Alex Michaelides once again offers twists, turns, drama, theatre, mystery, Hollywood, and an unforgettable island told by narrator Elliot as an unreliable narrator, as identified early on. This novel held my attention and left me second guessing up to the end. The audio version was well done!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was very challenging to read, the unreliable narrator, the jumping back and forth and was chaotic and confusing.

I truly enjoyed this audiobook. This novel did not compare to "Silent Patient", However, on its own it was very interesting, unpredictable, and had multiple twists and turns.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC.
#MacmillanAudio, #NetGalley

What a great audiobook! The narration by Alex Jennings is outstanding. It was a slow start. (Here’s a tip—I usually listen to audiobooks at 1.2 or 1.5x speed. Stick to normal speed for this one.) Once I slowed down the speed and really started to listen, I was sucked in and listened every spare minute until it was over. Stick with it, and I promise you will enjoy it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A modern-day Greek tragedy is set to occur on a private Greek island. There are rich people, famous people, and everyday people. Love, lust, envy, and hatred collide to create a storm of murder and terror. Welcome to The Fury.

Alex Michaelides is one of my favorite authors because he combines a love for things he knows (psychology, theater) with a deep love for Golden Age detectives and Greek tragedy to write perfectly taut, unique, exciting novels. This was no exception.

This was absolutely a thriller unlike any I’ve ever read, and I loved it. I struggled in the beginning, but I think it was due to the audio (which I believe they updated and the new version is better), and when I went to the physical copy it was much better that way. A locked room thriller that flashes back to events leading up to the night of the murder, it was told from the viewpoint of Elliot Chase, an extremely unreliable narrator, admittedly so. I loved the format of this one and the narrator was great, this was quite the entertaining read. It is a little slow to start but I definitely recommend this overall.

Thank you to Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for the copies to review.

So…okay…this was just…well…not that great. The structure is one used by so many thriller authors these days - let’s call it the onion approach. You know, when a narrator relates the story and then they relate it again but from a different perspective or because they reveal the first time they told it it was a lie. This happens five times in The Fury. FIVE TIMES. This book is basically the same story, told in five different ways…until you get to the inevitable ending which …I predicted from chapter one. I’m not boasting here. I wish I hadn’t been able to do that. This onion approach to storytelling can be very powerful and compelling but the key to it working is that the first time the story is told a strong bond between reader and character is built. The Fury doesn’t fail to do that, it makes a conscious effort not to do that. The narrator is completely isolated even as he speaks with you or interacts with other characters on the page. That removedness is intentional and it also doesn’t work in an onion of a novel. Not for this reader anyhow. Additionally, and without much detail because spoilers…the presence/idea/incarnation/reality/manifestation or what-have-you of “The Fury” was way under developed and then when it gets pulled out it just feels like an afterthought even though, using all my spidey-skills, and decades of reading student writing, I can clearly see that this whole novel was born of a setting and “The Fury”…but Michaelides let that slip away through the drafting process to center something else that would have been powerful and surprising if left off center, centered it just feels like an albatross. I know that’s cryptic but I don’t want to ruin anything. That other foundational idea though…the setting…he knocks it out of the park. The setting is a living, breathing entity - as much a character as any of the people. The development of the setting is this book’s shining star. I didn’t not enjoy myself with this book but it was just a do do read that I could pick up and put down without every feeling a pull back to it. I could easily have DNFd this out of simple nonchalance.

I was excited for another slow burn from Michaelides, though at times this one just feels slow. Such a great premise for a locked-room murder mystery on a private island, and the narrator was amazing, but I didn't ever get a real feel for Elliot and the other characters with the convoluted, unreliable narration of Elliot's character which hops around in reality and make-believe a little too much, though it becomes evident why at the end. 3.5 stars and I will still recommend this book to fans of Michaelides and mystery-lovers. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the early listen in exchange for my honest opinions.

I expected to love this book. I did love the narration. But I found the story slow, the characters unlikeable. The twists anticlimactic. I did appreciate the clever unfolding of the story into multiple layers of truths. This was not a bad book. It was just overhyped to be something that, for me, it was not.

Well. This book has a few twists and turns along the way. It’s about how Elliot loves his best friend who married someone he does not like. He feels that her now husband is not worthy of her. So Elliot writes a play for her and him to act out to get her husband to leave his mistress and admit he is cheating on her, all while Elliot plants on her husbands mistress to kill the husband. It is a well written well played out play until Elliot’s friend discovers what the play he is writing in tails. So she decides to write a play within his play that Elliot is not aware of.

Poor Elliot feels so betrayed the same way his friend does when the truth comes out to what she did that he becomes the character from his play the kills his love.

Reading Between the Wines book review #5/130 for 2024:
Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: The Fury
Author: Alex Michaelides
Available now!

Sipping thoughts: Alex, Alex, Alex! How do you come up with these different types of novels?! In this book, Elliot is the narrator who takes you through a tale of love, lust, lies, betrayal and murder. Nothing is like it seems but it is also a little predictable. I enjoyed this book but not as much as his other books.

Cheers and thank you to @MacmillanAudio and @Netgalley for an advanced copy of @TheFury.

#TheFury #AlexMichaelides #MacmillanAudio #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

The first half was dull. The point of view is from Elliot and he is a very unlikable character from the beginning to end. I could not focus at all. I wanted to quit but I kept on and the second half started to pick up and the twists and turns came. The narrator was okay mostly but there were some scenes where I could not tell who was talking - he did not have distinct voices for everyone. But overall, this was a slow-burn thriller, keep at it and you will enjoy it.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced audiobook copy.

Wow. This was a pretty good book. So, I DNFed the Silent Patient about 20% in and now I wonder if I should have stuck it out, because this book from the same author takes a while to get going, but once it does, it takes you on a rollercoaster with loopty loops and huge drops. It just takes a minute to climb up that first largest incline.

I did love this book once it got going but I gave it one star less because the ending wasn't for me. Maybe for others but it felt a bit like a let down for me. I wanted something bigger, more shiny as the ending. It left me personally with a feeling of morosity.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys unreliable narrators which seems like a large theme in books lately. I would also recommend this to people who enjoy thrillers. I don't know if people who enjoy figuring out who done it would like this book because the unreliable narration lends to that not happening in my opinion.

The narrator was excellent. He kept the pacing of the book really well with the right amount of pause and I also think he took on the character he was narrating as well so that he was a believable Elliot.

Elliot Chase tells us the story of a murder that occurs when reclusive ex-movie star, Lana Farrar, invites her famous friends to a Greek island. Can we trust Elliot’s version of events to be accurate or is he an unreliable narrator?

Alex Jennings did a great job voicing Elliot Chase and was the main reason I wanted to keep listening to find out what happened next. The story is told in acts kind of like a play. I enjoyed the first two acts and then it slowed down in the middle for me. The last act and the epilogue tied it all together nicely and were once again very enjoyable. I think what was lacking for me overall was a connection to the characters. I didn’t feel like I truly cared about any of them, including our narrator, Elliot. Overall, it was a decent read. I would give it 3/5 stars. I highly recommend the audiobook to anyone interested in this one!

Contrary to some reviews describing The Fury as a slow burn, my experience, perhaps enhanced by listening to an eight hour audiobook at 1.25 speed with a captivating narrator, was riveting from start to finish. Having rated all three books by Alex Michaelidis five stars is remarkable for me. The narrator of "The Fury" was perfect, breaking the fourth wall by narrating in a second person point of view, addressing the reader as "you." Consuming this as an audiobook felt like a person you just met at a bar buying you a drink and sharing a captivating, crazy story. Despite not knowing if the narrator is reliable, the intrigue remains. The murder on an island involving an ex-movie star, one of the world's most famous people, adds an exciting dimension. The unique perspective of an unsettling narrator who involves the reader so deeply that you feel part of the plot is commendable. The narrator even outlines red herrings, echoing your thoughts.The portrayal of flawed, complex characters, though unlikable, is appreciated for its execution. Likability isn't necessary if done well. Additionally, the nod to " The Silent Patient and "The Maidens" adds an extra layer for those familiar with these works. If you know, you know. 😋 I highly recommend this book!

This was such a fun twist on the locked-room suspense thriller! Very Agatha Christie-like in both writing and atmosphere, although from the start we are assured this is not a "whodunnit" but rather a "whydunnit". A character study of sorts. The slower paced yet meticulously crafted plot had me gripped from the beginning.

Meet Elliot Chase, the narrator of this twisted mystery. He alludes to a murder having been committed on his best friend Lana's Greek island as he begins his story. The small cast of characters are introduced in sequence - Lana Farrar, the aging beautiful wealthy ex-moviestar (think Ginger from Gilligan's Island), Jason, her second husband, Leo her young adult son, Kate, her younger best friend and a somewhat emotionally unstable actress, Agathi, her most trusting personal assistant and confidant and Nikos, her island caretaker.

This group becomes the focus of Elliott 's tale as he weaves in and out of past and present timelines. The reader is taken on a twisty journey of sorts that feels much like cat and mouse games.

I will admit I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. The building suspense, the twists and turns, the unreliable narrator...it all came together and led to the perfect ending.

The audio performance was well acted with the narrator bringing Elliitt's character to life.

A gracious thank you to @MacMillanAudio and @Netgalley for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic thriller! I love the unreliable narrator and nonlinear story line. This was a thriller unlike any I’ve ever read and the twists kept coming up until the very end. Can’t wait to read more of Alex Michaelides.

I was provided an audio ARC of this book via Netgalley and Macmillan Audio, all opinions are my own.

The narrator was very good. The pacing of the audiobook was excellent and the narrator does a good job voicing each one of the characters.

This book was really interesting. The pacing was good and I liked the way the story was told. I was hesitant to pick this up as I haven't read The Silent Patient and I didn't love The Maidens. The cover kept calling to me and I'm so glad I took a chance on this. I ended up really enjoying it! This is going to be hard to review without giving spoilers, but I will do my best.

This was an interesting whydunit mystery. It is told from the perspective of Elliot Chase, and as the story progresses you quickly realize he is a very unreliable narrator. His tale of what happened that night on the Greek island owned by his best friend Lana, continues to morph and change as he tells his tale. The way this is told is certainly unique. The story is told in parts similar to a play, which after reading the book the structure makes more sense. As each act unfolds we learn more about Elliot and more about what really happened or didn't happen on the island. We get closer to finding out who the murderer is and what their motivations really were. I feel like to say anything more would spoil the book.

This book isn't going to be for everyone. The way this is told from Elliot's perspective and the way he tells the story is not going to appeal to every reader. I actually enjoyed it, but it will not be to every reader's taste. Unreliable narrators can be hit or miss for me, but it really worked well here and the author did a good job. Because the story is told in parts, the timeline isn't straightforward or linear, I'm normally not a fan of that either but again it really works here and the author does a great job filling in the blanks and making it make sense. This is something else that won't be to everyone's liking.

I flew through this one! The unreliable narrator combined with the repeating story kept me a little confused and on my toes trying to figure out what really happened.

Elliott Chase is our narrator, ready to give a tell-all as to how the infamous Lara Farrar was murdered on a remote Greek island. He frequently revisits flashbacks and breaks the fourth wall to make commentary to the reader. The only problem? He may be more storyteller than just telling the story.

I actually loved the way this was presented. It was a fresh take on a thriller where the story restarted several times from the beginning for Elliott to give more context or to correct a few <i>embellished</i> details. He's not a likeable person, but I found myself endeared to him and his grandiose style of narration. The only thing I wasn't fully sold on was the ending and epilogue. I wanted something more concrete, though considering NOTHING in this story is straightforward or concrete, that's probably a big ask.

If you want something that feels original, more literary, and fast paced, then give this one a try!

I also loved the audiobook narration! It sounded great and helped me fly through this one even faster.

4🌟 - I liked it!

I am a huge fan of Alex’s books, and I was so thrilled to receive an early copy!

I really enjoyed the setting in Greece, the slow burn build, and the ending was super strong!

The twists toward the end really kept me hooked! This format was really different compared to his other books , and I liked the little nod to his other books at the end!

Overall, this was an atmospheric and slow-burn twisty read!