Loved that this took a different storytelling approach to a locked-in, rich/glamorous thriller. I did find our unreliable narrator quite obnoxious though. Still, was a fun read with a good twist!

Thank you to Netgalley, as well as the publisher, for the e-ARC.

"Why do we want something? What is our motive? According to Mr. Levy, there is only one answer: 'A human being will act to remove pain.'"

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, so it's unfortunate to say that this book was very mid.

I think my biggest problem is that, compared to Michaelides past works, this feels lifeless and mundane. It lacks passion and it feels like it was written in a few days to meet a deadline.

The plot itself is fun enough to keep you reading, and I can always appreciate short chapters - they truly help you feel like you're reading at lightning speed. But the writing itself was dull, the characters were placid, and it, unfortunately, very much felt like the 'airplane terminal shop thriller' our main character was so desperate to avoid.

I much prefer Michaelides other two works and will always recommend them, but if you're new to the genre and need something basic, this will do just fine.

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for the digital galley in exchange for my honest review.

I can honestly say that I wasn’t expecting that. Or at least, not all of it.

Readers of The Silent Patient will be quick to the twist. Despite that, I enjoyed the ride.

One thing I’ll mention that regards spoilers, if you HAVEN’T read The Silent Patient, you should absolutely read it first. In the final chapter of The Fury, there is a call back to The Silent Patient which may cause spoilers if you have a memory better than a goldfish. As far as all of Michealides’ thrillers go, read them in chronological order.

I do love the way these novels cross over ever so slightly. A la Taylor Jenkins Reid for mystery buffs.

A windy Greek island is more or less the stage where our scene is set. It does feel more like a stage. A carefully selected batch of props. The descriptions of London and its theatre are atmospheric, but the draw for me was that it was set in Greece, and I didn’t get to feel like I was there. I couldn’t feel the fury.

But I loved the cadence of the narrator, as unreliable as he was. I did feel like I had stepped into his shoes. The characters were witty and flawed. Elliot and Lana were great character studies.

And it kept me guessing through every twist. I sprinted through it because I could not put it down. I can’t wait to read the next one.

Having previously enjoyed "The Silent Patient" and finding "The Maidens" passable, I approached "The Fury" with anticipation, hoping for another gripping psychological thriller. Unfortunately, this novel falls short of expectations, making it my least favorite of Alex Michaelides' works.

On a positive note, the book is a quick read; I managed to finish it in under two hours. However, speed doesn't compensate for the shortcomings in plot, setting, and character development.

The initial promise of a groundbreaking thriller falls flat, with the plot proving to be disappointingly predictable. The narrative begins with assertions that it's not just another Agatha Christie novel, but the execution feels pretentious rather than innovative. The lack of substantial character development, especially with the main point-of-view character, contributes to the overall shallowness of the story.

The setting, a private island in Greece, lacks the vivid descriptions that could have added depth to the narrative. The absence of details about the island leaves readers with a missed opportunity to immerse themselves in the atmosphere and intricacies of the location.

The main character, Elliot Chase, serves as the storyteller, but the novel fails to provide any meaningful insight into his character. Throughout the book, Chase comes across as condescending, creating a disconnect between the reader and the protagonist. The supposed privilege of reading his story feels more like an imposition, leaving the audience wanting for a more relatable and well-rounded character.

An additional downside is the epilogue, which, if read before "The Silent Patient," gives away a significant plot twist. This lack of consideration for the reader's experience diminishes the impact of what could be one of the novel's redeeming qualities.

In conclusion, while "The Fury" may satisfy those seeking a swift and undemanding read, it falls short in delivering the depth, unpredictability, and well-developed characters that one might expect from a psychological thriller. If you're a fan of Michaelides' previous works, approach this one with tempered expectations.

This book follows our main character Elliot Chase in a tragic love story. This is an interesting story with twists and turns that heavily relies on the information that the reader does not know to weave skepticism and doubt.

We are told at the beginning that this story will end with a murder and that through weaving the story we will learn to know how that happens. However, a lot of the why and the how exists in the story that we are not given.

I greatly enjoy Alex Michaelides' writing this one for me was not as good as "Silent Patient" but better than "The maidens" definitely a great way to start 2024

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of The Fury by Alex Michaelides published by Celadon books

This was an awesome book, written so differently from other novels, parts of it like a screenplay, going from present to past to tell the story, I loved it.  I have not read anything by Alex Michaelides before. What a superb story, I was engaged from the beginning. The plot and characters are brilliant

The story focuses in Lana and her good friend Kate, both actresses and the other people in their world. Lana is feeling the dreariness of England and must get away for the Easter weekend, what better place than her private island
Omg, the twists and turns that this author has created, just loved it, a must read! Honestly! I'll be reading more of his novels.

I was eager to read The Fury by Alex Michaelides. It is getting lots of buzz on Instagram, and I thoroughly enjoyed his previous book, The Silent Patient. I was a little unsure going into this one, because his other past novel, The Maidens, was not a good fit for me. The Fury surprised me with a unique storytelling style and lots of nods to characters and events from his past books. That said, you can read this as a standalone that would only minorly spoil those earlier titles.

Told by an unreliable narrator, this is a story about close friends with secrets on an isolated Greek island. I loved the setting and Michaelides' descriptions of it. The characters are relatively intriguing, if a bit one note. We have two famous actresses (one more self-centered than the other), spouses, a maid, an island caretaker, and the side kick friend that is our narrator. As the story progresses, there are narrative shifts that give some insight into other characters thoughts and motivations. This one moves at a good clip, so I don't want to say much about the plot other than that there is a murder and the police won't be able to arrive for quiet some time due to weather.

This book landed solidly between The Silent Patient and The Maidens for me. I had fun and I recommend it for a quick, fun read that moves at a good clip. Just don't think too hard about it or you'll end up with some potentially angsty questions about a few dubious plot decisions. I was fortunate to have both the ARC and ALC of this one and I preferred the e-book. Many folks are enjoying this narrator, but his voice wasn't my cup of tea.

I won't remember much about this one as time goes on, but I will remember the unique way that Michaelides divided up the story, turned traditional thriller plot narrative style around, and that I didn't want to stop reading!

(4.5) ⭐️

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

𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: give me an island murder thriller, and i’m all yours. 🤯 i flew through this book!!!! i thoroughly enjoyed reading this book - the twists and the turns. i enjoyed the writing style and the narrative (how the narrator, Elliot Chase talks directly to you throughout the book telling you his version of how the events unfolded). i loved the short chapters. i loved the development of the characters. i loved how easy and fun it was to read. 😂

the reason it isn’t a 5⭐️ is because despite the twists and turns, i guessed it rightly in the end. 🥳ooohhhhh and i loveee the infusion of ‘Theo Faber’ from ‘The Silent Patient’ at the end. 👏👏

𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘥 ‘𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘵’ 𝘢𝘯𝘥 ‘𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘐𝘵’, 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴!

Thank you Celadon Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

I was SO excited to get this ARC approval email in my inbox, and I was thrilled that this one didn’t disappoint! Alex Michaelides is such a great thriller author - I am admittedly not much of a thriller fan, but I am a huge Michaelides fan!

I don’t want to give any plot away, but I will say there were many twists I wasn’t expecting, and I love how all of his books exist in the same universe. I am sad the book is over, but I will be thinking about it for a long time to come!

Thank you again for the ARC!

This was hard to get through. Insufferable narration, drawn out and pointless exposition, and a one dimensional, unlikeable cast of characters.

I haven’t read other books by Alex, but I’m not tempted to after this one. I almost didn’t finish it, but was determined to see if it would get better. It didn’t - would not recommend.

There’s something so compelling about Alex Michaelides’ books. I have loved each of them in turn, and I think they only get better with each release. THE MAIDENS was going to be hard to top, but THE FURY was incredibly enjoyable. From the setting on a remote Grecian island to the interesting pool of characters (plus an unreliable narrator), there is really a great set up here. THE FURY felt so fresh and interesting. The format was unique and didn’t play out like most thrillers which I enjoyed. This book took a bit of a turn into the more psychological, and I appreciate how Michaelides always imbues his novels with those aspects.

I do wish the eeriness of this remote island had been leaned into a bit more. But perhaps that’s just personal preference as I love anything teetering toward the gothic and creepy in a book. Ultimately, I loved this with all its twists and turns and fresh format. Can’t wait for more from Michaelides!

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A group of friends on an island alone and there’s a murder - sounds like a ton of other mystery thrillers right? Errrrr, wrong! With wildly erratic narration, The Fury is less of a ‘whodunit’ more a ‘whydunit’. Slow to start and with lots of backstory and character development, this book kept me reading mainly because I was so dang confused and wanted answers! The amount of times I verbally said HUH?! out loud while reading this is insane. I feel like a wadded up ball of Christmas light cords after reading this. I genuinely have no idea what the heck just happened. If there’s one thing I can say, this book is very different from most out there. Its unique angle might just be what propels it forward. For me, it definitely wasn’t my favorite (easily The Silent Patient), but also not the worst (I couldn’t make it through The Maidens 🥱). The author did leave some little easter eggs to tie his books together.

Thank you to NetGalley & Celadon Books for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This was a fairly solid read, however the first person narration style with this particular main character was a bit challenging for me. I enjoyed the stetting and most of the characters, but the style got a bit confusing by the end of the story. However the idea to have so many of the characters have a connection to acting really helps make the plot a bit more believable. Overall a vast improvement over the Maidens!

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Fury was a hit from my point of view. Elliott was a great narrator for me because he was so honest in his machinations. It was interesting to get the hints of perspective from other characters as well as it rounded out parts of the story that Elliott would not have been aware. The absolute animosity and distaste that the cast of characters had for each other was unexpected and interesting to unravel.

One of my favorite things after reading The Silent Patient & The Maidens was the discovery of how the books were linked. Readers can look forward to similar hints in this novel.

"The Fury" unfolds as a slow-burn thriller, showcasing a predictable plot and a cast of wholly unlikable characters. While the pacing may not suit everyone, those who appreciate character-driven narratives may find intrigue in the intricate web of relationships and motivations.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced release copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you are bothered by books that break the fourth wall, this is not for you. It really worked for me in this book. This felt like a classic whodunnit with self absorbed characters and little nuggets of info revealed steadily throughout. Short chapters helped to keep it fast paced and quick to read. In true Alex Michaelides fashion, this book has twist after twist, making the ending unpredictable. I loved that the majority of the story took place on an island paradise in Greece. There was a little gift for us repeat readers of this author in the epilogue. There were some far fetched parts which brought it from a 4 to a 3.5 for me, but it kept my attention throughout.

A twisty locked door thriller by one of the masters of the genre. A famous actress invites her friends to join her on a private Greek Island for Easter, included in this friend group is the narrator of the tale, Elliot Chase. From page one it is evident that this book isn't going to be like other books with Elliott's spin on the weekend catastrophe. As the story goes on the twists and turns of misdirection leave the reader feeling a little whiplashed but still entertained. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the ebook for an honest review.

Many thanks to Celadon Books for this digital ARC book, "The Fury" by Alex Michaelides. This thriller will be released January 16th, 2024 and readers are going to really enjoy this book.

Happy New Year! This 4/5 star book was my first read of 2024. "The Fury" was a great way to kick off my reading this year, it was a very entertaining read for me. As an avid world traveler, I absolutely loved the dual settings of England and Greece. The book reminds me of an Agatha Christie suspense, or a good old fashioned game of Clue! Dealing with common themes of: love, hate, money, infidelity, deception, betrayal, jealousy, and finally murder. A very good 'who-done-it' where seven adults travel together and one ends up dead.

When American Superstar Lana Farrar invites six of the closest people in her life to her private island in Greece, she envisioned escaping the dismal British weather, in search of fun, sunshine, blue-skies, and beautiful beaches. Well, she may have had a few other ulterior motives too, but we won't get into those here. At any rate, she never imagined things would go so horribly wrong. Were the raging winds known as 'The Fury' partially responsible for the final murderous night among friends? "The Fury was relentless, slashing our faces, hurling sand at us, screaming in our eyes, shoving us off balance every chance it got."

Seven adults on Aura Island, Lana's private island estate, all with their unique reasons to commit mortal sin. Was the murderer the famous American starlet, the second husband of the superstar, the best friend ,the adult son of Lana, the mostly washed-up British theater actress, the Greek island caretaker or Lana's Greek personal assistant/housekeeper? The mystery is finally revealed in the end, layer by layer, by the narrator in a unique and interesting way. The ending was nicely wrapped up with no real explanations left unsaid, which is important for me.

This book will have you questioning how close are your closest friends? Do your friends really tell you the truth, or do they just tell you what they think you want to hear? Are love and hate closer emotions than we like to think? "This is a tale of murder, or maybe that's not quite true. At its heart, its a love story, isn't it? The saddest kind of love, the death of love." (Quote from Elliot Chase in "The Fury" by A. Michealides).

Make sure to find out for yourself how this suspense unfolds. A nice easy, quick read. I really enjoyed it and always look forward to reading more from Alex Michealides. Thank you Celadon Books, and NetGalley for this opportunity to give an honest review of this eARC.

This is now the second Alex Michaelides book I've read (the first was the Maidens), and while I definitely enjoyed this one more, there are still some things that irk me about it.

Firstly, Michaelides takes a particular tone in his writing that I think is best described as arrogant. In this particular case, it does make some sense with the narrative device, but you can't help but feel as if you're reading something that wants to be good and important, rather than something that actually is.

The second thing that irritated me is that while this book is a pseudo-thriller, the author spends an inordinate amount of time reminding the reader that this is 'not like other thrillers'. Repeatedly. And spoiler alert...it is. Again, this almost makes sense with the style of the narration but like...it's still annoying.

The actual plot was interesting and it was a very quick read, but I just can't say that I enjoyed it.

I am 0 for 2 so far this year. 😕

I knew going in I wasn't going to have another The Silent Patient on my hands. The reviews were too mixed already. But I had faith I would at least enjoy it and hoped I would more than the author's previous book, The Maidens. I think story/plot wise it was better for me. We do get a crazy twist at the end.

My main issue with this book was the writing style and the narrator's perspective throughout the story. I didn't care for how this book was written. We have a classic whodunit or has this book calls it a "whydunit" and it is all told from one person, Elliott, and his diary entries. He is the omniscient voice leading the reader along through this closed door murder mystery and I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was told from multiple POVs or just written in a traditional sense.

It's not an overly long book, which allowed me to not become too disheartened to finish and for the first half it felt like an okay read. Unfortunately, we get sidetracked in Act 3 and veer off into Elliott's childhood. It makes sense why as we continue, but I started losing what little interest I had at this point. I was just read to push through and finish so I could find out who actually committed the murder. Once we get back to present time and the island, the pacing picks up thankfully and like I said we do get a twisty ending and clever reference to the book we have all come to love by this author. 😉 But all in all, I won't be readily recommending this one sadly.


**Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy of this book and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I am posting this review to my Goodreads account immediately and will post it to my Amazon & Instagram accounts upon publication.