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.

When you read the synopsis of this book you think it is just another whodunnit murder mystery set on a small island cut off by the wind (the Fury) with a handful of suspects, but you cannot be further from the truth.
Yes, it is set on a small Greek island. Yes, we have 7 people; one murder, and six suspects, but this is not an ordinary murder mystery. This is a story with a twist within a twist, within a twist!
It is a story about friendship, love, trust, obsession,  betrayal, and bullying and how the latter can form a person's life.
It is told from 1 narrator's perspective but how reliable is he? Will he be able to stay objective or does he have ulterior motives?
Is this a Greek tragedy in its truest form?
Ready, set action!

A great read that I can highly recommend!

"It was a rather unusual bedtime story, perhaps - but full of incidents and adventure, with goodies and baddies; heroines and wicked witches."

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Random House and Michael Joseph for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

‘The Fury’ centers on a group of people brought together on a private island by their famous actress friend. Cut off from the outside world, a storm is brewing—both literally and metaphorically—and soon enough things go terribly wrong.

In spite of the unlikeable cast of characters, this latest offering from the author of BookTok favourite ‘The Silent Patient’ proves to be a beguiling page-turner, with Michaelides putting his spin on the classic whodunnit genre by focusing more on the "why" rather than the "who".

I always appreciate when authors try to do something different within the realms of the genre they're writing in. Michaelides does a great job balancing the kind of tropes you'd expect from a whodunit thriller whilst also putting his own spin on it and adding a bit of originality to what easily could have been just another typical murder mystery.

I definitely recommend this and look forward to picking up his previous novels!

An ok read but not a wow book for me. I liked the idea but wasn’t keen on the style nor the narration. There were too many times that a coincidence kept the story moving.

Lana, a retired superstar actress, arranges a trip to her private Greek Island, Aura, for her family and friends. However things take a grim turn as all of their secrets are revealed.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers but there are so many twists in this, it really keeps you guessing. None of the characters are particularly likeable, Lana maybe, but I felt she was coming across too perfect, if that’s possible.

The narrator is what made this book for me. I felt like I was sat in a luxurious bar whilst a creepy stranger told me the story of his life 😂 so unlikeable but I loved him for that!

I thought it was fab and would definitely recommend!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve read each of Alex Michaelides’ 3 books now and so far The Silent Patient is still my all time favourite but The Fury has cemented itself firmly in second place before The Maidens.

We are told that this is a story of a murder and the seven suspects are identified from the start - our job as the reader is to put together the pieces of the puzzle according to the narrator’s tale and decide who the killer is and why they committed their crime… I really enjoyed this book! Our narrator, Elliott Chase, is certainly intriguing and I thought the way the story was drip-fed to the reader was unique and fun.

With a slow burn beginning and a super-charged pace from the middle to the end, this is one that kept me on my toes and put me in my place when I thought I had everything figured out. The setting of the Greek island Aura was a match made in heaven for the dark and sinister events that unfolded upon it and I struggled to put the book down more often than not. Eagerly awaiting Michaelides’ next release! 👀

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book by a writer about writing. Narrator Elliot Chase frames his story with quotations from other authors; a structure nominally based on Greek tragedy; and frequent references to a how-to-write book which claims that characters are always motivated by the desire to escape pain. Always. That’s a big claim.

Because, of course, Chase wants us to believe that his motivation for all the twisted things he tells us he has done was to escape pain. And he wants to normalise his behaviour and its motivation.

There are so many Easter eggs in this novel - so many points where we are left wondering if something is a nod to the work of another writer. Is Barbara West an exaggerated version of Patricia Highsmith, for example? Chase certainly seems to be a Talented Mr Ripley who has stepped through the looking glass and entered a very warped Wonderland in which to receive his comeuppance.

And, of course, The Fury ends with an Easter egg all Michaelides’ own - with the intimation that Chase has ended up in the same facility as Theo Faber from The Silent Patient. Just as Raiders of the Lost Arc pans out from the box with the Grail inside and we see lots of similar boxes holding no doubt equally dangerous treasures, I had a sudden image of us panning out from Elliot Chase to see a host of equally mad main characters in the warehouse of Alex Michaelides’s mind.

I, for one, can’t wait to see which one he chooses to show us next.

I absolutely loved the patient so was very excited to read this one! Sadly it just wasn’t for me. The story is told by narrator Elliot and set on a Greek island. The story is written as a play, told in 5 acts. I didn’t like the way it was narrated, struggled to stay focused on it. I also didn’t like any of the characters. Quite a predictable plot with not many ‘wow’ moments for me.

Read if you like;
-psychological Thrillers
-Unreliable narrator
-Isolated Greek Island
-Mystery

All the characters in this are unlikeable, if you are wanting to cheer for someone then this is definitely not for you! We have a multitude cast of characters with some depth and the narration was so carefully structured.

Due to the narration being in Elliot’s POV I felt like you couldn’t get to know the other characters a great deal than I would normally like which was a shame.

This book is definitely atmospheric, with descriptive scenes making you feel like you are there. The writing is somewhat complex and can sometimes be hard to follow. However, I really like how the book was played out in different acts.

The pacing was sometimes uneven, the beginning felt slow and repetitive, but the ending was very twisty, filled with shocking revelations.

Overall this is a completely immersive thriller and once you get used to the narrator you will be hooked!

My curiosity was peaked immediately with some of the chapters being told in the first person.

I loved getting to know all of the characters in this book but do we really know who they are!? I love it when a thriller keeps me on my toes.

This book was full of vivid imagery of the surrounds which is one of my favorite elements of a good story, I love to be transported!

The pace of this book was perfect, it was split into Acts, which another interesting way to punctuate the book.

Ultimately there is quite a heartbreaking theme behind the story which made me pause for reflection.

Expect the unexpected! Believe nothing. Alex Michaelides presents us with another mystery, this time set in a glamorous world of theatre and film. The premise is that someone has been murdered on a remote Greek island. Our narrator Elliot reminds us constantly that he is unreliable and edits and re-edits his story as it unfolds. The ending is startling. We were warned!

Slow burn with a narrator that draws you in.

The premise is nothing out of the ordinary but the writing is good and with short chapters it’s easy to read and enjoy.

This isn’t my usual genre of book. However I really enjoyed reading The Fury. This is first book I have read by this author and would 100% read another of their books!

I do like the way it was told, almost like a play over a few acts. Each one getting more and more interesting.
I did want more from the narrator. Elliot was an alright character but could be easily forgotten about.

The ending was well thought out and came as a surprise.

Would i recommend reading? Absolutely.