Wow! This book is a fast moving thriller that takes place on an island in Greece. The story is narrated by Elliot Chase, who is an interesting character who has been able to socially climb with his ability to develop relationships with older wealthy women. Elliot has a relationship with a prominent women writer named Barbara when he meets the Oscar winning actress Lana Farrer. Elliot becomes fast friends with Lana, and then finds himself immersed in the lives of Lana’s best friend Kate, Lana’s husband Jason and Lionel who is Lana’s son.
At the beginning the reader is promised that someone will die. The novel goes through various scenarios of who done it with giving snippets or the background of all the characters involved. It kind of reminds me of the board game Clue. Here is the list of characters and why they have a motive for murder.
As a lover of thrillers, you will feel as though you know what is going to happen. The author leads you to believe that you know what will happen, and if you know what is going to happen you will not know how exactly it will happen. The reader will have to focus in on all the scenes, and figure out what is real or fake.
The theme of this book is “fury” which is an emotion that comes from vengeance and justice. I would say that “the fury” of this book comes from obsession and envy. Who’s fury will lead to murder?
I really did enjoy this novel, and I’m a fan of the author Alex Michaliedes storytelling.

Thank you Macmillian audio, and Netgalley for the opportunity to review the audio of this book. I enjoyed the narrator as well.

I received an arc of this audiobook, which was narrated by actor Alex Jennings (of The Crown and the Royal Shakespeare Company). His narration was amazing and he elevates this book to a much higher level. That being said, I did not enjoy this book as much as Michaelides prior work, The Silent Patient.

The Fury is a murder mystery set on a private Greek island owned by a former movie star, Lana. She and a few guests (her best male friend, her best female friend, and her teen son and husband) spend a holiday there, along with a maid and property caretaker. The story is told via first person narration by her best male friend, Elliot, who discloses early on that a murder occurs on the island. We soon learn, however, that Elliot is a very unreliable narrator, as he drops breadcrumbs about the killer along the way to the big reveal.

The novel is an homage to great writers of the past, including murder mystery writers such as Agatha Christie, and ancient Greek mythologists and playwrights, which I enjoyed. While the chapters are short, this is much more of a slow burn thriller in contrast to the typical rapidly-paced novels of the genre. Overall, this was still an entertaining read, but I suspect won't stick with me in the long run, and it didn't keep me up all night reading a la The Silent Patient.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillian Audio, and the author for this audiobook to review!

Michaelides is back on my favorite list with this novel. Going back to the universe of his first book, The Silent Patient.p, he has re-won by book heart, The style of writing for this one was just what I needed, the pacing and reflection. The shorter chapters really helped me keep turning pages. This also was one where I enjoyed the story not trying to figure out the killer, and even to the end was sitting on the edge of my chair. I sure hope he writes a book with more characters getting mental health care from this universe. Sign me up now. Thanks to NetGalley for this free ARC audiobook.

At first, I was unsure how I felt about this as it was so over the top. As many have said before, this was absolutely a thriller meets soap opera; typically, I am not a fan of an unbelievable thriller, but the deeper into the plot I delved, the more I appreciated the intricacy of the dance being done.

This book was SO DIFFERENT than I expected. On the surface, very little of this novel is reminiscent of Michaelides previous work but the root of it is undoubtedly the same; an expertly plotted, layered tale told by an incredibly unreliable narrator.

I don’t typically enjoy books that revolve around the theater or that center around an obviously unreliable narrator, but I loved this, which is just a testament to the author’s talent.

And the epilogue!! Honestly, I think that the final bit was what really sold me on this one.

I finished this book a week ago and have been sitting with my thoughts this whole time because I just wasn’t sure how I felt about it.
😬
Because I still can’t decide if it was a 3 star or a 4 star read for me, I’m splitting the difference and giving g it 3.5 stars.
🤷🏻‍♀️
My chief complaint with this one is the unreliable narrator. Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan in general, but especially not when the narrator keeps speaking directly to the reader with lines like “I left this out because I wanted to give you time to get to know me better, but now I will tell you what really happened…”
🫠
Okay, I’m paraphrasing, but those little cheeky asides happened far too much in this book for my liking. If you dont mind being told one thing for several chapters only to be told “not really, but now I will tell you the truth” and then several chapters later be told “okay, that wasn’t the WHOLE truth, but this is…” then by all means, give this one a read. It’s written in five acts, like a play, and otherwise quite entertaining.
🫶🏻
A huge thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for an audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Unlike any mystery youve read - pay attention and take note of the details and characters. The end comes at you with a FURY! - I couldnt really connect with any one character and it was slow at times but the overall scene and characters kept my intrigue satisfied enough to pursue the end.

3.5 rounded up. Elliot was my favorite part of this book. His narration of the story and his own backstory kept me invested in what was happening. He had me wanting answers and to know more from his perspective.

The audiobook version was fantastic. The actual narrator made me believe he was Elliot. He sold me.

The story itself was a bit predictable and I felt some parts were slow, but I would still recommend. It wasn’t my favorite Alex Michaelides book, but I enjoyed the experience.

Thanks so much NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ARC.

The Fury
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I enjoyed the book. It built the characters & you felt like you knew them. It had a twist & more twists. It was like reading a play in the making at times. It was very different than The Silent Patient.
I enjoyed the Agatha Christie kind of plot as he guides you along through twist & plots. The setting for the novel was pretty cool.
Thank you NetGallery for the opportunity to enjoy this book.

This was brilliant!!! Admittedly Elliott gave me the creepy vibes from the word go it made me itch (in my brain) how he forced himself on people and could see no fault in himself... still I put it down to him being lonely and desperate.

New great Author - also the Narrator for this was a perfect choice for Elliott, his portrayal really brought the story and characters ro life in my head.

🧿 The way its written as a play/memoir - Elliott addresses us the Audience on many occasion, was Brilliant.

🧿 Set on a secluded island off Mykonos, 6 possible suspects to a horrid murder...

🧿 I didn't know what to expect but at the same time, it was staring at me. Just brilliant

🧿 If you have ever seen and enjoyed the talented Mr Ripley you would love this....

I was very excited to be given an arc of the Fury after loving The Silent Patient! This is a closed door thriller that takes place on an island on Greece when several friends go for a vacation and a murder takes place.

There are a lot of twists and turns within this book and each time I felt surprised! I really enjoyed the voice of the main narrator and found his story compelling.

The pace for this one is a bit slower for a thriller and I found at times I was very engaged and others I found I spaced out a bit and had to reread parts. The ending didn’t wow me but I felt satisfied at the end.

Overall, this was better than the Maidens but not as good as the Silent Patient. I did enjoy it and would recommend it.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, this book was a WILD ride! Elliot Chase, the narrator, tells the tale of a private island gathering that began with a group of friends and ended in murder. Lana, who is Elliot’s friend and a reclusive ex-movie star, has a private island that she invites Elliot and a friend to come along with her husband and son. Lana’s husband has been secretly having an affair with Lana’s friend and Lana is furious and devastated. Plots are formed, plans are made, and nothing is as it seems.

a bit all over the place on the last 30% of the book. In the end the "twists" didn't pay off for me. Of course comparing it to the silent patient nothing will live up to that level. This is better than the Maidens but no where close as good as 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?
After The Silent Patient made such a buzz in the book world, Alex Michaelides has been an author to watch. He came out with the Maidens, which was sadly not for me. But I had to give him another try and I am so glad I did. The Fury was such a delight to read. I enjoyed the narrator and his bluntness, snark and how he addresses the reader. This is written in five acts like a Shakespeare play which worked for me. I love how different it felt, but the flow was spot on. Once the book was about over and the twists were revealed, they weren’t even close to being done! Alex takes the story to p[aces I never could have dreamed of! I also love finding characters from previous books sprinkled in. After the book was over I found myself sitting with it for a little while. Trying to figure out what I thought, it is such a twisty, deep book. I feel like some readers may not love the style or twists, but it was very well executed in my opinion.

Elliot Chase is good friends with Lana Farrah, a movie star who left movies at the peak of her career. She owns her own private island in Greece and likes to escape there when she needs some sunshine. So she invites her closest friends with her over Easter and it shockingly ends in a murder. This sounds like a classic whodunnit, but that couldn’t be further from the case. Elliot is the narrator and does an amazing job of introducing all of the characters. This book is very clever and unique and I am excited for what Alex releases next.

The narrator did a great job keeping me enthralled with the story and made it humorous at times.

Wow
I had the pleasure of reading this in audio book form!🎧
And I highly recommend it in this form !
Elliot , the narrator is best friends with actress Lana.
Who’s married and has a girl bff as well.
This story goes in circles from past memories to present .
The main question I kept asking myself since chapter one was can I trust the narrator because he is pretty obsessed with her. He’s fully invested in every way in her life .
when I thought I guessed the ending in act 3 and 4 I was sadly mistaken !
And I just finished the last page and I just realized something major but I cannot say without spoiling the ending . But through out the book we know that he loves plays so just keep that in mind 🥹🫢
First act is pretty slow but it’s a must to get attached to the characters! Hold on tight for this adventure.

I just reviewed The Fury by Alex Michaelides. #NetGalley

The Fury by Alex Michaelides
Expected publication date: January 16, 2024

Date read: January 9, 2024

Audiobook narrated by Alex Jennings



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. 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 sensation: a celebrity; a private island cut off by the wind…and a murder.

I wasn't sure what to expect here; I've never read any Alex Michaelides before, even though I know a few people who have loved his previous books. So when I saw this was coming out, I figured it was as good a place to start as any.

This book is told from the point of view of Elliot, Lana Farrar's close friend and confidant. We're told right from the start that there is a murder, and that this story is less of a whodunnit than a whydunnit (although we, as the audience, are still not told for sure who the victim is until late in the book). I found Elliot to be a fascinating character. He's not particularly likable (although none of the characters really are), and also seems to be a little untrustworthy. But is he just unlikable, or is he also an unreliable narrator?

As mentioned, most of the characters are at least a bit unlikeable - I think Lana is probably the most sympathetic, but even she is far from perfect - but they are mostly still really interesting to follow. The book almost had a Great Gatsby feel to it in that way (although I've never been a huge fan of Gatsby and liked this book a lot better).

I also highly recommend the audiobook. Alex Jennings does a fantastic job of bringing Elliot's voice to the story. He was great to listen to and never once took me out of the moment. His narration made me feel like I was listening to a character tell me a story, rather than a voice actor reading me a story.

Overall, this is a really fascinating character study tied up in the package of a murder mystery. I can't compare it to his other books, but I imagine that his fans will not be disappointed, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good thriller.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Content warning: murder, physical assault, emotional manipulation

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you for a ACR of this book.

This book was a very slow burn. Unlikable narrator for sure. I felt confused at times with the back and forth timeline. Overall not bad, but not great.

I throughly enjoyed this book! It was such a good thriller, I couldn’t stop listening. There were a few points that felt like rambling but it really fit the story and the narrator. There were so many twists and turns at the end, which was the best part for me. I especially loved the ending. I would pick this book up if you liked Alex Michaelides’ other works.

An ex-movie star, and still very famous celebrity, invites her closest friends to spend Easter on a private island every year. This year there is a murder. With all of the friends trapped on the island, who could be responsible? Elliot is our storyteller and narrator, who depicts the events leading up to the murder. He promises a story unlike anything we’ve ever heard.

I wasn’t a fan of the Elliot, the narrator character of the story. He spent a huge portion of the book talking about the story he will be telling, rather than actually telling the story. It felt like too much time was spent trying to convince the reader of this wild mystery and events that were about to take place. I did love the setting of the book. I also loved the concept of “the fury” and thought it was a unique motif for the story. I liked how it paralleled themes in the book. The last 1/4 of the book was action-packed, and I enjoyed that! It is just slow-moving through the first three-quarters.

Read if you enjoy:
🏖️ Greek island setting
🔍 whodunnit
🧐 unreliable narrators
🎭 theater vibes
➿ tangled relationships
🙎🏼‍♀️ single POV

I listened to this book via audio, courtesy of @NetGalley!

Did I read the same book as everyone?

Between the audio + the physical book being completely different...this was a challenge for my brain cells and N O T in any good kind of way.

Thank you Celadon Books and MacMillan Audio for the advanced copies of "The Fury."

Womp womp wooomp... I am just going to unleash the word vomit. This is not worth the hype. I loved Alex Michaelides "The Silent Patient" and generally enjoyed "The Maidens." This was a no.

It felt like he was trying too hard to create something that was creatively mind boggling but it felt like a Dollar General Agatha Christie. It was like he borrowed the plots from "And Then There Were None" and "Death on the Nile" then just made the narrator break the fourth wall and made it into a weird play???

I think I might have to blame this on the audiobook.. the audio & physical didn't match at all. Chapters were completely missing. The narrator totally fits performance-wise for Elliot's character but once you get deep into the story his voice feels monotone. Alex Jennings did a great job with narration. His voice was well casted. I just was appalled with how different the audiobook was from the physical book. It totally affected the way I took in the book. (I am assuming this will be dealt with when the final product comes out...)

The sign for me that I did not enjoy Michaelides latest was that when I finally finished the book, I felt confused and wasn't entirely sure what happened. I had to chat with a few bookish friends to confirm I was understanding everything correctly. I don't want to have to do that to enjoy a story especially a thriller.

I really did enjoy when Elliot broke the fourth wall. I always think that will be a fun way to tell a story but I don't think he completely nailed it but big props to him for taking on the difficult task of writing this way & entertaining while telling his story.

I love Hercule Poirot (or Hercules Pointedtoes as Morgan would call him *wheeze*) mysteries that Agatha Christie writes so the feeling of the book was very fun for me to take in but I think by the end he was trying too hard to make it super twisty.

I think that if you like Agatha Christie style whodunnit stories with a creative flare, maybe you still check out Alex Michaelides latest out. Being a huge thriller fan, I found this to be a flop but you have every right to think I am a nutter so take this with a grain of salt because essentially this has potential to be the book of the year for you.

- Agatha Christie Vibes
- Lots of SUS Characters
- Greece
- Short Chapters
- Justice
- Narrator Breaks the Fourth Wall

"The Fury" comes out this coming Tuesday, January 16th!! Get your detective cheeks on & your passport out to travel to Greece soon!

First off, the audiobook narrators for all Michaelides books are wonderful. I think my review of his work is always slightly raised by the fact that the audio experience is fantastic, especially with his recent three novels.

If your intrigued to read this because it’s Alex Michaelides and you read the silent patient; I’d say ask yourself a very serious questions.

Do you read thrillers/mysteries as a comfort read and can stand when they fall short on narrative, plot, and characterization?

If it’s a yes, go right ahead and understand that this is not the *best* or *fastest* thriller and it takes a bit of time to hook you in. Thriller/mystery is not my “wheelhouse” genre, so perhaps that’s why I feel a bit meh about this novel.

However, I am a “no” to this answer and don’t think this novel has the oomph to bring in and engage readers that only selectively read the genre. It’s just, not as good?

But maybe I’ll be corrected by the millions of THRILLERS ONLY readers. Which is cool. I still didn’t love this though.

Regardless, thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audio ARC in exchange for my honest review!