I absolutely devoured this book!! I loved it so much!! It was my first five-star read of 2024, and my second book by this author. He has solidified himself as a favorite mystery/thriller author of mine, and an auto-buy author now. His stories are so clever and intelligent. This one was no exception. I actually enjoyed it more than The Silent Patient. I also appreciated the Easter eggs and nods to his other story. That was a fun surprise.

What a wild, twisty, and entertaining ride we go on with this book. I loved every moment and never got bored. I thought the pacing was on point. It also helped that the chapters were short and easy to get through. It was hard to put this book down once I got into it.

I also loved the perspective that it’s told from, Elliot Chase, one of the characters that experienced the story and now he’s breaking the fourth wall and talking to the reader like you’re having a drink with him in a bar. It’s such a unique take on the story that will keep you guessing until the very end.

I had a great time with this murder mystery. There were a few elements that I had figured out, but it didn’t play out the way I thought, so I was surprised after every reveal, and there are quite a few. It was twist after twist after twist, which was a lot of fun. Momentarily, I had whiplash from all the surprises, but I loved it and was so enthralled by this story. I also liked how we would see the same scene play out but from different character’s perspectives. It allowed the reader to interpret the unfolding of the story in various ways, which was highly entertaining and interesting. There are a few suspenseful scenes but this leans more on the mystery than the thriller side of the genre.

One thing that I love about this author’s writing is how psychological and deep it can be at times. There are so many great quotes in this story. I read this as an ARC ebook from NetGalley, but now I want to get a physical copy so I can reread it and annotate everything. I loved getting to know all the characters. It’s beautifully written with so much character development and depth, and detailed descriptions that immerse you into this dramatic world. The book is split up into five acts, so it feels like a play at times. For me, it played out like a movie in my head. It was so easy to visualize everything.

I had the BEST time reading this book!! It’s just the beginning of the year, and this is already going to be in my top ten list of 2024! Highly, highly recommend it!!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. These are my own thoughts and opinions.

Wow!
This story was written out so well. I was entertained throughout. I read many reviews about the twist in the end and I throughly enjoyed the twist.
I don’t want to spoil anything so I’m going to have to write it down in my reading journal to get it all off my mind!

Embark on a thrilling journey with "The Fury," written in five acts with short chapters and a completely unreliable storyteller who engages you as if you're sharing dinner. The first-person past/present tense narration masterfully weaves through different timelines, creating an experience with touches of humor and wit. The narrative, filled with unpredictability, keeps you hooked from the start, knowing that every word spoken could be a fabrication. Set against the backdrop of a glamorous yet moody island, the single POV narrator crafts each character solely through their perceptions, leaving you constantly questioning their true selves and capabilities. Though the pace may lag at times, the well-thought-out and original plot compensates, building up to mind-bending twists that unfold in the final gripping 100 pages.

The atmospheric storytelling, dark and twisty elements, and the continuous cascade of surprises make it an engaging and humorous read. Michaelides' nod to "The Silent Patient" adds an extra layer of enjoyment for fans familiar with his previous work.

Kudos to Celadon Books and NetGalley for providing an early copy, as "The Fury" promises a suspenseful and chaotic experience that sets it apart from conventional thrillers. Get ready for an unputdownable adventure!

Such a fun read! I was initially hesitant because I wasn’t a huge fan of ‘The Silent Patient’ and thought ‘The Maidens’ was okay. However, I loved the narration style in this novel and it was absolutely a page turner!

This was my 3rd locked room type mystery novel in a pretty small period of time, but this one was so different! Told in 5 Acts, The Fury has a completely unreliable narrator who is directly telling a story from their perspective as if you're just two friends out for dinner. Using a first person past/present tense, it expertly jumps around different points in time to give the reader context and slowly build out back stories for all the characters. It's very meta, slightly breaks the fouth wall, and has really solid touches of humor and wit. While this sounds a bit convoluted, the execution was phenomenal. I was hooked from the very beginning. I love a narrator who's talking directly to the reader, telling a story from their POV, knowing the whole way through that everything they are telling you could be a lie.

The atmosphere had a good mix of glamour and moodiness and I liked the setting of the island. Because of the single POV narrator, each character was built strictly around the perceptions/thoughts/beliefs of just one person which kept you continuously wondering who everyone actually was and what they were capable of. While the pace was a little slow at times, the plot was well thought out and pretty original. And those twists! Those twists were truly twisting! Those last 80 pages or so had me reading so fast to get to the end!
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller. It was engaging, funny, and had just enough wild and crazy to keep me on my toes. For fans of Agatha Christie, The Villa, and Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone.

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2024! I flew through this book with its short chapters and impeccable writing, but unfortunately, this slow thriller wasn’t gripping enough for me. All the characters were unlikable, especially the narrator. The twist was a little predictable, but the revenge was superb….but also to be expected.
I really enjoyed The Silent Patient, but this book felt like it was written by an entirely different author.

I read The Silent Patient a few years ago and absolutely loved it (one of my favourite thrillers ever), so I was so excited to receive an early copy of The Fury. A big thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

You are in for a ride with this one!! It super dark and twisty, and the twists just keep on coming! Plus it’s an unreliable narrator which just adds even more chaos and overall suspense. There are some parts that are predictable, however, you’ll never be able to quite figure it out.

The story is almost formatted as a play with different acts and different timelines/perspectives. It’s very bingeable with short chapters that will have you keep you on your toes! While I did find the first bit of the book to be quite slow, I flew through the last half of the book because I needed to see what else was revealed during the next chapter.

This was a refreshing read and different from a lot of the thrillers I normally read, and I absolutely loved it.

P.S. If you loved The Silent Patient, there is a nod to it in this book! I love how Michaelides always has a little Easter egg to his other works - it’s always so fun to discover.

Another big thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Fury

Author: Alex Michaelides
Publisher: Celadon Books
Publication Date: January 16, 2024
Category: Mystery

My rating: 2 ⭐️ ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I appreciate that the three books released by this author thus far had three different plots and styles, which keeps things interesting. If you enjoyed his prior books, you may enjoy this one.

The consistently good thing about this author’s books is that there will always be a somewhat predictable but fun twist toward the end. The consistently bad thing about these books is that they’re a slow burn and much of the middle could have been left out or written more strongly. I did love The Silent Patient, so I was expecting more with this third book.

I hope the author writes more and the editor gives critical feedback. The repetition and fluff could be edited out or written more strongly. Example: ‘She found nothing. Of course she found nothing, there was nothing to be found. Everything was okay. This was all in her head.’ Also, the format of: Try this try that. Not this not that. Kate would x, Kate would y, Kate would z, gets frustrating when it happens so many times in a book. The reading level is below what I enjoy. If you’re okay with this style, then read this and enjoy. The presentation in this book is different than the prior, so expect that. The book is mostly the main character as a narrator telling a story and then changing it and repeating that he leaves out some details. The build got removed so many times that I lost interest in the ‘truth’.

Do I continue to read this author? Yes. I’m hoping for another hit and I believe it can happen.

Michaelides's novels are always full of unexpected of twists, and this latest novel is no exception. The primary twist towards the end of this novel was one I certainly did not see coming. However, until at least three quarters through the book, I didn't find it overly enjoyable. Despite interesting characters and an interesting setting, the way the story is told through the narrator was a bit off-putting to me. This narrative structure makes more sense in the end, but writing seemed more built for this rather last minute twist, rather than building the twist into a more appealing narrative structure. That being said, the final quarter of the book was enough for me to still rate this as solid, even if it doesn't quite measure up to some of Michaelides's other works.

THE FURY starts with your typical group of celebrity friends and family enjoying a holiday on a private Greek island owned by one of the celebrities. The story is written as if a narrator is telling the reader a story, with all of the positives and negatives when you only get one side of a story. We get a short back story on each character as they arrive and immediately start to wonder how much of their story is included. Then the weather turns bad and someone is murdered. Sounds a little like Glass Onion. As the narrator "peels" back the story of the characters, we will hear how each motive has come to be. And then......the rest of the story.

If you have not read any of Alex Michaelides other books, you'll not know that he is famous for holding back a clue or two to twist the ending into a HUGE reveal, with the killer getting just what they deserve. While this is not my favorite of his titles, Michaelidis has some mad skills building a story that will take you places you certainly never saw coming.

I think I'm in the minority on this one... I had previously read both the Silent Patient and the Maidens and enjoyed them enough to be interested in reading Michaelide's latest book. Unfortunately, I think this book ended up being my least favorite of the three.

This story felt like a mess the entire time. I think (to some degree) that was the author's intention, but it came across annoying and unreliable (but in like a cop out sort of way). The majority of the book is background/flashbacks and only a small portion is actually the murder/murder mystery. The rest of the book is the narrator going off on (sometimes irrelevant) tangents. The "big twists" fell flat for me and were just a little uninteresting.

Overall, this one just kind of missed the mark. I was so excited about the original premise and the promising setting of an isolated Greek island, but I think because so much of the book felt like slightly annoying tangents, there wasn't even really the opportunity for an immersive Greek island picturesque setting.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely devoured and loved Michaelides' two other books, The Silent Patient and The Maidens, so I came in with the highest expectations for The Fury. Appreciate the shorter chapters and engaging prose, however, this didn't captivate me as much as I had hoped it would. I also typically like thrillers with unreliable narrators but Elliot was a no for me. Yes, it was suspenseful but almost always in a predictable way.

Thank you, NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read this eARC! The Fury publishes tomorrow, January 16th!

BOOK REVIEW: THE FURY🧿
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you @celadon for my gifted copy! THE FURY is out 1/16!

THE FURY is an immersive read that unfolds as the narrator, Elliot Chase, recounts his trip to the private Greek island of Aura with a group of friends including ex-movie star Lana Farrar. Elliot tells the story as if you are sitting next to him at a bar and he is casually recounting how this trip to the island ended in murder. His story telling is at times circuitous and all of the drama and secrets that lead up to that moment are revealed in bits and pieces along the way (lotsssss of carrot dangling.)

I LOVED how immersive this read was and how it was so much more than your typical locked door mystery. The Greek mythology elements as well as mentions of characters from other Michaelides books also made it so unique. The format was like a Shakespearean play, divided into 5 acts, which I thought was a brilliant way to tell the story!

The short chapters in this one made it super easy to binge and I couldn’t put it down! As always, Michaelides books will leave you with a lot to process at the end! I know I didn’t predict the twists at the end of this one!!

All in all, another solid novel by @alexmichaelides ! My fav of his will always be The Silent Patient, but this was a great read and I look forward to reading whatever he comes out with next!

This latest read from Michaelides felt quite different than the ones before, featuring a lighter atmosphere/location on a remote island in Greece. Our narrator, Elliot, can certainly be considered unreliable, but not so much by omitting information, but twisting that narrative into a perspective that suits his narrative.

I felt myself sympathizing most with Lana Farrar, our other main character. Victim of more than just infidelity, she simply lets people into her life that end up being rather toxic. We don't get much insight into her past, largely because the story is narrated by a character in the plot, but I certainly would've been interested in diving into that aspect.

Outside of Elliot and Lana, to me, the other characters seemed rather one sided. They didn't experience much growth and were there to serve their purpose and not much else.

I simply love the way Michaelides features minute tie-ins to his other novels, you'll have to look carefully to find it though.

Compared to his other novels, I think this would unfortunately rank behind The Silent Patient and The Maidens. I've come to almost rely on Michaelides for the dark atmospheric element that came with the previous two novels. Definitely can appreciate the desire to branch out, just didn't quite resonate with me this time around. I'll certainly continue to read more of his stuff.

“This is a tale of murder.”

So begins our narrator Elliot. Who tells us a story that takes place on a private Greek island owned by retired film actress Lana!

Along with her family, son Leo and husband Jason, she invites her friend Kate for Easter.
Also part of the mix are long time confidant and housekeeper Agathi and Nikos who lives on the island.

I’ll admit it took a bit to get a grasp on who was who. And I wasn’t sure how I felt at first about Elliott. He is the most unreliable narrator, but I couldn’t get enough.

It was a tad slow to start for me, but once I hit 50% I couldn’t stop. I loved the quick short chapters and the way the story unfolds.

And I loved the Easter egg thrown in there, 𝖨𝖸𝖪𝖸𝖪!!

This was one of my most highly anticipated reads this year and it did not disappoint.

Thank you Celadon Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for granting me early access to review this book in exchange for my honest opinion in return.

Stars: 3.5
Spicy: Mentions of past actions

I've been torn on the stars I've given this review because it started pretty good and then lost me in the middle, then pulled me in at the end with the amount of twists that didn't really work.

I loved the Silent Patient, it will remain one of my ultimate favorite books. However, this one fell short, but was better than the Maidens. It's foundation from the start was wabbly and never quite found stability. At the end, I was disappointed that not all the characters had died which would have been a better conclusion.

I will continue reading this author. I do enjoy his writing style and will forward to his future books.

This is for: People that like thrillers, slight mystery and unreliable narrators. Twists on top of twist.

This is not for: Someone expecting this to be as likeable as The Silent Patient. Twists for the thrill of it.

This was a fun one and a lovely installation in continuing Michaelides’ love of combining thrillers and mythology. It was twisty, turny, and I love a good thriller on an isolated island. I’m not sure if my brain has become so in tune with the genre that I’m able to guess plot twists easily or if they’re obvious but I don’t think it’s the latter here. There were multi tiered twists that just kept on coming but I think I’ve read so many, I’m able to pick up on the little bits of dialogue that are meant to seem like nothing but are crucial clues to the actuality of the plot. Either way, it was still enjoyable and I don’t think fans will be disappointed in the slightest. I do wish there were some more mythological aspects sewn throughout instead of the ones like “The Fury” that kept repeating but that may just be just me, I expected a bit more in this aspect and think it could’ve elevated it in a lovely intellectual way.

I can appreciate what the author was trying to do here, but at the end it was just okay for me. I did like the writing style and the shorter chapters. Always feel like I fly through a book with shorter chapters. But at the end this book is somewhat forgetful. I did like the end, and the character crossover from The Silent Patient.

**Please note: For those who have read this author's novel The Silent Patient, this read is totally different than that was. For those who have NOT read The Silent Patient, you should read that book first because this novel contains spoilers for The Silent Patient. **

Michaelides must've had a HUGE plot board to keep all of the machinations straight as he wrote this entertaining read. The story is told through the narration of Elliot Chase, one of four people invited by retired movie superstar Lana Farrar to spend a few days relaxing on her private Greek island. The other invitees are Lana's second husband Jason Miller, her seventeen-year-old son Leo, and her best friend Kate. Staff members Agathi (housekeeper) and Nikos (island caretaker) are also present.

Seven people on an island enjoying the sun and seemingly having great fun until the winds pick up and become fierce enough to make it impossible for anyone to come to or leave the island and one of them ends up murdered.

Though Elliot's meandering in his storytelling, dropping tidbits here and there, going back and forth to different events and time, can be frustrating, he always gives the reader a little something to wonder about at the end of each chapter which keeps you hooked. (I still wanted to punch him in the face sometimes and tell him to PLEASE GET ON WITH IT!!)

Things are not at all what they seem, and the complicated intrigues, schemes, manipulations, artifices and collusions drive that home again and again.

Not my favorite read by this author. I give it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

My thanks to Celadon for permitting me to read a DRC of this book via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given. Publication is 1/16/24.

I must first thank both NetGalley as well as the publisher, Celedon Books, for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Love story? Mystery? Psychological thriller? After reading The Silent Patient I was drawn to Alex Michaelides’s The Fury with the hope of another amazing novel, I was left wanting. A sad story that got nowhere quickly enough for me.