I enjoyed this book - as a first time Michaelides reader, I loved the unreliable narrator and was thoroughly engrossed in the storyline. I enjoyed the twist(s) the book took and really loved Lana, even though I was only seeing her through Elliot’s twisted point of view.

I enjoyed the narrative voice here. It definitely gripped me moving into the story but I don’t think this creative choice sustained my interested throughout the back half of the novel. I found the pacing quite slow, while intrigued by what was going on.

Solid story here, but I think the execution could have been better.

This story grabs you from the very first page with the tale of murder and a love story. The suspense and intrigue is set against the backdrop of a secluded Greek Island, where dark secrets and hidden desires lurk beneath the surface. This was definitely a tale of human relationships and how far someone would go to protect their own interests. There was plenty of twist and turns and it kept me guessing until the end.

4/5 stars

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

Being familiar with The Silent Patient, I went into this looking for and expecting an unreliable narrator. (Within the first chapter the narrator goes so far as to say that he is in fact unreliable). However, what I did not expect was to be hanging by the edge of my seat for this entire novel as it sent me on a roller coaster ride.

While at times Elliots retelling of the events that happened over Easter Weekend did give me a bit of whiplash, I found myself completely enthralled by everything about this book. Right down to the Theo cameo in the epilogue.

This was a really unique thriller / murder mystery in terms of the writing style and how the actual events unfold. Six people are on a private Greek island and someone is murdered... but it's much more complicated than that.

I enjoyed:

- the first person narrative, told by an unreliable narrator. Stories told in first person - especially when they reference directly that they are telling a tale - always make me wonder, who is this story being told to? Who is the audience? And in the case of a thriller, that adds another layer of mystery.

- the short chapters and fast pace of the entire book. This is bingeable entertainment for sure.

- the breaking of the fourth wall, which engages the reader in a different way. (ex. the entire discussion of how this book could have gone if it was a typical Agatha Christie style murder mystery)

- the multiple reveals in the final chapters of the book ,where you as the reader keep thinking you've figured it out and know as much as the narrator, but there's one more hidden piece to unveil

This book had an interesting writing format. Nothing that I had read before which made it really cool, however the story was a slow burn. I prefer a more fast paced story.

Amazing book. I couldn't put it down. All the twists and turns I had hoped for.. Great plot and character development.

I went into this book expecting to like it, I had heard good things about it and everyone was hyping it up - plus I had liked the authors previous two books. I was definitely set up for disappointment. I thought the book was slow as a whole and I didn’t like the jumping back and forth between plot lines, even though I knew it was to set the story for the present day. I thought the narrator, Elliot, was too much and found him unlikeable. The only things I did like were that the chapters were short and that the author included characters from his previous two books. I’ve read worse books, but this is definitely not one of my favorites. I personally wouldn’t recommend the book.

I actually cannot decide how to feel about this one.

On one hand, I had fun guessing how things were going to end. On the other, I was right.

There were fun elements, and it felt a lot like a love letter to Agatha Christie, but I also kept finding myself pulled out of the story by the first person narrator, who seemingly knew everything, and kept telling me to “wait for the good part”

Overall felt like Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone if I hadn’t liked the narrator, and if the author wanted to make sure you knew that it was based on Greek Tragedy.

DNF at 20%

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this arc! I have to say something about the tone and writing style of this particular book by Michelides was very off. His cheeky narrator who constantly addresses the reader was quite grating and overall didn’t lend itself to me feeling compelled by the plot. I find the characters all overall to feel detached and caricatures themselves. I did enjoy the silent patient but I think this work by the author feels clunky and forced.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this book!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️

I told myself that this year, I was not going to force myself to finish reading books that do not grab my interest.

Here goes...

Let's start with the writing... It's a little intense, hard to follow, and quite confusing. The characters did not grab my attention what so ever and just seem blah. The storyline just didn't do it for me. Granted, I was only 59 pages in. With that being said, I don't believe it should take 59 pages or longer to grab a readers attention.

I have read another book by this author, the Silent Patient, and forced myself to finish that book. To say I was disappointed is putting it lightly. I wanted to give the author another go, and I did. However, I don't believe this author is for me.

I read this book for camp purposes and it did not disappoint. It was exactly what I was looking for: nothing more, nothing less. The author really leans into the themes of academia in all of his books which is why I will continue to read them. I don’t have a lot to say other than it scratched the academic thriller itch I had and I will be reading more of this author’s work.

This book had a lot of potential, but fell a little flat for me. I know Elliott is not meant to be a likable character, but I really couldn't stand him. Overall, I was kept interested and was curious to see how the island situation would play out, especially with actors involved. I wasn't sure who could be trusted, but the ending was just okay.

Thank you to Alex Michaelides, Celadon Books, and NetGalley for the copy in exchange of review.

A meandering story with a bit of suspense. None of the characters was likable and I wasn't excited to solve the mystery. I didn't appreciate the tricks, frequent "well that's what I WISH happened" asides from the narrator that do nothing but make him lose the reader's trust. I love an unreliable narrator, but this one is unreliable, unlikable, and uninteresting. Some good twists near the end that aren't worth waiting for.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I purchased a copy for my library.

Another solid psychological thriller from Alex Michaelides! Loved that it felt as though you were having a casual conversation with the narrator. While not as immediately gripping (to me) as The Silent Patient or The Maidens, it was fresh, original and creative.

I really did not enjoy this book. The narrators meta speaking about writing and play crafting was so over the top and pretentious. I loved the silent patient but btw this book and the maidens I do not believe this is the author for me.

Story kept me engaged so three stars but I was eye rolling the whole time.

This is at its core a murder mystery about a group of friends who have more secrets than they know what to do with. Elliot’s narration style was a nice play on the traditional whodunnit mixed with using playwriting as another storytelling device.

I thought the twist was clever but not entirely unpredictable but even then still enjoyable.

I did like the vibes of The Silent Patient a bit more as that skews more on the edge of your seat thriller but this was such a fun read!

A few quick notes: unlikeable characters, a nonlinear timeline, and a narrator who’s over-the-top pretentious (which I think is the point of Elliot Chase).

I think this book would be great for people who enjoy twisty plots. However, I was able to predict the ending and wasn't surprised by it. I tried both the audiobook and physical book, and I preferred the physical version. Although Alex Jennings did an excellent job of portraying Elliot Chase, I found Elliot's character to be too pretentious when listening to the audiobook. Overall, The Fury is a quick read, which is a plus because I found parts a little dull. If it had been longer, I probably would have DNF’d it.

The Silent Patient and The Maidens were wonderful reads. I was sucked into their stories right away. The Fury, however, took a little longer for me to get into, but by the end it was so hard to put the book down. The slow start is meticulously planned and with a purpose. Have faith and the story will grab you and keep you guessing until the end. I highly recommend reading The Fury.

Another fun, twisty psychological thriller with a setting to (literally) die for!

I was immediately intrigued with the promo package, a little booklet with a reading of the first chapter that drew me right in! The setting, the characters, and the intricate and twisted relationships between them were divine. I could not put this down!

The ending had a twist that I did not see coming, and as a frequent reader that is not always an easy feat! Alex Michaelides has a way of drawing you into intricate and messy plot lines and not letting go until the very end, and this fit right in! The Silent Patient is still my favorite, but this to me was a close second..

Definitely recommend for fans of atmospheric, twisty psychological thrillers seeking a good shock factor at the end!

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for my ARCs in exchange for an honest review.