of the perfect getaway soon begins to unravel. I began reading The Midnight Feast believing it was a murder mystery. Instead, I was drawn into a complex and dark plot revolving around the secrets of those connected to The Manor and the land it was built upon. Though not what I had expected, I was not disappointed. The backstories of the main characters are intriguing and complex, the history of the land is ominous, and there are elements of folklore that really add to the atmosphere. Told by four main characters and unnamed witnesses of the aftermath, Foley strings you along in suspense with hidden truths and dark stories that come to light as the getaway begins to crumble under the weight of its own history. I recommend this book to an adult audience who appreciate a darker story with suspense and mystery.
Reviewed by Juniper Elder
The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly
This story is loosely based on the author’s family and meanders along in a moderately interesting way until right near the end, when it becomes a bit of a tearjerker. I always think if a book makes you laugh, cry, get scared or angry or any other emotion, there’s got to be something special about it.
This novel is largely set in 1942 soon after the USA enters World War II. Martha’s Vineyard becomes involved when the military decides to train troops on the island.
Our hero Tom, unbeknown to either himself or his girlfriend, leaves for active service with a baby on the way. This is when things heat up. Bess elects to stay with Tom’s family once she finds out she is pregnant, much to her estranged mother’s dismay. Her mother tries every trick she can think of to get her only child back in the family fold. Events escalate, and complications abound from every quarter.
Roll on to 2016, when past secrets surface. You will have to read the book to find out how it all ends, and how the two eras collide.
Reviewed by Barbara Leslie
