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!

I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley.

I have to say, this book was a bit of a let down when held to the other works by Michaelides.
In terms of general theme, this book stayed true to the psychological and mythological themes Michaelides is known for, but the plot was not as dynamic as I was expecting.
My biggest gripes were a repetitive narrator and inconsistent pacing as the book progressed. I would say the first 60% of the book is character exposition, and it made it hard to sink my teeth into.
That being said, the end of the book did scratch the psychological-thriller-itch, and was entertaining all the same!
As with each of his books, Michaelides includes an easter egg from within his universe. I actually like this element, but only as someone who has read his books in publishing order!

"We are all unreliable narrators of our own lives."

So begins The Fury by Alex Michaelides, a dramatic, unpredictable, soap opera of a thriller set in Greece.

Lana Farrar, a reclusive and retired movie star, has invited her closest friends to her private Greek island where, amidst personal drama, a murder takes place. Told from the point of view of her friend Elliot, we begin to unwrap the layers of truth about what happened, all the while wondering who exactly it is that we can trust to tell this tale.

Having read The Silent Patient from this author, I appreciate his penchant for the melodramatic and it is used to great effect here. Where The Silent Patient felt more grounded, The Fury feels a bit more superficial but it works here due to the superficial nature of the characters and their relationships.

This one really brought the drama, which the author embraced fully throughout. I said soap opera in my description because everything feels heightened, from the weather, to the emotions, to the senses and experiences, to what’s at stake. That drama hooks you as a reader, even if the characters aren’t exactly likable. Let’s just say you won’t exactly find yourself rooting for the main characters but you’ll be enthralled.

Just like many thrillers, we can get an unreliable narrator. In the case of Elliot, he is honest about it from the beginning which added an interesting level of uncertainty throughout the book. As he says “I’ve told you nothing but the truth. Just not all of it.”

Thank you to author Alex Michaelides, and Celadon Books for providing me with an advance reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

WOW! This murder mystery was Greek tragedy meets Knives Out. For fans of The Silent Patient, this is a slower build but I believe the storytelling is just as captivating.

This is my favorite book by this author yet. Pub date: January 16th!

The Fury
Alex Michaelides
Pub: Celadon Books
Format: E-ARC from Net Galley
Pub date: January 16, 2024

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Michaelides for the e-ARC!

When I first heard about The Fury, I knew I needed to get my hands on it. I was absolutely obsessed with both The Silent Patient and The Maidens, so I knew I would love this book as well! We once again have an unreliable narrator (which I live for) and we are left in the dark almost until the end. I had so many different theories running around in my head, but I can promise you that I wasn’t nearly as close as I had hoped. Our narrator, Elliot Chase, takes us to the beautiful island of Aura along with Lana, a beautiful former actress; her devoted son and careless husband; an actress struggling in her career; a Greek woman who has become Lana’s cook and confidant; and Nikos, the isolated caretaker of the island who avoids human contact. This motley crew is on the island for a day when someone is murdered, and the question is who did it and why?
With many twists throughout the book, as well as characters that you love to hate, this novel kept me coming back for more. It was a bit slow at first, but once we began to get into the meat of the characters and their possible motives for the murder, I couldn’t stay away. What I really enjoy about Michaelides’ books is that I know I have to take everything that I am reading with a grain of salt. He is really the master of unreliable narrators, especially ones who do a damn good job of convincing you, or at least redirecting suspicion. Everyone on the island has a motive, and apparently motives that more than they were privy of. The Fury is a fun and modern take on the classic who-dun-it. There were many aspects that felt similar to Christie’s books, and really required you to remember everything we have learned about each character. I can't help but draw the parallel with “Hedda Gabler'' which, I think, was brilliantly added in the middle of the book. Everything that was brought up about a character needs to be logged away, because it is likely to be a vital piece of information at the end, a nice metaphorical “secrets are weapons”.
I will always be an advocate for Michaelides’ books (he is definitely an auto-buy for me), especially because I love the way he subtly connects all of his books together. You absolutely do not need to read the books in a certain order, but each one gives a nod to the one published before it, which is so fun. If you are a fan of Agatha Christie and psychological thrillers, you definitely need to pick up this book once it publishes, you will not be disappointed!

Michaelides is the master of the unreliable narrator. While I didn’t trust the narrator one bit, I liked the format of the book told through one characters’ lens and with cheeky commentary to the audience. Like peeling the layers of an onion, the plot of this story gets more complicated and intricate as more details are revealed. Every time you think you’ve figured it out, something else is revealed to make you question everything. While slow in some parts, this book is an intriguing glimpse into the raw, messy side of humanity and the underlying need in all of us to be loved. Bonus: I enjoyed the scattered easter eggs from Michaelides’ first two books.

Thank you Alex Michaelides, Celadon Books, and NetGalley for the gifted ARC.

The first 40% of this book was slow and I had trouble continuing to pick it up because nothing was happening, but I ended up liking it.

I really loved the writing style, and how the narrator jumped back and forth in time. Overall, enjoyed this book, just not enough to give it 5 stars

I liked the unique narration style utilized in The Fury and felt like the book flew by with the short chapters. While there were a lot of twists and turns, I also felt like there was a bit of anticipation fatigue as the narrator kept reminding us that big things were coming in every chapter. The ending is also a bit chaotic and requires you to suspend a bit of disbelief - but overall this is a fast paced and enjoyable thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for the ARC copy of this book.

I am honestly not 100% sure how I feel about this book. The way it was written, the doubling back, the ending… were definitely all choices, but it kept me reading and wanting to find out what happened. I also loved the setting! I think I’ll need to read spoilers for the book when it actually comes out to fully grasp.

I had a hard time getting through this. It was super long winded and I just wasn’t jiving with the writing style.

Wow! This book was so fun! I felt like I pulled up to a bar to listen to the narrator tell me a story of love, a beautiful island and murder. The writing style of this book was probably my favourite thing about it.
Alex Michaelides always has many woah wait what? moments and this book was not short of them. There was a few times I was stopped in my tracks because of the twist that happened.

Alex Michaelides is an auto read author 100%

I have to be honest, this book was not for me. I think I’ve come to learn that I actually don’t really enjoy when the fourth wall is broken, and I found the main character to be insufferable. After being a huge fan of The Silent Patient and then not really loving The Maidens, this also didn’t work for me.

This is like a Greek Agatha Christie retelling and even though it had some perks (like the ending and epilogue was actually shocking and brought everything together), the content itself wasn’t for me. I didn’t enjoy every chapter alluding to someone being sketchy or that something bad is going to happen soon. If it happens a few times, great, but it was all over the place.

This also absolutely spoils The Silent Patient for people, which I really don’t think is a good move seeing as that’s this author’s best work so far…

I just couldn’t vibe with the narration or the writing style. Thank you NetGalley, MacMillan audio, and Celadon for the advanced copies!

This is the third book by Alex Michaelides. I thoroughly enjoyed The Silent Patient and The Maidens, so I had high hopes for this story too.

It started very slow. I was a little intrigued by the mystery narrator, but his identity is revealed early on. The narrator is highly unreliable…constantly going off on tangents and revising the stories he shares. He uses a lot of foreshadowing, making promises that the reader will not believe what happens in the end.

The story did pick up, and I was intrigued to see if there would be a twist I didn’t see coming, but I found the plot to be fairly predictable. I didn’t feel a strong connection with the characters or really care much about what happened. In all, I just think this was a run-of-the-mill thriller, nothing special. I was mildly entertained, especially at the end, but found myself rushing through just to be done with it. If you haven’t read any of Michaelides’ work, I would skip this one and go with either of his other two.

First I want to say, definitely read The Silent Patient before reading this novel! Second, I wish I liked this book more. I did not feel connected to the characters, and wish I could have trusted the narrator more. Overall it was an okay book, but I prefer his other novels.