I am not much of a mystery/thriller reader, in fact, I mostly read romance and cozy fantasy, but this was a really fun "out of my comfort zone" read!

I was familiar with the author because of The Silent Patient, but I did not know I was getting into a Glass Onion - esque mystery set on a Greek Island. There were constant twist and turns and surprises, and I really love to read books with an unreliable narrator.

I will say, there are two negatives for me - I like a mystery where if you're paying enough attention, you can guess the twist, but I don't think that's possible here. Additionally, some of the characters felt a little flat, however, that could be purposeful because of the way the narrator views them himself.

I definitely imagine a TON of bookclubs picking this up in 2024, and I think they'll really enjoy it! Thank you to #NetGalley and #CeladonBooks for giving me an ARC of The Fury!

In Alex Michaelides' latest novel, The Fury, a masterfully paced thriller unfolds on a private Greek island, where reclusive ex–movie star Lana Farrar's Easter retreat with famous friends takes a dark turn. Narrated by the enigmatic Elliot Chase, the story transcends genres, seamlessly blending Greek tragedy, love, mystery, and intellectual stimulation. The murder that occurs amidst the island's harsh weather conditions leaves the friends marooned, realizing the killer must be among them. Michaelides skillfully transitions between genres, from complex melodrama to psychological mystery, culminating in a heart-stopping thriller. Elliot's unreliable narration adds intrigue, and the Agatha Christie-esque murder mystery, rich in twists, unfolds against an atmospheric Greek backdrop. The Fury is a satisfying and compelling read, showcasing Michaelides' storytelling prowess and ability to deliver a multifaceted narrative that captivates readers from start to finish.

Thank you NetGalley and celadon books for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved the silent patient but this book I struggled with. The plot was slow and I think there was a lot of potential but this didn’t meet it for me.

Greek gothic, with the wind/ weather being so personified, blowing an ominous tone through the course of the story and lending its nickname the title itself.

I saw previous mention this to be a slow burn but I tore through it. The unique unreliable narration, now what I consider to be a hallmark of Michaelides writing, drove the story as well as the suspense did. I found it to unpredictable and uniquely crafted, another 5 star from one of my favorites!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. This one was just mediocre to me I really disliked the way the story was told from someone else’s point of view. I disliked the way they skipped around and got ahead of themselves when telling the story just to go back and correct themselves. Seems like a lot of unnecessary words just for the sake of filling up space. Altogether I just didn’t enjoy this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon books for an ARC. I was so excited for this book because silent patient was such a good thriller and his second book was just meh so I thought this would be his redemption. After finishing this, I’m disappointed.

The main character, Elliot, is an extremely unreliable narrator and seems like he has so much beneath the surface but it’s barely revealed and just feels like there’s so much character building missing. All the other characters could have used some more character building, as well. I didn’t feel connected to any of them when reading.

The tone of the story is as if Elliot is talking to the reader and it is great, but the excitement and twists are missing. I finished this book feeling disappointed. There is also a spoiler for silent patient so I hope no one reads this first and ruins an amazing thriller for themselves.

What to expect:
-unreliable narrator
-jumping timelines
-drama/play references
-chaotic friend group

This book was a wild ride. I love both of Michaelides’s other novels, and it’s safe to say I love this one too. It felt like a fresh take on the classic “murder mystery” with an unreliable narrator taking you through various twists and turns. I really enjoyed the narrator breaking the fourth wall and talking to the reader and that it was broken into different “acts.”

I didn’t care for the characters in the story as much as his other books, and the beginning felt a little bit slow, but I attribute a lot of that to introductions and setting up the story. The second half of the book was very quick and chaotic, and I found myself very invested, mostly due to the well-executed set up in the first half.

This book was suspense perfection. It will surely be a huge hit! Very dark and twisty. It kept me guessing. I loved the narrator. I particularly love character driven books. This story was a perfect mix of plot and character. I’ve had another book by this author on my shelf and will be reading it soon thanks to this book. Thank you NetGalley and celadon books for letting me read this book early!

Alex Michaelides' books seem to generate strong opinions. I have not read The Silent Patient and liked The Maidens. I like The Fury as well.

We hear the story from one narrator and, as expected, things may not all be as they seem. You're not going to find many characters to root for here. I enjoyed the non-linear timeline as a way to reveal the plot twists, although there was probably one too many twists for me. The stucture of the book kept things moving, even without too much plot to drive it forward. I was interested the whole way through.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #CeladonBooks for a free copy of #TheFury by Alex Michaelides. All opinions are my own.

I was kind of disappointed by this one. I loved The Silent Patient (the epilogue of this one gives away The Silent Patient so if you’ve haven’t read that, beware) a few years ago, thought The Maidens was good, but not as good as TSP, and then came this one. It was all over the place - the narration was so slow in the first half but then when the ending came everything seemed to happened all at once. I also didn’t like the kind of yo-yo storytelling or the extremely unreliable narrator. I usually don’t mind an unreliable narrator, but this one just made things confusing. Characters weren’t really likable and the twist was absurd. I was disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for this ARC!

Frenemies, lovers, and friends all on a private Greek island lends itself to a Greek tragedy (the story is even broken up into 5 Acts). All told by one unreliable narrator, there are twists and murders and the story keeps the reader on his/her toes (although some twists are a bit predictable). The story is about a famous retired actress, Lana, her best friends Elliot and Kate, and her husband Jason who has betrayed Lana by sleeping with Kate. All the players (including a few others) have been brought to her private Greek island for a weekend of revenge.

I was so excited to read this one (my daughter and I had been discussing how much we wanted to read it), the Silent Patient is the easiest recommendation to make when people ask for a great book. This one drew me in immediately, I even put down the other book I was reading because I needed to keep going on this one; but I felt let down in the end. I just felt it didn’t deliver the twists I was hoping for. It was entertaining but not the thriller I expected.

I switched between audio and the actual book (actually between the physical and ebook - I went to all three on this one when my kindle died) and the audio was totally engaging and I actually could have done this 100% on audio. But I was hoping for the “wow” twist at the end and it was just a regular one. I will absolutely and excitedly read his next one - I enjoyed the read entirely, I think the Silent Patient just blew me away and I want to be blown away again.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC to review

I enjoyed this book. I liked it more than the maidens and a little less than the silent patient. The twists are a bit predictable if you read a lot of thrillers but overall it’s a fun read

The Fury is definitely a new experience for me! I’ve never read a book that was written in the style of a playwright and I loved it. Our unreliable narrator takes us through a series of events before and after a group of friends travel to a Greek island, said to be haunted and bad luck, all for their own motives. Secluded island, complicated histories, motives for murder, and references throughout to Greek Mythology. What more could you ask for? In typical Michaelides fashion, he will give you a twist you didn’t see coming at the end.


My thoughts on why it’s 3 stars for me -
Told from the perspective of one person, I felt that the characters really lacked depth. We only know the characters through the narrator’s eyes and biases, which is part of the authors intention (I think). It created a sense of lacking and dissatisfaction for me. I think having multiple POVs weaved throughout the book would have made us connect with the other characters more. I felt like I was reading a script (which in a way, I was) and it was before we’d see a group of actors bring these characters to life. I needed more life! With that being said, I will never not want to read books by Michaelides. He is one of my favorites for his new ideas and how each of his books feel so unique.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of “The Fury” in exchange for a review.

If you’re into a solid story with an unreliable narrator, this is for you! I know I’m not alone in saying that The Maidens is as a disappointing follow up to the stellar Silent Patient. While I maintain that you can’t beat Silent Patient, this book was much better than The Maidens! The book was engaging and I flew through it.

Again, it’s got a stellar unreliable narrator as well as good twists. I’d give a solid 3.75 ⭐️

Michaelides is back with The Fury! The Maidens was a bit of a comedown after a tremendous debut with The Silent Patient! The Fury is back to form and a great thriller. The chapters are snappy and short which make it easy to keep going throughout the 5 acts! I enjoyed the format and twists!

The Fury starts off with a slow burn but in the second half destroys everything you think you know ow with some well timed twists and secret revelations. All is not what it seems in this creatively written story of love, betrayal, and murder. I listened to the audiobook and also at times switched to reading the book. I enjoyed the narrator, I was easily able to connect the main character with his voice.

Follow, if you will, a story about Elliot Chase. Our fearless narrator and writer of our story has something he wants us all to hear.

Playwright Elliot Chase is the unreliable narrator of this story, painting for us a tale about a group of friends trapped on a private Greek island dury a Fury.

The story is broken up into acts, making it reminiscent of a play. Fitting for Elliott, as well as for his friends, two of which are also stars in their own right. The biggest of these stars is his best friend, Lana Farrar. What happens on the island is a story to surely have you guessing until the very last page.

For me, this was a very slow burn. It took me a long time to get into. Each act essentially takes you backward in time to see more of the story and everything that takes place as the narrative unfolds, which can, at times, be confusing. The last 20% of the book moves much more quickly in pace and was interesting in how it brought each narrative and character's motivation into the ending. I rounded up from 3.5 stars because despite the slow pace and sometimes meandering narrative, the twists were quite enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and author Alex Michaelides for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Publication date: January 16, 2024

Set primarily on a small private island in Greece, The Fury is the essential thriller with an unreliable narrator. With zero likable characters, and an interesting first person narrative we follow a reclusive ex-movie star and her closest friends and family to spend the East Weekend on her private Greek Island. In the vein of And Then There Were None (which is one of my all time favorites and what hooked me on thrillers at the ripe age of 12), this locked room thriller will keep you guessing and turning pages.

I both listened to and read The Fury. This isn’t my first Alex Jennings audio narration to listen to but his voice just did not fit with the story or the characters in my opinion. I adore audiobooks but even small things can turn me off a book and I would have been better off strictly reading The Fury.

I changed my rating on this book so many times. It was primarily a 2 star until about 50% where the pace picked up and the plot surprised me a bit, then I was all set to give it 4 stars. But the ending was just…blah. While I did have a strong desire to figure out what the heck was happening and where the story was going, rather than enjoying the outcome I just felt exhausted from all the anticipation. In other words not enough payoff to justify the many many false endings.

I will say that I have not been the biggest of Alex Michaelides. While I found The Silent Patient to be slightly better than average, The Maidens tried too hard and was on the more pretentious side of things. The writing in The Fury is more in line with The Maidens and paired with an unlikable/unreliable narrator just left me feeling unattached to the characters and thus the storyline. The added epilogue, while I’m sure intended to add closure, just confirmed as uninterested I ended up being in our narrator’s story.


The Fury comes out January 16, 2024. Huge thank you to Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copies in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.

I am not really sure what to write. This was both one of the most irritating books as well as a clever idea that had too many turns . I was not a fan of the narrator...but I am not sure you are supposed to be. I wasn't a fan of Lana, but also , again, not sure you were supposed to be. Felt a little more like a real stab at being an Agatha Christie book bit I don't know. I did read it fairly quickly, I didn't enjoy it as much as The silent Patient or The Maidens. though.
I'm going middle of the road 3 stars.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC

I was a big fan of the Silent Patient and (unfortunately) not a fan at all of The Maidens, so I was really curious to see what Mr. Michaelides was going to give us with The Fury. I ended up really enjoying this one and it may be my favorite of all three… I would describe it as a very Glass Onion-esque mystery with a Nick Caraway-ish narrator, but if Nick Caraway was more insane and also a playwright.

The Fury’s narrator, Elliot, is the most unreliable of unreliable narrators, which made for a very twisty plot that peeled back layer after layer until the final reveal at the end. To me, the storytelling style was very immersive and different from any other book I’ve read. Elliot often breaks the fourth wall and seems to be trying to convince the reader, or himself, of what exactly happened.

From the beginning, Elliot tells the readers that this book is less of a “whodunnit” and more of a “whydunnit.” I think, if you’re a very avid thriller/mystery reader, the twist of this book is not going to knock your socks off or anything. However, I did think it was very satisfying to slowly spiral deeper and deeper into the story and to find out the ending the narrator finally feels ready to say it.

I was definitely entertained, which is really all I ask for of murder mysteries, so 4 stars! Also thank you Celadon for the galley :)!