Another irresistible and intriguing novel from Alex Michaelides follows movie star Lana Farrar as she takes a last minute trip to her private Greek island. Lana, her husband Jason, son Leo and four close friends are trapped on the remote island when resentment and jealousies build resulting in murder.

The first person narration by Lana’s close friend, Elliot, creates an unreliable narrator who reveals a bit more about each character and their backstory as the novel progresses. The novel is structured into five acts adding to the unique format and unusual addition to the thriller genre. As the stormy island winds build, the tension mounts. Unreciprocated feelings, betrayal and obsessions feed the atmosphere of impending doom. Shocking twists will surprise the reader and just wait til the ending.

The Fury is a suspenseful, disturbing and fast-paced read with a touch of glamor and Greek mythology. It’s the perfect choice for fans of psychological thrillers like Lucy Foley’s The Paris Apartment or B. A. Paris’s Behind Closed Doors.

What a book! It took me on a wild and unexpected ride.

This is my second book by Michaelides and it did not disappoint. I had no idea where the book was headed until the epilogue! How does an author do that? Amazingly he also managed to have me wondering at times ‘how can this book even continue from here?’ And yet, it did.

What I enjoyed most about this book though, it felt like an intimate sharing of information from the main character directly to me. It was just me and Elliot Chase and no one else was let in on the full story.

Would I recommend this book, hell yes! I’d recommend getting yourself a glass of whiskey, and an opportunity to sit and read this book from start to finish. After all, it will be you and Elliot sharing his story and you don’t want to interrupt him.

Thank you to @celadon and @netgally for the opportunity to read and review this book. Thank you to @alex.michaelides for writing an unputdownable and completely enjoyable story.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Alex Michaelides, and Celadon Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

After The Maidens, I promised myself I wouldn't read another book by Michaelides out of sheer self-preservation. Yet here I am because he wrote yet ANOTHER book that sounded just so irresistibly intriguing that I had to pick it up and end up disappointed AGAIN. I get the whole "unreliable narrator" thing is his trope, but I just really, really hate reading about unlikeable white men from first person perspective written by a white man. The world does not need more of that. That is not necessary to tell a good story. The biggest issue I have with this is that there's not even any underlying critique; I could handle reading a story like this if it was satireor critiquing the man, but he just,,,is like this, and that's that. The concept of The Fury is definitely way more flushed out than The Maidens, so I'm glad to see that at least because I did enjoy reading this one more overall. I was able to guess some of the twists while others did catch me off guard, and I can confidently say that you won't be able to guess where the book is going at any given time. That being said, the first 3 acts are pretty slow/repetitive, and it definitely doesn't pick up speed until closer to the end. I think if you enjoy Michaelides' other works, you will like this one, but if you are anything like me, maybe this will finally convince you that you really DON'T need to read his next book.

Elliot Chase is a writer telling the story of a murder on a Greek island that he was involved in. He uses literary references to throw the reader off.

First of all, I loved The Silent Patient and also enjoyed The Maidens. I’m a fan of this author and i quite like how he writes. The short chapters kept me turning the pages and once I got about 75 pages in, I didn’t put the book down at all.

The last sentence was awesome and I loved the epilogue too. Unreliable narrators are hit or miss for me, but I loved learning about Elliot’s past and how it bled into the present. I am the absolute target audience for this and was very pleased with the book. I thought the twists were good and there were just enough, though some of it actually made me sad.

Fully recommend reading this one if you enjoyed the author’s other works. Thank you NetGalley for the eARC and Celadon Books for the print copy.

*Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian Publishers for an advanced copy*

Alex Michaelides' "The Fury" takes readers on a thrilling ride through a murder mystery shrouded in celebrity, past secrets, and ancient Greek myth. The story revolves around a glamorous Easter gathering on a private island, where a web of deceit and resentment leads to a deadly confrontation.

Strengths:

Compelling characters: Michaelides excels at crafting nuanced characters with hidden layers and motives. The guests on the island are a fascinating mix of personalities, each harboring their own secrets and resentments. You'll find yourself questioning everyone, even the seemingly innocent.
Atmospheric setting: The secluded Greek island provides a perfect backdrop for the unfolding drama. Michaelides vividly paints the picture of sun-drenched shores, crashing waves, and the looming presence of ancient ruins, adding a layer of suspense and mystery to the narrative.
Twisty plot: Michaelides is known for his masterfully crafted twists and turns, and "The Fury" doesn't disappoint. The story keeps you guessing until the very end, throwing red herrings and revelations that will leave you gasping.
Engaging writing style: Michaelides' prose is smooth and captivating, drawing you into the story and making the pages turn quickly. He has a knack for creating a sense of urgency and anticipation that will keep you up all night.
Areas for improvement:

Predictability of some twists: While some twists are genuinely shocking, others might feel a little predictable, especially for readers familiar with Michaelides' work.
Occasional melodramatic dialogue: Some of the dialogue, particularly in emotionally charged scenes, can feel a bit over-the-top and melodramatic.
Reliance on certain tropes: The story does rely on some familiar tropes of the locked-room mystery and celebrity drama, which might feel a bit stale for some readers.
Overall:

Despite its few flaws, "The Fury" is a highly entertaining and suspenseful read. Michaelides delivers a gripping story full of twists, turns, and well-developed characters. While it may not reach the heights of his previous works, it's still a solid addition to his repertoire and a great choice for fans of psychological thrillers with a touch of Greek mythology.

Recommendation: If you're looking for a fast-paced, twisty mystery with a touch of glamour and mythological intrigue, "The Fury" is definitely worth checking out. Just be prepared for some familiar tropes and the occasional melodramatic turn.

I hope this four-star review provides a helpful perspective on "The Fury".

This is my most anticipated read of January and I am excited to say that it lived up to the hype for me! Alex Michaelides is one of my favorite authors and I always look forward to his new books.

This book has the ultimate unreliable narrator, Elliott. He was quite interesting, and I loved his character. He was a beautiful mess, and it was a lot of fun. I loved that it was told from the first person, so we got to hear his perspective. It made it feel that much more real to me.

The setting was fun, an isolated Greek island. I am always a fan of isolated locations, and this one just worked. It seemed gorgeous and just the perfect location for the story to play out. There was a part at the end with the police that was a little off, but the rest of the book worked that I didn’t think too hard on it.

The pacing was a little slow in the beginning but to me it was the world building. It wasn’t a bad slow, or one that annoyed me, rather, it was a slow that pulled me into the story and grabbed my interest so I would stay engaged throughout. The good kind of slow, that you know will pay off later in the book, and boy did it.

loved the twist at the end and how it wrapped up, to me this book had a wonderful ending and I would only change one minor thing but it was fun to see how everything came to fruition.

Thank you so much to Celadon Books, @celadonbooks for both the e-arc and the physical copy of this one and Netgalley @netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

A copy of this review will be published on my blog, speedreadstagram.com on January 16, 2024

A masterful thriller about an ex–movie star and her friends, whose spontaneous trip to a private Greek island ends in murder. The Fury was a fun twisty ride exploring themes of twisted love, human cruelty, and deception to the very unforgettable end. There’s a good reason this book is on so many anticipated release lists for 2024.
Thanks to Netgalley and Celadon for the advance copy.

Alex Michaelides is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. This book was amazing and kept me reading. The characters were a mix of likeable and unlikable--I really didn't know who I liked at some points which is a great thing as an author to do!

When I saw Alex Michaelides wrote a new book I was thrilled. I’ve loved his two previous books and couldn’t wait to read The Fury. Unfortunately this book was not what I wanted it to be. I didn’t enjoy the writing, the story, or the characters. While I typically enjoy his plot twists here they get too predictable and didn’t work with the story. I’m hoping other readers enjoy it more and maybe this was just a me thing.

Thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

I fell in love with Alex Michaelides when I read The Maidens on a whim. Very soon after, I picked up The Silent Patient and tore through it as well. I was thrilled to reach an advanced copy of his newest book and it did not disappoint. I had no idea what to expect and was blown away by the twists and turns it took. The combination of an unreliable narrator with an isolated locale made for a perfectly paced thriller. The ending had a fun nod to his backlist. I can't wait for others to pick this one up, you're in for a twisty ride! Highly recommend.

The novel is beautifully written and so unique in the way the author is presenting it. I love POV and the narrators voice

The Fury was a compelling read. It's the story of actress Lana Farrar and Elliot Chase who met and fell in love with her. Her first husband, Otto, had purchased a Greek island for her. They named it Aura. As it turns out, her second husband, Jason, was a crook. He wanted her for her money. Lana met him through her friend Kate, who had been dating him. After they married, Kate had an affair with him.

Elliott grew up in foster care. When he escaped, he met a woman, Barbara West who was an author. And she was evil. He moved in with her. She did everything in her power to make his life miserable and to humiliate him. But once he met and fell in love with Lana, he spent every spare moment with her and the things that Barbara did to him were of no consequence. The very worst thing that Barbara did was going to Lana and poisoning her against Elliot. Initially, Lana didn't believe her.

Once Lana learned of Jason and Katie's affair, she went to Elliott to cry on his shoulder. That night they plotted against them. Elliot wrote a play whereby Lana would be allegedly shot and killed. They got her son, Leo, to play a leading role. The plan was to accuse Jason of the murder. All of this was to happen on Aura. So Lana got Jason and Kate to agree to go to the island along with her and Elliot. Everything went as planned, but then when Lana's assistant, Agathi saw her apparently dead, she went into hysterics. Elliot was there and he told her not to worry, that Lana wasn't really dead. And then Lana sat up and Agathi freaked out and fled. Lana got and chase her.

It seems that the night Lana went to Elliott's house to cry the blues, they drank too much and they both passed out. Lana woke up before Elliot. Elliott had passed out on his desk with his notebook laying open. Lana read his notebook and she found all of his notes about Kate and Jason's affair along with his musings about her. This unsettled her. So she went to Kate to tell her what she had read. She also told Kate about the story they had come up with. So the two of them created their own scenario to get back at Elliott.

As I said earlier, this story was compelling and it kept me coming back for more. Elliott wrote it in first person and there was a twist ending, which I loved. I thought he did a fine job developing the characters. The only thing about the plot that confused me was when the police came to the island. There was very little about them and they didn't seem to fit in to the story very well. Other than that, I really enjoyed the book. I gave it five stars.

DNF at like 8%. After this and the one star The Maidens I will not be reading from this dude again.

The writing of this is so bad and annoying. The frame narrative is stupid and boring and should not have been included at all imo. The narrator is also annoying and is a slog to read from. They’re constantly breaking the fourth wall and teasing the reader about their identity and being chummy. It is truly a horrid reading experience, no matter how interesting the plot is.

I found it a really poor mimicry of the voice of Clarissa in Mrs Dalloway but in first person and wayyyyyy more annoying to read from (sorry Ginny I love you).

I absolutely adored the other two books by Michaelides and was so excited to receive this ARC! The narration is way different than the other two novels- which was a fun welcome change even if it took some getting used to! I had a bit of difficulty with the tense switches between first and third- especially when the established narrator wasn't present for some scenes that we received great detail on. This all wrapped dup neatly with the final section and epilogue- where you get a bit more information which makes this more plausible to you. I thoroughly enjoyed each character being a polar opposite of another and seeing all these personalities play out. You are definitely in for a treat with this novel- it truly keeps you guessing and on the edge of your seat until the final page!

I think lately I’ve read too many books where the narrator speaks directly to the reader. It was clever the first time. Maybe if I had read this book before the others I would be amazed. Great character development though!!

Thank you NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I think it's important to preface that I don't normally read thrillers and I've never read The Silent Patient.

This is a tale of murder.
Or maybe that’s not quite true. At its heart, it’s a love story, isn’t it?
My name is Elliot Chase, and I’m going to tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard.

This story was a struggle to get into. During the first half of the book, I really had a hard time paying attention. The narrator continuously reiterates that this story is "unlike any you've ever heard", so I was expecting something big. That is not what I got.

There were moments that I really enjoyed, but I honestly don't think I will ever think about this book again. On another topic, I will be reading The Silent Patient.

This was an exciting book that took several twists & turns. I thought it had the prefect amount of characters and I loved the island setting.

I definitely will recommend to readers who have loved Michaelides previous works.I love the premise of a thriller on an isolated location. It reminded me a more grownup The Guestlist. This is my favorite work by Michaelides and I can't wait to read more!

I love a locked room (or in this case island) mystery so I was excited to read this book. I've read Michaelides' other works and found The Fury to be a good accompaniment. While I appreciate a call-back to characters in other books, I felt the mention of Theo at the end was out of place and might confuse a reader who does not have the background of the author's other books. I thought character development and motivation was thought out for most characters, but Leo fell a little flat. We do not really know why Leo wants to be an actor so badly, but we do know that he wants it so bad he would participate in a murder plot just for the opportunity to act. The length of the book was appropriate but I felt it could have done without the multiple instances of "imagined this happened.." where we get a few pages of writing of something that never happened and has no further meaning or relevance to the story, especially the made-up police coming to the island. While it does help prove the unreliability of the narrator, it provides nothing else and makes the story confusing and hard to follow.

Way too slow of a thriller. I ended up skimming to finish it. I enjoy other Michaelides books but this one didn’t do it for me