Alex Michaelides, you have managed to pull the wool over my eyes again! The Silent Patient was one of my first reads of 2023 so it seems fitting that this one be my last. I swear, He weaves such a lovely story and then pulls twists out of the blue that, even though I predict 100 different ways it could end, it's never one of them! Really, really liked this book. Thanks for the ARC Net Galley and Celadon Books. Solid 4.5 stars

This was an incredibly bizarre book, but that is certainly not to say that it was a bad book. I enjoyed it thoroughly for all of its bizarreness. I need to sit at think about it for a while after I finished it before I could put my thoughts into a review.

We have an admittedly unreliable narrator telling us the tale of a group of friends on a remote Greek island for a weekend. He tells of his past with all of the members of the group and the tale of the murder that takes place before the weekend is over.

A good portion of this book is devoted to the narrators past history and during these portions I frequently found myself a bit bored and wondering how any of it tied into the murder mystery on a remote Greek island that I had been promised. It did ultimately tie in and I was genuinely shocked by the ending of this book, but getting there felt a bit tedious.

Rating this book was incredibly difficult because I loved how floored I was by the ending, however I struggled to get through some of the slower portions of the book. Ultimately, I rated this book 3.5 stars (rounded to 4 for the 5 star rating system). I would still highly recommend this book because even though it has some slow sections the ending is absolutely worth it.

I listened to this audio ARC of this book and the narration is spectacularly done, so if you are an audiobook person, this is definitely one worth listening to on audio.

I was very excited to get an advanced copy of this audiobook because I loved the Silent Patient. The narrator was perfect, and I enjoyed the narrator’s interactions with the listener. I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed that aspect quite as much if I had been reading the book. The many twists and turns were unexpected. I enjoyed the story, the Greek mythology references and the psychological aspects of the story, much like the author’s other books.

I’ll admit that I was not a fan of The Silent Patient (don’t attack me 😅) and I was prepared to DNF when I started reading the first chapter.

I wasn’t a fan of how it was written by an omniscient third and it kind of annoyed me so I put it down. I had the audiobook though and I had a reading goal to meet so I gave it another chance.

I AM SO GLAD I DID!

With the way the story was written, the audiobook was key. It allowed me to really get immersed in the story and it was a good one!

Part 1, backstory. Part two things get good. Then part 3, 4, 5, AND THAT EPILOGUE?! Whew. The twists were twisting.

My advice is to definitely read this but listen to the audiobook if you can!

Alex Michaelides has done it again with The Fury! This slow burn pulls you into the life of the elite. The lifestyles of the rich and the famous can bring so many amazing opportunities. But when you're that famous it seems like everyone wants something from you. It muddies the waters. Do we really know the people closest to us? Alex weaves the tale so effortlessly that you are pulled in immediately and can't stop reading. I was lucky enough to receive an audiobook version of this novel and I'm so glad that I did. The narrator brought the story to life with perfection. 5 huge stars for this one!

Thank you Alex Michaelides, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Author Alex Michaelides is known for his wicked twists and turns. With a unique narrator perspective and voice, readers are brought right into the story.

Rich, famous and reclusive on her island, Lana composes a group of friends for an experience they'll never forget.

Similar to his other reads, but in a new locale, Michaelides does what he does best.

For fans of The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides is back with a riveting story about love, lust, betrayal and the theatre. This intricate psychological thriller takes you down a very twisty road that will leave you shocked and in the dark until the end.

The story was a slow burn in the beginning but paid off in the end. The way the story tied together was a perfect blend of suspense and mystery. I also love the title and how the author wrote the story around it. Clever! A solid 4 stars, well written with plenty of suspense!

The narrator Alex Jennings, gave depth to this story. His narration of the main character was fitting brought life to Elliot. I did find his pace to be a bit fast but even on 1.3x speed, I was able to enjoy the story. Alex did a great job setting up and moving through the chapters. I highly recommend the audiobook of The Fury.

“That’s the tricky thing about honesty. It cuts both ways, that sword; which is why I am so wary of wielding it.”

“That’s where all creativity is born, I believe—in the desire to escape.”

3.5 stars! I enjoyed this one but I read every one of his books searching for the brilliance that was The Silent Patient and this one didn’t have that. The pacing was very slow to start and then switched to so fast paced it gave me whiplash.

The characters are, for the most part, unlikable and I never felt like I really got to know any of them therefor I was unable to really like or care for them. I didn’t even get a full sense of the beauty that I am certain this private Greek island has.

I did enjoy Elliot’s narration, though. It was quite a nice change to be read a story, in a sense, as apposed to watching it unfold. He keeps you guessing on his reliability throughout.

The narrator did a great job with the audio of his one, keeping the suspense up and the emotions high!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

For a book that progressed so slowly, the ending had twist after twist that was not congruent with the rest of the story. Michaelides has proven his ability in the past with taut plots and building tension, but this book felt like he was trying too hard to be different and shocking. I'd have probably felt more comfortable with the book had it not been for the annoying twists at the end that employed some of my least favorite reveal techniques. All the excess crafting would've been better if there had been a single likable character, too.

1 star because I finished it. 1 star because I was invested in the ending. And 1 star for shocking me, despite not liking the shock.

I really loved this one for the first half of the book. The narration style is fun, the setting of a secluded greek island, and a set of characters who all have secrets makes for an intriguing story. I also personally love following celebrities, so the fact that one of our MCs was a famous movie star was really fun, as well! My issues came in the second half of the book. Without spoiling anything, I the narration style is ultimately what caused this to not quite work for me. I think if it had been told differently I actually would've liked the twists a lot more.

Overall I did still have a good time and would still recommend this book! It just isn't my favorite from the author.

A highly atmospheric read, this story is full of untrustworthy characters and lots of twists and turns. The book is well crafted with wonderful writing, but I found it a little hard to connect with and care for these characters who were a little whiny and annoying.

The narration for this audiobook was superb and very reminiscent of famous radio plays of the 1940-50s (reminded me a bit of the show The Shadow).

4.5 ⭐️! Some authors write stories and others tell stories through their writing; Alex Michaelides is a truly artistic story-teller. This particular story was told in such a unique and refreshing way, frequently breaking the fourth wall, and, (oftentimes humorously) combatting cliches usually seen in thriller/suspense novels.

I was worried it wouldn’t live up to how much I thoroughly enjoyed The Silent Patient (also written by Michaelides), but The Fury was another page-turner that I couldn’t put down! Probably one of my top reads of 2023 that I can’t wait to recommend when it releases in January 2024! I alternated between physically reading this book and listening to the audiobook version and I equally enjoyed both formats.

(Huge thank you NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Alex Michaelides for a free e-ARC in exchange for this honest review!)

Book: The Fury
Author: Alex Michaelides
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Fiction, Thriller
Places Featured: Fictional island near Mykonos, Greece
Review Score: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Review: Michaelides gives us another thriller where the thrill is all about the perspective–this story is told by Elliot Chase who has traveled to a private Greek island owned by his best friend (Lana–a famous actress) who has invited her closest friends for a little getaway. The getaway becomes less than idyllic though when someone ends up dead, meaning there is a killer loose on the island. The story is a little complicated, but it really is the author’s style of writing that makes the book. It keeps you engaged and wondering.
*I was given a version of this book for free in exchange for an honest book review. The book will be released on 16 January 2024.

Lana, a famous actress, needing to escape flys herself, husband, son, and small group of friends to her private island in Greece. They find themselves cut off from the outside world by strong winds know as “The Fury”. Lies and checkered pasts lead to a possible murder and complex whodunit storyline.

It started off a little slow with a lot of characters, but listening to the audiobook made it easier to get into and the next thing I knew I was completely absorbed and couldn’t put it down.

This twisty tale is told through the eyes of one unlikable narrator who sets up the atmosphere for this unique and unexpected murder mystery. The audiobook narrator, Alex Jennings embodied the unlikable and questionable Elliot perfectly.

The short chapters, and different acts build and propel the mystery forward. This is more mystery than thriller. Expect to be surprised by unexpected twists, secrets, affairs, and lies.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARL of The Fury by Alex Michaelides. At first, The Fury started off slow and I wasn’t sure how it would pan out, but as we got into Act II, the pace started picking up and I really started to enjoy the story. I love how Alex Michaelides structured the story. With the main character being an aspiring play writer, the story was told in first person POV and was really a story within a story. Broken into five Acts, the story was structured just like a playbook, which I thought was brilliant. Alex Jenning did a wonderful job bringing the main character, Elliot’s voice to life. This story was full of twisted friendships and love. If you’re into thrillers or murder mysteries and love a good “whodunnit” story with a twist, then this is the book for you. ❤️

I am so sad! I spent months trying to get this book as an ARC and got approved and started it right away! Unfortunately, this was not what I had hyped it up to be in my brain after loving this author’s previous books! I truly have no idea what really happened in this book. If you needed me to summarize it… I could not do that. The narrator is so unbelievably unreliable that I don’t know what’s real and what’s not! I’d love to hear what others think about it!

This book publishes 1/16/24 and if you’ve read Michaelides previous books, check it out and let me know your thoughts!

I was SUPER EXCITED to read this book because I LOVED The Silent Patient. The book moved fast and just when you think you figured it out, you’ve realized you have not. Good book but would not recommend to a friend.

The Fury a mystery book that I thought was going to be predictable, but ending up completely surprising me and had me questioning everything! Definitely keep me wondering and a quick listen! Would definitely recommend to any mystery lover

This book is such a page turner and keeps you on your toes until very end. Just when you think you know what happens, here comes another twist. Loved the way the narrator broke the fourth wall; makes it feel like a friend telling you the story. Well done Michaelides.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC audiobook version.
This books is a character study. Are any of us really what we seem or are we all actors on the stage of life?
Though this book is fairly fast paced, even more so thanks to audiobook narrator Alex Jennings, it’s not what I would call a thriller. It’s more of a book about who people are, why they think the way they do and how they act. There were lots of moving parts and I never would’ve guessed the ending.
I always enjoy Michaelides “easter eggs” in each of his books. It feels like you’re part of an inside joke.