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!

I was blown away by the originality and creativity of this novel! I was a little bit skeptical before starting this book, because I adored this author's debut novel, The Silent Patient, which is probably one of my top five favorite thrillers. However, I was not impressed by his next novel, The Maidens, and thought it was just ok.

In The Fury, the unreliable narrator, the cynical playwright Elliot, tells the story of his friends Lana and Kate, and his trip with them to Lana's private Greek Island, along with Lana's second husband, Jason, her 17-year-old son, Leo, and two of her devoted employees. As if he is reading from one of his own screenplays, Elliot tells the reader what he wants you to know about the past, the present, and....the murder. Creatively crafted, we learn of the lives of these characters, their hopes and dreams, their lies and deceits, their guilt and their innocence, as well as their motives and opportunity for murder.

Other than a slow beginning and mostly unlikable characters, The Fury is a first rate, twisty suspenseful thriller.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of The Fury!
4⭐️

What a bunch of unlikable characters! Truly, I don’t think there is one character in this bunch that I rooted for throughout the course of this story, except maybe Lana at the very end. This story follows Lana, and ex-movie star, and her group of friends/family who make a small getaway to her private Greek island for a break. No one truly likes each other, everyone has a reason to kill someone, and by the end of the trip, someone ends up dead. But who and how. The narrator is completely unreliable, so it’s a mystery until the very end.

This is my new favorite of Alex Michaelides books. The Maidens was blah, and I’m in the minority of those who didn’t care for the ending of The Silent Patient. This one is solid though, and I’d recommend it, especially if you enjoyed Michaelides’ other books!

Mini Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- This was my second to last book of 2023 and what a way to end the year! I immediately revised my list to put this in my top 10. This has everything I love in a good thriller: sassy unreliable narrator who breaks the 4th wall, beautiful destination, and an awful group of characters who want someone from everyone. Overall This was an addicting read I flew through it in 24 hours, when I wasn’t reading I was thinking about it. ♥️
*

First, I would like to say thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and Alex Michaelides for the ARC of The Fury! I was floored when I got approved for this, as his other 2 books are some of my favorite thrillers. Now, for the review. *I will keep plot spoilers out until after its published*

Elliot has a story he wants you to hear, and quite a story it is. It involves a Greek Island on Easter, murder, and at the heart of his story, love...or what he thinks is his version of love. Elliots cast of characters in his story involves Lana, Leo, Jason, and Kate. Nothing is what it seems in his story, either. I absolutely loved it. It has twist after twist, right until the very end. It was very fast paced (for me, personally). I loved the isolated cut off from everyone else and there's probably a crazed killer trope, it's one of my favorite sub-genres. There are time skips in this. There is also an unreliable narrator which usually doesn't work for me, but I just wanted to hear more and more about Elliots messy life. I also loved the tie-ins to his two other previous books, I was eagerly waiting for it! If you haven't read his other books first you should probably start with The Silent Patient, then, The Maidens, and finally this one. Again, thank you for this ARC!

I had such high hopes for this book. It started out promising: Greece, remote island, a murder. However, I never got sucked in like I hoped. Were there twists and turns like I envisioned? Yes, although completely different than anything I expected. Was I captivated? No, unfortunately this was not the page turned I had hoped for.
Overall was my least favorite book by this author.
Thank you netgalley for the ARC!

I’ve never DNF a book before but I think it’s time

I was super disappointed by this one, I devoured “The Silent Patient” and was expecting something that would blow me away like TSP but this did not.

I only read up to 23% and I was simply bored! The pacing was too slow, the characters were super unlikeable and just dull.

Elliot gave me Nick Carraway vibes from “The Great Gatsby” but even his narration still could not keep me entertained and wanting to read more.

Maybe I’ll eventually come back to it in the future!

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!

This is one of the best books I’ve read in a very long time. The never ending plot twists were incredible and the (mostly) single person narrative felt like it was from multiple perspectives and timelines because of all the twists and turns and unknowingness of the narrator. Can’t wait for the next one

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon Books for the ARC! I am a fan of this author, love his writing style and am happy this one stayed true to his style. I liked the concept and story a lot- a murder mystery told by a very interesting narrator. The different acts and twists kept me guessing until the very end! It also reads super quickly and I really like that in a thriller. A great next novel for Michaelides!

I was excited to hear that this author was coming out with another book. I really enjoyed Silent patient for its twists and turns and character development throughout the story. I enjoyed this newest one for it kept me interested, kept me guessing what was in store for me as I continued to read. Yet another blockbuster that I highly recommend.