“There were seven of us in all, trapped on the island. One of us was a murderer.”

With a unique literary spin and an unreliable narration, Alex Michaelides (The Silent Patient, The Maidens) imparts the compelling story of a murder on a Greek island.

We meet playwright Elliot Chase—the narrator—who at once shares there’s been a murder, but before we learn who died and who’s responsible, he unfurls the story in five acts—present and past, learning about each of the characters: movie star and best friend Lana Farrar; her friend and actress Kate Crosby; her husband, Jason Miller; her son, Leo; her housekeeper, and her caretaker . We also discern through brief mentions that Elliott struggles with his traumatic childhood, which led him to live with an older female writer for some time, and ultimately allowed him to cross paths with Lana.

Over Easter weekend, everyone gathers on Lana’s private Greek Island—the site of the murder—and an island rumored to be cursed, and battered by wild, raging windstorms.

As an omniscient (and unreliable) narrator, Elliott chooses what he shares and when, shaping what transpired to maximize dramatic impact. His perspective manifests his own shortcomings, and I think most readers (like me) will find that he isn’t a very likeable or trustworthy character. However, if you consider that Michaelides uses Elliott as a literary device to impart his story, I find it a very effective approach. I was riveted, clamoring to see how it all would happen (as I admittedly and rightly guessed the murder and murderer).

Even so, the climax is exciting, surprising, full of twists, and indeed, as Elliott suggested, brimming with drama. Part locked room mystery, part Greek tragedy, I really loved it overall and blew through the pages. Replete with betrayal, manipulation, toxic relationships, jealousy, and resentment, it was a unique, fun, and fast-paced novel easily devoured.

A private Greek island, 3 gunshots, 1 dead and 6 potential suspects. A narrator who walks you through the story as it unfolds while possibly holding back details until he absolutely has to deliver them to you. A timeline that unravel secrets and motives as you navigate the five acts.

This was such a fun read! I particularly loved the narration style that was delivered via the character of Elliot. I loved the “luxury” murder-mystery style and the intricate game of cat and mouse that unfolded. The many sides to the story keeps you guessing until the very end. Couldn’t put this one down!

Delighted to include this title in the January edition of Novel Encounters, my column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for the Books section of Zoomer, Canada’s national culture magazine. (see column and mini-review at link)

If you are looking for the silent patient part two this novel is not it.

Elliot is the narrator in this tale of murder and intrigue. Lana is a movie star who has been out of the line light for ages. She finds out her husband is cheating on her with one of her best friends. Not to worry! Elliot is here to save the day.

Elliot comes up with an idea for Lana and her husband and friend to go to her island for a vacation and to confront the two cheaters. Chaos ensues with a plan to pretend Lana has been murdered.

Let me say that I didn't mind the jumping timelines, or the fact the characters are all terrible people. I was on board with this book the entire time, until I got to the plot twist. The ending fell flat and it didn't hit at all for me. I felt like it took forever to get to the end just to be disappointed. Maybe you'll enjoy the twist more than I did but I felt it was quite lack luster.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc

Another great novel from Alex Michaelides! The Fury was a nice balance of thriller, mystery and and the development of friendship that takes a deadly and twisted turn. When friends gather at a remote island in Greece to celebrate Easter the mood goes from relaxing to murder when one friend is killed, Thanks to#CeladonBooks # Netgalley

"The Fury" by Alex Michaelides is a tale shrouded in intrigue and deception. The novel's strength lies in its atmospheric setting—a private Greek island owned by the enigmatic Lana Farrar. The allure of the isolated island, coupled with the backdrop of a reclusive ex-movie star'sgathering, sets the stage for a story that promises both opulence and suspense.

Michaelides skillfully constructs the narrative through the voice of Elliot Chase, adding a layer of mystery to the storytelling. Elliot's perspective provides readers with a unique lens through which to view the events that transpire on the island, drawing them into the intricacies of the characters' relationships and the undercurrents of tension that simmer beneath the surface.

"The Fury" is a novel that tantalizes with its promise of an unconventional narrative and a murder mystery set in a glamorous and secluded locale. While the pacing and structure might pose challenges for some readers, those who enjoy psychological thrillers with intricate character dynamics will likely find themselves engrossed in the world crafted by Michaelides.

Thank you NetGallet and Celadon Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When you read an Alex Michaelides book, you know to expect the unexpected, for better or for worse. The five act “play” concept was an interesting spin that kept the intrigue high, though some plot points fell a bit flat for me, and the ending (unfortunately) felt a bit clunky. Thank you to Celadon and #NetGalley for my ARC.

The Silent Patient is one of my favorite psychological thrillers, so I was overly excited to check out this new one by Alex Michaelides.

Opening on a small island in Greece, we are initially told that there has been a murder, are quickly introduced to the characters, but it's a bit before it's revealed who the narrator is and who has been murdered.

I really feel like the less you know about this book, the better -- as anything you read about it might spoil some of the twists and turns it takes.

The pacing of this book felt a little off to me -- the first half felt pretty slow but then I couldn't put it down for the second half and enjoyed the ending. The whole thing is very unsettling and it is hard to know what to believe.

I enjoyed the characters, and getting to see multiple sides of them - they aren't the most likable people but you can understand their motivations.

I loved the descriptions of the island, the book had such a good sense of place. I could so vividly picture it all.

I will definitely be checking out whatever Alex Michaelides puts out next!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

I hate writing this review because I wanted to like this book, I really did. I enjoyed The Silent Patient and was disappointed by The Maidens, so the author may be a one-hit wonder for me. Will I still read his next book, though? Probably.

We start this one off with a classic unreliable narrator, Elliott Chase, who turns out to be not just unreliable but also unlikeable and annoying. The way he told the story, breaking the fourth wall, also felt affected and really didn’t work for me. I rolled my eyes several times.

The other characters were flat and undeveloped, characterized almost solely by their major flaws (seemingly purposefully since “character is fate” is a phrase repeated several times) and wholly unredeemable otherwise. Maybe less time could have been spent on the overbearing narration and more on humanizing some of the characters so I would actually care what happened to them.

The final twist was also a bridge too far in terms of believability. I think it would have been more satisfying for the book to end at around 86%. There are also spoilers for The Silent Patient in the epilogue, so be mindful if you haven’t read it yet and plan to.

There were also a few loose ends around Elliott and his past that bothered me.

The only redeeming quality of this book was the setting, but it would be hard for a private Greek island to be anything but interesting.

Ultimately, if I hadn’t gotten an ARC, I probably would have DNF’d around 60%, around the time when I stopped caring who died and at one point even thought “maybe they are all dead because I feel like I’m in hell.”

Pub Date: 1/16/24
Review Published: 1/14/24
eARC received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a (brutally) honest review.

In The Fury you are introduced to the mind of Elliot and what a place that is to be. There was definitely major unreliable narrator vibes and I was loving every single moment of it. The loops and turns of this novel reminded me majorly of The Silent Patient but not to the level where two years later I'm still figuring out the ending.

The characters and backstories that were built showed a big eye for detail which was extremely important in this novel and having all of the different POV added more suspense to the novel.

If you're a big psychological thriller fan this is a perfect read for you!

This is a tale of murder. Or maybe that’s not quite true. At its heart, it’s a love story, isn’t it?
After The Silent Patient made such a buzz in the book world, Alex Michaelides has been an author to watch. He came out with the Maidens, which was sadly not for me. But I had to give him another try and I am so glad I did. The Fury was such a delight to read. I enjoyed the narrator and his bluntness, snark and how he addresses the reader. This is written in five acts like a Shakespeare play which worked for me. I love how different it felt, but the flow was spot on. Once the book was about over and the twists were revealed, they weren’t even close to being done! Alex takes the story to p[aces I never could have dreamed of! I also love finding characters from previous books sprinkled in. After the book was over I found myself sitting with it for a little while. Trying to figure out what I thought, it is such a twisty, deep book. I feel like some readers may not love the style or twists, but it was very well executed in my opinion.

Elliot Chase is good friends with Lana Farrah, a movie star who left movies at the peak of her career. She owns her own private island in Greece and likes to escape there when she needs some sunshine. So she invites her closest friends with her over Easter and it shockingly ends in a murder. This sounds like a classic whodunnit, but that couldn’t be further from the case. Elliot is the narrator and does an amazing job of introducing all of the characters. This book is very clever and unique and I am excited for what Alex releases next.

I thought this was excellent and I liked it almost as much as The Silent Patient. Interesting character's and setting, an unreliable narrator who keeps changing the narrative details just when you think you have it figured out, twist and turns in the story. Highly recommend and I expect will be one of my favs for 2024.

Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received via NetGalley. I also bought a copy via Book of the Month as well.

Absolutely LOVED THIS. I don’t think I have ever read a book by Michaelides that I didn’t enjoy. This book had so many twists that I definitely couldn’t tell what was coming next. I really hope that Leo gets to have his dream of becoming an actor one day. Elliot was a great narrator. I can’t wait to enjoy the next book by this author!

The Fury takes us to an isolated, private Greek island where Lana and her friends have gone to have a weekend getaway. The weekend holds different plans for the various friends of Lana. Some are trying to escape failing at a job, others are trying to expose liars and get the truth. But then, someone is murdered. And with the island being private, everyone is a suspect. But nothing is ever what it seems. Was it just a story, was it just a dream?

Just to put it out there, the narration of this novel is really not cool. At times, I think the author maybe forgot how that was working. We are being told the story by Elliott, Lana's self-proclaimed best friend. He gives the impression that he is the only one that loves and cares about her, but the audience gets the idea that he is an opportunist, a leach, a weasel, that just uses his friend and her status to get what he needs. For the most part Elliott is narrating and telling the reader the story, but then there are chapters from other points of view and then in the same chapter switches back to Elliott speaking to the reader in first person. This is why I say it seems the author forgot who the narrator was at times. This style will not be for everyone and I dare say a lot of readers will not like this style.

The story is also told in different times, present day then back to past events then back to present day. It's not confusing at all because the time changes are in big chunks, but almost makes me wonder if the flow could have been a better in a different way.

I absolutely loved the debut novel, The Silent Patient, by this author. But both books that have followed have been disappointing. I also thought after the first novel that Alex Michaelides would be an auto-buy author for me, but after these 2 past novels I might be reconsidering my stand on this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Fury by Alex Michaelides
Expected publication date: January 16, 2024

Date read: January 9, 2024

Audiobook narrated by Alex Jennings



Lana Farrar is a reclusive ex–movie star and one of the most famous women in the world. Every year, she invites her closest friends to escape the English weather and spend Easter on her idyllic private Greek island. You probably read about it at the time ― it caused a real stir in the tabloids, if you remember. It had all the necessary ingredients for a press sensation: a celebrity; a private island cut off by the wind…and a murder.

I wasn't sure what to expect here; I've never read any Alex Michaelides before, even though I know a few people who have loved his previous books. So when I saw this was coming out, I figured it was as good a place to start as any.

This book is told from the point of view of Elliot, Lana Farrar's close friend and confidant. We're told right from the start that there is a murder, and that this story is less of a whodunnit than a whydunnit (although we, as the audience, are still not told for sure who the victim is until late in the book). I found Elliot to be a fascinating character. He's not particularly likable (although none of the characters really are), and also seems to be a little untrustworthy. But is he just unlikable, or is he also an unreliable narrator?

As mentioned, most of the characters are at least a bit unlikeable - I think Lana is probably the most sympathetic, but even she is far from perfect - but they are mostly still really interesting to follow. The book almost had a Great Gatsby feel to it in that way (although I've never been a huge fan of Gatsby and liked this book a lot better).

I also highly recommend the audiobook. Alex Jennings does a fantastic job of bringing Elliot's voice to the story. He was great to listen to and never once took me out of the moment. His narration made me feel like I was listening to a character tell me a story, rather than a voice actor reading me a story.

Overall, this is a really fascinating character study tied up in the package of a murder mystery. I can't compare it to his other books, but I imagine that his fans will not be disappointed, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good thriller.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Content warning: murder, physical assault, emotional manipulation

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Rounded up from 3.5 ⭐️

The Fury by Alex Michaelides
Genre: thriller
Pages: 320
Publication day: January 16

I was very excited to receive this ARC. The Fury was my first Michaelides novel. Much thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Fury follows a group of friends who travel to a private island in Greece for some rest and relaxation, but while there, the facades of their friendships begin to unravel, and one of them ends up dead.

Our narrator, Elliot Chase, tells us that he’s unreliable from the start of the novel. He leads us on side tangents that reveal the backstories of the characters, giving each a motive for murder. But who did it, and who died? Elliot also relays the story in first person through a series of acts as if he’s giving a monologue on stage. I think that the audiobook of this would be great; the story lends itself to being read aloud.

The beginning of the novel suffered from slow pacing, but once I got to the 50 or 60% mark, it picked up. The last 30% or so read very quickly, and I was intrigued and entertained by some of the twists and turns Michaelides deployed. That said, I think that Elliot overhyped that the story of the murder was very wild that I found the actual ending to be a little disappointing (but not a lot).

Michaelides did a good job of revealing the humanness of the characters; none of them was perfect by any means and each was certainly flawed. Learning the flaws as I read the novel was a nice process, and by the end I really didn’t like any of the characters. But I have to wonder: how bad were they really, or was Elliot that unreliable?

Overall, I’m glad I read this book, and I plan on reading his other two novels.

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this via NEtGalley. A unique narration, we follow Elliott Chase as he joins Lana Farrar, an reclusive ex-movie star and friends, for an island getaway vacation in Greece. We hear his voice as if he is telling you a casual story over a cozy cup of tea (or beverage of your choice), curled up in a blanket. As the reader, you think you are being let in on the story behind the story and its secrets, but it becomes all an illusion. The vacation in this paradise setting then becomes a nightmare when there is a murder, and the only ones on this remote island are the guests and the caretaker. True to form, the author included twists and turns with a surprise ending, and even an allusion to another character from a previous book. The characters were multi-dimensional with plentiful background information. I would have loved to hear a bit more about Greece and have it intertwine with the plot, as I felt this story could have been set on any island in the world. However, the cover was striking with the nod to "the evil eye", highly prevalent in Greece. Additionally, I did love that this read like a play, set in scenes, and actually it was more of a play within a play. How intriguing to see different takes on various sequences within the story. Some times it was engaging, other times, I got a bit lost. But I truly enjoyed this psychological thriller, even without the heart pounding feelings. Even knowing the ending, it's a book that I would read again to see what I missed and I bet, I would love it just as much if not more. Many thanks to #netgalley #thefury #alexmichaelides for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Fury by Alex Michaelides is the 3rd I've read by this author. I was thrilled when I noticed the subtle character connection in this book. Though it's not overtly obvious or even a significant part I always find the small details to be entertaining. This book is a great example of how a slow burn should transpire Going into the book I made the mistake of assuming that I would know exactly how it would playout and though what I assumed would happen in the story, nothing was as it seemed. This book sends the reader on a wild ride full of clever twists and turns. The writing flowed beautifully. Each character was developed in a way that made you feel like you knew each of them personally. This book was enjoyable and well written. I can confidently say I believe this book will be a very popular novel of 2024. Thank you Netgalley for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest review.

I had quite the weekend of non reliable narrators between watching Saltburn (still traumatized) and finishing this novel. I think my issue here is I keep hoping for another Silent Patient. While this novel was fine, it just didn’t live up to my expectations from this author and I just have to accept that at this point. Yes, it had potential as we followed a wealthy Hollywood star who is surrounded by a cast of suspicious narrators. We’re on a beautiful and private Greek island with all the trappings of an Agatha Christie novel and yet we’re continuously told it’s not going to be what we think. There is a double twist of sorts but I was most interested to see if the author would pull in his former characters from his previous two books and in what capacity than I was intrigued by what was occurring.

I will also echo that I did have trouble getting into this book but it was a pretty quick read after the first few chapters. I still have a lot of unanswered questions at the end of this, i don’t feel like everything was resolved and I’m unclear on where a majority of these characters ended up.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc!
This was a 3 star read for me although probably closer to a 2.75.

Unrelatable characters, boring plot. I expected more from the author given the Silent Patient was amazing. Such a letdown.