This was an extremely slow burn with an unsatisfying ending. I liked the originality of the narrator speaking directly to his readers; his audience. Making you feel a part of the story he has written about a murder. But the narrative keeps changing as it goes on, switching between fiction and the truth, twisting the story to satisfy his needs. Most of the book was slow and the narrator rambled on, distracting from the main story. He gives a lot of introspection and it gets overly descriptive, which was quite boring. I've decided this author is not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this eARC

"...the Aegean wind to menos, which means "the fury in English."

So, what is Alex Michaelides latest book, The Fury, about? There is the primary protagonist, Lana Farrar, a reclusive ex-movie star who invites a small party to spend Easter with her on a small Greek Island. They are are rather trapped due to the elements, and it is during this time that secrets. lies and revenge are slowly unravelled. As the story develops, there is the point of view of Elliot Chase, and how he tells this story in the most unusual of ways.

Having received a physical copy of this book from Celadon, I was eager to sit back in my recliner and read it. However, I took the chance that I might be approved for the Audiobook on NetGalley, which I am thankful that I was. It was excellently narrated by Alex Jennings, especially as the unseen character Elliot Chase delivered much of the story from his point of view.

As is quite often the case in any mystery/thriller, our characters in The Fury have secrets, deceit, lies and more that pop up just about on every page. This lends well to fabulous pacing. Factor in the many twists and turns in Alex Michaelides third book (The Silent Patient in 2019 and The Maidens in 2021), I definitely enjoyed it, albeit his first two books performed better for me.

A question that may come up is what does Elliot Chase have to do with Lana Farrar, and also, how does one of the seven guests who were invited to the island end up dead? Just like in his first two books, our Greek author mixes in a bit of Greek mythology, which lends itself no doubt to excellent research that works well to blend the past with the present.

With Elliot's form of narration, it was very easy to feel connected to the story, especially as the locked room trope was the premise. I truly enjoy books that have unreliable narrators and with only so many guests (on the island in this case), so everyone was suspect which left me guessing during much of the book.

Another reviewer compared the style of writing and storytelling to the Netflix movie The Glass Onion, and I definitely agree with that comparison, so I just had to include that thought in this review. Makes me want to re-watch both Knives Out and The Glass Onion.

I look forward to the next book Alex Michaelides writes and hope that I can continue to read his work for years to come. He is a gifted author and I am eager to watching his growth and development as he pens these thrillers for his readers.

Many thanks to Celadon Books and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 stars

I’m very conflicted about this one. It starts as a typical closed door murder mystery set in a Greek island. I’m not that big of a fan of this type of story. Then suddenly we are transported back to New York for some background story and character development. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters despite the fact that they were equally unlikeable. What really killed the story for me was the narrator. Constant back and forth trying to create tension and suspense. It happened this way no actually it happened that way and on and on we go. I thought it dragged and didn’t deliver surprises the way it should. I was just surprised that I was still reading the book. By the end I was utterly exhausted.

Okay, so this is such a tough review for me to write because I don’t know how to express my thoughts on this one. I was for sure hooked and couldn’t wait to find out where this was going. I really loved Lana’s character but hated everyone else and yet I still really enjoyed this book for its uniqueness and wit. This is so unlike Michaeline’s other novels but I still felt it was “his” story if that makes sense. The Greek tragedy aspect was well done as was the use of past and present timelines. I did bail on the audiobook (couldn’t get behind the narrator’s voice) so I would say read this one instead.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC! A much anticipated novel from the author of The Silent Patient - one of my all-time favorites. Great writing from a perspective authors don’t really give. You are being told a story by Elliot, who makes you feel like a friend. I really enjoyed this.

This is a hard book to describe. Sort of a murder mystery. Who did it and why? The characters are mostly actors and writers. I thought all of them were pretty shallow. Good writing by the author so i think a lot of people will like the book. It took a lot to finish the book since i just wanted to know how it would all shake out. I was really surprised so that was good. Never did have the story go in any predictable way.
Really great location descriptions. I wanted to be on the Greek island. White beaches, clear blue water. I don't think i would have liked to be there with any of the characters. This book was hard to put in any category so everyone will need to read it to form their own opinion.

I received a copy for an unbiased review.

I found this book to be very compelling and definitely kept my interest throughout the story. The narration especially I found to be very captivating, with Elliott speaking to us as if we're old friends who met at a bar, often interjecting other people's storylines with his own snarky comments, which I enjoyed.

I also found the twists of this book to be very compelling; I enjoyed them more than Michaelides other books, which I found to be slightly more predictable and average. Avoiding spoilers, these twists made me gasp more than most other books, and I especially liked thinking back and realizing that a lot of the info there had already been provided to me.

My main gripe with this book was with the prose itself; the sentence structures seemed to have no variety. There would be paragraphs where all the sentences were like 'He said this. He did this. Then, he thought this. He was this.' I'm not sure if that was a choice or just an oversight, but it made the prose feel stilted and amateur to me.

I really liked the set-up of this novel. Told from the POV of one character who explains the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours of everyone around him, this has the classic feel of an unreliable narrator. I was constantly questioning what was real, how much of the story I could trust, and what was real. This tale had many twists and turns -- some of which were predictable, and some that caught me completely off-guard.

This story reminded me of "The Glass Onion" on Netflix -- a group of wealthy, if slightly estranged, friends travel to a private island for a spring getaway. While there, a murder occurs. Told from the POV of one one character, the story bounces between his interpretation of the actions and motivations of those around him.

If you've read Alex Michaelides's previous novels, you'll enjoy the cameos of characters from The Silent Patient and The Maidens, but reading these is not necessary for the purpose of this book. I did find the story to be somewhat predictable and felt that it was a little unoriginal (see "The Glass Onion"), but overall enjoyed the premise.

I had a high expectation for this book as The Silent Patient was SO good.

It did not let me down!

The story is told in a first point of view but it’s not your usual 1st POV. It’s told as if it’s a play with 5 main acts.

The narrator is unreliable but I’d say no one can be trusted.

The twist? The plots? There are very good ones!! Up to the very end!!

The story takes places on an Island in Greece but the narrator takes you down memory lane, and few side stories to be able to understand what is going on. He talks to you as if you’re at a bar and having a discussion with a stranger and you just sit and listen.

Very different but so well done! Chapters are short which is also awesome!

I receive my copy from Netgally.

If you like thriller, I recommend this book!!

Happy Pub Day to The Fury! Our story begins on a private Greek island owned by reclusive former film star, Lana Farrar, where Lana and her closest confidants have travelled for a seemingly relaxing Easter weekend trip. Set against an idyllic backdrop of olive tree groves and the mythology of the island’s stormy, temperamental wind, the narrator invites us into a tale of murder, betrayal, friendship, theatre, and chaos. By the end of the weekend, as the narrator states outright, one of the guests will be dead and another will be the culprit.

I liked this book, and on my personal Michaelides scale it rises above The Maidens and falls after The Silent Patient. The quick pacing kept me absorbed until the end, although I often found myself rolling my eyes at some of the character’s theatrical antics (not necessarily a bad thing, especially when the primary characters are literally theatre/film actors). As with other texts by this author, The Fury calls into question the relationship between the narrator and reader. The narrator is our only window into the story — what does this mean for the integrity of the story? Does the narrator’s account become the truth, or the Truth? Alas, read if you need a juicy bout of drama and mystery to start off your year of reading!

MY REVIEW: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
👉 Alex Michaelides can do NO WRONG in my book! Everything he touches… GOLD!!
👉 The execution--a story within a story (a play within a play???), the (unreliable?) narrator telling you what's what, the play (the plays!!!), the actors and the acting--was such an interesting way to tell the story. I was frustrated in some parts but it did really pull together at the end…
👉 Speaking of the end, I was really *really* rooting for exactly what I wanted--And while I didn't get EVERYTHING, I got enough to be happy lol (and still a little bit mad, but doesn't that make for a better book?!?)
👉 If you loved Michaelides' other books, this one will for sure be a good ride 🤝

I loved the Silent Patient. I was ready to dive in for more mystery and suspense and was so so sad this fell flat for me. It is slow. But with absolutely no tension. We have an unreliable narrator and a murder on an island. Give me some And Then There Were None but instead got And Then You Were Bored. I want to be kept guessing but knew the who was murdered and who did it but not the whys and with everyone being absolutely unlikeable, I didn't care at all for the whys. There were twists but nothing I cared about. The most interesting part was the wind - the fury, give me more wind. Is that a sad statement about a murder mystery? I liked the Greek island wind the best?

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

With THE SILENT PATIENT being one of my all time favorite mystery/thrillers, I could not wait to read this one. Although I enjoyed THE FURY, it, sadly, fell below the bar set by Alex Michaelides.

A trip to a private Greek island with a retired movie star and her friends ends in tragedy. The story was engaging and the twists kept you guessing as to what was true and what was an act as several of the friends were, indeed, actors. Told in varying time periods in order to complete the back story on each character coupled with the point of view of the guest/friend/narrator, I found the flow to be choppy.

3.5 stars rounded to 4. My thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the advanced e-copy of this book.

As a big fan of The Silent Patient I was really excited to dive into Alex's next book. The Maidens fell flat for me and I was worried this would do the same the farther I got through the story. For me this story did not live up to the hype and I was put off by the slow burn and unreliable narrator. It felt messier than this other reads and I struggled to keep to the end. I hope for a strong next book!

I was really let down by this book. I am glad I had an audio copy as well; I think this book is much easier to digest on audio. By the end, though, it feels like a big waste of time.



I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

The Fury is filled with suspense. I did not know how this story would unfold. Alex Michaelides has a unique writing style that I highly recommend.

An atmospheric novel set largely in Greece, the twists and turns will bring you along on a journey. Smart writing and good character development, but this book is not for those who dislike an unreliable narrator.

4.5 ⭐️’s
Michaelides has once again captured us and held us hostage until the very last word with his whydunit, The Fury. A story of love, friendship, forgiveness and betrayal, this book, written in Acts, has a narrator that might be unreliable and so many twists you aren’t sure what’s going to happen next and just exactly what to believe. Michaelides never ceases to entertain and to entertain big. Well done! Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

The Fury is a fast-paced mystery-thriller that takes place on an isolated island with a cast of characters whose relationships are fraught with tension. When one of the vacationers is murdered, those left alive begin to spiral as they try to uncover the identity of the killer. Our narrator promises an Agatha Christie-esque unraveling to the end of the story with a Glass Onion-like set-up. They say there’s more to this than meets the eye.

Overall, the pacing of this worked for me. It had short chapters and the conflict progresses pretty well. Flashbacks mostly enhanced the narrative, and this was a fun and quick weekend read.

What didn’t work for me: The choice of narrator. Elliot is an outsider, but he’s an outsider that has no interest in the other characters beyond his obsession with Lana, which is pure idealization. She’s like a celebrity crush, and he deludes himself into believing he knows her. So, Elliot’s narcissistic attitude really keeps all of the other characters at arms length from the reader. None of them are fleshed out or interesting, because they aren’t to Elliot. He’s also completely unreliable, which can be fun, but it held the conclusion back from being satisfying. It might have been nice to get even one chapter in another perspective to tie it all together.

There’s also not much of a mystery to be solved. No real clues or time for us to sit with the red herrings. I’ll give this credit for all coming together pretty neatly, but without a big mystery or any interesting characters, I couldn’t rate this much higher.

final rating: 4/5 🧿

thank you to netgalley and celadon books for this awesome arc!!

gather around, ladies and gentlemen, for i have a confession to make. a very small one—nothing too drastic:

this wasn’t as good as the silent patient.

now, now, settle down. i’m sure you’ve heard this already from the others who’ve read this before me. i know what you must be thinking—“but this is a completely different book!”—and yes, i wholeheartedly agree with you. but let me add a footnote:

this seemed like it was written by a completely different author.

there, i said it. the bare truth, laid out before you. i am not one to lie to appease you all. and before you get all defensive—different does not equal bad. it was just… a new scent. unusual, but not displeasing.

allow me to put it into perspective: the silent patient—an amazing book, might i add—could be compared to the smell of freshly baked cookies. simply divine. now, on the other hand, we have those same cookies—but left out cooling in the kitchen for a day. the scent still heavenly, but not the same.

and that, my dear readers, is the fury.

where it proves itself to be a worthy thriller, the uneven pacing and confusing perspectives turns its once fresh scent stale. i must admit, it took me quite some time to fully get into the nitty gritty of the plot, for the details bored me—but once i got up that slope, it was all smooth sailing from there. for the rest of the book, up until the very last section, it kept me on the edge of my seat.

that was, until the major spoiler for the silent patient.

i must say, i do appreciate the nod, i really do. but to those of you who haven’t read the silent patient yet, i suggest you do so before reading this. you’ll thank me later.

and with that, it’s time to depart into another storybook adventure. until next time :)