Thank you netgalley for letting me have this arc. I think it’s unfair of me to hold prior books as standards but I was really hoping this would be as mind blowing as The Silent Patient. I didn’t love this one and actually just wanted it to be done. There was a lot of jumping around. The ending just had me googling if I understood it correctly. I was confused. I wish I was shocked and that there were all kinds of twists and it just fell flat for me.

Set on a Greek island known for its violent wind storms, this book blew into my life and blew my mind with its clever plot and misdirection. The narrator is Elliot Chase, a playwright with many secrets whose goal in the book is to reveal the secrets of the other characters, peeling back one layer at a time in each act of the book until ultimately all is revealed. Lane Farrar, a movie star and the central character in the novel, is a complex heroine who has a moving backstory which makes her likable and relatable. All of the visitors on the island are suspicious and possible suspects of the murder that occurs during the furious storm that overtakes them. Divided into acts, this novel at times reads like a play and I could picture the action in my mind because it was so well laid out and described so thoroughly. There were characters that I loved to hate, characters that I felt were misunderstood and characters that I would not want to meet anywhere, much less on a private island cut off from civilization by a roaring storm. The storm itself is personified and becomes an integral part of the story as well as the title. The author did a masterful job of creating the perfect setting for the murder and for me to get to know the characters. Each characters is multilayered and duplicitous, choosing to hide behind a facade of wealth and fame rather than face the realities of life. I was captivated by the story immediately and had difficulty putting it down at night. I so wanted to find out who was going to be killed and who would murder that person, especially since the author created characters that I felt I knew personally as he provided not only a physical description but also emotional and mental ones. The way the story was narrated baffled me at first, but as I got accustomed to it, I looked forward to my time with Elliot and his daily revelations, like showing a masterpiece hidden under an imposter’s artwork. This book is one to be savored, enjoyed and possibly read again and again as you search for the clues you missed the first time. I have read all of Alex Michaelides’ books and this is by far the one that I love the most for its brilliance and the revelations that are made within its pages.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book I from Caledon via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Alex Michaelides = the king of unreliable narrators.

Did I slowly come to hate the narrator the longer I read?… yes. Was this a fast-paced and twisty read?… YES.

I was so excited to get this ARC, big thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for giving me a jump start on it before the publish date.

I really had high hopes for this book. I read 7 chapters and was an hour into this book and it was just so boring, Not even all the characters had been introduced yet. Maybe I gave up too soon but I couldn’t bear another 5 hours of that. Maybe I’ll pick it up again someday but most likely not. I definitely wouldn’t call it a thriller and I’m not a fan of the “whydoneits” to begin with.

The third time is a charm for Alex Michaelides. “The Fury” takes place on a private Greek island. Retired movie star Lana invites her friends to her house on the island, but there is murder afoot. Lana and her BFF Elliot i’ve hatched a plot to catch her husband in the act of cheating on her.

This book had more double crosses that I have ever read in a novel. Really fun and a very easy read. Definitely my favorite book by Alex Michaelides.

Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books and Alex Michaelides for an advanced copy of this book. I finished it on publication day!

Written like a traditional five act play, The Fury by Alex Michaelides, is a story of murder, retribution and misguided love.

🧿Though not his first novel, The Fury was the first book I've read by author, Alex Michaelides.
🧿I enjoyed the narrative style, written and told by the main character, Elliot. With very little dialogue between the characters, most of the storytelling was directed towards us as the reader.
🧿I love a well-crafted unreliable narrator- even an unlikeable one- but I found Elliot's character to be underdeveloped, infuriating, and at times, just plain annoying. Generally, I was disappointed with the evolution of all seven of the characters- most fell flat for me.
🧿With a storyline based in the theatre, I thought the structure of the story written like a traditional five-act play was smart,
🧿There were plenty of twists and turns along the way, however the final "plot twist" felt more like a "plot flop" to me.
🧿In Greek mythology, the Furies are the goddesses of revenge and vengeance, so a Greek island made for the perfect backdrop for murder and intrigue.
🧿Given the early hype, I had high expectations, however I found this book to be a super slow burn that just never gave me exactly what I was hoping for. Alex Michaelides is clearly a strong, smart writer and although I didn't ultimately enjoy The Fury, I'm looking forward to giving his other books a chance.
⭐⭐⭐/5

Many thanks to NetGalley and to Celadon Books for the opportunity to read the ARC of The Fury in return for my unbiased review.

This book wasn't my cup of tea. While the book's format was initially intriguing, it lost it's appeal as the story progressed. This was a slow burn with an unreliable narrator, and the plot and pace was erratic and challenging to connect with. Stories within stories created a complex narrative, with characters that failed to stand out. While the final chapters began to deliver some twists and surprises, it was too late in the book to gain intrigue, and the ending overall did not do it for me.

2.5 Stars
This was just an okay read. The author brings back characters from The Silent Patient and The Maidens (his other works) and I'm not sure I liked that he did that (especially since I didn't read The Silent Patient and was not expecting this to have any ties with that book). I wish I got so much more from this book than I did and I can't spoil anything because it's an ARC, but I definitely was left disappointed by the twists and reveals - I just feel like there was so much missing for me. I didn't care for any of these characters at all and I found the first half of this book was slow. I really hated the way this ended as well and overall, I'm underwhelmed by this story.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC!

Y'all this one just wasn't for me. I went in blind and hopeful but it just wasn't it.
The format was different which at first I liked but that quickly fizzled out. Most definitely a super slow burn with an unreliable narrator. The plot and pace was all over the place. I just couldn't connect and wasn't really worried about what happened to the characters in the end.

There are many others who have enjoyed this one though so maybe go read some of their reviews or just jump on into it lol

Thank you to Netgalley, Celadon books, and MacMillan audio for the ARC and ALC and allowing me to read and give my honest review.

Would you even think twice about accepting an invitation for a getaway with friends on a private Greek island? NO! You wouldn’t, but hold on as Author Alex Michaelides takes us on an exhilarating ride of a getaway weekend filled with secrets, assumptions and ultimately murder. But, who did it?

Interestingly “The Fury” is told in first person narration, by Elliot Chase. Elliot has the honor of telling “his” story “his” way with psychological twists and navigating reality against fiction. I really enjoyed this!

A famous ex-movie star, Lana along with her husband, Jason, Kate, Agathi, Nikos and Elliot spend an extraordinary weekend together with twists and turns, deceit and drama. As events unfold, truths are revealed leaving you questioning the source and the viability of it.

Entertaining! A shave of Agatha Christie! Suspensful! Cat and Mouse! Brilliant!

I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a psychological thriller.
I enjoyed it and thought it was well-written. Alex Michaelides has a beautiful mind!

Thank you @celadon books for the ARC and @netgalley for the eARC @alexmichaelides

📖 The Fury
🖊️ Alex Michaelides

⭐️⭐️⭐️


A thriller around the murder plot of an ex-movie star, narrated by one of her best friends who witnessed it all.

Unfortunately this one fell flat for me 👎🏼

I absolutely loved Michaelides first two books, and I had such high hopes for this one. The narrator, Elliot, just did not do it for me. It was confusing with some lines coming from his POV, then others from other characters, but still like he told it, even though he wasn’t there!? I just couldn’t get into it.

A murder takes place on an excluded island (like a few other books I’ve read lately), and that is revealed at the very beginning of the book, with the rest of the book taking us through different timelines and character introduction, and why they could have wanted the MC dead.

I wanted to love this one, but I just did not. Maybe it could be your thing!?

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of The Fury by Alex Michaelides. This is a psychological thriller at its best! A group of seven people is marooned on a Greek island, and there is a murder. There are MANY twists and turns-so many that I had a hard time keeping up with everything. The unreliable narrator makes this even more confusing, which I think is the point. Glad I read it, but not a huge favorite of mine. #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #needtoread #readallday

This was an unusual book. It sort of reads like a play and there is lots of talking directly to the reader which takes some getting used to. It feels like there are stories within stories and while it's a bit of a character study, some of the few characters felt superfluous.

Many of the chapters end on "cliffhangers" - i.e. "and that was the last time we see Lana alive" or "if only I had known then what I know now..." type lines - which I'm not a big fan of when done too often. It often didn't help with the pacing, which I found rather slow.

I had a hard time getting into this book. Much of the first 15-20% was spent telling me that this was going to be unlike anything I've ever read, the next 60% felt like something I've read 10,000 times, and then the last 20% was a fun whirlwind of twists and surprises that I enjoyed but ultimately didn't save it for me.

I listened to this novel on audio and I think that was a great choice. Because of the theater aspect and the second person narration, the audio worked spectacularly. I also really enjoyed the narrator -- Alex Jennings -- and thought he did a fabulous job.

Overall, this ended up being an enjoyable read, but not one that will stick with me or that I'll be likely to recommend to a wider audience.

Thank you to Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the copy.

"We are all the unreliable narrators of our own lives."

The Fury, by master psychological thriller author Alex Michaelides, leads us to how warped and wild this writer is with his latest fiendishly fun tale of built up resentment, anger, greed and the ultimate act of violence, murder.

Elliot Chase, our cheeky storyteller, narrates his version of what happened on the private Greek Island of movie star Lana Farrar that led to murder and more twists than the windy storms on the island.

In the clever playbill sent by the publishers we are given quick introductions to the players of this unreliable narrated story. Eliot tells us he's a playwright and Lana's best friend. Famed actress Kate Crosby might argue she's Lana's best friend since they met first and she introduced Lana to her current husband, wealthy businessman Jason Miller. Also on the turbulent island is Lana's teenage son, Leo from another relationship. Rounding out the field is long time housekeeper Agathi and caretaker Nikos. Before we are halfway through one of them will be dead and one will have killed them.

Listening to the audiobook in between reading the novel I was blown away by award winning English actor Alex Jennings. His portrayal of Eliot was such a distinctive performance. His subtle confusions, "I am not sure where I am, the present or the past," added to the turmoil felt throughout the book.

The angry winds, known as The Fury, reflects the power of human emotions and how just as we can't control the weather, we often can't control our
feelings nor ability to tell an unbiased story. The first half sets up the perfect storm for a killing. The second half twists and turns every supposed truth into a whirlwind of an unreliable narrator.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Alright, here’s my once-in-a-blue-moon thriller read! I don’t think I’ve read one since 2022! (The Storygraph says Killers of a Certain Age counts as a thriller - read late 2023 - but I disagree).

I enjoyed this one! The style is interesting: the narrator tells the story directly to the audience, as though we’re listening to a verbal story from an acquaintance. The character of the narrator knows a reader is listening to the story as they are telling it, and it’s obvious to the audience that the same character would tell the story differently if they were just writing it down for themselves in a journal. It definitely makes you think about why the character chooses to explain things in certain ways. (And why the author chose to have the character make these choices…).

The pacing is interesting too: the narrator tells us some parts of the story several times, adding a new piece of information for further context each time. The plot unfolds bit by bit. And the plot of this book – the reveals, the ups and downs, et cetera – are not about the murder. Those first two sentences of the synopsis are accurate: this isn’t a murder mystery. It’s a character study. The plot is about the main character. It’s a really interesting and neat way to tell a story, and as someone who doesn’t read a lot of thrillers and doesn’t mind that this one has pretty slow pacing… I enjoyed it. I think it’d make a great book discussion pick for the right book group.

(Thank you for the e-ARC! I have also posted this review to Goodreads and The Storygraph, linked here on NetGalley.)

This was my first time reading anything by this author. I’m one of the few people who has not read The Silent Patient, although after reading this book, I’m really excited to add that one to my reading list! As for The Fury, I really enjoyed this one. I loved the Greek Island setting, the unreliable narrator. I felt the pace was perfect and I enjoyed getting to know the cast of characters in the first half of the book. I thought it was very original the way the book is written in Acts. I loved the twists and for me the epilogue was the best part for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to Celadon books for the ARC for my unbiased review. I definitely recommend this book to other readers.

Thank you so so much Netgalley, Alex Michaelides, and Celadon Books for this superb masterpiece! What a way to start off January 2024. Wow, just wow!!! Amazingly written, intricately woven story. I enjoyed this story so much and recommend this to the highest! Stop whatever you are reading and doing and read this!!!

I love a murder mystery - the tension, the unknown, the clues. The Fury is a murder mystery narrated by one of the book's major characters. Initially, the narrator is likable, and funny, and makes for an entertaining book.

I ended up not liking this book though because he narrates the same events just told in different circumstances, several different ways. I don't want to give too much away.

This book has a very Unusual Suspects kind of ending - a surprise for sure.

Many, many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the new novel by Alex Michaelides - 5 stars!

Let's meet our narrator, Elliot Chase, a screenwriter. He's on a private Greek island with his best friend, former movie star, Lana Farrar. Also there are her husband and son, a close friend, and two employees. But Elliot will tell you this isn't quite an Agatha Christie locked-room mystery you're about to embark upon. Someone will die though.

I loved this book! Just like Elliot promised, I felt like I had just pulled up a seat and was listening to him tell me a story. He tells us the backstories of all the characters, but again in a way that felt cozy and interesting. And interested I was - I couldn't put this one down. Structured like a play (a Greek tragedy), It's creative, it's atmospheric (the wind off the island, called the fury), it's tense and surprising. Bravo, Mr. Michaelides!

This book holds many a twist. I never knew where it was gonna go. Elliott was definitely an unreliable narrator, I didn’t trust him from the start. The pacing was done very well, and I think the ending is what made me like the book. Overall, it was a good, easy, fast read.