The Fury is a very unique mystery that I never could have unraveled on my own. Get ready for the most unreliable narrator & unlikeable characters if you dive into this one. It’s a private island mystery like no other. The writing style is very different. It switches between 1st and 3rd constantly, but for good reason. Very slow burn thriller that leads into a shocking finale. Loved the audio. It really set the mood of the book.

📚Review: The Fury 🏝️
This book was so fun. I received this as an ARC from @netgalley and had to start it right away. It has been one of my most anticipated reads for 2024, so I was super excited that I finally had got approved. The Silent Patient by this same author is one of my all time favorite books, so I have been patiently waiting for his next book. Although this was nothing at all like The Silent Patient, I still really liked and enjoyed this book a lot. Talk about unreliable narrators! Wow! I really liked how the narrator “talked” to the readers as he went on with telling his story. I thought that was unique and well done. 👏🏻👏🏻
This last 25% of the book was so good and suspenseful, I had to keep going to find out what was going to happen. Not to mention the twists that kept coming too. After the epilogue my head was spinning. And I thought the ending was so clever. My mouth literally fell open. Without telling too much, this book is about a small group of people who go on vacation on a greek island. The narrator tells the story and introduces each person and you get to know each of their stories and how they are all connected. There is a murder (or two) and you are left trying to figure out who did it and why. It reminded me somewhat of an Agatha Christie book, Evil Under The Sun. (Minus the detective) But it was just so good. Cleverly written. I really enjoyed this one. I hope you do too. It was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars for me. Be sure to check this one out when it’s released next month. I can’t wait to add it to my collection. Thank you again to @netgalley and @macmillanaudio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: January 16, 2024.

Have you read any books by this author yet? Which is your favorite?

This book would be great for anyone who loves Agatha Christie type mysteries, or anyone who enjoyed the previous books by the author, Alex Michaelides.

Elliott Chase is friends with a famous former actress and goes for a visit on her Greek island, where there is a murder. The story shows what leads up to the murder and the aftermath of it. I don't want to say too much more because of spoilers, but you will have fun trying to figure it out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced edition of the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Elliot Chase is our narrator, who promises to tell us about a murder. Elliot is constantly addressing us, the readers, in a very meta-fourth-wall-breaking method which I can see had some mixed reviews.

Elliot befriended the reclusive actress Lana Farrar. Lana used to be all over the screen but her time has passed. Lana invites her friends, including Elliot, to travel with her to a private Greek island, the perfect setting for a locked room mystery.

We don't find out the victim of the murder for some time. Instead we learn about each of the seven characters that went to the island, including Elliot, all of which are hiding secrets and could be murderers.. or victims.

I thought this was an enjoyable thriller. It had great narration that kept me interested. Thank you Macmillan Audio for giving me an advanced review copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

This is my favorite book of Michaelides’s yet! I loved how the storyline was written out like a performance. It was a very enjoyable read. I love mysteries/thrillers where the characters are stranded somewhere and isolated trying to solve a crime and this was a really fun twist on that.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
The Fury by Alex Michaelides
⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 320 / Genre: Murder Mystery / Narrator: Alex Jennings

A reclusive ex-movie star invites her closest friends to her Greek island for a getaway. The trip ends in murder. How delicious!

I’m a big fan of this author. I loved The Silent Patient and The Maidens, but this one really didn’t do it for me. The twists and surprises were great, it’s the main character Elliot Chase that I just couldn’t stand. And you’re supposed to not like him, he’s very unlikeable. But I hate whiny characters who go off on their inner monologues and this is one of those. I listened to the audiobook on this one and the narrator Alex Jennings does a great job, but maybe if I read it I would have liked it more as I could have skipped past some of the rantings. Oh well, I’m still a Michaelides fan and am looking forward to his next book.

Thank you @NetGalley and @CeladonBooks for the advanced copy.

Well, there was a lot to take in and many characters to semi sort through.

7 people are trapped on a Greek island; 1 killer and 1 unreliable narrator; this person wasn't quite the person we all thought he/she was.

I really enjoyed listening to The Fury, written by Alex Michaelides and narrated by Alex Jennings. Jennings voice brought the suspense and head scratching moments to life in my mind. There are many characters and some "hmmmm" moments that made me take notes on who was who (otherwise I got lost). While I feel Michaelides redeemed himself from the Maidens (not my favorite after his breakout Silent Patient), I'm curious on what's next.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for my alc in exchange for my honest review. Thank you Celdaon for allowing me to participate in the January little free library drop!

Thanks to MacMillan Audio & NetGalley for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm one of maybe 5 people who didn't read The Silent Patient, so this is my initial foray into Alex Michaelides, and I was not disappointed! The story was a little repetitive in the first half, and then things start to happen very fast. I could have done with far less setup of the cast of characters, but I'm feeling forgiving.

A group of friends, all involved with film/theatre or ancillaries to that world, go away for a long Easter weekend to a Greek island owned by their host, Hollywood starlet of yore, Lana Farrar. But all is not as it seems; there is subterfuge underfoot: a plot to test the worthiness of some of Lana's oldest friends and family members. Telling the story is Elliott Chase, now a writer but once an unwanted, unloved child, like so many in the entertainment business. He's loved Lana from his perch in the Friend Zone for decades, and might finally see his chance to escape it during this trip, if he plays his cards well.

The Fury refers to the whipping winds around the island, which cut off the place from mainland boats when strong (as in our story). Elliott is voiced by Alex Jennings, best known to me as Edward, Duke of Windsor from The Crown, and he is most capable (and not sounding quite as plummy as he did on that show). In my mind, he was Tim Roth, who I think would be well-cast as a somewhat debauched, aging playwright with a seedy past.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the copy of this book!

I loved The Silent Patient and The Maidens, and am always in for a unique POV in a thriller set on a Greek Island. However, this one was a let down for me. I was extremely bored. The narration by Alex Jennings was good, though!

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙪𝙧𝙮 𝙗𝙮 𝘼𝙡𝙚𝙭 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙨

This book felt both parts fresh and classic.

Michaelides excels at the psychological, with The Fury, he presents us with a locked room style mystery, but the set up is a picturesque Greek island, and everyone is a suspect, or so Elliot, our narrator and guest, has us believe. Told in five parts, each detailing the before, during and after of our murder, each part with alternatives and nuanced observations, each part a bit more revelatory than the last.

Doesn’t that just sound juicy? This story has plot but it also has mood, the set up is almost as delicious as the unravelling, the island itself with all its history and lore becomes almost a character amongst the players. Elliot is an unreliable narrator of sorts, telling the story in almost a choose your own adventure style, when you think he has finally let you in on it all he pulls out the rug and you are on your back, head spinning. It sounds a bit dizzy but the smooth and calculated prose adds to the allure of this style of storytelling.

Michaelides has the knack for getting into his readers psyche, toying ever so artfully at our emotional strings, by making everyone guilty in their own way, we are left thirsty to know whodunnit, and that feeling of wanting anwsers so badly is just as good as getting them.

Thank you celadon and Macmillan audio for the advanced readers copy as well as an advanced audio, the narrator on this one is a 10/10 and I absolutely recommend a hybrid read for this one out January 15, 2024.

The narrator of The Fury is Elliot Chase, and he's going to tell us a story. It's a story about murder -- or maybe it's a love story? Well, he'll let you decide. He'll just give you the facts, as he sees them, about a murder on a secluded Greek island owned by a former movie star, who happens to be his best friend. It's a locked-room Agatha Christie-style mystery, told in five acts.

The Fury is an ambitious undertaking, both in its structure and execution, as Michaelides balances a murder mystery, complex relationship dynamics, the intricacies of mental health, a nonlinear timeline, and an unreliable meta-narrator in the plot. Michaelides is so good at writing about psychological issues, at conveying how those issues can manifest in the behaviors of his characters.

But unfortunately, I found these characters to be bland, uninteresting, and one-dimensional. I didn't feel connected to or care about any of them, probably because we only see them through Elliot's eyes, and he only really lets us know them in relation to him. And yes, I can see how in a way that is kind of a genius move on Michaelides' part and may have been exactly his intention -- but it made for a dry, humorless reading experience. Also, for a book set on and named for an island with gale-force winds, The Fury lacks a strong sense of place. I would have hoped the wind itself would become a character or at least factor in the plot, but it really doesn't.

As for the twists...I found them to be slightly ludicrous, yet fitting in the context of who the characters are, so I can't really fault them too much. The slow pacing and lack of atmosphere and characterization aren't quite as easy to forgive.

After a debut like The Silent Patient, anything and everything else Michaelides writes is inevitably going to be compared to that. That's not really fair to him, but it just is what it is. I have to wonder if that's why he set his two subsequent novels in the same universe (major spoiler for TSP in the epilogue of this book, by the way).

It's clear that Michaelides still has interesting stories to tell, and The Fury is undeniably compelling and unique, even with its flaws. And it's much better than The Maidens, so there's that. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the early listening opportunity.

Alex Michaelides took the psychological thriller world by storm a few years ago, publishing "The Silent Patient." It was hard to avoid seeing his book, and, being a psychological thriller aficionado, I had to read it. I loved it. Later, I enjoyed his next book, "The Maidens." Again, a college setting is one of my favorite novel backgrounds.

"The Fury" is a psychological thriller told from the perspective of a main character, Elliot Chase. At first, he reminded me of Truman Capote and his outsider position in the high society circle. Elliot is a successful playwright, close friend, and companion of a beautiful Hollywood actress, Lana. Lana has left the glamour of the silver screen but now has everything one can dream of - a devoted husband, a long-time female friend, and Elliot, who will do everything for her. She even owns a slice of paradise - a private Greek island where she invites friends.

However, as it often happens, there are troubles in paradise. Not all guests are who they seem to be, and Lana has hidden motives. Similarly, Elliot is not just a friendly observer who, as a writer, may want to gather material for his next play. Things develop as in a Greek tragedy, with modern twists. With Elliot's words, the author brings the famous Greek philosopher Heraclitus's words to life: Character is destiny. Eventually, the murder has to happen.

The audiobook I listened to was read by an excellent British actor, Alex Jennings, who brought Elliot Chase to life. It was like sitting in an armchair and listening to an exciting stranger tell his story. Eventually, his story becomes less cozy and more alarming – but fascinating to the point that I felt sad when it ended. Hopefully, Alex Michaelides has already started working on his next book.

HUH?

I don’t know what it it but I feel like I might not be smart enough to understand what happened here! And that’s def a me problem 🤷🏻‍♀️

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this book but I don’t think I really knew what was going on. Which in part was due to the writing style. I was gagged at the first “twist” when he’s like that’s a good story but it’s not what happened. It got me. But after the second and third time, I was like okay come on tell me the truth! I think this type of story telling will work for some but I think could be frustrating to some readers. For me, it left me a little confused. Bc at the end I was like what even really happened?! I still don’t know lolol

But what I do know is I liked being tricked but I don’t understand the ending. I also liked the incorporation of the wind and the “fury” that was mentioned a lot. It really tied the title with the story. I also enjoyed seeing Marianna from the maidens popping up every now and then! I remember Alex michaelides doing this with that book as well which is so fun for someone who’s read those books!

Overall, I enjoyed my time and will continue to pick up this author!

I loved Elliot as the narrator and his view of this story. He is talking right to the reader and I found it such a fun way to tell a story! Lana is Elliots friend and the owner of the island where friends go to spend Labor Day. It's a locked room mystery on a beautiful Greek Island. I liked the rich people problems, the unknowns and I quickly devoured this book! I love this author and while this book is so different from others, its fantastic!

I mostly enjoyed reading The Fury. I certainly liked it more than Alex Michaelides last book. I guess I really just didn’t need a book where the book that I’m reading is the book the character is writing? I was interested though and wanted to know what happened in the end.

My main complaint was that I did not enjoy the narrator at all. It felt like someone matter of factly reading the book to me, not a voice actor embodying the character. A little extra something in the performance could have drastically changed my experience with the book. Would definitely suggest print for this book.

A famous actress invites her friends to her private Greek island, someone winds up dead, but the nature of how it all happened is far more complex than meets the eye. Told by a super tongue in cheek, unlikable narrator, this story unfolds again and again, constantly keeping you guessing what’s true and who you can trust. Great example of why sometimes nothing beats a fun, extremely bingeable thriller.

I greatly enjoyed listening to this audiobook. Alex Jennings, the narrator, was outstanding and the perfect choice to be the voice of our main character, Elliot. Very engaging, easy to understand and follow, and captured the essence of the story and characters.

The book is constructed in a theatrical manner and divided into ‘acts.’ This was especially fitting with the movie star protagonist, Lana, and the isolated Greek island setting that helps this modern greek tragedy. This was a very slow burn mystery thriller that was high on the secrets but low on the thrills. Go into this expecting more of a character study than a typical thriller. I enjoyed how everything unfolded with the timely reveals and the last 100 or so pages was especially fun.

The Fury very much reminded me of If We Were Villains, sans dark academia, due to the nature of the writing and inner dialogue of Elliot. Very fun read! It’s a shame this comes out in January because it’s the perfect beach read. Highly recommend if you enjoy theatrical characters, slow burn mysteries, and beachy settings.

Thank you to Celadon Books for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I jumped at the chance to read the newest Alex Michaelides as I have really enjoyed his other works. The Fury did not disappoint in being a roller coaster of a ride! This is the story of a movie star at the top of her game who walks away from Hollywood and moves to London. She gets married and settles into a non-celebrity life with her friends and small family. We are instantly told that while they are on vacation on a Greek Island, there will be a murder and one of the few friends and family on the private island will be the murderer. Just like his other books, The Fury does not follow a linear timeline and you will be revealed small but important details during various reveals in the book. This is a slow burn thriller so if you are looking for something to be a non-stop ride, keep this one on your TBR for a bit. The build up in this text is worth it and the twists at the end were impossible for me to see coming. Once you think you have it figured out, you will find out, all is not as it seems. This was a very enjoyable read and will keep Alex Michaelides on my "authors I automatically read" lists and I will grab whatever he puts out in the future! As far as the audio version, my only wish was there wasn't a long pause between chapters. It was painfully long towards the middle of the text and you could cut out minutes by just shortening the pauses.

I enjoyed this as an Audio version. There unreliable narrator was brilliant and I liked that it was written so that the narrator “broke the fourth wall” and spoke directly to the audience. Almost as if you sat down to hear a story.

This book was written in a very unique format, with the narrator being a thespian and the book is written in Acts, like a true Greek Tragedy. The story takes place on a Greek Island and turns out to be its own Greek Tragedy.

I will say I was a bit confused as the story twisted and turned. It was kind of hard to keep up with what was the actual story and what was the unreliable narrators version of events. The narrator, Elliott, recounts his own version of events but then also acts as an omniscient presence that was able to recount events that he wasn’t actually present for, so it didn’t really work. This was the major flaw in the writing.

None of the characters had very redeeming characteristics and because of the slow pacing of the first half of the book, I wasn’t really invested in who died or who did it by the end.

I got an advanced copy of the audiobook. I loved this book. A former actress takes her family and friends on a getaway to a Greek island and then a murder happens. There's one plot twist I definitely didn't see coming. There was one point where I was convinced I knew what was going to happen but I was so wrong. When I tell you the ending had me floored...wow. The last line of the book right before the epilogue had my jaw on the floor. I highly recommend this audiobook!