I've read all of Alex Michaelides' books and this one is definitely my least favourite. I randomly picked this up one night because I wanted to read a mystery book and this seemed like the ideal pick despite me not really knowing the synopsis.
Straight away I found the writing style and the main character annoying which I guess is the point because of how this story ends.
I could not connect with a single character and could not find myself caring at all about the overall storyline and I had to force myself to finish this book to see if the plot twist at the end would improve my overall enjoyment (it didn't).
I wish I had liked this book because I really enjoyed both The Silent Patient and The Maidens but this one was just not for me and I did not have a fun time whilst reading it. I will probably pick up future books by this author but this one was just not for me.

Not for me I'm afraid. I found the narration style got in the way of the story and irritated me. I got about half way but couldn't continue.

I'm sorry but I didn't like this book. I really loved author's previous book but they're totally different level to this one.

I found the the storyline boring and really slow paced. I raced through the book only so that I can finish it quicker.
The ending was supposed to be surprising but for me it was just "oh, ok".

I'll definitely read this author again but The Fury is a no for me.

Alex Michaelides is one of my favourite authors! I just love how well he can tell a story and this book is no exception. My favourite this year!

I could not get into this book. I did not like the way it was written, the narrator I found annoying. I expected it to be gripping and interesting but for me it was neither.

I loved this book!! The island setting was perfect as it intensified the situation. There were so many twists and turns, the final one took my breath away, I had to go back and re-read several pages so I could marvel in what the author had done. This book is a masterclass in unreliable narrators, you are left second guessing everybody.
This is a great thriller, perfectly paced, loved it.

I read the silent Patient by this author so was looking forward to reading this

A slow but gripping thriller.

There are lots of twists and is set on an a greek island which is lovely.

I enjoyed it

I have to admit I read this some time ago and forgot to leave a review due to family health issues. I loved The Silent Patient.. the one example of a twist that floored me in recent years, As it is some time ago since I read this I have to say I do not remember a lot about it… that is saying something. I remember the general premise and set up was good but there were a lot of characters and a lot of meaningless repetitive detail which did not further the plot along and as a result I had to force myself to persevere. I also vaguely remember who the murderer was and remember feeling underwhelmed with how it all played out. At the time it was a fairly enjoyable page turner but I did have to persevere as I got kinda bored and the “drama” that was ramping up was not very dramatic. Grab It for the beach if your heading in holiday this year and looking for an easy read to while away the hours. It was not terrible but unfortunately does not get a “highly commended” from me.

Third book I've read by this author and again, another corker! Loved the glamorous setting juxtaposed with the seedy happenings. Lots of twists that I did not see coming.
Will be recommending to my customers!

Pull up a barstool and settle in with a drink, suggests our narrator…Elliott Chase.

He has a story to tell you about seven people trapped on a beautiful isolated, private Greek Island called Aura. Our narrator is also quick to point out that it’s not an “Agatha Christie” style murder .His story begins with the beautiful Actress who owns the Island, Lana Farrar, a reclusive ex-movie star who is married to Jason, Joining them on the island is Leo, Lana’s son and her best friend Kate. They are all away on the island for Easter along with two of Lana’s staff, Nikos who lives and cares for the island, and Agathi, a long standing cook and housekeeper. Our story is full of intrigue, lies, half truths and murder, and that’s only the bits the narrator shares!

This was an excellent read with lots of twists, turns and half truths. Don’t assume your narrator is objective or honest, beware of what he’s chosen not to tell.

I was really looking forward to reading this as I really enjoyed the silent patient, but other books by this author since then just didn’t do it for me. I like the authors writing style, so I wanted to read this one to see if it was on par with SP. This was a great story, I really enjoyed it, I liked the setting for the story and the characters were great. Much better than the last book, but not quite as good as SP. God read though.

Thrillers are so popular with my students that this was a must read for me. Alex Michaelides has created another intense, heart stopping mystery here that will have you on the edge of your seat.

The Fury was one of my most anticipated reads this year and I just adored it.

I loved the structure and the way the whole story was narrated in a semi-meta style. Every time I was really getting into the murder mystery, the voice would flip back to the narrator in present day and snap you right back out. This constant meandering in and out of the ‘story’ of what happened on the island was so interesting and cleverly executed.

Because I read so much Crime Fiction sometimes I want something a bit different, I want to be challenged and The Fury was a wonderful mix of a complex storyline, with a non-linear narrative and multiple characters, but it was also a classic Golden Age murder mystery with it’s unusual Greek Island setting and theatrical Hitchcock vibes.

The ‘write what you know’ idea is really prominent in Alex Michaelides' novels. The Silent Patient was so successful because he drew upon his work in psychotherapy. The Maidens and The Fury both feature a lot of Greek philosophy and mythology, and being a successful crime author, The Fury is also littered with ideas about crime fiction and novel writing in general. It was almost like he was giving a heads up about all of the plot devices to look out for. Instead of hiding clues within the narrative for the reader to try and work them out he simply states them, laying the groundwork for us to think about as the next scene unfolds.

An intelligent and entertaining, deconstructed murder mystery where you learn as much from the omitted information as you do from the more obvious clues. The Fury is already a serious contender for my book of the year!

Elliott Chase

He is telling us a story.
Is he reliable or does he add bits and minus bits as he goes thus confusing and distracting even distorting the truth?

To me this was an undertone love story with murder mishap and mehem thrown into the mix.

Be aware that this book is very different from The Patient which a lot of us loved. Yet this……although seemingly slow in places still had that kick for me to go forward and continue to read.

I enjoyed his way of writing this, I love unreliable narrators!

Different, yet hooked me (eventually) so I’m glad I stayed with it.

Downside for me was…..Fury. To me I thought it was going to grip me by the throat and be full of …..well…..fury…..anger but it seemed too calm. Or maybe I misunderstood the word “fury”.
But I did enjoy my reading journey with this author.

There's unreliable narrators, and then there's narrators you think are unreliable, but actually, they're telling the truth. Maybe. Or maybe some of it is true....Welcome to The Fury, a modern-day Greek tragedy. There's movie stars, glamorous people, and locations. And there's murder. And, of course, our narrator Elliot. Clearly a born storyteller with a flair for the dramatic, but is it a dramatic license or downright lies?

I really enjoyed this. Elliot is somehow unlikeable in many ways but also easy to sympathise with despite his many faults.

4.5 stars, I'd recommend this for any thriller fan.

Thank you Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and Netgalley for this ARC

I’ve read all of Michael’s books and was excited to receive this one,

This is a slow burn, but you must persevere.

I wasn’t sure this was going anywhere but eventually this was so hard to put down.

Twists, turns and just await the ending - unbelievable.

For me this fell slightly off a 5 so I’ve given 4 - would have done 4.5 if I could have.

Read this book !!!

3.5 stars

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024 so I was over the moon to receive this!

I really love Alex Michaelides writing. This one in particular had a very “Greek tragedy” feel to it in the sense that the narrator was speaking to you the reader and alluding to something terrible happening later in the story. The setting was picturesque and although the isolation didn’t really play into the thriller aspects of the novel I still found it upped the stakes. The characters are all rather unlikeable to be honest (apart from Leo, Agathi and Nikos) but that works to this books advantage rather than making you not want to read on. There is so much drama and betrayal between all of them and you can’t help but want to see how it plays out. I also loved the commentary on healing your inner child and how important it is to work through things that have happened to you in the past and how those things can affect your character.

This leads me however to the reason this book was only a 3.5 rather than a 4 star read. There was all this commentary on abusive childhoods, healing your inner child and not feeling guilty and ashamed of the person you are despite how you’ve been treated. The author then kind of negates all this (not going into detail because spoilers) and all of that discussion and commentary became a bit redundant. Also there is a major spoiler for The Silent Patient in the epilogue. At times as well I kind of just wanted the narrator to get to the point and it became kind of frustrating how he was talking in circles.

Overall though I had a great time reading this. I read it in one sitting so although slow at times it still kept me interested and invested in the ending. If you’re a fan of whodunnits and more importantly whydunnits then this is the book for you.

Do I recommend it? Yes!

In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one - and nothing - is what it seems. Former movie star Lana invites a select group of her friends to stay on her private Greek island. But one of them is a murderer. A delicately plotted slow-burner that will keep you enthralled.

Alex Michaelides’ third novel is perhaps his cleverest yet. A Greek tragedy imbued with drama plays out on an idyllic Greek island. The narrator speaks directly to the reader, drawing you into his compelling narrative – but can he be trusted? An intriguing blend of a dramatic Greek tragedy and a classic Agatha Christie-style locked room mystery.

Lana Farrar is a star. Even though she’s retired from the screen and relocated from Hollywood to London, she’s constantly recognised and universally adored by fans. She keeps a small, close group of friends; Kate – a fellow actress – and Elliot, a playwrite and the narrator of this twisted tale.

Lana invites her close friends and her family – husband Jason and son Leo – for a break to her own private island. To escape the English weather, or so the story goes. But what unfolds there takes many twists and turns, revealing relationships and tensions simmering beneath the surface.

At the heart of it all is our narrator, Elliot. His tendency for the overdramatic is clear – he confesses; “It is not unnatural that the best writers are liars”, but just how much is he embellishing, and what isn’t he telling us? He speaks directly to the reader, as if we’ve just met at a bar, gradually unravelling his story.

“What I seek – no, what I demand – is your understanding. Otherwise my story will never touch your heart. It will remain a two-a-penny thriller, that you might pick up at an airport only to devour on the beach – only to discard, forgotten, by the time you get home. I will not allow my life to reduced to pulp.”

As he gradually confides in the reader, a twisted, melodramatic psychological tale of suspense, romance and intrigue is revealed. Is this Elliot’s confession, or the greatest play he’s ever orchestrated?

I’ve seen mixed reviews for this one, but I think this third novel shows more depth and maturity than the author’s previous releases. This was an incredibly twisted, escapist, gripping story of murder, imbued with drama every step of the way. I thoroughly enjoyed the unreliable narrator, and would definitely recommend it.

I liked the set-up - a closed circle whodunit on a private island - and the descriptions of the beautiful island but I was less keen on the narrator and most of the characters. The ending had several twists and turns that I did not see coming but overall I was left underwhelmed by the journey,