Thank you NetGalley and Celadon for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

"Human beings are complex creatures, with shades of light and dark operating in all of us."

The Fury is the second book I've read by Alex Michaelides. Michaelides's writing is consistent with a drawn out beginning and then he drops these tiny crumbs of suspense to keep you hooked until the very end. His writing is very unique in The Fury, unlike anything I've ever read before. I thoroughly enjoyed all five acts, loved the short chapters, the references to Greek mythology, and the meaning behind "the fury." I was really drawn in by Elliot Chase's character. He's a little irritating and more than a little unreliable. I thought it was interesting how about 95% of the book was told through his POV. Usually I enjoy multiple POVs, but having one POV in this book worked really well. I also really enjoyed the mental health representation of childhood trauma and how that carries on in adulthood. Overall, a very interesting thriller that left my head spinning at the end. Highly recommend!

Also --- one of my favorite book covers of 2024!

I was extremely excited to read this one as The Silent Patient was one of my top reads in 2021. And while this one was great, it wasn't TSP great. Don't get me wrong- the first 2/3 really pull you in but the last 1/3 fell flat and like the author didn't know where to go with it. A very fast paced, quick read though (I read it in the span of one afternoon). And I loved that the chapters were on the shorter side.

When retired movie star Lana Farrah invites a group of friends to her private Greek island over the Easter holiday, no one expected it to end in murder. But it did. And this is the story of how it did, and who did it, told by one of the guests who was on that trip, trapped in the web of secrets and lies that engulfed everyone on the island. But which ones caused someone to snap? And who was their victim? Settle in and find out.

This book is definitely another triumph by Alex Michaelides, who also wrote another of my favorites, The Maidens.

I saw someone compare this book to “Knives Out,” and I would agree a bit with that assessment. It’s a careful dissection of a crime, with some amazing twists and turns, but I would slow say it’s mixed with a Greek tragedy, fittingly enough to fit with the setting and the numerous Greek playwrights mentioned throughout the book.

As we slowly learn more and more about the story, I definitely got more and more hooked, just desperate to know how everything was going to turn out. By the end, even as we, as the readers think we know everything and how it’s going to end, there are still more things to reveal, still more jaws to drop. READ TO THE END, PEOPLE.

Overall, I would never doubt Michaelides’ storytelling skills and his abilities to craft an amazing tale. His characters are deeply developed and his storylines are complex and layered. If you’re a fan of good stories and good mysteries, pick this one up.

Overall I liked the premise of the book but the narrator rambled and it took me a bit to get into it. It did pick up and then I flew through it. I think the author tried to throw in too many twists. Also, I was not a big fan of any of the characters.

This is a quick read with an interesting style of writing. I was intrigued by the narrator, being initially unnamed, talking directly to the reader. It is initially written as though it is Agatha Christie in nature, but the narrator tells us that rather than being a who done it, it is a “why done it”. The story is about a group who go out to a private Greek island for a getaway and someone winds up dead. Who did it and why did they do it. I enjoyed the setting although it felt slightly rushed for me. I prefer stories like this, where the setting is such a part of the story, to embellish this aspect of the writing. That would give it even more atmosphere that can only enhance the intrigue.
I enjoyed the twists and turns and want to be careful to give nothing away in this review. My only complaint is the pace is rushed making me less invested in the characters.
#CeladonBooks #TheFury #NetGalley

THE FURY by Alex Michaelides (The Silent Patient) is a locked room mystery of sorts. Seven people are trapped on an island by a storm: former movie star Lana; her son, Leo; her current husband, Jason; her friends, actress Kate and playwright Elliott; plus, housekeeper Agathi and groundskeeper, Nikos. Elliot acts as a rather unreliable narrator and describes events on the Greek island as well as using flashbacks to provide background on the characters' inter-relationships. There is a murder and readers may struggle to solve it, especially since about halfway through Elliott muses, "I'm aware of the conventions of this genre. I know what's meant to happen next. I know what you're expecting. A murder investigation, a dénouement, a twist." Readers may find multiple dénouements and certainly will deal with "several dark turns." The story slows too much until about eighty percent of the way through when the action picks up again and jealousy, anger, and revenge all have an impact. THE FURY received a starred review from Library Journal and if readers wade through the slower sections they will likely concur that "the tension, unrequited feelings, lies and resentment, friendship and jealousy that permeate this suspenseful page-turner" kept them guessing. 3.5 stars

I really liked the writing style of this one. I really like 2nd person writing and writing where the narrator is talking to the reader. I did guess the first twist, but there were several that I didn’t guess. I also liked the overall pacing of the book. Kept me guessing. There was a couple times where you thought you were going to learn something new, then he would change the subject, which was slightly annoying, but did keep me wanting to read on to learn the truth. Overall, good book.

I liked that this was more psychological/intellectual than thriller, but I get that might not be for everyone. I loved the storytelling and perspective, and the fast pace of the second half was bingeworthy.

***Thank you NetGalley for the Arc of this book in return for an honest review***

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

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.
A private island cut off by the wind…and then a murder!***

This is the third book by Alex and he does have an incredible mind and talent when it comes to writing!
Unfortunately, this book did not live up to the hype of his other books especially The Silent Patient, which even now I still recommend!

The book is set out like a play and told by narrator Elliot but by the time you get to the end of a scene, I was left feeling let down, like I was being lied to!
It was a pretty quick read with short chapters which I like! but mainly because I just wanted it to be over! there was no major twist just lots of little ones throughout the book.

Would I recommend this book? Probably not as a first choice! 3* read for me!

Much like The Silent Patient, this book starts out slow and gets more and more interesting as the story goes on! I liked that it was told from someone who was on the trip and enjoyed his commentary on being as accurate as possible.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alex Michaelides, and Celadon books for this ARC!

Let me just start off by saying.. I LOVED The Silent Patient. Hence, why I gave this book a read. The twisty turns and unreliable narrator of Elliot made this a good read, but DANG did it take forever to get into. Give me a twist or turn if you’re going to world build for so long! I get it was important but sheesh it took me until almost 50% to convince myself to not DNF this book.

With that all said, I loved the twists and turns and the unreliable narrator of the main character, which made this book a saving grace of 3 stars! I also loved that she tied in some characters at the end from The Silent Patient! I’m sure I could deep dive more and find more Easter eggs and things I didn’t notice, but I hated how slow the beginning was!

Alex Michaelides is known for his slow burn thrillers that will have you surprised at the end, and this one did exactly that.

This twisty and suspenseful slow burn thriller takes place on a remote greek island following a group of friends and.. murder.

I personally loved the way the story was written, especially how the narrator was narrating the story, even as unreliable as he was.

This was a great read & a must read if you love The Silent Patient by Michaelides.

The Fury is an atmospheric slow burn. I loved how the story slowly divulges information that altered your perception of what happened ever so slightly until the ultimate twist at the end. Every turn was a surprise. It all played out so creatively. It was so artfully descriptive that I could picture it happening like I was watching a play on a stage.

I have posted this review on Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6093287250

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/C2KrwdQrB_d/?igsh=M2Jnd2VsbjNjODRn

And Amazon

Wow, what a fantastic read!
This is my second book I’ve read by Michaelides and it did not disappoint.

The setting was amazing, a secluded Greek island with twist and turns. The middle got a little slow for me but I was still intrigued. The ending I did not see coming!
Bravo! What a great read.

I want to first off say a big Thank you to Netgalley, Celadon Publishing, and Alex Michaelides for an eARC of The Fury. While at times I really enjoyed this book, there were several times it was a bit confusing and hard to follow. Overall a good read and left me guessing until the end. Definitely 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Looking forward to checking out more from this author.

Great story. Took awhile to get into it but when I did there was no stopping.. fast paced, good characters, never dissapoints

I really enjoyed Michaelides’ The Silent Patient and The Maidens, so I was excited for The Fury. The thrill to get to the end was definitely there, but the Greek tragedy narrative made it feel like the brake pedal was being held down through most of the ride; at least until there seemed to be a 3rd person narrator involved. So much of what Elliot Chase said seemed suspect and then there were so many back and forth time jumps that I felt like I had already been around the block and was back again. If I hadn’t read his earlier works, I might have bailed early on this one, but I’m glad I didn’t. I’d give it 3.5 if that were an option.

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon books for an ARC of this book.

I became a big Alex Michaelides fan, like most people, after reading ‘The Silent Patient.’ So to say I was excited to read this book, would be an understatement.
The thing I like most about his writing is he dumps you right into to fast paced, well, deception! I also am the type of reader who enjoys having an unreliable narrator. It keeps things interesting, don’t you think?
Anyway, ‘The Fury’ was a tremendously enjoyable read. I didn’t mind the slower parts as the chapters always ended with a bit of a twist. And the last third of the book makes up for all the parts you might think are potentially dragging. Isn’t it delicious to watch the character figure out exactly when things started to go wrong?
If you want a book you can read in a day and that will keep you entertained the whole way through, then ‘The Fury’ is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the digital Arc in exchange for my honest review!

Meh. This book was fine.
It certainly wasn't "a masterfully paced thriller" as the blurb indicates - I found the pacing to be inconsistent and distracting.
The story had a few surprising elements that were fun to uncover. I didn't care about any of the characters - which isn't a requirement in my reading - but as in I just didn't care about them. Just meh.
I remember really liking The Silent Patient, so I think I had higher hopes for this book, but this one didn't really do it for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC.

Thank you #NETGALLEY #CeladonPublishing


Poetic writing that is also original and unique

I don't know how fo start. If you've read this author's work and didn't like it, I'd say you may love this book. I love how it caught me up and didn't let go. I was speechless. Don't do like me and cheat halfway through. I can't stand waiting . But it doesn't so any good. You'll just be confused. There's like three ways it could turn out. It was intense. Alex has used a narrator character who is in love with Lana. His name is Elliott. I can't help but like him some because of childhood but he needs to do better. This was so unputdownable. I could read this author's grocery list. Surely this us going to be a hit on the big charts. The writing is so good and put together well. This author creates a unique and original story that flows so poetically. Wish he'd narrate the book.