Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Alex Michaelides for the gifted ARC.

In this masterfully paced thriller, a private getaway on a Greek island takes a dark turn as hidden resentments among friends lead to murder. Narrated by Elliot Chase, the story unveils a game of cat and mouse, revealing motives and secrets until a climactic, unforgettable end. The characters, notably the ex-movie star Lana Farrar, add depth to the suspense. Marketed as a murder mystery, the book's core is a compelling love story, making it a captivating blend of mystery, romance, and suspense. With unexpected twists and rich character dynamics, it's a must-read for thriller enthusiasts.

✔️ Murder mystery
✔️ Unreliable narrator
✔️ Isolated setting
✔️ Unlikeable characters
✔️ Quirky
✔️ Meta
✔️ 2nd person point of view
✔️ Quick read

With this book, you might think you know what’s going on at all times, but you’d be wrong. It’s not only a whodunn𝘪𝘵, but a whodunn𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵, and takes the idea of an unreliable narrator to a whole new level.

This felt a little bit like The Guest List, a little bit like White Lotus, and a little bit like Looking Glass Sound. And despite having aspects of all of these stories, and feeling extraordinarily familiar at first glance, The Fury stands apart because of its bizarre narrative structure. It is written in 2nd person point of view, which isn’t commonly used in much these days beyond short stories, which makes it immediately feel different. Our narrator, Elliot Chase, breaks the fourth wall often, and refers directly to the reader, pulling us into the story and investing us more deeply in its outcome. I would say that if you can enjoy this style of narrative voice, then there’s a good chance you will like this book. If you find it off-putting and can’t get past it, there’s a good chance this won’t be for you. Luckily, I was able to get used to it fairly quickly, and even found it kind of fun when all was said and done.

And although being billed as a psychological thriller, I would say this book is much more of a mystery that has psychological components than a true thriller. The storytelling is not quite as fast paced as you’d expect from a thriller, and the narrator takes his time peeling back the layers of this twisted tale. However, the author compensates for the pacing with short chapters and small reveals sprinkled throughout, always giving you just enough to want to turn the page.

Another aspect I feel deserves mentioning is the tone of this book. Alex Michaelides’ writing always reads a little pretentious to me, but in the case of this book, I think it actually works. The writing fits well with the narrator’s personality, and makes it seem as though the pretentiousness is meant to be a part of his overall character and is not of the writing itself. This pretentiousness even comes across quite playful at times—like he, our narrator, is the cat and you, the reader, are the mouse. I don’t think the same effect could have been achieved had this been a multiple POV book like The Hunting Party or The Guest List, but because there is only the sole narrator this worked in the book’s favor and lended itself well to the vibe.

Thanks so much to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the advanced copies in exchange for an honest review.

Dear Reader, this won't be long -

Upon opening The Fury, whether by opening the book's covers or by clicking your preferred device, be aware that you'll be having a book-long conversation with Elliot Chase. He's charming, witty, wise even. Don't be sucked in. Listen closely, and do stay up. Don't let the spaces between reading and not reading be long. He'll be sure to take good care of you (he knows you've bought the book and so are invested in this tale), although he digresses from time to time. Not that those digressions are unimportant. . .you might want to take a few notes. . .

After this read you might suffer from whiplash, need to strap your jaw back into place, and do something about those tall eyebrows and wide-open eyes. . .

Other than that, happy reading, enjoy with a tasty beverage of your choice. (And don't trust Elliot as far as. . .oh, wait. jk. jk. . . .)

*A sincere thank you to Alex Michaelides, Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review.* #TheFury #NetGalley 52:10

I read the Silent Patient this summer and enjoyed it, so I was excited to give this one a try! It gave very strong Knives Out: Glass Onion vibes. I enjoyed the retrospective view of the events with time jumps recalling different things. The story itself was good.

My one issue was reading from Elliot’s point of view. I didn’t enjoy the character and struggled to connect with him or anyone else as told by him. We’re only introduced to other characters through Elliot, so it’s hard to know what they were actually like, as the narration was skewed. I think the author had an interesting concept and purpose for writing it like that, it just didn’t work for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

𝘼 𝙩𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙮, 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙭-𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧, 𝙨𝙞𝙭 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨, 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙠 𝙞𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙...𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚, 𝙖 𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧.

I’m a diehard Alex Michaelides fan and he’s become an auto-buy author for me - also a favorite author. I just loved his writing and always get pulled into his storytelling.

The Silent Patient was one of my favorite and most shocking thrillers I’ve ever read. I also enjoyed The Maidens, and just like those two, I absolutely loved The Fury.

I listened to the audiobook while following along with the physical copy, which I’m glad I did because the characters can get confusing to remember at first.

The story follows a group and I thought Elliot was the perfect narrator, he was interesting and unreliable. I also loved the Greek island setting, I love how Michaelides references mythology without going overboard.

The format of this book was so unique and twisty. I loved the ending so much, it won me over with plot twist after plot twist. I love this author’s writing so much and his detail in storytelling. The prose was fantastic and the character depth was so well done. It was dark and enjoyable. I can’t wait to see what this author comes out with next.

Addicting, captivating, engaging, and unputdownable, The Fury was another successful story written by Alex Michaelides.

Thank you so much Celadon Books for the physical copy and NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Elliot Chase was transformed the first time he saw Lana Farrar in a film. He found her on-screen presence fascinating and watched all of her movies. Years later, when he had made friends with wealthy and influential people, he was at a party where she made an appearance, and he got the chance to meet her. They became fast friends, and eventually Elliot found himself in her inner circle. So when Lana decided to go to her private Greek island over Easter, Elliot was invited.

Years passed, their friendship cemented through Elliot becoming a successful playwright and Lana getting married. And once again, Elliot finds himself invited to Lana’s island for Easter along with Lana’s husband and son and her best friend Kate, who is taking a break from rehearsals for the latest play she is starring in.

They get settled in on the island, surrounded by beauty, delicious food, and plenty of alcohol. They relax and enjoy themselves, leaving their troubles behind. But Elliot knows the truth about the weekend. Lana has an agenda, a wrong she wants to make right. And there is something he is hoping for as well. But that’s only if everything goes perfectly.

And life rarely goes perfectly.

Before the weekend is over, there will be secrets, betrayals, relationships torn apart, a windstorm so strong that keeps them trapped on the island, and a killer. Who will survive?

Told by Elliot, The Fury goes back and forth through time, the narrative winding through the years of their lives, as the master storyteller slowly doles out just the information he wants his readers to know, when he wants them to know it. Author Alex Michaelides masterfully lets his narrator control the story, giving away more clues than he realizes as he crafts his story.

I listened to The Fury on audio, narrated to perfection by Alex Jennings. Jennings brought Elliot to life, his thoughts, his feelings, his disdain, his arrogance. It all comes through as you listen to Jennings’s pitch-perfect reading of the story. I thought it was the perfect way to enjoy the book.

I was so excited for a new book by Michaelides, because his previous books were so amazing. And I spent much of The Fury being excited and wanting to hear more. However, I was disappointed at the ending. I had figured out who was not going to make it off the island, and I had figured out who the killer was. But I found the specifics of the crime to be disappointing and not as elegant as the rest of the story. It fit with the rest of the book, but after seeing how beautifully Michaelides can write, I thought he could have found a better way to wrap this one up. It’s still a lovely thriller, with ups and downs, twists and turns. It’s just not up to his usual standards.

An early copy of the audio Book for The Fury was provided by Macmillan Audio through NetGalley, with many thanks.

The anticipation for this book was high and I was NOT disappointed!! This story pulled me in immediately by the narrators sing-song voice and emotion that was evident from the very beginning. An unreliable narrator is my favorite kind and this novel was a prime example. Set on an island, intrigue, mystery and wealth are dripping with intrigue and the character driven plot kept me wanting more, but didn’t ever leave me hanging. Mr. Michaelides has a way with words that reminds me of Shakespearean sonnets, but with a sure of mystery and suspense that pulls you in and refuses to let go until you are exhausted. As an avid reader, this novel is everything I wanted it to be and more. If you’re looking for blood, gore and sex, this isn’t the book for you. But, if you want to feel transported to a remote island where Agatha Christie would vacation in order to write her next novel, you found it!! Bravo!!! Please keep writing prose that makes the reader cheer for the characters, fall in love with the characters, hate the characters and feel intense empathy all at the same time. Lana and Elliot will stick with me for some time. Thank you for this wonderful story of intrigue, love and murder.

In his third book, the author changes his style a little and has his main character talk directly to the reader. This is a bold choice and readers will either love it or hate it. Growing up in the days of Ferris Bueller and Ally McBeal, I’m no stranger to this but it might be the first for me in a book. Personally I would’ve appreciated it more if it was used more sporadically.

I found this to be a slow burn mystery where most of the action and twists take place in the last third of the book.

The narrator lulled me into complacency before turning the table and pulling the rug out from the story. While all of it didn’t come as a surprise to me, I was surprised at a bit of it.

Alex Jennings narrated and did a good job of being the sass and swagger to the main character.

While this wasn’t my favorite read of the month, the last third did keep me interested and wondering if any of my guesses were correct. I think fans of The Silent Patient will like this one.

Reading Challenge Category – 2022 52 Book Club: Redo One of This Year’s Prompts with a Different Genre (Starts with the Letter “F”)

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of this work.

A famous ex-movie star is spending the summer on her private Greek island with her husband, friends, and workers. Someone dies. And then everyone else is stuck on the island for the night due to the weather.

I recently watched Knives Out: The Glass Onion, so this felt reminiscent. Knives Out did it much better.

I enjoyed the author’s debut work, The Silent Patient, but didn’t read his sophomore work, “The Maidens.” After reading “The Fury,” I’m not sure if I will. It was very disjointed and slightly difficult to follow towards the end. We find out early that we have an unreliable narrator. This narrator directly addresses the reader throughout, which takes away from the story. There are also moments of seeming omniscience, but when you have a first/second person narrative, this isn’t the POV. Therefore, it makes the experience tumultuous for the reader.

I was bored throughout the majority of the book. The “twist” at the end didn’t make any sense to me at all. It was very far-fetched and then felt rushed after a slow-paced read. There is also a weird callback to The Silent Patient at the end that didn’t make sense either.

2/5 stars.

overall thoughts: this was a QUICK READ, def more plot heavy > character development, & the casual first person narration took a while to get used to (and to be completely honest, it’s not always my favorite when the narrator talks to the reader 😬 I find it a bit lazy at times like I’d rather the author “show me” rather than “tell me,” ya know??)

unfortunately, I don’t think anything will live up to Silent Patient! But I’m grateful for the rollercoaster ride that this one took me on! 🎢

I loved this twist on a isolated murder thriller from Alex Michaelides. While I didn't find this book as good as his debut The Silent Patient, this came very close.

The meta/4th wall breaking by Elliot was a fun addition to the plot and it showed how much of an unreliable narrator he was and therefore didn't lead me to guess the plot twist easily. While all of these characters were definitely not likeable, it was interesting to learn each of there motivations as to why they were the one to commit the murder.

The Fury's cast will keep your head spinning from beginning to end. This story is told from the perspective of the narrator, and you quickly learn that his memory and judgment is faulty at best. A non-stop whirlwind that will leave you scratching your head until the very end.

This is a story for anyone who has ever loved. It may be a rather unusual bedtime story, perhaps–but full of incident and adventure, with goodies and baddies, heroines, and wicked witches. But it has everything you need: a man, a woman, a gun, a beach, moonlight. It’s less like reading a book and more like a conversation between the reader and the narrator–two old friends, drinking at the imaginary bar in your mind, where the author is talking to you. He orders another drink–and tells you to brace yourself.

This is not a whodunit; it’s a whydunit–a character study, an examination of who we are; and why do the things we do. Both theater and reality come down to just three words–motivation; intention; and goal. Every character has a goal. This is fulfilled by an intention designed to achieve it. But if we ever want to understand ourselves or other people–real or fictional–we must explore our motivation. All of us are trying to escape the pain and be happy. And all the actions we take to achieve the goal–our intentions–that’s the stuff of story.

The Fury is the meanest, most devastating, most brilliant thing I’ve ever read in my life. So what did the narrator do? He tears off the title page and makes it his own: he’s written this drama, not with pen and paper, for fictional characters on a stage–but for real people, in a real place. All of them, performing a play they had no idea they were in. But in a stroke of poetic dikaiosyni (Greek for justice), the other characters flip the script, allowing the narrator to presume he is the author of this play–when in fact he is just its audience.

We are all the unreliable narrators of our own lives. That’s the story in a nutshell. A tale of beautiful, well-intentioned failure–ending in death. Which is a pretty good metaphor for life, isn’t it? Well–my life, anyway. These are the words of a dead man. That’s the final twist. No one gets out alive in the end.

It’s not often that I finish a book unable to formulate how I felt about it. A week after finishing, and I’m still not sure I can accurately put it into words. Without going into too much detail, this story is a murder mystery, with the most unreliable narrator of all time. In terms of psychological thrillers, this book did exactly what I believe it set out to do. The fast-paced story had so many twists and turns I didn’t see coming, and I could not put it down. Everytime I got to a new section I was left thinking “wait WHAT just happened?” Even though I hated every single one of the characters, I NEEDED to know what chaos would ensue next, and I ended up reading the entire book in 24 hours. And once I finished? I immediately messaged my book club to see who else had read it so we could discuss. That being said, I’m still not sure I can say I enjoyed it. But it definitely got me thinking and talking about it.

Alex Jennings narrated the audiobook and did a wonderful job bringing this chaos to life. I very much enjoyed his narration.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the advance copy.

3 1/2 * I listened to the audio version of ‘The Fury’ and I just cannot imagine reading it because the audio version was so good. It’s a fascinating murder story, or maybe it’s an unrequited love story. The narrator is central to this story and he is quite an interesting narrator. Do we believe him? Should we believe him? We get to know each of the characters or maybe just as we think we got to know them, the narrator gives us more information that just might change the story. I can easily envision this as a movie -- it has distinctive characters, twists and turns, and a fabulous setting in Greece. Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for an advanced audio copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Happy Pub Week to The Fury

Where to begin?

The unreliable narrator Elliot is a good device at times and at other times he can be a bit annoying. You feel both sympathy and contempt for him as the novel progresses.
But then I felt that way about most of the characters in this book.

There is a murder but is there truly a villain? I was left asking myself this question by the auduobooks end.

I enjoyed the narration after I got over the fact that everything would be from Elliot's unreliable perspective.

I definitely figured out a couple of things early on and was proven right - unfortunately.

One of the key takeaways I got was we need to find a way to heal our wounded inner child when we are adults. If left to fester, those wounds and scars will often not only hurt ourselves but others.

Overall a solid mystery.

I really wanted to love this one, but the pace was just too slow for me. The whole book felt like I was sitting at a bar, with someone who was telling a story that just went on and on and on. I don’t mind books where the narrator speaks to the audience. Sometimes they are fantastic. I do think the multilayered plot could have had potential, but it missed the mark. I never really connected with any of the characters. Elliot, the MC, was not a reliable narrator. Every single character had something to conceal (love this!). The setting was a private Greek island mixed in with a Greek Tragedy thriller (should have been great). I did enjoy the short chapters and there were some twists that I didn’t see coming. I loved the Silent Patient and was really hoping this would live up to its potential.

3.5– I picked up this book because I’ve enjoyed Alex Michaelidis’ despite knowing I am not a fan of murder mysteries as a genre so take my review with a grain of salt.

The Fury follows our narrator as he recounts the infamous night, he and his famous friends on their last trip together on a private Greek island. A vacation filled with lies, broken hearts and murder, the case that stirred a media frenzy is about to have its truth laid bare.

Michaelidis takes clear inspiration from Agatha Christie in this murder mystery and pulls it off quite well. Our unreliable (and quite theatrical) narrator sets up our scene perfectly. I enjoyed how this story was laid out and the information was presented. Each character is laid out with their traits and motivations that make them both intriguing and highly suspicious. I also enjoyed how Michaelidis uses his heritage to perfectly blend Greek tradition, language, and superstition to add layers to this story. I think Michaelidis’ writing is captivating and twisty there were many turns I didn't see coming.

I listened to this on audio and had to restart the story about 25% because I found myself confused but once I got a grasp on everything the narrator did a great job. Overall, I enjoyed it and recommend it to Agatha Christie and Lucy Foley fans.

I enjoyed the entire PRODUCTION of this audiobook, it was so easy to listen to, v dramatic, etc etc. However the story itself fell a little flat for me at the end. So while I would recommend the audio, I can't fully recommend the story!

Alex Michaelides-The Fury
A slowly developing tale written in a non-common manner as if you were sitting in an easy chair being told a story by a friend.
A bit convoluted at times and forced it became a tough read.
Well written and exceptionally well narrated.

Thanks to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for the advance audible copy of the novel for review purposes.