I had quite high hopes for this one especially after reading the silent patient, but for me it was a bit of a let of a let down. The characters were interesting and I liked the setting to it. However I did want more from the island and it didn’t feel like there was much mystery to it, it seemed a little predictable to me.

Elliot Chase, your narrator for this story - turned play. This book navigated a 'whodunnit' murder mystery with many plot twists along the way. It details the intertwined lives between actors Lana and Kate and how they came to be on the Greek island the night of the murder.
I loved the fast pace of the book, it kept me engaged and wanting to read on. The narration took a while to get used to but it was a very clever way of writing and enabled a chance for the twists and mysteries to be revealed. I enjoyed this read!

This was not a book that I enjoyed, the writing style was not for me.

No matter how hard I tried I could not get on with any of the characters.

Other people would probably like this, but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

I was really pleased to get this book as an arc, and dived right in. I've enjoyed other books from this author and this didn't disappoint!

I loved the story, the characters and the 'locked room' element with the unique twist of a remote island. I loved how the main characters were not what they seemed, or even what they thought they were, deception right to the end!

Narrator Elliot Chase tells his audience of events that led to tragedy on a Greek island owned by his friend, former movie star Lana Farrar. It's a story of love and revenge between a group of friends. One of them is murdered and another is the killer.

Having read the author's two previous novels, I have to admit that The Fury is my least favourite. I disliked all the characters and failed to connect with any. Elliot Chase, the narrator, was beyond annoying — he came across as dull and tedious. I felt at odds with the modern-day setting; my mind telling me it should have been the 1940s or 50s. Whilst I'm sure other readers will love it, for me it was just okay.

I eagerly awaited this and it didn't disappoint. It was a one sitting read for me.

The story is narrated by Elliot who I found was a really likeable main character. His counterpart, Lana, is similarly lonely and just when you think you know what's coming, it twists!
I found the dry asides to the reader really engaging.
If you like Agatha Christie style whodunnits then you'll love this book!

I really wanted to love this book. I have listened to Alex Michaelides being interviewed, and his is so interesting, but I have yet loved any of his books, even while other people rave about them. And I don’t know why.

I really found it hard to connect with any of the characters. They were all unappealing, and the relationships between them seemed so superficial that the lies and secrets and motives were just not believable to me. The narrator, Elliot, was particularly irritating. It seemed unbelievable to me that Lana would be friends with him for so long

It was certainly atmospheric and dark, but it was a slow start and then for very twisty with a succession of reveals that were a lot.

Some people are going to love this, but it just isn’t for me. And while I must admit I was disappointed, I guess that the beauty of books.

Thank you to Netgalley for my gifted digital copy of The Fury.

Obsessive. Secretive. Deceptive.

And just when you think you’ve figured it all out, another plot twist comes and hits you in the gut.

Read if you’re into:
Easy
A fast pace
Mother Nature
Greek Islands
Theatrics

The Fury by Alex Michaelides
I give this book 4.5 stars.

On a small private Greek island, former movie star Lana Farrar invites a select group of us to stay.
A chance to relax and reconnect - and maybe for a few hidden truths to come out.
Because nothing on this island is quite what it seems.
Not Lana. Not her guests.
Certainly not the murderer - furiously plotting their crime . . .

Set on the beautiful island of Mykonos and sprinkled with Greek myths. Narrated in first person by Elliot,i spent the whole time trying to work out what was the truth and what was deliberate misdirection,at times he speaks directly to the reader (which I loved) Told in 5 acts l definitely got an Agatha Christie play vibe.Each act delves deeper into the character study of a small cast of suspects (are you going to like or despise them) Short chapters and twists and turns stop you putting the book down and what an epilogue!!
Obsession,drama and deception I was immersed in this entertaining read,my favourite read by this author so far.
With thanks to Netgalley,Alex Michaelides and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for my chance to read and review this book.

This is a narrated book by Elliot, one of 7 people invited to have a relaxing stay on a private Greek island owned by former Movie star Lana Farrar. One of the 7 is a murderer and they are all trapped but who is the murderer and why?

This started off strong with someone puking and gunshots being heard and then a dead body in a pool of blood and that was just the first few pages. Having read The Silent Patient and loving it I was so excited to be accepted to read this arc. It certainly didn’t disappoint. Twist all the way to the very last page. A few of the characters were not very likeable and part of me was thinking they deserved everything that happened to them. Another great book by this author. If you loved the other books then this one won’t disappoint at all.

There was a lot to like about this original book. A delve into the world of theatre and actors with an interesting murder mystery. The characters were a typical mix of those found in the Arts. The narrator, Elliot had a sad background and was desperate to mix with those he deemed glamorous. As the story developed and departed London for a remote Greek island the twists began and although there weren’t a huge amount of potential perpetrators the mysteries deepened and the plots thickened. My only complaint is that there were too many twists towards the end that felt a little contrived and actually made the whole thing a little less absorbing.

This book had all the makings of an exceptional story. The plot was interesting and very twisty, to the point where it becomes very improbable. Once I finished the book I could understand why Elliot was the unreliable narrator, but the tongue in cheek remarks I found very irritating. Not a writing style I connected with and ultimately not a book I enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the advance copy of this book.

The Silent Patient was one of my all-time favourite novels. I liked The Maidens, but not quite as much, so I was eagerly awaiting reading The Fury.
Seven disparate characters including stunning ex-movie star Lana Farra and the narrator of our tale, Eliot Chase gather on Lana’s private island in the Greek Cyclades.
During the night, a series of shots occur and a body lies in the ruins of some Roman columns.
The narrator, Elliot Chase, is on a Greek Island with ex-movie star, Lana Farrar, and her group. Until shots ring out in the night and a body lays by the ruins.

Who did it, why did they do it and what were the events that led up to that crucial moment? The writing by Alex Michaelides is superb. The narration of Eliot is smooth, chatty, and confidential just as though he is in the same room as you. Of course, he can’t resist inserting himself into the story just to create further misdirection.
The main characters have so much complexity that you are constantly waiting for their masks to slip and you will constantly change your opinion on who is good and who is bad.
The plot has so many layers that you will question everything that’s written. However, the skill of the writing means that it is paced perfectly and you will just want to keep reading.
In essence, this is a superb, clever read…… Agatha Christie on steroids and I would recommend it to anyone.
My absolute thanks to NetGalley, Michael Joseph, and Alex Michaelides for a wonderful Arc in exchange for an open and honest review.

Alex Michaelides is back with a stunning piece of work!

This is a thriller like no other, part mystery part character study, both as a book itself (where the character 'studied' is the narrator) and within the book (that instead is supposed to be a study of Lana, Elliott, and their relationship). The story is deceiving and has some great twists. I loved how it is told as if it were a play, and how the same scenes are revisited multiple times, always adding new knowledge that changes completely the meaning of what we are reading.

The characters were all unlikeable but extremely fascinating, and the need to undercover their real intentions, motivations, and thoughts was so strong I read the whole book in just two sittings.

This is a book I will recommend to anyone who will listen!

Thank you so much to the author, Michael Joseph, and NetGalley for an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A novel full of twists and turns that kept me on my toes throughout, The Fury is a masterclass in storytelling: working backwards so that you end up somewhere completely different to where you expect to be and yet also somehow right back where you started and with all the answers. It kept me guessing, it had me hooked, and I highly recommend you pick it up!

Unfortunately this one didn't really work for me. I feel like Alex Michaelides likes to confuse the reader by pulling off really extreme twists that come out of nowhere, making you really suspend your disbelief. It just made the story feel very flat - especially when the pacing is all over the place with a very slow first half spent following these deeply unlikeable characters at a very leisurely pace.

I also didn't like the narrative voice. It's very tongue in cheek, as Elliott breaks the fourth wall, talking directly to the reader and jumping around the timeline, but it made the whole story feel very disconnected and honestly, I just ended up confused and not bothered about anything going on.

Not for me.

Wow wow wow!! This book is excellent. It reminds me of the Talented Mr Ripley and is dark, thrilling and addictive, There are genuinely brilliant twists and turns,. I loved it

A vintage, extremely theatrical murder mystery - with a very louche, 70s, all-star movie Christie-on-vacation vibe - about a very intense playwright, his fixation with his actress best friend, and the associated hangers-on, servants, children and husbands who share a murderous night on an isolated Greek island.

We see the action 5 times in 5 increasingly shortened acts, and while the set-up is a little long, and some of the characters could be better drawn - I forgot the husband existed - the pace is extremely fast and after the two-thirds mark doesn't let up.

The main character's sense of disquiet and constant asides to the reader will either make or break the book depending on your point of view. With multiple twists and reveals, and barely 70,000 words long, you'll be through this in a day. Recommended for how different it is to most modern thrillers, with their intense domesticity, aggressive sameness and vastly overpadded word counts.

This was very different to the other books by this author. The island setting was great. The story was quite slow paced and character driven rather than plot driven. This was different to what I was expecting. The narrator Elliot was unreliable and quite a quirky character. The fury definitely lives up to the title. I enjoyed this book
.

I loved Alex Michaelides' previous two books and think this one might be his best yet. It's a taut, fascinating murder mystery, part character study, and part destination thriller. It would make a great TV series too.