This is an atmospheric tale set on a private Greek island named after Aura, who is the goddess of the morning air. The gentle caresses conjured up by that description are very far from the unpredictable, ferocious winds that are known to come out of nowhere to batter the islands on the Aegean. Those are nicknamed - in their English translation - "The Fury".

Elliott Chase is the storyteller of this narrative, one of seven people trapped on the island at the time when a murder takes place. According to him though, this story is not so much a murder mystery as it is a tragic tale of romance. The truth of that, the listener must decide for themselves...

It begins when a reclusive and famous one-time actress, Lana Farrar, invites a handful of people to join her on Aura. In addition to her housekeeper and the caretaker of the island, those present include Lana's son, her seemingly reluctant husband, and two of her close friends.

Beneath the friendships and the confidences shared between the members of this group, lie the toxic secrets and hidden resentments that eventually burst forth in the form of one person's death. Unable to leave the island due to the weather conditions, the remaining individuals must face the fact that they are sharing the space with a murderer...

This is a compelling story well-told, which is what you would expect from Alex Michaelides. Especially when it is delivered in the voice of an narrator who is a dramatist himself, namely Elliott.

But as Elliott memorably points out, we are all unreliable narrators when it comes to our own stories, so take his narrative with a pinch of salt! The pacing is a little uneven, but things do pick up after the first 25% of the book has been completed, and overall, the story is a satisfyingly twisty ride.

A group of 7 people on a private island not far from Mykonos, Greece. They are Lana Farrer, former Hollywood actress and owner of the island; Jason, her second husband; Leo, her son from her first marriage; Elliott, a close friend and playwright; Kate, a fellow actress and very close friend; Nikos, the island's caretaker and Agathi, Lana's housekeeper. They have travelled to the island to escape the dreary weather in London but there are lots of things going on between several of the people on the island and it leads to murder.

An absolutely fantastic read - loved how it was written from the pov of one of the people on the island as if they were sharing a story with someone.

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House and Alex Michaelides for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I have read the two previous books by this author with mixed feelings, I loved ‘The Silent Patient’ but felt a little let down by ‘The Maidens’. For me this book fell somewhere in between. “The Fury.” is set on an idyllic private Greek island and revolves around a former movie star Lana Farrar. She invites her closest friends for an annual Easter retreat but this beautiful setting hides lies, secrets, grudges, and hidden motives.

The story is told by one of the guests, Elliott Chase and he tells of what happened on the island. What looked to be a dream weekend turned out to be a nightmare when one of the guests is murdered.

I did enjoy the novel but ‘The Silent Patient’ set the bar so high. 3.5 rounded up to 4.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Michael Joseph for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.