I love a twisty turny books and the Fury does not disappoint!! I love all of Alex Michaelides‘s books and this one is another example of an amazing psychological thriller that keeps you guessing every single page!

I’ve read a couple of Alex’s books so thought I knew what to expect but no….

A deserted Greek island with a group of friends. Or are they friends! As one of them is going to murdered.

Will it be Lana, a retired movie star who had the world at her feet? Or her son Leo, who is hiding a pretty big secret. Could it be Kate, a West End actress with plenty to hide. Or Lana’s husband Jason, who is keeping a huge secret of his own…..

Also on the island is Lana’s housekeeper and our narrator Elliott - but just how reliable a narrator is he?

Who in the island can be trusted and who will live to tell the tale?

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review.

A Greek Tragedy in Five Acts

Seven characters, including Lana Farrar, a beautiful ex-movie star, and our narrator writer, Elliot Chase, Aura, Lana‘s private Greek island in the Cyclades, which is currently cut off by the Menos (The Fury), a wild and predictable wind, three gunshots and a body lying amongst a circle of ruined Roman marble columns. This is a Greek tragedy, a tale of love and death, ‘twas ever thus. However, this isn’t a Christiesque “locked island“ whodunnit, this is a whydunnit, a character study. The scene is set, we have the cast, the ferocious weather, the love, the hate, the enchantments and the schemes but will the fates intervene? Pull up a seat, perhaps at a bar, maybe even at the Coach and Horses, martini extra dry in hand and listen very carefully as Elliot tells all. Or does he?? Maybe it would be wise to hold that second or third martini.

Alex Michaelides’ writing quite simply captivates and enthrals me from start to finish and this is yet another novel he has penned that I love. This has all the elements of a Greek tragedy with characters central to the proceedings and how they interact with fate, free will and destiny. The setting on Aura is fantastic and the Menos adds an extra bite to what unfolds. In addition, we have omens, oracles and premonitions, magical characters who cast spells and enchantments, maybe even acting like the ancient gods themselves, and the whole thing builds to chaos and ultimately to tragedy.

I love the style it’s written in as Elliot narrates as if he is talking to us, so it’s lively, witty and chatty and I enjoy how he keeps inserting himself into the storyline which constantly changes direction throughout the five acts. The short, sharp chapters perfectly match his tale.

The complex characterisation is outstanding as you realise some are wearing masked facades acting their way through, so you keep changing your mind about them, trying to weigh up their reliability or otherwise. The vibes between the seven changes like The Fury and some have every right to that fury.

The unsettling, multilayered plot is utterly immersive as we witness calculation, delusion, vengeance and destruction with lives crumbling like a house of cards. The toxicity builds much like the Menos on the fateful evening in question. As if this isn’t enough, who is watching who? It’s a dangerous cat and mouse game, but it’s Alex Michaelides style, so you don’t actually know who the mouse is or even which cat is messing with it, which is genius! It has more twists than the labyrinth of Daedalus and is equally “skilfully wrought“.

Overall, this is a clever addictive read, a kind of Agatha Christie meets a Greek tragedy of Sophocles or Euripides meets a modern day thriller. Highly recommended.

PS Don’t miss the nods to The Silent Patient!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Michael Joseph, for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I was really excited about this book. But unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations. I wasn’t keen on the writing style and this meant that I couldn’t relate to any of the characters. I kept waiting for a massive twist, which never arrived.

This was 𝘚𝘜𝘊𝘏 an anticipated read for me having adored Michaelides previous two books but this one didn’t hit the same.

I am not normally over fussy with how a book is written and by that, I mean the narrative. However, this book didn’t grip me with the MMC speaking as if having a conversation with the reader… it was a bit of a drag for me. Elliot feeling the need to jump in and give his side throughout the book and during important, interesting parts took a lot away from the book.

I enjoyed being introduced to each character separately, giving them a chapter to allow the reader to get to know who they were, where they came from and more. It was a good way of building the book.

It was a very slow burn thriller for me. There wasn’t many twists or turns. I think if you like to be kept guessing and you like something that doesn’t require intensity or thriller-y then this is the book for you.

I am gutted it didn’t grip or hit me the way Michaelides previous books have but, you win some and you lose some and as much as I did enjoy parts of the book, I don’t think it would be one I’d recommend.

Thank you to @netgalley, @michaeljbooks and Alex Michaelides for allowing me access to this ARC.

Loved it ! Prefered it to his first one and thought was well done and twisty
Unrequited love and control are themes here and very machevelian plotting to achieve the aims
Clever and thoroughly enjoyable and ty netgalley for this advanced copy

The Fury by Alex Michaelides is a novel of obsession, back stabbing and revenge.

The story is told to the reader by Elliot, I found him to be extremely annoying and this ruined the novel for me. I have thoroughly enjoyed the authors other novels but I just did not enjoy this sadly.

Thanks to Netgalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Addictive thriller which keeps the reader hooked!
The book is narrated by Elliott, one of the guests at a private island break.
There are stories within stories in this highly imaginative and descriptive thriller which twists and turns at an amazing rate.
I loved this book, getting to know the characters and island.
Fantastic read, highly recommend.

I’ll preface this by saying The Silent Patient was fantastic and really started my love of thrillers. I flew through the first 20% of this book and the premise sounded intriguing - I love an isolated setting whodunnit. However, it did then get a little slow paced in the middle and I felt like the narrator interjections really took me out of the story and felt a little cheesy? It’s why I really didn’t like ‘everyone in my family has killed someone’. Given the huge popularity of that book it’s probably just a personal preference and I’ve no doubt this will be a really popular book in 2024.

The Fury
Expected publication January 16, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Warning - if you haven't read the silent patient yet and want to, read that first as this book contains a huge spoiler. (The silent patient is one of my fave books and HIGHLY recommend)

This book is bizarre, I've never read anything quite like it. I don't know how to describe it without ruining it for you. I found myself getting angry at the narrator for messing us about, it was very well done by the author. Lots of twists and short chapters. Very hard to put down.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book. I was soooo excited to be approved for this one!

#ReadTheFury #NetGalley

O.M.G!! WOW!! My head is spinning … I was just blown away … So captivating and addictive… Had me on the edge of my seat … Just incredible!!

The Silent Patient is one of my favourite thrillers so I was really excited to start reading The Fury.

Elliot Chase is our narrator and he invites you to pull up a chair as he tells you a tale of love, adultery and ultimately murder on a private Greek island...

The Fury is a slow burn....the story is told in a really captivating and interesting way. The book is broken up into 5 acts. The narration style kept me intrigued...and I pushed through even though I found Act 1 and 2 to be a bit on the slow side. I found Act 3 to pick up a bit.

I enjoyed the twist at the end...not the end-end, but the Pre end 🤣 and I mean this book isn't shy with twists.... I just don't know, possibly the repetition from all the POV's of the same scene, I felt unnecessary. Perhaps that's my biggest issue with the book and what perhaps made it a less thrilling experience.

An interesting read though.

#TheFury #NetGalley
Awesome.
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. I tell you this because you may think you know this story. You probably read about it at the time ― it caused a real stir in the tabloids, if you remember. It had all the necessary ingredients for a press sensation: a celebrity; a private island cut off by the wind…and a murder. We found ourselves trapped there overnight. Our old friendships concealed hatred and a desire for revenge. What followed was a game of cat and mouse ― a battle of wits, full of twists and turns, building to an unforgettable climax. The night ended in violence and death, as one of us was found murdered. But who am I? My name is Elliot Chase, and I’m going to tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard.
Loved this one.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Micheal Joseph UK for giving me an advance copy.

✨The fury by Alex Michaelides ✨
Pub date: 1 Feb 2024

“If anything, it’s a whydunnit- a character study, an examination of who we are, and why we do the things we do”

Thank you #netgalley and #penguinrandomhouse for early access to this title.

I saw Alex Michaelides announce his third a book a while back and was very curious so was delighted to see it on NetGalley. Like most of bookstagram and booktok I was influenced to read both the Silent Patient and The Maidens a few years ago. I’d like me, you’ve read those already, then you will recognise Michaelides no non sense writing style straight away.

This time we are taken to a Greek island owned by a famous and wealthy actor, Lana. There we witness her death and the story begins to unravel around us like a Greek play. Like the quote above this fairly short book (just over 200 pages) explores different people’s motivations based on their past and where they are in life as well as their relationships with eachother.

I have to admit, the narrator is a pretty unbearable guy to listen to, he’s supposed to be, but people who don’t like to read from an unlikable character’s POV might not enjoy this one.

Overall it was a quick read, plenty of twists to be expected like his previous work and an entertaining few hours reading.

A love child of an Agatha Christie book and Dangerous Liaisons - you have the Christie setting of a murder on an island with seven characters, and the unpleasant, machiavellian narrator in Dangerous Liaisons. The setting lured me in - what's not to like, a Greek island and a mystery? The narrator unfortunately started to annoy me fairly quickly - he is one of those puffed up people so sure of themselves and their cleverness, and I do admit that having finished the book that that is the point, but it didn't make him an enjoyable companion for the duration of the tale.
There are so many twists and turns that I felt that the author was becoming a bit too much like Elliot. I imagined him writing yet another twist and flinging down his pen in delight - a mic drop for authors if you will, which having thought about it will now be known as a 'pen drop'. where does one go to copyright phrases?!
So all in all, it's fine, perfectly serviceable and easy to read.

I enjoyed The Fury - it has some great literary writing and interesting if divisive characters plus an intriguing setting so very readable.

For me on a personal level where it fell down slightly was in it's predictability but that probably comes down to the sheer number of psychological thrillers I read and how many unreliable narrators I've encountered. It is hard to catch avid readers of these things out these days.

Overall though this is a very good twisty thriller brought up a notch by the group dynamic and central premise. A fun addictive read I have no problem recommending.

An unreliable narrator and a murder on a secluded island? Yes, please! This book had lots of twists and excellent character development to hold my interest. Every time I thought I knew what was going on, I was wrong. I loved “The Silent Patient” and now this author has won me over again with “The Fury..” It’s a classic whodunit with a little extra meat on the bones. I loved it!

I loved this story, quite different writing style to Alex’s previous novel but was a fantastic storyline with good characters.

An absorbing clever take on the original murder mystery theme. Full of twists and turns, an unreliable narrator, well developed characters and excellent writing. I have no doubt that this will hit the bestseller charts.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the advance review copy.

An interesting story, different in many ways to Michaelides other books. Elliott is our unreliable narrator. It’s like when ‘that friend’ tells a story and gives you a hundred other stories before you get to the crux. I liked how it was split into acts, so it felt like a play.
The backstory to our characters was very thorough and I enjoyed learning about how they had become the unlikable human beings they are now. However, I wasn’t a fan of the whole murder mystery as it felt a little long winded. Nevertheless, a fascinating concept and a well written story, giving us an insight into the inner psyche.
If you are a fan of Benjamin Matheson’s Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone, you’ll love this.