A literary dance of secrets and backstabbing…..

~My Thoughts~

In Alex Michaelides' "The Fury," I found myself immersed in a unique narrative that skillfully combines aspects of mystery, romance, thriller, and tragedy. The storytelling is fantastic, adopting a conversational style. It's like eavesdropping on the juiciest bar tale – full of drama, obsession, and unexpected betrayals.

The book is a twisty journey through a locked room murder mystery, with each of its five acts revealing more, building upon the intricacies introduced in the previous act. Michaelides weaves a web of secrets, hidden agendas, and obsession, keeping the reader guessing throughout.

The narrator's voice plays a significant role in enhancing the entertainment value. The conversational tone is engaging, making the storytelling not only entertaining but also thought-provoking. The characters are expertly developed, contributing to a well-crafted plot that kept me on edge.

The book seamlessly blends good prose with a unique and original plot. It's a testament to Michaelides' skill that the story remains unpredictable, defying expectations. The book is rich in imagery, creating a vivid and immersive experience. Michaelides' narrative is a seductive tango of mystery, where every move leaves you craving the next.

~Recommendation~

"The Fury" stands out as my favorite among Michaelides' works so far, offering a refreshing take on the murder mystery genre. The combination of a compelling narrative style, well-developed characters, and an unpredictable plot makes it highly recommended for those who appreciate a gripping and immersive storytelling experience.

~Rating~

4 Layered Stars

Thank you Celadon Books and Netgalley for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This review is sadly going to pain me. I was SO excited to get an early copy of The Fury. The Silent Patient, also by Michaelides, was the book that hooked me back into reading years ago. I hate to say this, but this book was such a disappointment. When I got to the end, I wanted to say, "That was it?" I could have sworn the book needed to keep going for at least 30 more pages. The entire pacing at the beginning of the book was slow and then the end was rushed.

In the end, I would have a hard time recommending this book to readers, but would encourage them to read The Silent Patient instead. Which, there was a major spoiler in the epilogue that was not forewarned. Do not read The Fury if you haven't read The Silent Patient.

BLOWN AWAY (…sorry I had to) by this book. I felt like someone took me by the hand and started sprinting through the eye of a tornado, and somehow now I’m sitting on the other side wondering what just happened to me.

Which is to say, I *loved* this books.

I particularly liked the through-line of theater in this. That our narrator is a playwright and that he tells us this story within the five act play structure. As I was reading this, it really did feel like I was watching a play in my head. Or a Wes Anderson film? Big play energy but also kind of a weird indie film that feels simultaneously a deep punch to the gut and an little overly-choreographed. In fact, if this ever gets made into a movie, I am here and now petitioning that Wes Anderson be the director to do it.

Anyway.. part of why I loved the 5 act structure was in how we are told the story chronologically in the first act but then in act two, and three, and so on, we get to go back to the beginning and go at it with a new lens. It was so fun !! PLUS when we got to the end of act one I was left feeling like wait a second, is that it, what are we gonna do for the rest of the book?? I wanted a chance to sink my teeth into the story so it was a lovely surprise to go back and do it again through a different lens.

The narrator was so fun to get to know during this read. It felt like we were having a conversation and he really was pulling me in, enticing me to trust him more and more with each page. But the other characters as well! I was enraptured by Lana and Kate. Such a wonderful cast.

Thank you for giving me access to this book!

I really loved The Silent Patient and didn’t really like the follow up book The Maidens, so I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this third book by Alex Michaelides. The writing style was different and I will say that none of the three books have a similar voice or style. I listened to the audiobook of this one and I really liked the narrator, I thought he did a good job bringing a bizarre narrator/story to life. The narrator to this story is Elliott Chase who fancies himself a writer even if he hasn’t had much success. The narrator really brought him to life and I could totally picture him. That being said Elliott Chase wasn’t a very likable person and he told the story in bits and spurts going back in time to tell a part of it again. It was an interesting style to tell the story of a murder, and it did keep me guessing. I did like the tie ins that make it clear this book is connected to the two prior books (if you haven’t read those, don’t read the epilogue, you won’t miss much and it gives a bit of a spoiler for The Silent Patient). Elliott starts the story off with promising the reader he will tell a tale of a retired movie star, her friends trapped on an island and a murder, and he promises it will be a murder like none you’ve ever heard before. Overall this book wasn’t bad, I thought it took a little long to get to the story and was repetitive at times, but the last act was pretty interesting and tied things together well. Overall I gave it 3.5 stars rounded up because I did enjoy the ending.

Alex Michaelides has done it again. Solid 4 star book for me. I will admit that it does start off slow and it’s more of a slow burn type of thriller than an action packed one. It provides a lot of information regarding what takes place. It has an unreliable narrator that you never know what’s gonna happen. The setting of the island in Greece is beautiful and the last, 30% of this book had my jaw on the floor. I highly recommend this, especially if you liked any of his other books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an advanced reader copy of The Fury. Since I own both copies of The Silent Patient and The Maidens, I was very excited to jump back in to Alex Michaelides words.

The Fury begins with Elliot Chase, although we do not find that out right away. Elliot is telling the story of a murder on a Greek isle from his POV. As the reader, we also get to know 6 other characters. Their stories all intertwine to where you are never quite sure who has been murdered, who pulled the trigger, and -at times, who is even narrating. The concept of the storytelling was interesting, and I enjoyed the short chapters that kept me guessing.

I did not enjoy Elliot as a character, and it was hard to tell if that was purposeful to the story or not. However, I did like how the story was laid out in “play format” with the 4 acts, and the twists were very surprising. Overall, I would give this book 4 stars.

I am so sorry to say that I didn’t love this. This was actually my first book from him and I will read his others because I know this writing style is different from his other books. The Agatha Christie style I guess just isn’t for me. I thought this was really overwritten and I felt the plot was not strong at all. It was honestly a bit boring for me. I think it will be for some people. If you want a book that breaks the 4th wall and is a classic who dunnit with some twists then give it a chance. I’m anxious to read his others.

If ever there was a novel with an unreliable narrator, this is the one.

Elliot Chase is both narrator and character in this story about a reclusive movie star who travels to her private Greek Island with Elliot, her son, Leo, her best friend, Kate, her husband, Jason, and her housekeeper, Agathi. When a storm kicks up causing the winds to whip (a fury) the group is stranded on the island and one of them is murdered.

Just like the Silent Patient, the story really doesn't grip you until the second half of the book. That's when the plot speeds up and we race at breakneck speed to the end. But even that wasn't enough to combat the duelling POVs. The flip-flopping was addressed in the first chapter with Elliot asking the reader to grant him "creative license" but it didn't matter. From first person, to third, and back again, it was a bit of a mess at times to follow.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I always enjoy Michaelides’ books. They start out slow and then at the end you are hit with crashing waves of plot twists and drama. The Fury is no exception. The author crafts beautiful stories with stunning descriptions and fleshed out characters and then hits you with the action once you are enmeshed in the setting and lives of the players. I also do like the little Easter Eggs they plant that harken to previous books.

Overall this was a really fun read for me. It took me a little bit to get into it, but once I did, I was hooked. I liked the way the story was told, from Elliot’s POV. Although I think that I personally would have preferred to keep the ending of the book on the island (at around page 278). The way the story ends is just pretty “meh” to me. If I was to compare this read to the authors other works, I would say that it's better than The Maidens, but not as good as The Silent Patient.

Thank you Celadon books for allowing me to review this book, ARC for a review. I do have to say that this book is nothing like Michaelides last book. This one did take me a bit to get into. It jumped around a lot but was easy to following along. I like that this was told from Elliot’s point of view.. Seven people start off on an island, and one ends up killed.

Wow!!!! Written expression is a gift and Alex Michaelides is blessed! The Silent Patient, The Maidens and now The Fury and any future books from him...I'm in!!! What a tale of murder and love!
"All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts..." ~William Shakespeare
A beautiful and private Greek Island is the stage, while the characters are friends cut off from the rest of the world by gale winds known as The Fury. Elliot, narrator, takes his best friend Lana up on spending the weekend on her island. Lana is a reclusive beautiful ex-movie star with her husband, Jason and her son, Leo. She invites her best friend, Kate, who also acts in theater.
Elliot sets the stage and is forthcoming between 7 of them on the island, including Lana's housekeeper and groundskeeper, that someone will be murdered.
When I thought it was the end and settled in with what had happened, the scene changed abruptly...a different victim and a different killer. Changing between past and present as a playwright writing a scene, such as Elliot himself. The takeoff and background is slow, but original in Elliot's voice, so I could not get enough until the course was completed. Excellent job and will remind you of Old Hollywood.
Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Well, I have a lots of thoughts.

I was a fan of the Silent Patient and remember being absolutely shook by the twist. After The Maidens fell short for me, I was hoping this would live up to the hype I remembered.

Unfortunately, this one also fell short. The plot dragged for a majority of the book and had so many false endings. I am typically not a fan of the "Groundhog Day" stories where the same thing gets told again and again. This one was working for me for a while, but eventually I got fed up with it as well.

Also really none of the characters were that likeable. Maybe Agathi and Nikos. I did love how the women teamed up in the end, but for what? The man to still win.

As someone in the theatre industry, I felt the constant referencing to theatrical structure and playwrights to be a bit pretentious, but that might just be my background.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC

Having not read anything by Michaelides before, but knowing many people who absolutely loved The Silent Patient, my expectations for this book were quite high (which might have been unfair on my part). The unique premise also piqued my interest and made me hopeful this would be a surprising and compelling read.

Divided into five parts, I found the beginning quite captivating. But then the middle lost its momentum, something that automatically decreases my enjoyment of a thriller. The last part, which can sometimes save a story if there is a compelling twist or a well-woven conclusion, left me feeling underwhelmed. To me, this leans more towards a cozy mystery than a thriller, and cozy mysteries aren't my favorite of the genre.

As the narrative takes unexpected twists and turns, I felt compelled to finish to find out what happened. Despite my anticipation for greater enjoyment, the story fell slightly short. Even though the beginning was promising, the lack of a compelling narrator and the cast of unlikeable characters left me with mixed feelings, making the book an intriguing yet somewhat disjointed murder mystery.

SO. DIFFERENT from anything he’s done before. I was super interested in this one after reading the silent patient and you wouldn’t even think this was by the same author based off of vibes alone. This was perfect i feel like for people who love reality tv or the Netflix show “You’ based off of the novel of the same name

Wow. I loved how the author told this story. You never really knew what was real. Unreliable narrators are always great. Did not expect it to end the way it does. I would love my own Greek island.

My all-time favorite trope is an unreliable narrator and you can’t be sure Elliott Chase is telling the truth about anything. There were so many twists and turns! I couldn’t stop turning the pages to find out more. I think this is Michaelides’ best work!

I was expecting so much more from this book. It was grabby, like all of Michaelides' books have been (at least the ones I've read), but beyond that, it really fell flat. The narrative was all over the place—partially by design, I think, due to the unreliable narrator—but the constant asides to the reader were honestly just so annoying. I gathered, by the end, that we weren't really supposed to like the narrator anyway, but where the author really lost me was in making all of the characters so unlikeable that I truly did not care if any or all of them died.

As mentioned in the prologue, this wasn't a whodunnit so much as a whydunnit, which was a mildly intriguing deviation from the usual mystery script, but I don't feel like it executed on that promise. What was introduced as a 'character study' turned out to be a dizzying series of creative omissions and somewhat expected plot twists. I finished the book quickly, but felt absolutely nothing upon completion.

I'd like to be able to compare this book to the style of Anthony Horowitz in the Magpie Murders series, but I think I would be letting fans of that series down with this recommendation. If you were hoping for more from this title, like me, please pick up some Horowitz instead.

Thank you, as always, for the opportunity to read and review.

The Fury is the latest book from the author of The Silent Patient and The Maidens. I didn’t read The Silent Patient, which is a favorite among thriller readers, but I did read The Maidens and found it to be an engaging mystery, so I was excited to read an advance digital copy.

The synopsis was intriguing, and as I read the opening chapters, I thought I would really enjoy the book: movie stars! the London theatre scene! a Greek island and a brewing storm! However, it all fell a bit short for me.

Neither the narrator nor the other characters were likable or well-developed, and I wasn’t invested in the mystery of who died and who the murderer was as a result. It felt like the narrator was just explaining what happened, revealing the plot points like spaces on a board game until we learn Miss Scarlett did it in the ballroom with a candlestick.

This is a fast-paced mystery with short chapters, and if you’re a fan of Michaelides’ other books and enjoy whodunits, you might like this book more than I did. The Fury will be available January 16. Thanks to @netgalley and @celadonbooks for the ARC.

i wanted to love this more than i actually did. overall it was very fast paced with short chapters that ended on cliffhangers, making you curious to know more.

i didn’t love the narrator, the tone just wasn’t my style. i was also confused a good chunk of this book because there were so many characters thrown at you at once, and explained and developed as you go; overall, i still didn’t feel like we really got to know any of the characters though.

overall, it was one of the most unique books i’ve read, and would recommend if you like bingeable thrillers!