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.

I thought I’d love this one, but the cheeky, self-important narrator wore on me. What started as a unique spin on Agatha Christie “we’re all alone on the island” murder mysteries quickly became a ping-pong game of reader deception: “This happened!” *turn the page* “but actually that did not happen and here’s why.”

If you’re a big thriller or theater fan, you might enjoy this,


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy!

Elliot goes on a trip on a Greek island with ex-star Lana and a few friends. But one of them won't make it out.
This is a psychological thriller with very short chapters, set ojt to be a page turner, and very little dialogue (which is not my favorite). I adored The Silent Patient, so I'm very surprised thay I disliked this one so much that I didn't want to finish it. Annoying narrators who keep addressing the reader is one of my biggest pet-peeve as a reader, because it completely takes me out of the story to put me back into my chair/couch/bed, and I hate it. Plus, this narrator came across as pretentious, unreliable and, frankly, insufferable. Another of my pet-peeves is someone insisting that someone else has a drink even if they've already stated they didn't want one. This almost reads as a documentary, and most of the time I found myself thinking: "will you get to the point already?" I have read many great reviews about this, so do not let my negative one deter you from reading it.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was giving Agatha Christie vibes, but not executed nearly as well. I keep waiting to duplicate how I felt while reading THE SILENT PATIENT and I'm afraid that this is not that. It was fine, it was a quick read, but nothing transformative to the mystery/thriller genre.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the third book I have read by this author. The Silent Patient is one of the best books I’ve ever read; I would say that The Fury ranks at the bottom of the three books.

The book was very well written, and with a bunch of morally grey- unreliable narrators, you are never really sure where this book is going. However, I wasn’t all that surprised by the plot twist at the end. I’m not sure if this is because I know that books by Alex Michaelides always end in a major twist and I was expecting it.

Overall, I enjoyed this. I liked the setting and the added element of the characters being on a private island on their own.

I think if you are a fan of this author’s books you will enjoy this one as well but don’t expect it to be as good as The Silent Patient.

A murder. 5 Acts. Whodunnit? Who's dead? And most importantly ... why?

A well-known ex-actress decides to go on a trip to a Greek island with her loved ones (he husband, her son, her actress best friend, her groundskeeper, her assistant, and her male best friend who is so obviously in love with her). While there, a murder occurs. Before we can find out the answers to who/when/why/etc. we must go back and understand the backstories of those involved. Each and every person on the trip has their fair share of secrets. Which of them will come to light and lead to a sad end for someone unsuspecting?

I LOVED The Silent Patient and The Maidens. The Fury, however, didn't encapsulate me like those other two did.
I was expecting bigger twists and turns, a big "WOW" moment, like in the other stories. This one felt a bit garbled and messy compared to his other stories. It didn't give me a satisfactory feeling either. I found this one to be okay. I think it's worth the read, but I won't be pushing it hard to anyone asking for recommendations.

Thank you so much for the ARC! I am so grateful to be given the chance to read and review these books ahead of their release!

Ok, I LOVED this book. Obviously loved The Silent Patient but The Fury was just fantastic! It was a completely different style of writing and it brought me back to my theatre days. I was obsessed with the drama, the intrigue, and the unreliable narratives! I really enjoyed how everything unraveled and I did not suspect things to go as they did. I am curious if the epilogue might lead into a future book 👀 I think the only thing that fell a little flat for me was that some of the characters were underdeveloped which led to the ending not feeling as exciting as the rest of the book. The Fury has gotten mixed reviews so far but I hope you’ll choose to check it out! 4⭐️

Former film star Lana has a new life in London, happily married to financier Jason. But is she? Her old friend, Kate, is off the rails, unable to learn the lines of her new play, drinking and drugging too much, and perhaps having an affair with a married man. Lana invites Kate, playwright Elliot, and her son Leo to her private Greek island for the Easter weekend, but her plan is more nefarious than the guests realize.

Tensions, fueled by alcohol, weed, and cocaine, run high and a dangerous storm highlights their isolation, particularly when gunshots ring out. Somebody was murdered. Or were they?

This is a delicious, atmospheric, Agatha Christie-style mystery. Told in first person by Elliot, who is an unreliable narrator, the novel is impossible to put down. #TheFury #NetGalley