I was really looking forward to reading this as I'd loved The Silent Patient by this author.

I loved the original writing style of this book. The narrator, Elliot, talks to the reader as though you had met to have a drink. It makes it so readable!
The story starts with the opening line:
'There were seven of us on the island. One of us was a murderer.'

We get introduced to Lana, the actress and the focus of Elliott's story. We quickly meet her friend Kate, husband Jason, son Leo and the couple that live on the private Greek island where they all go to stay. I found the first half of the book a little slow as we get acquainted with each character. Although mostly unlikeable they were brilliantly written and very interesting.

I thought I knew where the story was going but there are several big twists and the story keeps changing direction. Elliot turns out to be a very unreliable narrator so it was very hard to predict what would happen! I could not put the second half of this book down. Such a clever and original thriller!

This was a story which drew the me in from the introduction into wanting to find out what had happened, to whom and why and the story that unfolded was incredibly nuanced and well paced to keep the interest level up!
The characters felt like they became friends with the way we were introduced to them and had gotten to know them all. The story that wound around them was in a lot of ways a bit of a heartbreaker in the way the story unfolded. The twists, when they came were both understandable and a little surprising and made the last quarter of the book especially unputdownable!
The story is told mostly from one point of view and our narrator does seem to try to be honest with us in their actions and the consequences of them. This worked really well for me with having just the one voice to listen to but the occasional bit of extra information supplied by another character for a chapter of two.
I really did enjoy this book and will look out for this author again in future!

I read Alex Michaelides first book - 'The Silent Patient'... I mean... who hasn't? (And loved it by the way!)
Haven't yet read his 2nd novel, but was super excited and intrigued by this one... his 3rd! There has been so much hype for this book, and it feels like the hype has been going on for months!!

Immediately I fell in love with Michaelides conversational relaxed writing style in this book. It was super easy to read, and I loved the 'unreliable narrator' aspect. The plot was super simple, but the narrator just made it for me. There were twists and turns, and you were always questioning what was real and what was not. I liked how it went back and forth in time too.
I heard an interview with Alex Michaelides in a podcast and he said that this book was a throwback and a tribute to Agatha Christie's mystery novels. He also drew inspiration from the classic hollywood era. I can really see that. If you had told me this book was written in the 1940's or 50's - I would have believed you. However, it's not dated! It just feels somewhat cosy. There is danger, and there is threat - but it doesn't feel tense.
I was really engrossed throughout and read this over a 24 hour period! There are multiple characters (usually something I hate, because I can't keep up) but at no point did I loose track, thanks to Michaelides clear characterisation.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it would have been a five star review if the ending hadn't had felt so rushed!

Reclusive ex-movie star Lana Farrar invites her closest friends to her small, private Greek island for a weekend away. There are seven people there in total and within 48 hours one of them will be dead while an unpredictable wind known as The Fury prevents anyone from entering or leaving the island.

As you get to know the characters' back stories and the simmering resentments lurking between the surface of all their interactions, you'll think you know who committed the murder. But you'll probably be wrong because in the hands of its maddeningly unreliable narrator, Elliot Chase, the plot keeps chopping and changing.
Author Alex Michaelides describes writing this novel as “the most creative experience I’ve had”. He says the writing process he followed was very different from his first two bestselling novels, The Silent Patient and The Maidens.
“I plotted them for about a year before writing a word. And then with The Fury, I really wanted to have some fun. And I thought, I'm not going to plot this. I'm just going to write it. And as I wrote it, Elliot told me the story himself.”
Elliot is exasperating and not very likeable but boy can he spin a tale. This is one of those addictive reads that you can devour in a couple of sittings. – JANE VORSTER

3.5 stars

I flew through this book: it is fast-paced, extremely readable and has a host of characters which I mostly loathed (but in a good way?). I was very intrigued by the murder mystery and enjoyed the few twists and turns that the plot took along the way.

I really like an unreliable narrator and also enjoyed the relatively light-hearted way in which this book is narrated. It made it a breeze to read and had me questioning what exactly was going on.

It may not have blown my mind in a way I would have liked but it was definitely an enjoyable thriller!

Thank you to Michael Joseph, Alex Michaelides and NetGalley for my early review copy in exchange of a fair and honest review.

I’ve enjoyed the author’s previous novels and I love that each of them is very different and original.
The Fury is told by Elliot, an unreliable narrator who visits a private Greek island with his friend, movie star, Lana and her family and friends. The author creates a very intense atmosphere and I felt that I was watching a play. The writing style took some time to get used to and this was a fairly slow paced novel . However I’m glad I persevered as I became completely immersed in this original novel.
3.5 stars
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I don't know how to classify this book: there's element of mystery that are mixed with echoes of Sunset Boulevard and a pinch of Truman Capo
When I started reading I felt echoes of authors like Truman Capote mixed with Somerset Maugham.
I'm sure it's just a trick played by my mind as this books is a very good one, the one I prefer by this author.
I enjoyed and loved how the different layers brought us to the core of the story and the reason why someone had to die.
It's not a fast paced or action packed story but it kept my attention alive
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

As a great fan of Alex Michaelides I was very keen to read his latest book 'The Fury' and I wasn't disappointed! 'The Fury' is the English translation for a very strong Aegean Wind.
The moviestar Lana and some of her friends spend the Easter weekend on her private Greek Island Aura. This is a murder mystery/love story which is narrated by Elliott who himself is one of the visitors. It takes a bit of getting used to him addressing the reader directly at times. He often switches back to happenings in the past and the story evolves with many many twists. At times it feels like being the spectator of a Greek Tragedy, so the setting is quite fitting as well. All in all this is a very enjoyable read.
Many thanks to Penguin Random House UK and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 'The Fury' was published last week.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

This book made me long to be on a Greek island, but hopefully with much better company. Characters were very well written in that I genuinely hated most of them!

Elliot Chase is the ultimate unreliable narrator. As he tells his story to us he starts with the bones of the story - an Easter break with his best friend and movie star Lana, her husband, son and another friend. Soon we know that this trip has ended in murder, but who is the killer and who is the victim?
Elliot constantly rewinds, retells and adds details so we see the events leading up the holiday and the holiday itself in many different ways. Soon none of the characters are what they seem including Elliot himself - we never even find out his real name.
Alex Michaelides is an incredibly clever writer, constantly pulling the rug from under the reader - you can’t help but Gallup through the chapters as you look at events and characters with fresh eyes. This will undoubtedly be another huge success for him.

I really enjoyed this being told by narrators, usually this gives you a better insight into what's coming, but with this it was still twisty and there were enough surprises to keep you hooked!
Not my first read by this author and won't be my last!

I really enjoyed this book and in particular the style of writing. I found the narrator very engaging and his storytelling set at just the right pace. Brilliant storyline with lots of horrid characters.

The Fury
Thriller
Alex Michaelides
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

• ʀᴇᴠᴇɴɢᴇ • ɪꜱᴏʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴ • ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ •

I really, really wanted to love this book because the synopsis made me eager to read it, but unfortunately I was a bit disappointed.

The biggest thing I struggled with was the narrator and the writing style. I found it hard to become invested in the story because of the way the narrator addressed the reader and the way he rambled at times. He was also unreliable and while I can see the author did this to create tension and make the reader suspicious, it just fell flat for me.

The pacing was ok, although it did seem to drag at times.

I liked the characters themselves. They were all flawed in realistic ways but they were still likeable and relatable.

I did see the plot twist coming and I didn't particularly like the ending.

*Thank you to @Netgalley, the author, and the publishers for providing this ARC. This is my own opinion and an honest review, which I am leaving voluntarily*

When a former actress invites her friends to stay on her private Greek island, the last thing anyone expects is for someone to be plotting a murder.

The Fury is a superb book with brilliant twists.

I really enjoyed how the story was told in Acts, very much like a play. It was so theatrical, dramatic and exciting. What felt extremely unusual was how the narrator directly addressed the reader, essentially breaking the "fourth wall"!

I can't remember the last time I have seen such a selection of characters. They were unique to me because while I didn't know who to root for, it made for such a fascinating journey. The plot itself really pushed the boundaries of what I was expecting and I loved the setting – flitting between the Greek island and London.

Alex Michaelides has produced another incredible story that I highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This is a very different sort of murder story with a quite wonderful narrator. The whole novel is delivered in the style of a conversation at a bar at which your glass is even occasionally topped up, by your intriguing companion, just in case you are thinking of leaving. But no bribes are necessary as you shall be mesmerised by this tale.
Lana, a beautiful but retired actress, is suspicious of her husband and believes he may be having an affair. Her solution is to take him plus four others to her idyllic Greek island whose only other resident is Lana's island caretaker.
So 7 people on an island. And there Lana, being the actress she is, plays a role to perfection to draw out which of her guests merits her love and who has deceived her.
Twists and turns aplenty, humour and tragedy fill the pages. I suspect quite a few readers shall find themselves reading late into the night as the narrator [ who is one of the 7 on the island by the way] unrelentingly draws you in.
Great stuff!

Couldn’t resist picking up a copy of ‘The Fury’ last week as the much anticipated new title from Alex Michaelides.

On a small private Greek island, former movie star Lana Farrar invites a select group of friends to stay, the perfect excuse to escape the miserable, gloomy London weather. It is the perfect opportunity for relaxation and for old friends to reconnect, but will some hidden truths also come out? It becomes clear that nothing on the island is quite what it seems, especially when there is a murderer in the midst. Let Elliot Chase tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard.

I devoured this book in two days, it would easily have been a one sitting read had I been able to! It’s unique story telling approach draws you in, I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like it, a friend in a bar telling you a story and it being told in such a way that perfectly sets the scene. The ‘scenes’ being linked to a play too was such a clever move, it really is like nothing you will have read too much and you will find yourself reading ‘just one more chapter’ until the very end!

This book captivated me from the very beginning and didn’t release its hold until the final twist, it’s just so hard to write this review without giving any spoilers! Seriously, do yourself a favour and pick up this book, you won’t regret it!

‘There were seven of us on the island. One of us was a murderer.’ - cover tag line.

My thanks to Michael Joseph Penguin Random House for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Fury’ by Alex Michaelides.

The Fury of the title refers to the savage Aegean wind, which on occasion batters the islands, including Aura, the private island that belongs to former movie star Lana Farrar. It is where she invites a group of friends.

The novel is narrated by Elliot Chase, playwright. He states near the start: “What follows is my sincere and heartfelt attempt to reconstruct the events of that terrible night – the murder itself, and everything that led up to it. I pledge to present you with the plain unvarnished truth – or as near to it as I can get.” He explains that he had kept notes though exercised artistic license with respect to the interior lives of the dead.

It’s perhaps not surprising that Elliot proves an unreliable narrator. Throughout he fills in details of his relationship with Lana and the others.

I wasn’t quite sure about this novel at first though then Alex Michaelides pulled the rug out from my expectations and I was completely hooked until the final page.

Overall, I found ‘The Fury’ an engaging thriller with an atmospheric setting. With its title and play-like structure there were clear elements of Greek tragedy about it.

This is the second book I have read by this author and although maybe not my favourite I still found it very enjoyable and written in a way I haven’t read a book before.
Elliott Chase is your narrator for this book, he invites you to pull up a barstool and get yourself a drink while he tells this story. The book is centred round an actress, Lana Farrar, they are predominantly at a privately owned island (by Lana) the island is called Aura, the goddess of the breeze hence the title. We get to know all seven characters with lots of background before we get to the nitty gritty of the murder so you are nicely set up to make the wrong assumption!! The characters tales change from different peoples perceptions and twists are plenty. The book isn’t a whodunnit but a whydunnit so that’s good to keep in mind in this book full of red herrings.
I really enjoyed this book, I liked that it was set out completely different to anything I’ve read before so that kept me reading as much as I could whenever I could. The storyline was good although maybe a tad slow if I’m being picky but the characters were well developed so I felt like I knew them all. A decent thriller.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Michael Joseph Penguin Random House for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

For me, this was a book of two halves. In the first half, Michaelides lays the foundation for the plot, we get used to the writing style and introduced to our narrator, Elliott. However, I lacked interest in the first half and was not particularly excited or gripped by the read. Then comes the second half which is action packed and contains some really shocking twists, in this half of the book, I was thrilled by the book and keen to continue reading. So very much a book of two halves for me.
I also thought this was a complicated book, in that you think the characters are behaving and acting in one way and then a spin is put on their motivation which flips your way of thinking. It was a clever way of writing and kept my mind whirring throughout.
The characters are complex and I enjoyed getting to understand them and what makes them tick.
Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for an advance copy.

Narrated by Elliot Chase, the story unfolds during an annual Easter gathering hosted by reclusive ex-movie star Lana Farrar. As secrets, unrequited love, and betrayal simmer among Lana's closest friends, the night takes a dark turn, ending in violence and death.

The slow pace of this novel is frustrating but ultimately necessary in order for the ending to have full impact. The twists and reveals in the latter part of the book are satisfying, even if the overall narrative doesn't stand out in the crowded thriller genre. I'm still undecided how I feel about the use of a narrator who crosses the invisible line and talks directly to the reader, but I am impressed that he was brave enough to choose such a different way to tell the story.

Overall, whether this psychological thriller lives up to the expectations set by Michaelides's well known previous work "The Silent Patient" will likely depend on individual preference for pacing and narrative structure.