3 stars. Alex Michaelides has been hit or miss for me and this one didn’t quite resonate as well. I didn’t mind the slow pacing in the beginning. I was invested in the story but wasn’t a huge fan of the way the story would climax and then more or less rewind to fill you in on some detail. I also, generally, don’t vibe well with the “it could have happened like this..” subplots. They just felt a bit unnecessary.

The twists definitely lean into the realm of implausibility. Honestly, by the end I disliked virtually all of the characters.

Regardless, this was still a quick read for me and likely will be a hit with those who love their twists.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I had high hopes for The Fury, by Alex Michaelides. I absolutely love The Maidens. I think The Fury is a solid thriller, but I do not overly enjoy the unreliable narrator bit. The Fury did feel like an Agatha Christie novel with a modern twist, which is always nostalgically pleasing. I don't like getting to know the narrator and then finding out that he's really a twisted, evil person. It was well-written, and I think I'll recommend it because I want to know what my friends think of the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Alex Michaelides once again proves his prodigious talent for captivating the reader. Whether the teller of this tale set out to include jaw dropping twists or not, there are true Michaelides worthy surprises in this book that is sure to be a bestselling beach read. The first names used for the starlets in this tale immediately bring to mind past real-life big names to mind back in the day, you cannot help but picture the famous women as having starring roles in this story, which makes the reading even MORE enjoyable.

I had a blast reading this book, and I consider it an honor to be able to obtain an advanced copy for review purposes.

Alex Michaelides hits a home run every time he releases a book and symbolically "steps into the batter box".

This has a similar narrative style of Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone with the narrator talking to the reader directly and feels like Agatha Christie stories with the locked room mystery.

The first chapter is excellent and pulls you in immediately. It is very atmospheric, taking place mostly on a remote island off Greece. A group of friends are on a getaway to a private Greek island and one ends up murdered. The story is told in five acts with some sort of cliffhanger at the end of each section. The story is well paced with a lot of build up and has a fun ending payoff. But overall, I’m not sure how I feel about the ending.

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2024 and I enjoyed it! I preferred this book over The Maidens but it still can’t beat The Silent Patient for me.

Alex Michaelides does it again with another crazy book from start to finish. But what made this book so intriguing was the fact that it was sooo different. Clever is the right word for this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the layout of this book, as it was told like someone was telling you a story. And to make it better, it explores a “whydunit” format hitting on self reflection of past/present experiences. The setting (a secluded greek island) and all the characters brought this book to another level. This book was easy to read and hard to put down!

Be sure to add this book to your 2024 TBR- coming out in January! This is a hot thriller and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for sending this e-book in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to Celadon Books for this advanced copy.

This story unfolds layer by layer at the whim of our unreliable, self-indulgent narrator- who tells us at one point that all great plays come down to three words: motivation, intention, and goal. It is up to you the reader to discover if this has been achieved as you piece together each characters' motivations, intentions, and goals and whether they are altruistic or sinister.

The furies in Ancient Greece were goddesses of vengeance. Someone will find vengeance within this story and the path that leads them there is a path that becomes more twisted as the tale continues.

This was a fantastic read and I would heartily recommend this book to anyone. Well done yet again Alex Michaelides.

The Fury was an unexpected delight. It was quite twisty and unorthodox. The plot was rather slow at first, especially for a thriller and felt like trudging through character building and setup.

Around 50% things picked up nicely and had me hooked. As I have enjoyed his previous works, this book was no different. He has a unique way of twisting the narrative and leaving you feeling a little disoriented. I left this book excited and scratching my head trying to wrap around all the plot twists, in the best way. Not my absolute favorite of his, but it was worth the read and I enjoyed it.

— 4.75 ⚝

thank you to celadon books and macmillan audio for both an arc as well as an alc of this book. all thoughts and opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.

another unputdownable banger from the author of The Silent Patient and The Maidens, Alex Michaelides. holds for applause

he has mastered the art of compelling storytelling and the ability to write a gritty, atmospheric thriller with the most thrilling twists that, even if you see coming, fascinate you. I was not one of The Maiden loving girlies but this here thriller blew me away. This one will grip you and refuse to let go.

the writing was spectacular, almost poetic even. i loved that the book was split into acts like just like a play is. it was almost like a movie playing in front of your eyes and you are but helpless to sit and watch it, absolutely gobsmacked. excellent characterization, in my opinion, especially on the part of the main character, Elliot Chase. So cunning, witty and mysterious. He will definitely be haunting my every dream for weeks to come. Michaelides is definitely a unique voice in the genre of thrillers.

although The Silent Patient remains my favorite, this was an excellent, well rounded thriller that has unparalleled characterization, constant twists and masterful storytelling. the narrator's voice was so unique and nuanced, atleast for me. i am shocked at how much i enjoyed this. definitely a thriller to look out for and pick up in 2024. and you don't even have to wait long because it comes out on the 16th of January. Highly recommend picking up the audiobook, narrated by Alex Jennings. He did a wonderful job.

i've seen a lot of people compare thrillers to the popular, Knives Out. But this one is for the fans of Glass Onion, which i adored.

4.25

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!!

This thriller was truly fantastic and I really enjoyed diving into this world. Like so many others, The Silent Patient remains my favorite psychological thriller of all time. I enjoyed Michaelides' sophomore novel, The Maidens but it wasn't a complete love. The Fury felt like a complete step up and I had a hard time putting down this novel. This book published on January 16th and I highly recommend preordering this one!!

Fantastic literary thriller that reads like a Greek tragedy crossed with Agatha Christie. I was a huge fan of the author's previous books "The Silent Patient" and "The Maidens" but this one is the best of all! This is a mystery told in a very literary style. Our narrator is Elliot Chase and he is the ultimate unreliable narrator. Elliot is a playwright and a very clever, cunning and interesting man. Elliot reminded me of the character Addison DeWitt from "All About Eve" in that he was a smart, witty accomplished man who happened to be in love with a famous actress, one he couldn't get to love him back. In "The Fury", the actress is Lana Fararr, and Lana has invited a select group of people to her private island in Greece and one or more of them may be a murderer.

The Fury describes the furious winds that come up out of nowhere and hit the island but also the fury of a woman scorned, and the fury of love not returned. How these furies appear is a story told in five acts, with each act unraveling the true story bit by bit. We have some delicious characters here: Lana, her seventeen year old son Leo, her husband Jason, best friend Kate, devoted housekeeper Agathi, caretaker Niko and of course our narrator Elliot. I enjoyed the various characters especially Lana who was the opposite of the typical empty headed actress. The story will keep you guessing until the very end and even has some Easter eggs from the previous books. Bravo! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

This is one of those books I was sooo close to loving but I just couldn’t get there. Like so many others, this was one where the premise was better than the execution. I didn’t particularly love the writing style, the narrator was a bit annoying and that style lent to more telling rather than showing. The characters felt one-dimensional as well. The story itself was fine but those things really took away from it for me. Normally I don’t hold thrillers to super high standards because I’m just there for a fun time, but seeing as this was an Alex Michaelides book I expected it to be better.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

Enter the labyrinth of this taunting thriller at your own risk as the author immerses you in a narrative of deceit, vengeance, jealousy and madness. Follow the convoluted path to the climatic conclusion of a murder you know from the very beginning will be committed, but not who the victim will ultimately be.

Highly recommended. Please add it to your to-read list.

Thank you to @netgalley and celadon books for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Elliot Chase, the main character, is friends with Lana, a former actress. Lana owns a private island and invites Elliot as well as a few others there for a holiday. Seven people are on the island and within 48 hours, one of them ends up dead.

I enjoyed this book! I didn’t know what to expect but I remember reading The Silent Patient and was shocked as I read it, this book was similar. This book is set up like a play and broken up into 5 acts. A beautiful setting, past and present storyline and an unreliable narrator makes this story one wild ride.

Wow. Really well done. Enjoyed this one more than The Maidens, a locked door thriller isn’t usually what I go for but I’ll certainly read his next title as well. The Acts are just incredible.

🤯 WOW , just WOW!! Where do I even start, I am afraid my review will do this book no justice .

I feel so lucky to have been gifted a free ARC copy of this read and I will relish in this moment for just a little while longer .

One of the most gripping, smart and edgy reads I've read in a very LONG time and I honestly feel The Fury will be talked about and considered a murder mystery classic for years to come.

"We all stood still for a second , silent. It was a horrifying moment , terrifying - like a climactic scene in a Greek tragedy.
But the tragedy didn't end there. It was just the begging ."

I have never felt so taunted and gaslight by an author EVER!! and I loved every minute of it .

This is story about tragedy and it is told by one narrator which I found refreshing and it starts with the narrator inviting us as the reader to come sit for a moment while he tells us this twisted story . The first main character we meet is the charming and beautiful Lana a retired famous actress , who has invited her friend Kate, her son Leo , husband Jason , her personal house assistant Agathi and her old friend Elliot to her special secluded Greek island ...from here this is where we slowly see the Fury build .

This is great story telling and will truly captivate you with an ending that will completely surprise you !!

Thank you Netgalley and Celadon Books for my early ARC :-)

I have read another book by this author (The Silent Patient) and I liked it a lot. I had high hopes for this book, though I didn't know much about it when I began reading. Unfortunately, I did not like the book. I did not appreciate the writing style and how the author speaks directly to the reader. I didn't like the plot or how the story concluded. Act 3, for me, was terrible and I honestly thought about skipping right over it. I cannot recommend this book, sadly. 1.5 - 2 stars at the most.

Alex Michaelides is the master illusionist - expertly leading us into one trap and then snaring us into another. The surprises pile up rapidly as the story evolves while the pacing and reveals continue to astonish. The unreliability of the narrator becomes a focal point - irritating some readers but enthralling others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read this astonishing ARC.

Alex Michaelides returns with another dynamic thriller in The Fury. The narrator here is Elliot Chase, a writer and friend of Hollywood icon Lana Farrar. Elliot documents a friends trip to Lana's private Greek island, featuring a number of characters, where one member of the group eventually winds up dead. You've probably read a similar story before... and Elliot himself is no stranger to the classics established by Agatha Christie. Throughout the book, Elliot acknowledges the stereotypical structures of the mystery genre... harping on the concept of the "whodunit".... and the prototypical late-chapter twist. Elliot's tongue-in-cheek telling of this murder story, filled with dark humor and sarcasm, may either turn you on or off this book, but for me, I enjoyed the meta-read. I flew through this book faster than The Silent Patient and The Maidens, and appreciated Michaelides' limited nods to Greek mythology here. This is a straightforward mystery-thriller, and put simply, it was a fun read. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

un. put. down. able. alex michaelides does it again. i had so much fun reading the fury. i love his writing, the pacing, the way he effortlessly places you right there amongst the characters. and that ending???!!! just read it. if there is one book you read in 2024, i hope it's this one.

I am so grateful for the arc . I will say I enjoyed the story but the writing style wasn’t my favorite. I think that this book does have an amazing opportunity with the right target market it just wasn’t my all time favorite. Still again I will say the storyline is good .