The Fury is a wonderfully paced thriller where a reclusive ex-movie star and her fabulously famous friends take a tripe to a private Greek island, where a murder takes place. Elliot Chase has a surprising story to tell. I dove into this book with high anticipation. For some reason, while the story did not grab me as I hoped it would - it had its fair share of dangling. I was surprised to find this book also had a spoiler for The Silent Patient, which I was not expecting. But I loved the silent nod towards that book. I did find it a bit confusing in some parts, but it could have been the narrative used. Overall I give this book a solid 3.75 stars rounded up to 4 stars and recommend it to fans of The Silent Patient.

The duplicity!!! This author is so good, and I found this much more satisfying than The Maidens. The Silent Patient will forever be my favorite though. But this was still so so good!

Lana Farrar is a former movie star, and while she remains one of the most famous women in the world, she prefers a much more reclusive lifestyle. To escape London’s weather, she invites her friends and family to join her on her private Greek island. But an idyllic weekend is just not in the cards. Isolated by strong winds, tensions amongst the group will come to head. Many years of jealousies will culminate in revenge fantasies come to life, and by the end of the night, one of them will be murdered.

This was a unique psychological thriller with interesting pacing. Narrated by Elliott, a writer himself, we get this story in five acts. What made this stand out was how much and when the reader receives important bits of information to make the story progress. Elliott himself is egotistical and delusional which makes him unreliable and unlikable but in a way that worked for me.

Things to know going in: these are not empathetic characters. As much as Elliott sings Lana’s praises, I felt zero connection to her or anyone else. The only person I could semi root for was Nikos but we don’t get any closure for his story. The end definitely left me with questions. For me, I flew through the beginning but the last third of the book felt much slower despite the climax and reveal.

One more little detail I did love was Michaelides’ callback to characters from his previous books. So fun!

Thank you to Netgalley and Celadon for the ARC!

I absolutely LOVED this! It was a clue-like storytelling laid out by a very flawed narrator. I truly enjoyed The Maidens and The Silent Patient but this is easily my favorite Michaelides novel! My enjoyment was not so much from what happened in the story as it was how the story was told to me! I just wanted to listen to more of the story...
Thank you NetGalley, Celadon Books and Alex Michaelides for allowing me to read this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.

I received both an ARC and the audiobook. I only listened to the audiobook. My review is below.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the chance to review the audiobook version of The Fury. I attest my review is my own unbiased evaluation of this new novel.

Having previously listened to Alex Michaelides' The Silent Patient, I was anxious to hear this new work entitled The Fury. The Fury is named for strong and sometimes violent winds, and the windy weather plays a prominent role on a Greek island in this book. The weather is not the main character; that role belongs to a reclusive former actress Lana Farrar who has invited some of her closest friends to spend Easter weekend on her private island.

This may sound a bit like the wonderful Agatha Christie novel Ten Little Indians (also retitled And Then There Was One) but this work differs in that there is only a single murder on the island--but who dies? Michaelides teases the reader/listener with a twisting plot.

The other main character is Elliott Chase, who serves as the narrator of the story. This is not to be confused with the narrator of the audiobook itself, Alex James, whose talents add to the richness of the story.

Like the Silent Patient, The Fury features many twists and turns that keeps the listener/reader guessing as to what will happen next. It is a modern Greek tragedy for sure! I can't offer a lot more without spoilers, which I try to avoid in my reviews.

Let me just conclude by saying if you read the Silent Patient you will enjoy this murder mystery. In my view, the Silent Patient was a masterpiece of a book. While The Fury is very good, it is a different experience for the reader. I give it 4.5 stars.

I think because of the technique, the narrator, and the writer's style, all the elements in this book play very well. Besides, the setting was quite atmospheric for this kind of plot. This is the second book that I read by Michaelides and I can tell his style is already been cemented. Bravo!

Very atmospheric! I’m starting to enjoy unreliable narrators more now thanks to this book. I love Alex’s writing style! This isn’t my favorite of his but I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

Award-winning author Alex Michaelides returns with The Fury, set largely on Aura, a private Greek Island gifted years ago to Lana Farrar, a retired actress, by her first husband, producer Otto Krantz. In part, writing a variation on the locked-room mystery, Michaelides has placed only seven people on the island: Lana, her teenage son Leo, her second husband Jason, the island’s caretaker Nikos, Lana’s housekeeper Agathi, and two of Lana’s friends, actress Kate and playwright Elliott. The prologue establishes the fact that Elliott, the first-person narrator, is conscientiously writing a story and has been read advice never to start with the weather, yet he does exactly that, establishing the scene for the murder—the wild winds hitting the island the night Leo hears three gunshots, races in their direction, and reaches the scene shortly before the others—a scene “like the climactic scene in a Greek tragedy.” However, as Elliott tells readers, this “was just the beginning.”

In the first chapter, Elliott debates whether the story he is about to tell is a murder mystery or a love story, adding that readers have probably read newspaper accounts of “Murder Island.” Elliott briefly introduces himself and reveals that he is telling the story well after the fact, basing it on one of the many notebooks he has kept over the years to record his thoughts, dreams, overheard conversations, and observations. The story he is about to tell, he explains, is a true story about real people, more a whydunit than a whodunit—”a character study, and examination of who we are; and why we do the things we do.” Indeed, the book’s epigraph, taken from Heracleitus, states, “Character is destiny.”

Organized into five dramatic acts with frequent references to drama theory as well as to Greek tragedies and mythology, The Fury offers much to readers other than a captivating, suspense-filled plot. As a former literature teacher, I enjoyed the literary allusions and occasionally found myself researching an unfamiliar detail. However, the book is an easy read, and readers need not understand the allusions or pause for research to become caught up in Elliott’s account of events. Granted, readers must accept Elliott’s roundabout narrative, which slowly but surely reveals the truth of the murder. Elliott, himself, explains his circuitous path as the normal way we communicate, jumping back and forth, skipping ahead, editing as we go along. He does all that, and the process makes the story, one full of twists and surprises.

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an advance reader copy of this captivating new novel by Alex Michaelides. Having read the book, I look forward to listening to the audio version--to hearing the reader bring Elliott to life.

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(3.5 stars) A murder on a private Greek island cut off from the mainland by a crazy windstorm? The concept sounded too juicy to ignore. We are led through this story by Elliot Chase, an author, who is recounting the events of the Easter weekend trip to us, the readers. The owner of the island is Lana Farrar, an ex-actress who continues to be a well-known face across the world. She invites her friend Elliot, along with her friend and fellow actress, Kate. Also there are her second husband, Jason, and her son, Leo, as well as her two faithful employees, Agathi and Nikos.

I always enjoy stories where you are told early on that there is going to be a murder and then spend the book working through not only who dies, but how it happens and who killed them. We find out about halfway through who the victim is and then spend the rest of the book answering the two other questions. The first part of the book felt repetitive to me and dragged, but the last 100 pages made up for that. I do wish the pacing could have been a little more even though. The chapters are short though which makes it a quick read.

I do have to say that I didn’t necessarily see one of the major twists coming which is always a pleasant surprise in thrillers. Where this book lost some ground with me was the narration by Elliot. He is constantly addressing the reader and acknowledging that he might not be a great narrator. I also felt like he knew things at times that he couldn’t possibly know. If you enjoy books with unreliable narrators that you can fly through in a weekend, The Fury will be for you. Thank you to Celadon Books and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

Elliot Chase, the narrator of this story, is without a doubt a Narcissist.

He succeeds in pulling on your heartstrings by describing an early childhood of emotional and physical neglect or abuse that bordered on the criminal.

Elliott left home at seventeen and lived on the streets of London. He hints that he did whatever he had to to survive - right down to sex trade work. Elliott's escape mechanisms from this sordid life were alcohol, drugs - and the movies. It is there that he first saw and fell in love with Lana Farrar: flawlessly beautiful and larger than life on the massive movie theater screen.

When Elliott is taken up by a famous writer as her live in lover, Elliott eventually gets the opportunity to meet his idol. A strange friendship evolves. Alas, Elliott is totally obsessed by Lana, whereas Lana can only feel friendship for Elliott.

And therein lies the crux of the conflict. Elliott deludes himself time and again into believing that Lana does in fact love him. Even when she marries someone else, he still cannot shake the belief that they were meant to be together. You do feel a tad sorry for him, but he is so obviously the author of his own misfortune. The lies he tells everyone else and himself are keeping him locked in an unhealthy fantasy world.

I can't go into much more detail for fear of spoilers. I did suspect a major plot point half way through this story. (With all these actors and dramatists lurking about in this novel - who could resist the temptation to turn the tables on their tormentors in this way?!!) I'm sure many of you will suspect the truth as well, but the dramatic reveal was still gripping for me - regardless of the fact that I had already guessed what was afoot.

I did enjoy this well-written, character driven thriller by Alex Michaelides. <u>The Maidens</u> is my favourite of his novels thus far - and Mariana Andros makes an appearance in this story - as Elliott's therapist. (I always enjoy it when Michaelides links his other books in this subtle way!)

I'm rating this one 4.3 out of 5 stars because the imagery and storytelling were stellar, but the pitfalls of having an unreliable, emotionally disturbed narrator is that you weren't always sure what was wishful thinking on Elliot's part or actual fact. With this type of storyteller, there is a fair amount of backtracking and misdirection, so the reader can get a bit muddled, and I wasn't always sure if Elliott - or I, for that matter, were to blame for these muddles!
"Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!" kept running through my head!

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

i was excited to read this one because michaelides employs a similar technique as i’m trying (very much so attempting) to do in my WIP. however, his attempt at redefining the whodunnit with the murder of a beloved movie star was very much a lesson in what not to do. the plot jumped around far too much for this to be believable.

Absolutely loved this book! My first 5 star read of the year and a page turner that has me finishing this one in a few days. Each character was well developed and played an integral role in this island murder mystery. I appreciated the narration POV and the multi-twist ending. With so many murder mysteries out there, this one stands out and is one I’ll recommend to my fellow readers. Thank you for the advanced copy.

I'm certainly not alone in this, but the Silent Patient is one of my favorite thrillers. THAT TWIST, right? And so I almost feel badly for Alex Michaelides because how can anything else he writes for the rest of his career live up to the debut novel? Everything else will live in his own work's shadow.

So don't go into The Fury expecting The Silent Patient, because you'll be setting yourself up for heartbreak. The Fury is great on its own merit. It's a fantastic locked room mystery. With an unreliable narrator, a litany of flawed characters, and twist after twist, I couldn't put this story down. There are loads of theater references, which as a theater girlie myself, I enjoyed tremendously.

Thank you Celadon and NetGalley for this advanced copy!

What begins as a meandering tale with a narrator (a man named Elliot) in no hurry, laying out details of this whydunit of a murder of the famous actress, Lana on a small island with a small group of suspects of friend, family, and employees. It jumps between the present to recent past and even further back to childhood. Which one of them could have done the dirty deed? Or was it more than one? Mayhap it was the friend having an affair with Lana's husband? Or was it Jason so that he can get the money to get out of his financial troubles. The suspects all have good reasons to want Lana gone.

It is an enjoyable meander as all the characters and their motives and secrets are laid bare. Then it does a twist and you think you might have figured it all out but then it goes and turns head over heels in another directions leaving the reader going what? what? what! It was so much fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I absolutely loved this book! It gave me Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie vibes while being a totally different, fresh plot. The narration kept me hooked from the very first page…Alex Michaelides writes the “potentially unreliable solo narrator” so well, and I love how all of his books are woven together in a small way. Such a wonderful, atmospheric mystery!

The Fury by Alex Michaelides
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub day: January 16th

My first tip is going to be a reminder that The Silent Patient and The Fury are two different books. Let’s keep them that way lol. I’ve noticed that reviewers keep referring to The Silent Patient when talking about The Fury. My opinion is I don’t think that’s fair. I will say that The Fury has a very small spoiler to the silent patient at the end. So if you plan on reading both read the silent patient first and then the fury.
I really liked this book! The rumors are true it’s giving Knives Out vibes lol. I was on the edge of my seat from the very first page. One of the main characters is talking directly to you which I loved. I felt seen and most importantly I felt I was a good listener to Elliot. When it comes to The Fury nothing is as it seems. I always thought I scratched the surface to the whole book. Then the next chapter would start and I’m like cool I actually know nothing. I love that for me lol. I felt like the ending was a tad bit underwhelming but with that being said there was a lot of shocking moments throughout the book. Honestly I had a great time and I think you will too !
I will like to thank NetGalley for giving me this arc so I could give you guys an honest review !

3/5 stars

Thank you Celadon books for the advanced reading copy!

Lana Farrar, a former movie star, is used to being in the tabloids, and so are her closest friends. Many people remember what happened on her idyllic private Greek island years ago, but almost no one remembers it correctly. That's where Elliot Chase comes in. As our narrator, Elliot walks us through the REAL story of those island days, the one the papers didn't tell you. Trapped on an island with Lana's closest friends, secret motives and epic hatred is sure to end in a murder... but who is responsible? And why? The world may never know... but Elliot does.

The whole time I was like 🤔🤨🧐

I really wanted to love this one, and in some ways, I did. I love an unreliable narrator like Elliot -- this book gave EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE vibes and I loved that. Especially on audio, it felt like Elliot was talking TO me, and that was really fun.

That being said, I actually think this would have been better NOT on audio. I didn't love the narrator at first (though, I grew to!) and I think that prevented me from getting invested right off the bat. Some of the information was hard to follow on audio, especially the time jumps, and there were times when I wasn't totally sure what was going on. To be honest, I think this book could have been 15% shorter and I would have gone from liking it to loving it.

The good news, though, was that this book was totally surprising. Like I said, I loved the point of view we were given into the murder and an unreliable narrator is *chef's kiss.* There were TONS of twists and I could not have possibly guessed where we ended up, or where we went along the way. Unique in style and plot, twisty, silly at times, atmospheric -- this book had it all. I really wish I had loved this one, but I absolutely LIKED it, and I'd still recommend everyone give it a read.

3.5 stars. I have some mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, it was a really quick read and I absolutely loved the setting of a private Greek island. As stated in the book, it's very Agatha Christie-esque. On the other hand, I was really frustrated by the characters and found myself thinking that they could have been much more developed. I enjoyed the book, but I also felt like the structure (changing point of views - 1st person, 3rd person, in between characters no less) to be really messy and unnecessary. The outcome/twist was fun and I honestly didn't see it coming. Overall, would I recommend this book? Yes, but only because it was as quick of a read as it was.

In my personal opinion this is not one of Alex Michaelides best books. It drags on alot and the narrater Elliot is just unlikable. I'm sure other readers will enjoy this book but it was just not for me.

Set up as an isolated murder mystery, we are introduced to the characters and events through a wildly unreliable narrator who, with each new chapter, becomes more and more unhinged. This was a fun, fast-paced thriller and I really enjoyed the audio performance.

Review will be posted on Bookstagram on pub date: https://www.instagram.com/readinginstead/