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

THE FURY review

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

🧿I was soooooo excited when I saw that Alex Michaelides had a new book coming out! The Silent Patient is one of my all time favorite thrillers and I was excited to see if his new book would be a new favorite. While I enjoyed this one overall, it still didn’t top The Silent Patient.

🧿Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
A former movie star and her friends decide to take a spontaneous trip to her private Greek island for a relaxing getaway. When a storm blows in, the group hunker down for the night, realizing that the strong wind means they’d have no means to escape the island if they need help. When someone in the group is found dead, they all start to suspect one another. But who is actually committed the murder and who can be trusted?

🧿The plot synopsis sounds similar to a looooot of other thrillers; big group in a remote location, someone is killed, now try to figure out who the murderer is. However the writing style of this one was so unique and unlike Michaelides other two novels. The book is broken into different acts told by one of the characters in the book. I enjoyed the times that the narrator broke the fourth wall and talked directly to the reader.

🧿As with The Maidens, I felt like I would have enjoyed The Fury more if I was more familiar with Ancient Greek history. I still enjoyed this book but felt like I wasn’t getting as much out of it as I could. The ending really surprised me. I truly didn’t see anyyyyy of the twists coming. Also the cameo of one of the characters from his other novel?! 👀 Overall, I definitely enjoyed this one and would recommend it if you’re wanting a twisty, unpredictable thriller with a unique writing format. I honestly don’t know if any book will top The Silent Patient for me but I will definitely read whatever Michaelides releases next!

🧿Thanks to @celadonbooks and @macmillan.audio for my advanced e-book and audiobook copies of this one! THE FURY publishes tomorrow, January 16th!

I enjoyed The Silent Patient but not his last book quite as much, and I’m sad to say I enjoyed this one even less yet. This book uses an unreliable narrator to a degree that was supposed to be shocking but in the end I did not feel shocked or surprised at all. I thought the characters were a bit too outlandish and the whole plot felt so over the top that it just didn’t work for me. I was disappointed because I love Greek mythology and was hoping for a bit more metaphor and tie ins than the wind.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher and author for this ARC!

What a rollercoaster story this was! And full of explosive nuggets interspersed between short chapters (which I love by the way!) Like the author’s previous works, the reference in Greek mythology was prominent throughout the book. The story is also heavy on childhood upbringing/trauma as the psychodynamics as to why we are what we are as adults. The 1st person narrator is predictably unreliable, as one can expect in these types of thriller. His running commentaries and rambling thoughts made me impatient at times, but it definitely worked for the overall story. The twists came as a good surprise, although nothing could beat THE TWIST from The Silent Patient IMHO lol! The characters were very over the top and also selfish and greedy with a love/hate relationship with Lana, the retired movie star. With the bubbling suspense buildup right from the start, I was expecting for a dramatic ending. Unfortunately, I didn’t quite like how it came about. Don’t get me wrong, I can understand why the author chose to end it that way, I just wanted a more theatrical and heart-stopping finale.🤣 Nevertheless, I still enjoyed reading this fast-paced psychological thriller — it’s definitely a cool read especially if you enjoy character studies.