I have read all of this authors work, and I am a fan. His newest offering is The Fury and this was a super quick and fun listen. There was an unreliable narrator and plenty of morally gray characters to keep the story interesting to its completion.
I wouldn't classify this as a thriller, but more of a literary mystery. It flowed nicely and was interesting, however, this is my least favorite so far. That isn't to say it's not good, because it is, but I wasn't as invested in the characters in this one.
I would recommend this to those who enjoy a good mystery. The audio version was nice to have someone tell you the story. Overall, a good listen!

"We are all the unreliable narrators of our own lives."

The Fury, by master psychological thriller author Alex Michaelides, leads us to how warped and wild this writer is with his latest fiendishly fun tale of built up resentment, anger, greed and the ultimate act of violence, murder.

Elliot Chase, our cheeky storyteller, narrates his version of what happened on the private Greek Island of movie star Lana Farrar that led to murder and more twists than the windy storms on the island.

In the clever playbill sent by the publishers we are given quick introductions to the players of this unreliable narrated story. Eliot tells us he's a playwright and Lana's best friend. Famed actress Kate Crosby might argue she's Lana's best friend since they met first and she introduced Lana to her current husband, wealthy businessman Jason Miller. Also on the turbulent island is Lana's teenage son, Leo from another relationship. Rounding out the field is long time housekeeper Agathi and caretaker Nikos. Before we are halfway through one of them will be dead and one will have killed them.

Listening to the audiobook in between reading the novel I was blown away by award winning English actor Alex Jennings. His portrayal of Eliot was such a distinctive performance. His subtle confusions, "I am not sure where I am, the present or the past," added to the turmoil felt throughout the book.

The angry winds, known as The Fury, reflects the power of human emotions and how just as we can't control the weather, we often can't control our
feelings nor ability to tell an unbiased story. The first half sets up the perfect storm for a killing. The second half twists and turns every supposed truth into a whirlwind of an unreliable narrator.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was an unusual book. It sort of reads like a play and there is lots of talking directly to the reader which takes some getting used to. It feels like there are stories within stories and while it's a bit of a character study, some of the few characters felt superfluous.

Many of the chapters end on "cliffhangers" - i.e. "and that was the last time we see Lana alive" or "if only I had known then what I know now..." type lines - which I'm not a big fan of when done too often. It often didn't help with the pacing, which I found rather slow.

I had a hard time getting into this book. Much of the first 15-20% was spent telling me that this was going to be unlike anything I've ever read, the next 60% felt like something I've read 10,000 times, and then the last 20% was a fun whirlwind of twists and surprises that I enjoyed but ultimately didn't save it for me.

I listened to this novel on audio and I think that was a great choice. Because of the theater aspect and the second person narration, the audio worked spectacularly. I also really enjoyed the narrator -- Alex Jennings -- and thought he did a fabulous job.

Overall, this ended up being an enjoyable read, but not one that will stick with me or that I'll be likely to recommend to a wider audience.

Thank you to Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the copy.

I teetered on a score with this one, between 3 and 4 but I ended rounding up to 4. The main reason why I teetered is because I was so annoyed with the narrator/main character - but I think that was the point, hence the round up! I normally love an unreliable narrator situation but in this case it got repetitive with the whole, okay noooow I'll tell you the whole the story. Use that once or twice not 6 or 7 times - it got old. I did love the big twist at the end and almost wish the story would have been told from Lana's viewpoint. Didn't live up to Michaelides first novel, The Silent Patient. but that's a hard one to beat. Liked it much more than The Maidens

I’m sorry but this just wasn’t a book for me at all. I didn’t find this story interesting at all until the last chapter of act 3. In fact I had a hard time even focusing to keep the characters straight in my mind up until that point. I thought the ending 4 & 5 acts was going to prove it all worth the dragging out thus far. Things were going to get interesting. Well they sorta did but also sorta overdone too. I was just disappointed in general. This just wasn’t one for me. Moving on but thankful for the opportunity to receive this from Netgalley.

I read this one physically over five days in October and then a second time via the audiobook on pub day. With its short chapters, unreliable narrator, and plot split into five acts, I believe this book is best enjoyed quickly. Although I loved reading this one in October with friends and discussing our thoughts after each section, I found myself much more invested with the characters when I listened to it completely without stopping to guess what happens.

Elliot Chase is our narrator and this book is written as though we (the reader) have met Elliot in a bar and he is regaling us with his story over a glass or three of whiskey. Randomly, the reader is included in the narrative which I thought was a fun twist on the presentation. Elliot is the perfect unreliable narrator because his is the only point of view we receive. He speculates what the other characters were thinking and delivers these thoughts as truths. Unreliable narrators also generally see themselves with rose colored glasses and Elliot is no different.

Most of the characters have unlikable traits but end up having redeeming qualities which keep them from being unlikable characters. The tangled relationships that exist between them are what ultimately cause all of the unexpected twists! I was thoroughly entertained the entire time and definitely suggest this book to anyone who loves a twisty whodunnit, secluded setting, and unexpected ending.

Alex Jennings, who narrates the audiobook, is an exceptional actor on stage and screen. His narration is phenomenal and his experience clearly shines through, making this audio a must listen!

I received advanced physical and audio copies. All thoughts are my own.

I was excited for this book and really, really wanted to like it... but after finishing it, I just feel irritated. The longer I think about this the more frustrated I become.

The beginning was promising - the narrator was great, the starting section was really slow but had me intrigued.

This book is told from the perspective of Elliott, who admits in the beginning that he's not the most reliable narrator. This is fine! I love an unreliable narrator. What was NOT fine was the way this was executed, especially toward the end. Elliott frequently addresses the audience, which did pull me out a bit every time it happened - but I was able to (mostly) look past this. He goes on irrelevant tangents that add nothing to the narrative. He has almost no real personality outside of being obsessed with Lana.

The constant back and forth in time wasn't terrible (and was easy to understand and keep track of) but it's frustrating when a narrator intentionally withholds like. All relevant info from the audience. "This is what happened - except now let's rewind and get the context you actually need lol."

I don't like being told how to feel or what to expect - and Elliott kept going "things are going to get CRAZY guys a TWIST IS COMING you WON'T BELIEVE THIS TWIST." Like, okay... get to it??? After building it up that much I had higher expectations.

Some of the "twists" made sense and were interesting, while others felt ridiculous. The ending segment made NO sense and was laughably ridiculous - I was willing to give this a 3 star until we got to the ending. My god. "Here's the twist - just kidding that didn't happen - HERE'S the twist - no no jk - now the ACTUAL twist - now here's ANOTHER twist!!!"

I've read one of this author's other books - come on. I could see the ending to this a mile away based on my experience with his previous book - and there's literally a spoiler for The Silent Patient in the epilogue of this.

Also what is this author's obsession with writing women Like That. What's going on here.

I'm going to stop here before this devolves into a rant that makes me lower this to a 1 star.

Thank you to Macmillan for the audio ARC!

"...the Aegean wind to menos, which means "the fury in English."

So, what is Alex Michaelides latest book, The Fury, about? There is the primary protagonist, Lana Farrar, a reclusive ex-movie star who invites a small party to spend Easter with her on a small Greek Island. They are are rather trapped due to the elements, and it is during this time that secrets. lies and revenge are slowly unravelled. As the story develops, there is the point of view of Elliot Chase, and how he tells this story in the most unusual of ways.

Having received a physical copy of this book from Celadon, I was eager to sit back in my recliner and read it. However, I took the chance that I might be approved for the Audiobook on NetGalley, which I am thankful that I was. It was excellently narrated by Alex Jennings, especially as the unseen character Elliot Chase delivered much of the story from his point of view.

As is quite often the case in any mystery/thriller, our characters in The Fury have secrets, deceit, lies and more that pop up just about on every page. This lends well to fabulous pacing. Factor in the many twists and turns in Alex Michaelides third book (The Silent Patient in 2019 and The Maidens in 2021), I definitely enjoyed it, albeit his first two books performed better for me.

A question that may come up is what does Elliot Chase have to do with Lana Farrar, and also, how does one of the seven guests who were invited to the island end up dead? Just like in his first two books, our Greek author mixes in a bit of Greek mythology, which lends itself no doubt to excellent research that works well to blend the past with the present.

With Elliot's form of narration, it was very easy to feel connected to the story, especially as the locked room trope was the premise. I truly enjoy books that have unreliable narrators and with only so many guests (on the island in this case), so everyone was suspect which left me guessing during much of the book.

Another reviewer compared the style of writing and storytelling to the Netflix movie The Glass Onion, and I definitely agree with that comparison, so I just had to include that thought in this review. Makes me want to re-watch both Knives Out and The Glass Onion.

I look forward to the next book Alex Michaelides writes and hope that I can continue to read his work for years to come. He is a gifted author and I am eager to watching his growth and development as he pens these thrillers for his readers.

Many thanks to Celadon Books and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Okay, so this is such a tough review for me to write because I don’t know how to express my thoughts on this one. I was for sure hooked and couldn’t wait to find out where this was going. I really loved Lana’s character but hated everyone else and yet I still really enjoyed this book for its uniqueness and wit. This is so unlike Michaeline’s other novels but I still felt it was “his” story if that makes sense. The Greek tragedy aspect was well done as was the use of past and present timelines. I did bail on the audiobook (couldn’t get behind the narrator’s voice) so I would say read this one instead.

This book is a unique style of mystery. It starts with Lana, a retired movie star, who invites a group of friends to join her for Easter on her own private Greek Island. They're trapped there overnight due to a wild storm called a Fury, and right from the beginning the omniscient first person narrator tells us that there is a murder, but it takes a lot longer to find out who is murdered or how it happens.

The Fury is a lot different from the other 2 Alex Michaelides books I've read.. cerebral, slower paced and witty, with tie-ins to Agatha Christie and Greek mythology. It also has an easter egg from the Silent Patient, which could be considered a bit of a spoiler if you haven't read it.

British actor Alex Jennings has the perfect voice and personality to narrate this audiobook, he almost sounds like a butler as he presents the story. But I wish I also had the book or ebook to refer back to as things gradually start to click into place.

I really enjoyed this Agatha Christie-like murder mystery. It was theatrical, dramatic, self deprecating and funny. It was a quick read/listen and I really enjoyed the audiobook. The narrator did a great job with all of the characters.

I enjoyed the setting being in Greece on an island although it kind of felt like it could have been on an island anywhere. The characters were well written and the relationships were interesting. I liked Elliott’s back story and how it contributed to the overall story. This was a fun read!

Thank you @celadonbooks and @macmillan.audio for my ARC and ALC of this story which releases today!

Lovers and enemies; truth and lies; fame and failure; wealth and financial ruin; life and death; peace and fury. These are some of the contradictions brilliantly woven into the newest novel by Alex Michaelides.

Set in Greece over Easter weekend, we learn the consequences of being duplicitous - of being a walking contradiction. The story is told from Elliot's perspective in a manner as intimate and cozy as chatting with a friend on a bar stool - this is stated to the reader/listener early on. And, as Elliot reminds us, every story contains tangents that occur naturally in conversation to provide much needed background information.

As the story progresses we learn Elliot loves Lana; Lana loves Jason; Jason loves Kate. And all of them are on a Greek island for the weekend while a storm closes in. Along with the storm comes the fury and that fury sees that one of the guests won't leave the island alive.

Alex Michaelides is a master at his craft and possesses such a unique, intelligent, and thrilling way to hook and engage readers. The narrator, Alex Jennings, delightfully brought the story to life so once I started listening, I didn't want to stop.

If you haven't had the pleasure of reading any of Alex Michaelides works yet, I highly recommend you purchase them immediately! This is an author who will always jump to the top of my "to be read" pile!

Thank you NetGalley, Alex Michaelides, and Macmillian Audio for the opportunity to listen to this in exchange for an honest review. The novel releases today so go get your copy of this 5 star read now!

I really liked the set-up of this novel. Told from the POV of one character who explains the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours of everyone around him, this has the classic feel of an unreliable narrator. I was constantly questioning what was real, how much of the story I could trust, and what was real. This tale had many twists and turns -- some of which were predictable, and some that caught me completely off-guard.

This story reminded me of "The Glass Onion" on Netflix -- a group of wealthy, if slightly estranged, friends travel to a private island for a spring getaway. While there, a murder occurs. Told from the POV of one one character, the story bounces between his interpretation of the actions and motivations of those around him.

If you've read Alex Michaelides's previous novels, you'll enjoy the cameos of characters from The Silent Patient and The Maidens, but reading these is not necessary for the purpose of this book. I did find the story to be somewhat predictable and felt that it was a little unoriginal (see "The Glass Onion"), but overall enjoyed the premise.

This audiobook was not for me. I had to stop after the first few chapters because I did not care for the narrator. The sound of it reminded me of an old Sherlock Holmes tale, which just isn't my cup of tea.

Plot -
Elliot Chase tells us the tale of the murder of ex-movie star Lana. The murder takes place on a secluded island during the night of a storm.

Thoughts -
This one just didn't work for me. The narration style has Elliot speaking directly to the reader, telling us a story that he was involved in. The reader is made aware right off the bat that Elliot is an unreliable narrator, which I don't care for. It makes the rest of the book frustrating as you are trying to figure out if what he is saying is true. To make matters worse, there was at least one instance where you'd finish a whole chapter and it would end with, "if only it had happened that way." Which felt like I was wasting my time. I just don't enjoy that type of book.

The way it was written left little room for character development because we were only introduced to everyone through Elliot's eyes. This created a lot of confusion where everyone kept doing things that felt "out of character," but mostly because we didn't truly know who the characters were.

Additionally, Elliot's character was just overall icky, and I felt icky reading from his POV. Usually I enjoy when books make me feel uncomfortable, but this was a different feeling. I felt like I needed a shower every time I set the book down.

Overall, this type of writing style coupled with the main character just didn't work for me.

Extremely unpopular opinion, but I didn't really like this book. This is a constant whiplash of despicable characters, none of whom I enjoyed or loved. They could have all died and I seriously would not have cared.

The worst past of the book is the unreliable and extremely unlikable narrator, Elliot Chase. He's a horrid person with a massive ego that consistently tosses the audience around in a blender of emotions. You can never tell when he's telling you the truth so beware as you go through the book that you're going to be whiplashed more times than necessary.

If I hated the book, why am I rating it a 3? Great question. I truly believe that if an author can write a character who pulls so many emotions from me they deserve better than a 1 or 2 star review. This is the case here and I respect Michaelides for the way he wrote them.

As for the format, do NOT listen to this book. I'd highly recommend this as one you read rather than listen. It is so confusing for the first 50-60% of the book as there are so many characters and narratives. This is not something you can casually listen to while working or doing something else because there is far too much detail and nuance. Outside of that I thought the voice actor chosen was great and have no qualms with him!

Loved: The locked island setting, a full cast of unsavory characters paired with an unreliable narrator. I really tried to play armchair detective with this one... And was close but not entirely right!

Liked: Short chapters and quick pacing! Present and past timeline along with Agatha Christie vibes (similar to The Murder of Roger Ackroyd).

Lukewarm: I was occasionally annoyed with the narrator but I suspect that was what the author intended!

Thank you to

What one item would you bring with you to a deserted island? Aside from a book or Kindle...

Thank you to @netgalley and @Cedadonbooks for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @macmillan.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

There is a lot of hype around The Fury. I enjoyed the Silent Patient, but The Maidens was just ok. I was compelled enough to keep turning the page. There were references to Agatha Christie and audiobook narrator was perfect, as he gave me AC vibes right away.

I wouldn’t move this to the top of your TBR, but if you want a quick thriller read, it is worth a try. I missed the LFL Drop Day due to weather here in the Midwest, but my copy of the book is out there now to share!

3.5 stars

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #celadonbooks #macmillanaudio #ltbreaderteam #littlefreelibrary #lfldropceladon

The Fury
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Alex Michaelides

I requested an audio advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: This is a tale of murder. Or maybe that’s not quite true. At its heart, it’s a love story, isn’t it? Lana Farrar is a reclusive ex–movie star and one of the most famous women in the world. Every year, she invites her closest friends to escape the English weather and spend Easter on her idyllic private Greek island. I tell you this because you may think you know this story. You probably read about it at the time ― it caused a real stir in the tabloids, if you remember. It had all the necessary ingredients for a press a celebrity; a private island cut off by the wind…and a murder. We found ourselves trapped there overnight. Our old friendships concealed hatred and a desire for revenge. What followed was a game of cat and mouse ― a battle of wits, full of twists and turns, building to an unforgettable climax. The night ended in violence and death, as one of us was found murdered.

But who am I? My name is Elliot Chase, and I’m going to tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard.

My Thoughts: This was a slow burn claustrophobic, atmospheric psychological thriller with a twist of love. The main setting is a secluded island in the Greek Islands. Lana Farrar invites her friends to spend Easter with her on this private island. Their friendships, which they thought were closed knit were tested when trapped on an island and the hatred oozes out. Then a murder happens inspiring a wonderful cat and mouse game of whodunit. We have all heard the phrase, “Hell hath no fury like a scorned woman”, the plot basis of this novel.

The story is narrated by Elliot, from his POV, in first person. The story is not narrated in a linear timeline, more of circling back and forth. The story is told over five acts, formatted similar to a play, and our narrator, Elliot, does embellish here and there, as great storytellers do. The format that Elliot narrates in becomes so easy to get pulled into the story, just both of you sitting on a couch enjoying a drink. The story opens with a bang, a murder, and then goes back to the beginning to construct the story. This story is told a little differently from what I am used too, it plays out a scene and then plays out the same scene later on, with a different perspective. I love how Michaelides builds characters with their backstories with large information drops, and this books holds true to this format. The characters have lied, have secrets, and have resentments and when you couple this with being trapped on a private island, you know you are in for a real treat. The characters were developed with depth, mystery, and intrigue. None of the characters are likable. The author’s writing style was complex, suspenseful, twisty, and captivates the reader. The characters backstories were built throughout the story, the plot was delivered in many twisty layers, and the ending, well I did not see that one coming, Michaelides knocked it out of the park.

The narrator (Alex Jennings) was fabulous with distinctive voice variation. His voice was smooth with great pitch and flow, I was able to listen at 2x with no issues. The narrator’s voice was very smooth, and just relaxes you. I read The Silent Patient last year and fell in love with Michaelides style. While this was not along lines of TSP, it was still very well written and I still love the story very much, I would recommend to other readers.

I loved the way this atmospheric mystery played out in parts. Each part adding a little more to the mix. The story was told from Chase’s perspective through multiple timelines. Just when I thought I knew where it was heading, the storyline backtracked and veered off onto a new path. The characters weren’t particularly likable but they had a dramatic, old Hollywood flare. This was truly an entertaining read that was quick and captivating. It made me feel like I was watching an old whodunnit detective show set on a luxurious Greek island! I switched to audio midway through and found the narrator perfect for the role of Elliot Chase!

Another good book for Alex Michaelides. A good murder mystery store. Personally it wasn’t my favorite from this author. A slow developing story line with an ending you need to really pay attention to.