Lucsey Foley admits to having revisited approximately six times a selection of five books that significantly impacted her life.
In the July 2025 issue of woman&home magazine, author Lucy Foley shared five books that significantly influenced her writing. While the exact titles of these books are not publicly available, the article titled "I must have read it about six times" – author Lucy Foley on 5 books that changed her life[1] highlights this information.
One of the books that left a lasting impression on Foley is Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley, a masterclass in writing about unlikeable protagonists. Foley appreciates Highsmith's ability to create complex characters and weave intricate plots that keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Another book that Foley finds significant is Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer, a heady coming-of-age book imbued with French insouciance. This novel, along with The Talented Mr. Ripley, has influenced Foley's approach to writing characters with flaws and exploring the darker aspects of human nature.
Foley's writing is also influenced by Agatha Christie's style, particularly in her chilling and gripping narratives. The Midnight Feast, Foley's latest novel, draws inspiration from Christie's works, as it involves a gathering at The Manor hotel, where old secrets and local folklore resurface, and a body is discovered. The setting of The Midnight Feast is a point of suspense, as a web of intrigue unfolds under the midsummer sun.
The Midnight Feast is a psychologically gripping thriller, following the events at The Manor hotel. The plot revolves around a group of individuals, each with their own secrets and motives, and the tension that builds as they navigate the complex dynamics of their relationships. The feckless author father and the sting of first love are key elements in The Midnight Feast, making it a coming-of-age tale with a strong romantic element, set in a tumbledown castle.
The settings of the books mentioned vary from a dilapidated castle in Suffolk to a glamorous villa in the south of France, and from New York to Italy and Greece. Two of the books Foley mentioned are coming-of-age books narrated in the first person by teenage girls.
Foley enjoys writing psychologically gripping thrillers due to the flawed characters in her book selection. Her favorite of F. Scott Fitzgerald's books is The Great Gatsby, which she believes showcases the complexities of human relationships and the consequences of our actions.
The Midnight Feast is a novel that Foley believes helped her fall in love with the works of Agatha Christie. She highly appreciates its masterclass in plotting, as well as its chilling and gripping nature. Foley's latest novel, The Midnight Feast, has been published in paperback and is available now for readers to experience the suspense and intrigue for themselves.
[1] woman&home, "I must have read it about six times" – author Lucy Foley on 5 books that changed her life, July 2025, https://www.womanandhome.com/books/books-that-changed-my-life-lucy-foley-736483 (accessed July 2025)
- Lucy Foley, in her home library, cherishes a collection of books that influenced her writing, one of which is Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, a timeless novel exploring the intricacies of family, relationships, and love.
- In her quest for wellness, Foley recently started practicing yoga at her local studio, finding peace and balance in her marriage and personal life, as suggested by books on mindfulness and self-care.
- To enrich her knowledge on the beauty industry, Foley often checks out cosmetics and skincare books from her local library, including Carol Semmelweis' Face Values and Dr. Leslie Baumann's The Skin Type Solution.
- To unwind after a long day, Foley enjoys reading entertainment magazines like Entertainment Weekly, indulging in the latest gossip, movie reviews, and interviews, enriching her mental health and fueling her creativity for her next novel.
