I was excited to be approved for this ARC as I loved The Silent Patient. This was a slow burn murder mystery. A tale of a Hollywood starlet inviting her friends to a private island in Greece. The tale ends with murder. Elliot, the narrator, tells the tale going back and forth with the events leading up it.

When I heard there was a new Alex Michaelides book coming out, I was immediately excited. The Silent Patient was a great book and so I was eager to see what The Fury had in store for us.

The beginning of this novel was kind of slow and hard to really get into. I found the idea of the narrator switching back and forth in time kind of an odd choice. There were also parts of the book about characters that our narrator had no way of knowing about. It made it all really hard to believe and become invested in. I’m the end, none of the twists were really shocking or unexpected. The characters were largely unlikeable and it made it hard to really care about how it ended.

The ending was also kind of bizarre to me. Out of nowhere, Michaelides puts in spoiler for The Silent Patient. I don’t really know what purpose that had and was just not necessary in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC of The Fury!

The Fury is a fun and easy page-turner of a read. Those being the two things I most hope for in a mystery/thriller, so overall a solid read. Some of the twists I saw coming and others I did not. Good but not great. Nothing blew me out of the water in terms of plot, character, or writing. What annoyed me most was the narrator, but I suppose being annoying is part of his whole deal. Reminiscent of Glass Onion.

I found it to be similar to his previous books in terms of readability, but it was different in terms of tone. Not quite so dark. The Fury is fairly light even though it involves murder.

2.5/5
I'm a huge fan of Alex Michaelides' previous works, but this one didn't live up to my expectations. I love an unreliable narrator, but I just couldn't get into this narrator. There was nothing interesting about him. This also goes along with every other character in this story. The plot and pacing were all over the place. The narrator throughout the entire story promised a wild twist, but you can guess the killer by the tenth page of the book. This book had so much potential.

Also, read The Silent Patient first because the epilogue gives away a huge spoiler.

An unreliable narrator with a TON of trauma and backstory? A cast full of drama? Count me IN. This book was SO good, I'm so grateful to NetGalley for blessing me with this as my first read of the year. The ONLY reason I docked it a star was because the ending was not my absolute favorite. I felt like it ended really abruptly with no real reason behind it. Obviously the ending made sense, but the exact way it happened didn't really click for me. Other than that it checked every box! I can't wait to buy a physical copy.

You know, I almost didn't finish this about 60% of the way through because I was bored and ready to move on to my next book. I'm glad I stuck with it because it did wrap up well.

A little spoilery:

I think there are a couple of things at play here. One, there is no one to root for. I didn't like any of the characters because I never got to know any of them. You are at the mercy of the narrator and his delusions.

Two: I think the narrator is supposed pull you in and be our likable character but right off the bat I felt like he was crazy. Maybe Michaelides wrote Elliot so throughly that even in the beginning he couldn't make him seem normal? I don't know it the whole thing felt like a madman's confession so then every twist and retelling we got to I found I was bored rather than shocked.

Overall I wouldn't say it was bad but it was just alright.

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Read if you like:
💨 Short Chapters
🧐 Unreliable Narrators
🔀 Lots of Misdirection
🇬🇷 Greek Tragedies
🏛️ Locked Room Thrillers/
🏝️ Greek Island Settings
🗣️ 4th Wall Breaks
🤐 The Silent Patient

The book itself has a bit of a slower pace, but the chapters are short and makes this one much more readable because of the short chapters.

The book is formatted like a play and continually references Greek tragedies and playwriting so the layered effect was well done for the writing.

The entire book is from Elliot’s POV and he breaks the 4th wall often with the reader to admit his deceptions and circle back to where he has been deceptive in his story, especially when telling the story from other POVs of his imagining of what occurred from their POV while telling of the story of a murder that happened with his friends on a Greek island, owned by his friend and crush Lana.

There are so many points with the characters on the island that they could be stabbing each other in the back and be the killer or killed to the point you don’t trust who will be murdered, and by whom so it really is a bit of a who done it, with a splash of who was killed, with a lot of the why did the murder happen?

If you like a slower paced atmospheric type mystery with a self proclaimed unreliable narrator that likes to break the fourth wall with twists and reveals until the last page I highly recommend this one!

Thanks so much Celadon books for my ARC in exchange for my review!

My Thoughts:
We start by meeting Elliot who is giving his side of the story as to what happened that night and for some reason I didn’t trust him right away.
Lena a retired famous actress invites 7 of her close friends to her private island for a fun getaway but just the opposite happens.
7 people trapped on a island and ones a murder instead of whodunit it should be a whydunit they were all friends or so they thought.
If you like The Silent Patient or The Maidens you will enjoy this book. It’s coming out Jan 16.
And If you’re in the mood for a good mystery pick this one up and see if you can guess who the murder is.

The Fury by Alex Michaelides is full of twists and turn! You really don’t expect where the narrator, Elliot, one of several characters you meet will you take you over the 320 mystery thriller. I’ve been a fan of Michaelides since his 2019 novel, The Silent Patient, rocked the literary world. I have to give props to the author — he tried something different here from The Silent Patient and The Maidens, but is it successful? That’s up to you to decide.

While it’s interesting, Michaelides’ third novel tries but comes up short of the height he reached with Silent Patient mainly because of the “twists” and writing style, putting the PoV squarely on Elliot. Unfortunately, the unreliable narrator style of writing didn’t work for me here. It’s unsuccessful not because of Elliot’s personality — he’s sly and conniving, which is fun — but because he doesn’t earn any trust from readers from the jump. He even says it himself in the opening chapters that he probably can’t be trusted. I wish we as readers got to make that decision on our own instead of Michaelides/Elliot doing it for us. You know that something will pop up confirming an earlier suspicion and voiding the last 50 pages. This happens multiple times. Lana, a character we spend the majority of our time with feels three dimensional but I can’t say the same for the other handful of characters. She’s interesting but can’t make up for the others despite a great fourth and fifth act.

Despite all that being said, The Fury is very readable and a fun ride. Just be expected for multiple bumps and some turbulence — I blame the Grecian winds 😉 My thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an advance review copy.

Oh that glorious feeling of having one of your most anticipated reads exceed every expectation! And in the process remind you of all the reasons you fell in love with reading as a kid. In my case, that early joy is closely tied to the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie and reading the Fury, I felt that it was in part an homage to her and her work!

I devoured this book! And not only did I love the reading journey The Fury took me on but the moment I finished it I knew I will be reading it again at some point - specially to experience certain details in a new light of knowing how it ends. A whodunit, narrated by an unlikable but interesting storyteller who talks directly to the reader, making you feel like you’re IN the story!

I have a particular weakness for beautiful locales and most of the story taking place on a remote Greek island also made me nostalgic for my childhood summers and sounds and tastes (especially tastes!) of Greece. Yes, I loved all the twists & turns, the isolation, the delivery but the most fulfilling part for me was the engaging storytelling! And that epilogue was like a surprise cherry on top of an already delicious cake! And I am purposely not mentioning the synopsis because I highly recommend walking into this one blind!

A huge thank you to Celadon Books & NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

5 reasons you should read this book:

1.) You like the Knives Out movies
2.) You like when the fourth wall is broken.
3.) You like your tea piping hot.
4.) You like reading about delicious detailed meals.
5.) You like rooting for the underdog.

This book is an ode to that wonderful saying, “play stupid games, win stupid prizes”.

Travel with me if you will, to the picturesque islands of Greece where we will meet our colorful cast of characters. There is the scheming 2nd husband, the too attached son, the frenemie, the island’s lonesome groundskeeper, the all seeing helper, the star, and of course, our faithful narrator.

This story is told from the POV of one of our characters. He tells us his whole sordid affair through his writing, because that’s what he is, a writer. I felt like we were great friends, gossiping in a pub over a warm drink. He is the most honest, unreliable narrator that I have ever read. His account was so much fun because he would ramble and embellish, before backtracking and giving you the truth.

Another part I really liked is when the narrator told us about his childhood. He tells us how one of his favorite authors only referred to himself as “the kid” when writing about his boyhood. In doing that he gave himself room to emphasize with his younger self, because it’s so much easier to be kind to others than to ourselves. Our narrator goes on to employ this same method and gives us an honest and at times heartbreaking account of his own childhood. It gives us yet another opportunity to feel more of a kinship and closeness with him.

Love is also a very strong theme in this book. The ugly and the beautiful sides of relationships. How far people are willing to go to try to find love, to hold on to it.

I listened to the audiobook and I believe that they picked the perfect person to narrate it. He really fit the character he was voicing to a T.

I’ve read some of the other reviews for this book, which were less favorable and I think it may be because they read and didn’t listen to the book. I feel that listening to this book really added a whole other element to the main character and to the story. This is now my favorite book by Alex Michaelides, but I don’t know that I’d say the same had just read it.

In his third book, Michaelides employs the literary trope of a narrator, Elliot Chase. And he not only narrates portions of the story, but he breaks the wall and speaks directly to the readers. Here's an example:

"But before you start laying bets on which of us did it, I feel duty bound to inform you that this is not a whodunit. Thanks to Agatha Christie, we all know how this kind of story is meant to play out: a baffling crime, followed by dogged investigation, an ingenious solution—then, if you’re lucky, a twist in the tail. But this is a true story, not a work of fiction. It’s about real people, in a real place. If anything, it’s a whydunit—a character study, an examination of who we are; and why we do the things we do."

As he points out, this is not your typical "seven people on a beach island with a dead body" whodunit. Indeed, it takes more than half the book for the identity of the murder victim to emerge. So, it is both a whodunit and a whydunit. And it is a fun read trying to figure out both.

The story alternates in time and location, giving us 5 acts, like any decent play. Indeed, the narrator is a playwright and the heroine is a movie star, so should not be surprised that we revisit different scenes from the perspective of different players. And I enjoyed that.

What I didn't really enjoy was Elliot's monologues to the reader. Here is another comment early on: "I wish I knew how you felt about me, right now. Are you slightly charmed, even beguiled, as Lana used to be? Or like Kate, do you find me irritating, self-dramatizing, self-indulgent?" If I could have answered him, I would have agreed with his later statements. The book could have done with fewer of these "insights".

Still, in my opinion this is a better book than his last, but not quite up to the lofty standard he set with his debut novel, The Silent Patient.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I received an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The Fury - like all of Alex Michaelides’s works, is a twisting, unwinding story of murder, betrayal, and the human experience.

Having read his prior works, I went into this story knowing from page one our narrator Elliott was a liar and couldn’t be trusted - and boy, did he not disappoint.

A murder on an isolated island in Greece, with a small cast of characters who are all equally unlikeable and suspicious, and our narrator is the only one telling us what actually went down that fateful night. Told over five acts, each rewinding the story and unraveling more secrets, there is not a single page without some sort of revelation or detail to leave readers questioning what actually went on. The epilogue holds a fun little throw back for Michaelides’s devoted readers, and winds the story up into a nice little bow.

My one critique of the book has to do with the cast of characters - I wished there had been one redeemable person in the story I could root for. With short chapters and the pace of the book, I sometimes felt bored because I couldn’t get excited for any specific person to come out on top.

Written from an unreliable & rambling first-person (yet occasionally, omnipresent) POV, this murder mystery/thriller follows the account of a playwright recounting a murder - whose? that’s all part of the mystery! - on an ill-fated Greek Island.

The Fury was unlike both of Alex Michaelides’ prior books, and at first, because I really loved both The Silent Patient & The Maidens, I actually did not find myself enjoying it. In all honesty, I was expecting a mythologic psychological thriller & with the exception of a few references to Greek mythology & the physical setting of the story, there was really none of that. Instead, it was much more Agatha Christie-esque, with an air of perpetual distrust and disillusionment (which, to be fair, I still love - but it took some time to get past the expectations I had). Once I got into the writing style and starting engaging with the narrator, though, I found myself sucked into the mystery and unable to put it down. Alex does such an eerily impressive job of completing immersing us readers into the brain of the madman/madwoman - and this time was no different.

Every time you thought you knew what was happening, the rug was pulled out from under you… although, I have to say that this did get old. I found myself thinking, “we get it. You’re misleading us. Again. 🥲🙄” a few times by the end of the book. This did, though, add to the overall atmosphere of distrust throughout the book in a really genius way, and I found the final twist at the end to be deliciously fitting.

Major thanks to NetGalley & Celadon Books for the ARC! I utterly love Alex Michaelides' writing (esp. The Maidens!!), & I cannot believe I got selected as an advance reader for one of his books!!! 😭

4.25 ⭐️s

This was my least favorite of Alex Michaelides' books to date. I LOVED The Silent Patient and ripped through The Maidens in a day and was so happy to get my hands on this book early, but it just did not resonate with me. I felt like the narration style (and narrator) were all over the place and incredibly unlikeable - I honestly did not click with a single character in the book and found it so slow at times, and the big "reveal(s)" at the end just really weren't doing it for me. I think the concept itself was really cool and I actually enjoyed the setup, but the book overall just didn't do it for me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I was so excited when @celadonbooks sent me the ARC of Alex Michaelides' THE FURY!

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

I went into this story blind, which was a bit hard to do as I have been seeing people share about this book for months! I am glad I skipped any synopsis, and I don't want to say much about it here for those who are like me and just want to know the final thoughts.

I did end up listening with the physical copy close by. I absolutely love the narration by Alex Jennings. He has a perfect voice for Elliot. I thought he intoned all the attitude with insecurity that this story needed. It was also fantastic to have the physical book to make sure I was understanding the jumping time frames which did give me pause a time or two.

I enjoyed the way this story was written. It absolutely felt like I was having a drink in a pub and hearing it told. It felt very real in that sense of being less linear, and yet building to the crescendo of that final fury. I also felt like it lent a less dark tone, even though it had sinister characters and murder.

◇SPOILER ALERT◇(possibly-don't read if you want to be more surprised)

What I really loved is how the insight into deep childhood trauma made me feel almost sympathetic. I felt very much at the end of this like I do when watch or read Phantom of the Opera, which is an all-time favorite. (I tried to stay a bit vague for you who can't help but peek!)

Thank you so much to @celadonbooks @macmillan.audio & @netgalley for sending me all the options! Be ready for this to publish January 16th. It will be one to chat about for sure!

I really enjoyed The Silent Patient and I was SO excited to get an arc copy of The Fury! I thought the narration of the story was creative and the story will filled with a cast of interesting interesting characters. Although I found the main plot twist to be underwhelming and predictable, I would definitely reccomend to others!

This novel was suspenseful with several twists. Just when you think you had it figured it out, everything changes. This is my second book read by Alex Michaelides and it was his best one yet in my opinion. I loved the little nod to The Silent Patient in the epilogue. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for letting me read an ARC.

The Fury isn’t my least favorite Michaelides but I should definitely stop trying to chase the high that The Silent Patient brought. This story was pretty straight forward for one trying to pass itself off as twisty and unpredictable. It was hard to care about or invest in any of these characters, as they all rang pretty flat. By the last few chapters it felt like Michaelides was pulling any and everything out of his bag of tricks to shock us but it came across as rushed and lazy.

ARC Review

About the book:
A group of movie stars take a vacation to a private Greek island that ends in a murder

My Thoughts:
Wow! This was the most clever and unique book I have ever read. The unreliable narrator kept me entertained and questioning everything throughout the book. The short chapters are packed with twists and turns and ends in revenge. This was such a fun thriller and even had a little Easter egg from the authors previous books, The Silent Patient!

Highly recommend especially if you love famous movie star vibes, private islands, and cat-and-mouse twisty thrillers!

Thank you Netgalley and Celadon for allowing me to read an early copy of this fantastic murder mystery!