The Fury by Alex Michaelides is a book that I started and stopped over and over again. I was almost going to stop for good but pushed through and gave the audiobook one final try. The writing is unique in the way that the narrator of the novel "speaks" to the reader, but I am still not sure how I felt about this. There are many events that took place that the narrator could not have known about so that left me confused and made the story a bit unbelievable for me. I also like when thrillers give multiple POVs and since this was the "work" of one character is was pretty unreliable and not very insightful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this gifted audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t have much to say about this book. It was easy to listen to but really didn’t capture my attention. I just think it was… fine?

I have mixed feelings on this one. On one side, I really liked the narrative voice, and the choice for the narrator to talk directly to the reader, as if he's recounting the story to the reader. On the other hand, this was incredibly boring. I didn't connect to the characters and the plot twist just wasn't that interesting? Kind of a bummer honestly.

Thank you to. NetGalley and the publisher for early access to listen to this title.
I had already read this and loved it so much I had to listen ti the audio version as well. It did not disappoint. I’ve really enjoyed the author’s previous work, but this is my favorite so far.
I loved all the twists and turns, and that it had me guessing until the very last page. I can’t wait to recommend this one!

Not his best, but still a good story. I didn’t feel connected to/ invested in the characters so much like I did in his other books. Narrator was great and did a good job of keeping the story moving.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a free audiobook of The Fury by Alex Michaelides in exchange for an honest review.

Regarding the book, I had high hopes for this novel as I really enjoyed “The Silent Patient” and “The Maidens,” but sadly this one isn’t in the same class. Narrated by Elliot Chase conjuring the spirit of The Great Gatsby’s Nick Carraway, The Fury attempts to be part Greek / Shakespearean tragedy (told in five acts) and part Agatha Christie locked room mystery. The action itself takes place on a Greek Island, and the title refers to the winds swirling around the island where Elliot, along with his friend and famous movie star Lana, Lana’s teenage son, husband, and others all converge for a holiday that turns deadly. Although all the ingredients are there, I found the telling choppy and the characters unlikeable.

That said, while the book earned three stars, Alex Jennings’ narration of the audiobook was excellent and elevated my rating to four stars for this medium. He got the dismissive, sarcastic and dramatic Elliot just right. I’d definitely listen to more narrated by this voice actor.

🎧Song Pairing: Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley (I laughed)

💭What I thought would happen:

Predictions. - Something evil eye tying to Greek mythology. Likely the author will quote glorified old white authors like Walt Whitman - going on the bingo card.

FOLLOW UP - Quoted Tennessee Williams in chapter 2. I am dead

📖What actually happens:

Not gonna bother. Murder mystery.

🗯Thoughts/sassy musings:

I find this author to be pretentious. It’s always like he wants us know he read his grade 10 summer reading list 😂🤦🏼‍♀️ always quoting and recognizing ancient racist sexist white men.

I was bored but prior works lead me to believe there’d be a twist, hardly. Not 💯 predictable but not anything to get hard over.

My hot streak had to come to a halt. The Fury had to achieve something…

Anywho, I am done with this author. ✌🏻

I’m sad to say that this book didn’t work for me. I always enjoy an unreliable narrator but I didn’t care for the way Elliot constantly addressed me, the reader. Additionally, he discusses things that he couldn’t possibly know which made the narration style unrealistic.

The main issue with this story, in my opinion, is that none of the characters are likeable or relatable in any way. They were also so incredibly uninteresting that I just didn’t care about the outcome of the novel.

I hate to rate an arc one star but I just couldn’t find anything positive in this story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The Fury could be the appropriate title for my love affair with Michaelides' books. I have such a toxic relationship with equal parts of I don't get the hype and OMG I can't stop working through this latest installment. The Fury is no different. Another WILD ride from the author that provides no other option.

Buckle up for London and Greece and a literary life lesson that when the Fury blows, you best take cover!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

Story: 🌟🌟🌟
Narration: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Overall: 🌟🌟🌟💫

The Fury is the newest mystery from Alex Michaelides. It is an Agatha Christie-esque mystery about a trip that ends in murder. It has an ex-movie star, a private Greek island, and plenty of twists.

While I enjoyed this story, I wasn’t completely in the mood for the writing style. It was definitely different and I could see many enjoying this literary take on a thriller. I particularly loved the third act. Overall, a fun change of pace from a popular author.


ALC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Read if you like:
💨 Short Chapters
🧐 Unreliable Narrators
🔀 Lots of Misdirection
🇬🇷 Greek Tragedies
🏛️ Locked Room Thrillers/
🏝️ Greek Island Settings
🗣️ 4th Wall Breaks
🤐 The Silent Patient

The book itself has a bit of a slower pace, but the chapters are short and makes this one much more readable because of the short chapters.

The book is formatted like a play and continually references Greek tragedies and playwriting so the layered effect was well done for the writing.

The entire book is from Elliot’s POV and he breaks the 4th wall often with the reader to admit his deceptions and circle back to where he has been deceptive in his story, especially when telling the story from other POVs of his imagining of what occurred from their POV while telling of the story of a murder that happened with his friends on a Greek island, owned by his friend and crush Lana.

There are so many points with the characters on the island that they could be stabbing each other in the back and be the killer or killed to the point you don’t trust who will be murdered, and by whom so it really is a bit of a who done it, with a splash of who was killed, with a lot of the why did the murder happen?

If you like a slower paced atmospheric type mystery with a self proclaimed unreliable narrator that likes to break the fourth wall with twists and reveals until the last page I highly recommend this one!

Thanks so much Macmillan Audio for my ARC in exchange for my review!

This book is the epitome of the unreliable narrator. At least he admits it! It did keep you wondering, while he was narrating, if this was real or if he would stop and say it didn't happen. It was a story unlike anything I have read. Most books I read, I root for the main character. This was one of the first times I started to dislike the MC and wished someone else told the story. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing though. The narrator made revelations slowly about his true self...almost.

Alex Michaelides does it again. I’ve only read The Silent Patient by this author and while I predicted the twist I thought it was a good ride and well written. This book though, I had no idea what was going to happen next. It had me flipping to the next page so fast.

5 reasons you should read this book:

1.) You like the Knives Out movies
2.) You like when the fourth wall is broken.
3.) You like your tea piping hot.
4.) You like reading about delicious detailed meals.
5.) You like rooting for the underdog.

This book is an ode to that wonderful saying, “play stupid games, win stupid prizes”.

Travel with me if you will, to the picturesque islands of Greece where we will meet our colorful cast of characters. There is the scheming 2nd husband, the too attached son, the frenemie, the island’s lonesome groundskeeper, the all seeing helper, the star, and of course, our faithful narrator.

This story is told from the POV of one of our characters. He tells us his whole sordid affair through his writing, because that’s what he is, a writer. I felt like we were great friends, gossiping in a pub over a warm drink. He is the most honest, unreliable narrator that I have ever read. His account was so much fun because he would ramble and embellish, before backtracking and giving you the truth.

Another part I really liked is when the narrator told us about his childhood. He tells us how one of his favorite authors only referred to himself as “the kid” when writing about his boyhood. In doing that he gave himself room to emphasize with his younger self, because it’s so much easier to be kind to others than to ourselves. Our narrator goes on to employ this same method and gives us an honest and at times heartbreaking account of his own childhood. It gives us yet another opportunity to feel more of a kinship and closeness with him.

Love is also a very strong theme in this book. The ugly and the beautiful sides of relationships. How far people are willing to go to try to find love, to hold on to it.

I listened to the audiobook and I believe that they picked the perfect person to narrate it. He really fit the character he was voicing to a T.

I’ve read some of the other reviews for this book, which were less favorable and I think it may be because they read and didn’t listen to the book. I feel that listening to this book really added a whole other element to the main character and to the story. This is now my favorite book by Alex Michaelides, but I don’t know that I’d say the same had just read it.

I finished this audiobook a few days ago, and I'm still conflicted about how I feel.
I'll do my spoiler free pros and cons first:
PROS - This is a short read - under 300 pages and only 8 hours on audio, so if you are on the fence, you aren't spending too much time giving it a try. The chapters are super short, which also helps me fly through books. The narrator is a famous English actor, Alex Jennings, and he was lovely. I enjoyed his reading of the book, especially since it was written in first person. I appreciate that Michaelides is playing around with the thriller genre format and organization (but I'm not sure it worked for me - more on that later). I've been loving the "rich people behaving badly" micro-genre lately, and this falls squarely in there. As the first chapter indicates, this is more of a Why-Done-It. The author spends the majority of the book going into the motivations and relationships between the characters.

CONS - My expectations going into this book based on the blurb were completely not what the book ended up being about. I think I may have liked it more if the pre-information I got was different. This is not a traditional locked room mystery although it does take place on an isolated Greek island with only 7 people (more information on that in the spoiler section). This was also told in non-chronological order, so it was a mystery where the narrator/author reveals information when they want you to know it. It's not a drop clues and they were there the whole time kind of book. Although this was listed as a thriller - I would not consider it a thriller. It is slow-burn suspense - and I mean SLOW BURN. And it is more of a character study, like I said earlier.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!
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Playing around with Genre Expectations: Like I said, I appreciate that he is trying something new. I haven't read a book quite like this before. The narrator breaks the fourth wall often and talks directly to the reader. He is an aspiring playwrite and the book is set up into 5 Acts (parts) much like a play would be. Michaelides also tells the story several times. The first time, he flies through the surface parts. Then he goes back and adds some more specific details to fill in some of the backstory. Then he goes back even further in time to detail some other parts and add even more "reveals" and then, you guessed it, he goes back AGAIN and adds the final twisty details to finish the book. Its almost like "here's the story. But actually, here's the story. But wait, this next reveal will change what you thought about the story. But wait there's even more you didn't know the first time." Again, I found it intriguing, but I'm not sure if it worked for me or not. The biggest, spoileriest divergence from genre expectations is that the murder doesn't happen until literally the last sentence of the book (minus the epilogue - which IMO was a bit unnecessary overall). This part I did find fascinating - but it is what, imo, makes this NOT a locked room mystery (everyone of the characters know who did it as soon as it happens) and also not a fast-paced thriller.

POV: This was told in first person POV in sort of a memoir. Meaning the events of the book have already happened and the narrator is telling the story after the fact. This works to a certain extent. However, there are some parts of the book that he describes when he is not actually present at the time those events take place. Is he speculating to make this a better story (he is an aspiring playwrite, like I said). Did this information come out after the events and he was privy to them? It was never really clear and it bothered me a little. How does he know what these characters were thinking or feeling or doing? Also, this is ANOTHER unreliable narrator trope. As soon as I see a thriller written in first person I don't trust a thing they are saying. Anyone else? This is absolutely the case here.

Characters: None of them, except maybe Leo and the Greek caretaker whose name I forget - Nikos?, are likable. I thought they were all caricatures of characters. Even Lana, who I think is supposed to be the sympathetic character, was a bit whiny and immature and pretentious. I honestly didn't really care which one was murdered, but it was interesting to see it unfold. I wasn't surprised by the ending, even though the characters were.

Overall - I'm probably going to be thinking about this one for a while and I obviously had a lot to say about it, so that is why it gets 3.75 (rounded up to 4 because Goodreads) from me. It was an interesting deviation from the normal novel structure. If you like Michaelides, you'll probably like this book (although it is very different from The Silent Patient).

Thank you to NetGalley, Alex Michaelides, and the publisher for allowing me to review this advanced copy of the audiobook.

Lana Farrah is an ex-movie star with serious magnetism. Despite having stepped away from the limelight to raise her son, people continue to be drawn to her. She invites a few close friends to her private Greek island for the Easter holiday weekend, and what happens feels like it was made for the movies, not real life.

Elliot Chase, our very unreliable narrator, tells gives us a little background on each person on the island and dishes gossip about each person’s connection the other. He slowly describes the weekend leading to the murder, often addressing the reader. At first it is a bit unnerving and adds to the spine-chilling mood of the weekend, but in the end becomes a bit annoying with the constant promise of “wait until I tell you what happened next”.

Overall, the book was interesting enough, but I found the pacing to be very slow for the first half of the book, which is surprising since Michaelides’ last two books were very tightly paced and hard to put down. The big twist also didn’t have the same effect as the one in The Silent Patient—speaking of—for some odd reason the epilogue gives away a big twist from that debut novel, which I found perplexing.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author Alex Michaelides for the advanced copy of the audiobook. The Fury is out on January 16th. All opinions are my own.

I was so excited when @celadonbooks sent me the ARC of Alex Michelaelides' THE FURY!

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

I went into this story blind, which was a bit hard to do as I have been seeing people share about this book for months! I am glad I skipped any synopsis, and I don't want to say much about it here for those who are like me and just want to know the final thoughts.

I did end up listening with the physical copy close by. I absolutely love the narration by Alex Jennings. He has a perfect voice for Elliot. I thought he intoned all the attitude with insecurity that this story needed. It was also fantastic to have the physical book to make sure I was understanding the jumping time frames which did give me pause a time or two.

I enjoyed the way this story was written. It absolutely felt like I was having a drink in a pub and hearing it told. It felt very real in that sense of being less linear, and yet building to the crescendo of that final fury. I also felt like it lent a less dark tone, even though it had sinister characters and murder.

◇SPOILER ALERT◇(possibly-don't read if you want to be more surprised)

What I really loved is how the insight into deep childhood trauma made me feel almost sympathetic. I felt very much at the end of this like I do when watch or read Phantom of the Opera, which is an all-time favorite. (I tried to stay a bit vague for you who can't help but peek!)

Thank you so much to @celadonbooks @macmillan.audio & @netgalley for sending me all the options! Be ready for this to publish January 16th. It will be one to chat about for sure!

The narrator took some getting used to; but it didn’t take long. His tone of voice fit the storytelling perfectly.

As for the story itself, UGH. I liked it, don’t get me wrong, but I kept getting so irritated with Elliot and his tricks. I love a book that brings (any) emotion out of me, so that was great. This is my favorite of the author’s work so far. The ending fell a little flat after SO much build up / back and forth. But that epilogue 👀

The Fury by Alex Michaelides
Narrator: Alex Jennings
Rating: 3.5 stars
Pub date: 1/16

The Fury by Alex Michaelides is a rollercoaster of a thriller that takes you on a suspenseful journey through the luxurious yet eerie setting of a private Greek island. The story starts when Lana Farrar, a former Hollywood star, invites her friends for an Easter weekend on the mysterious Aura island, not realizing that seven friends will attend but only six will leave the island.

Narrated by Lana’s friend, Elliot Chase, the story cleverly explores the complex dynamics, hidden resentments, and unspoken secrets among the characters. Chase is a unique storyteller, breaking the fourth wall and speaking to the audience like they’re old friends. He warns us that everyone is an unreliable narrator of their own life, but that still didn’t prepare me for how unreliable he actually was.

The writing plays out like a modern-day Agatha Christie mystery, complete with a secluded island, a diverse cast of characters, and a murder that sends shockwaves through their supposedly tight-knit group.

The atmospheric setting adds an extra layer of intrigue, with the island's reputation for bad luck and the relentless Fury of the winds creating a palpable sense of tension. Michaelides expertly blends elements of psychological suspense with the classic whodunit, which kept me on the edge of my seat with all the unexpected twists and turns.

This was incredible on audio. Alex Jennings had the perfect cadence and tone for this story, and his intonations kept me on the edge of my seat.

While the story was captivating, it was also slow at times, and all of the back and forth between timelines became tedious. There’s also a strange spoiler for The Silent Patient at the very end, and it’s unclear to me why that would be mentioned at all.

Overall, the twists, the locked room atmosphere, and the tension between the characters kept me guessing and made this book unputdownable. Thank you so much to Celadon for my advanced copy and Macmillan for my complimentary audiobook.

The Fury is a slow and twisted thriller by the narrator, Elliot Chase. Throughout the book, Elliot tries to connect with the reader. Instead, he created more chaos with this bizarre story. It was messy and disorganized. I kept listening because I wanted to know how it resolved everything. I had a tough time connecting or caring about Elliot. I know others loved this book. I don't understand the hype. I loved The Silent Patient so much that this book and The Maidens disappointed me. If you want to read The Silent Patient, please do not read this book first. It will alter your experience with that book since it gives away a crucial piece of that story.