‘The Midnight Feast’ is a generally exciting and tense narrative oriented around a luxury and wellness resort, and the tale is unfolded from the perspective of several lead characters, and also shifts between different times within the whole narrative. So, you are simultaneously reading about events from fifteen years ago, present-day, and two days into the future. Up to approximately 40% into the book, the time jumps are disconcerting. While probably relevant for the storytelling, it takes a while until you note the relevance, and even then, I am not entirely convinced that this was the best option for the storytelling, from my point of view. The mix of characters is interesting, especially as there is suspense and mystery afoot, and you are working your own way through, deciphering which character may just be an unreliable narrator. 

The Manor is an ancestral property, left to Francesca, who firmly maintains herself as a visionary in the field of holistic and luxury wellness. Her husband, Owen is the architect of this property. The story is around the opening of The Manor. Coinciding with the Summer Solstice, the property itself is not appreciated by the locals, as the woods, belonging to the people of the place, are now usurped by the property and privatised for its highly privileged clientele. The Manor has also resulted in loss of livelihoods for members of the local community. There is resentment, and at times, the local communities make their resentment known through words and physical attacks on the property. Bella, one of the guests of the property, clearly has ulterior motives for being there. Eddie is one of the employees of The Manor and is a part of the local community, living with his parents. As the story moves, the relevance of the flashback becomes clearer as there are associations in the past that form a huge part of the present tale. 

As a heritage practitioner, I am always eager to read stories where local community narratives are highlighted. This is what prominently drew me to reading this book. I find what is missing, however, is a deeper look into the context of the local community. The idea that capitalism ignores local livelihoods, usurps territories, ignores traditional wisdom, is well realized. The irony that Francesca herself is deeply into holistic wellness but disrespects traditional place and knowledge is a good note within the tale, but I wish there was more exploration of the specific local community that the tale addresses, because I find it important that these aspects not become a generic tool for telling interesting stories. 

Overall, I enjoyed the book, but as said, there is more I hoped from it. 

Thank you for reading my review. 🌻