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奧拉島謀殺案
我即將要告訴你一個你從未聽過的故事。
我是誰？好，我是這個故事的敘事者──也是裡面的某個角色。
被困在島上的我們，總共有七個人。
其中有一個人是殺人犯。
不過，在你開始準備猜測到底是誰下手之前，我覺得有義務要提醒各位，這並不是什麼追兇的故事。拜阿嘉莎．克莉絲蒂之賜，我們都知道這類故事應該要怎麼演下去：令人費解的犯案細節，努力不懈的調查過程，精采破案手法──然後，要是你運氣不錯的話，可以在結尾看到反轉。不過，這是真實事件，不是虛構小說，它所講述的是千真萬確的人，待在某個真實地點。
我依賴的主要是我們在兇案前後的對話──也就是我們活下來的這些人。至於死者，我相信你一定會賦予我探討他們內心世界的藝術創作自由。基於我是訓練有素的劇作家，也許我比絕大多數的人更能勝任這樣的任務。
我是誰？好，我是這個故事的敘事者──也是裡面的某個角色。
被困在島上的我們，總共有七個人。
其中有一個人是殺人犯。
不過，在你開始準備猜測到底是誰下手之前，我覺得有義務要提醒各位，這並不是什麼追兇的故事。拜阿嘉莎．克莉絲蒂之賜，我們都知道這類故事應該要怎麼演下去：令人費解的犯案細節，努力不懈的調查過程，精采破案手法──然後，要是你運氣不錯的話，可以在結尾看到反轉。不過，這是真實事件，不是虛構小說，它所講述的是千真萬確的人，待在某個真實地點。
我依賴的主要是我們在兇案前後的對話──也就是我們活下來的這些人。至於死者，我相信你一定會賦予我探討他們內心世界的藝術創作自由。基於我是訓練有素的劇作家，也許我比絕大多數的人更能勝任這樣的任務。
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 16, 2024
11866 people are currently reading
269320 people want to read
About the author
Alex Michaelides
14 books43.6k followersAlex Michaelides was born and raised in Cyprus. He has an M.A. in English literature from Trinity College, Cambridge University, and an M.A. in screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. The Silent Patient was his first novel and was the biggest-selling debut in the world in 2019. It spent more than a year on the New York Times bestseller list and sold in a record-breaking forty-nine countries. Alex lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32,307 reviews
June 3, 2025
Is this the slowest thriller or what?
Our narrator Elliot Chase has a story to tell, and he invites you the reader to hear it. Pull up a barstool, pour yourself a drink, and settle in. This is a story about murder, or perhaps it's a story about love. Either way, it's sure to surprise you. Or at least that's what our narrator promises.
Of course I dove into this with gusto. The Silent Patient is one of my favorite books of all time—utterly unputdownable and that memorable twist—so I eagerly await anything from Alex Michaelides. My expectations are always sky-high when it comes to his books and I know that isn't really fair, so I try to tamp it down to a more reasonable level. But hey, the heart wants what the heart wants.
The first few chapters were full of potential. I absolutely love the prospect of murder on an island, with a limited number of suspects and all that remote isolation to give it ominous vibes. It's very à la And Then There Were None. And Michaelides's tendency to include a fair bit of psychology in his stories adds a fascinating slant to the whole thing.
But as I read on, I started to realize something. The story isn't grabbing me, not right off the bat nor even 150 pages in. There's so much setup to get through, not to mention what feels like excessive dangling of the proverbial carrot. We are told by the narrator over and over how we need to know this or that in order to understand what comes next—dangle, dangle. And that he promises the good parts are coming—dangle, dangle. And it's sure to surprise us—dangle, dangle. Honestly, it got a bit much.
All that dangling left me with anticipation fatigue. I know it's a fairly common technique used in modern thrillers, but I'm just not a fan. It feels like unnecessary fluff to me. I know the good stuff is coming—why else would I be reading this?—so just get on with it. Nevertheless, I persevered. I slowly trudged my way through and was ever so thankful when we finally reached the point when things started to happen.
And what crazy things they are. We are hit with one reveal after another, crafted to bamboozle the reader with amazement and delight. And I was definitely entertained. But the problem is that by then, left for so long with such a slow narrative, my brain had already used its free cycles to mull over all the possibilities and arrive at the conclusions. It's like an unwelcome guest, always ready to crash every slow-thriller party and ruin it. So yeah, no real surprises were had by me.
I can't help but feel disappointed. This book seems so far from The Silent Patient, they might as well be written by two different authors. Whereas The Silent Patient was tightly paced with a sparseness to the prose that just pulls you in, The Fury is fluffed out and meandering, taking all the time in the world to arrive at every little interesting part. The Silent Patient had the feel of a proper mystery with clues and red herrings, whereas this feels more like your standard thriller with twist upon twist added for shock value.
Gosh, that all sounds super negative, but it really isn't. I did enjoy this, especially the last 100 pages. At least after all that buildup, the story comes together and we get a fun payoff. It's just that in a crowded field of thrillers, this one doesn't really stand out, neither for the writing nor for the plot.
Oh and one last thing. If you haven't read The Silent Patient yet, don't read this book first. For some inexplicable reason, this story contains a spoiler for it. Maybe it's just my early copy and it will be removed in time for publication. I sure hope so. Because otherwise, you'll have read a fairly middling thriller at the expense of ruining an amazing one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
The Silent Patient
The Maidens
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
Our narrator Elliot Chase has a story to tell, and he invites you the reader to hear it. Pull up a barstool, pour yourself a drink, and settle in. This is a story about murder, or perhaps it's a story about love. Either way, it's sure to surprise you. Or at least that's what our narrator promises.
Of course I dove into this with gusto. The Silent Patient is one of my favorite books of all time—utterly unputdownable and that memorable twist—so I eagerly await anything from Alex Michaelides. My expectations are always sky-high when it comes to his books and I know that isn't really fair, so I try to tamp it down to a more reasonable level. But hey, the heart wants what the heart wants.
The first few chapters were full of potential. I absolutely love the prospect of murder on an island, with a limited number of suspects and all that remote isolation to give it ominous vibes. It's very à la And Then There Were None. And Michaelides's tendency to include a fair bit of psychology in his stories adds a fascinating slant to the whole thing.
But as I read on, I started to realize something. The story isn't grabbing me, not right off the bat nor even 150 pages in. There's so much setup to get through, not to mention what feels like excessive dangling of the proverbial carrot. We are told by the narrator over and over how we need to know this or that in order to understand what comes next—dangle, dangle. And that he promises the good parts are coming—dangle, dangle. And it's sure to surprise us—dangle, dangle. Honestly, it got a bit much.
All that dangling left me with anticipation fatigue. I know it's a fairly common technique used in modern thrillers, but I'm just not a fan. It feels like unnecessary fluff to me. I know the good stuff is coming—why else would I be reading this?—so just get on with it. Nevertheless, I persevered. I slowly trudged my way through and was ever so thankful when we finally reached the point when things started to happen.
And what crazy things they are. We are hit with one reveal after another, crafted to bamboozle the reader with amazement and delight. And I was definitely entertained. But the problem is that by then, left for so long with such a slow narrative, my brain had already used its free cycles to mull over all the possibilities and arrive at the conclusions. It's like an unwelcome guest, always ready to crash every slow-thriller party and ruin it. So yeah, no real surprises were had by me.
I can't help but feel disappointed. This book seems so far from The Silent Patient, they might as well be written by two different authors. Whereas The Silent Patient was tightly paced with a sparseness to the prose that just pulls you in, The Fury is fluffed out and meandering, taking all the time in the world to arrive at every little interesting part. The Silent Patient had the feel of a proper mystery with clues and red herrings, whereas this feels more like your standard thriller with twist upon twist added for shock value.
Gosh, that all sounds super negative, but it really isn't. I did enjoy this, especially the last 100 pages. At least after all that buildup, the story comes together and we get a fun payoff. It's just that in a crowded field of thrillers, this one doesn't really stand out, neither for the writing nor for the plot.
Oh and one last thing. If you haven't read The Silent Patient yet, don't read this book first. For some inexplicable reason, this story contains a spoiler for it. Maybe it's just my early copy and it will be removed in time for publication. I sure hope so. Because otherwise, you'll have read a fairly middling thriller at the expense of ruining an amazing one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
The Silent Patient
The Maidens
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
November 9, 2023
Michaelides' third novel is my least favourite by far. This book is so weird and messy. I found it impossible to suspend disbelief for.
The main issue, I think, is that I never liked the narrator or the narration. The author opts for a very meta style, with Elliott constantly addressing the reader, side-eyeing his audience, and acknowledging his own flaws as a narrator. But I did not feel I got to know him very well. I neither liked him nor felt any strong dislike for him… he was just uninteresting. In a way he felt like a literary device, not a real person whose story I could become interested in.
Also, at times Elliott seems to know things he wouldn’t possibly know, witness scenes he couldn’t have. For this type of story to work, it needed to be in first person, yet certain scenes required an omniscient narrator. Elliott tries to play both roles and it just comes off as unbelievable.
The plot and pacing are all over the place. The first half of the book is very slow-going, following these bunch of characters as they holiday on a private Greek island and make it clear they mostly hate each other. But then when the drama went down, shit hit the fan so hard it took a farcical turn. I found no reason to like, or connect with, any of the characters. And I found the second twist to be ludicrous--
A number of choices were made here that drained all tension out of the story-- the slow first half, the narrator constantly promising a wild twist (so much so that the wacky climax fell flat), the narrator repeatedly revealing himself to be unreliable like "haha, but here's what I didn't tell you..." to the point where I took nothing seriously.
In the end I didn't care who had done it. I didn't care which of these flat characters would live or die.
Also, the epilogue gives away a major twist for The Silent Patient if you are still wanting to read that.
The main issue, I think, is that I never liked the narrator or the narration. The author opts for a very meta style, with Elliott constantly addressing the reader, side-eyeing his audience, and acknowledging his own flaws as a narrator. But I did not feel I got to know him very well. I neither liked him nor felt any strong dislike for him… he was just uninteresting. In a way he felt like a literary device, not a real person whose story I could become interested in.
Also, at times Elliott seems to know things he wouldn’t possibly know, witness scenes he couldn’t have. For this type of story to work, it needed to be in first person, yet certain scenes required an omniscient narrator. Elliott tries to play both roles and it just comes off as unbelievable.
The plot and pacing are all over the place. The first half of the book is very slow-going, following these bunch of characters as they holiday on a private Greek island and make it clear they mostly hate each other. But then when the drama went down, shit hit the fan so hard it took a farcical turn. I found no reason to like, or connect with, any of the characters. And I found the second twist to be ludicrous--
A number of choices were made here that drained all tension out of the story-- the slow first half, the narrator constantly promising a wild twist (so much so that the wacky climax fell flat), the narrator repeatedly revealing himself to be unreliable like "haha, but here's what I didn't tell you..." to the point where I took nothing seriously.
In the end I didn't care who had done it. I didn't care which of these flat characters would live or die.
Also, the epilogue gives away a major twist for The Silent Patient if you are still wanting to read that.
November 13, 2023
Addictive and Unputdownable!
Fun fact: When I had my first heart surgery, I was reading The Silent Patient, and I didn’t know if it would be the last book that I ever read. At least it was good!
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 and what lead up to that moment?
Wow-weeee! The prose. The prose is so extremely smooth and natural that the story reads like a bedtime story, exactly the way a friendly person would talk.
The narrator is really second to none. In fact, I was trying to recall the last time that I heard such dazzling narrative voice, and I was thinking back to my theatrical guide at The Globe Theatre in London.
The Fury is told in a very similar format to the Netflix hit, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, where you will see a scene play out and then you will see the scene play out again with a bit different perspective.
I also loved the nod to The Silent Patient.
The characters had some depth and complexity to them, and Michaelides does a phenomenal job introducing all of the characters and providing background without information dumping. The pacing is perfect!
To smooth a book to this level really takes my breath away.
*Thanks, Celadon, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion.
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Fun fact: When I had my first heart surgery, I was reading The Silent Patient, and I didn’t know if it would be the last book that I ever read. At least it was good!
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 and what lead up to that moment?
Wow-weeee! The prose. The prose is so extremely smooth and natural that the story reads like a bedtime story, exactly the way a friendly person would talk.
The narrator is really second to none. In fact, I was trying to recall the last time that I heard such dazzling narrative voice, and I was thinking back to my theatrical guide at The Globe Theatre in London.
The Fury is told in a very similar format to the Netflix hit, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, where you will see a scene play out and then you will see the scene play out again with a bit different perspective.
I also loved the nod to The Silent Patient.
The characters had some depth and complexity to them, and Michaelides does a phenomenal job introducing all of the characters and providing background without information dumping. The pacing is perfect!
To smooth a book to this level really takes my breath away.
*Thanks, Celadon, for a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased opinion.
Connect With Me!
Blog Twitter BookTube Facebook Insta
June 4, 2025
my only hope and desire for this book was that it scare me so much i would be rendered completely unable to sleep.
so imagine my devastation when it was not only not scary, but bad.
here are just a few of the myriad examples of its eternal capacity for disappointment:
1) this is so unbelievably british that i actually googled if the author is even from england. it's giving one direction fanfiction written by an american 15 year old with a polyvore account. i'm ready to throw my hair into a messy bun and gaze into harry styles' green orbs.
2) you cannot have this unbelievably intrusive, annoying person-narrator and also have the narrator be omnipotent. this is creative writing 101. you have to pick a lane. if i'm picking for you, i'd choose the option that isn't giving theater kid, but it's up to the author really.
3) okay, you chose theater kid. that's fine. except having a narrator who is a bad writer just means your book is going to be poorly written. and i guess that's fine too. but maybe consider the rest of us when deciding page count next time.
4) so many nouns used in back to back sentences. you know that thing? does that bother anyone else? catch me rephrasing in my own head instead of reading. just freelance, unpaid copyediting for nothing but a bad attitude and a love of the game.
5) for a book that uses the word island on every page it sure forgets where it is. calling an ambulance if you're in the middle of the sea isn’t going to help, bucko!
6) the plot has some serious holes in it, as in i don't believe that characters would do what they end up doing. in spite of spending a lot of time spent talking self-indulgently about the importance of motive, the book doesn't listen to its own advice.
7) it also can't decide whether it's about one truly evil person, or a group of bad people, or the inherent badness of everyone, and ends up somewhere unsatisfying between all of them — one person punished excessively, the others floating off to a life of joy after their sins and their pettiness to spend their days dancing and doing yoga like a yogurt commercial.
even though they, too, suck.
as does this book.
bottom line: the scariest part of this whole thing was that it somehow kept getting worse.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
so imagine my devastation when it was not only not scary, but bad.
here are just a few of the myriad examples of its eternal capacity for disappointment:
1) this is so unbelievably british that i actually googled if the author is even from england. it's giving one direction fanfiction written by an american 15 year old with a polyvore account. i'm ready to throw my hair into a messy bun and gaze into harry styles' green orbs.
2) you cannot have this unbelievably intrusive, annoying person-narrator and also have the narrator be omnipotent. this is creative writing 101. you have to pick a lane. if i'm picking for you, i'd choose the option that isn't giving theater kid, but it's up to the author really.
3) okay, you chose theater kid. that's fine. except having a narrator who is a bad writer just means your book is going to be poorly written. and i guess that's fine too. but maybe consider the rest of us when deciding page count next time.
4) so many nouns used in back to back sentences. you know that thing? does that bother anyone else? catch me rephrasing in my own head instead of reading. just freelance, unpaid copyediting for nothing but a bad attitude and a love of the game.
5) for a book that uses the word island on every page it sure forgets where it is. calling an ambulance if you're in the middle of the sea isn’t going to help, bucko!
6) the plot has some serious holes in it, as in i don't believe that characters would do what they end up doing. in spite of spending a lot of time spent talking self-indulgently about the importance of motive, the book doesn't listen to its own advice.
7) it also can't decide whether it's about one truly evil person, or a group of bad people, or the inherent badness of everyone, and ends up somewhere unsatisfying between all of them — one person punished excessively, the others floating off to a life of joy after their sins and their pettiness to spend their days dancing and doing yoga like a yogurt commercial.
even though they, too, suck.
as does this book.
bottom line: the scariest part of this whole thing was that it somehow kept getting worse.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
March 22, 2025
Alex Michaelides' latest literary offering, "Fury," defies simple classification, encapsulating a rich tapestry of storytelling elements.
From a breathtaking five-act Greek tragedy to a heart-wrenching love story, a labyrinthine mystery, and ultimately the most intellectually stimulating work in the author's repertoire, "Fury" delves into uncharted territories. This novel also subtly connects with the Silent Patient universe, with a discreet cameo appearance by the enigmatic Mariana. For those eager to uncover this subtle tie, be sure to delve deep into the epilogue.
I am deeply grateful to Celadon Books for extending the privilege of accessing the physical copy of "Fury." Within the pages of this beautifully bound book, one discovers an intimate glimpse into the inner workings of the unreliable narrator, Elliot. His notebooks, voice recordings, travel plans, and even a ticket to the fateful Agamemnon play offer readers an immersive experience into the world Michaelides has intricately crafted.
Attempting to review "Fury" is akin to unraveling the layers of a Russian Matryoshka doll. Each layer peeled away reveals yet another, leading you inexorably toward the core of this narrative. Drawing inspiration from Agatha Christie's iconic "And Then There Were None," the story masterfully weaves elements of a dark and intricate love story, a psychological mystery, and a gripping murder tale.
The narrative centers around Lara Farrar, a beloved Hollywood luminary who has recently bid adieu to her illustrious career at the age of forty. She extends an invitation to her closest confidantes, Kate and Elliot, to join her on a secluded Greek Island—a cherished gift from her first husband. Alongside Lara are her devoted husband, Jason, who shares an uncanny connection with Kate, and Lara's son, Leo, from her previous marriage. Leo harbors dreams of becoming an actor, much to his mother's chagrin. The ensemble is rounded out by Agathi, the steadfast babysitter, assistant, and cook, and Nicola, the caretaker whose lingering glances at Lara do not go unnoticed.
The tale commences in the tradition of a classic, locked-house mystery—a group of friends seeking solace on a secluded island. However, beneath their seemingly unbreakable camaraderie lie hidden secrets, unspoken resentments, and simmering frustrations, setting the stage for a tragedy that will irrevocably alter their lives. A murder takes place, and the island's harsh weather conditions leave them marooned. There is no evidence of an outsider's presence, no boat, nor any indication of escape, making it clear that the killer must be among them. Yet, the motive remains elusive, and the veneer of friendship begins to peel away, revealing deeper, darker truths.
What begins as a complex melodrama gradually metamorphoses, evolving into various genres: from romance to psychological mystery, and ultimately culminating in a crescendo of a heart-stopping thriller blended with a poignant tragedy. My apologies if this review appears somewhat enigmatic, for "Fury" is a narrative that defies easy summation. To truly appreciate it, one must embark on this journey without preconceived notions, surrendering oneself to Michaelides' evocative, mind-bending, and cryptic narrative style.
In "Fury," Alex Michaelides has crafted his most intellectually stimulating work to date, a literary masterpiece that left me awe-struck and deeply moved. I implore you not to miss the opportunity to immerse yourself in this extraordinary tale, a testament to the boundless depths of human emotion and the profound impact of secrets untold.
My heartfelt appreciation goes out to Celadon Books for entrusting me with an advance reader's copy of one of the most highly anticipated thrillers of 2024, in exchange for my candid and heartfelt reflections.
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From a breathtaking five-act Greek tragedy to a heart-wrenching love story, a labyrinthine mystery, and ultimately the most intellectually stimulating work in the author's repertoire, "Fury" delves into uncharted territories. This novel also subtly connects with the Silent Patient universe, with a discreet cameo appearance by the enigmatic Mariana. For those eager to uncover this subtle tie, be sure to delve deep into the epilogue.
I am deeply grateful to Celadon Books for extending the privilege of accessing the physical copy of "Fury." Within the pages of this beautifully bound book, one discovers an intimate glimpse into the inner workings of the unreliable narrator, Elliot. His notebooks, voice recordings, travel plans, and even a ticket to the fateful Agamemnon play offer readers an immersive experience into the world Michaelides has intricately crafted.
Attempting to review "Fury" is akin to unraveling the layers of a Russian Matryoshka doll. Each layer peeled away reveals yet another, leading you inexorably toward the core of this narrative. Drawing inspiration from Agatha Christie's iconic "And Then There Were None," the story masterfully weaves elements of a dark and intricate love story, a psychological mystery, and a gripping murder tale.
The narrative centers around Lara Farrar, a beloved Hollywood luminary who has recently bid adieu to her illustrious career at the age of forty. She extends an invitation to her closest confidantes, Kate and Elliot, to join her on a secluded Greek Island—a cherished gift from her first husband. Alongside Lara are her devoted husband, Jason, who shares an uncanny connection with Kate, and Lara's son, Leo, from her previous marriage. Leo harbors dreams of becoming an actor, much to his mother's chagrin. The ensemble is rounded out by Agathi, the steadfast babysitter, assistant, and cook, and Nicola, the caretaker whose lingering glances at Lara do not go unnoticed.
The tale commences in the tradition of a classic, locked-house mystery—a group of friends seeking solace on a secluded island. However, beneath their seemingly unbreakable camaraderie lie hidden secrets, unspoken resentments, and simmering frustrations, setting the stage for a tragedy that will irrevocably alter their lives. A murder takes place, and the island's harsh weather conditions leave them marooned. There is no evidence of an outsider's presence, no boat, nor any indication of escape, making it clear that the killer must be among them. Yet, the motive remains elusive, and the veneer of friendship begins to peel away, revealing deeper, darker truths.
What begins as a complex melodrama gradually metamorphoses, evolving into various genres: from romance to psychological mystery, and ultimately culminating in a crescendo of a heart-stopping thriller blended with a poignant tragedy. My apologies if this review appears somewhat enigmatic, for "Fury" is a narrative that defies easy summation. To truly appreciate it, one must embark on this journey without preconceived notions, surrendering oneself to Michaelides' evocative, mind-bending, and cryptic narrative style.
In "Fury," Alex Michaelides has crafted his most intellectually stimulating work to date, a literary masterpiece that left me awe-struck and deeply moved. I implore you not to miss the opportunity to immerse yourself in this extraordinary tale, a testament to the boundless depths of human emotion and the profound impact of secrets untold.
My heartfelt appreciation goes out to Celadon Books for entrusting me with an advance reader's copy of one of the most highly anticipated thrillers of 2024, in exchange for my candid and heartfelt reflections.
medium.com
twitter<
January 16, 2024
Pull up a barstool and settle in with a drink, suggests our narrator…Elliott Chase.
He has a story to share, unlike any you have heard before….
He assures us, that although it’s a story about seven people trapped on a beautiful but isolated, private Greek Island called Aura, that it ISN’T an “Agatha Christie” whodunnit with a baffling crime, and a clever solution. It’s more of a “why dunnit”-a character study of sorts.
Aura is the Greek Goddess of the “morning air” or “breeze” which doesn’t even begin to describe the Aegean winds that sometimes batter this group of Islands known as the Cyclades, in the Southern part of the Aegean Sea.
Winds which are referred to as “to menos” which translates to “the fury” in English-Winds that cut the Islands off from one another when they come out of nowhere, and begin to blow furiously.
The tale he shares is actually more of a tragic love story, although someone is murdered-and Elliott will share the details of both…
Hell also hath no FURY, like a woman scorned…so the title of the story is a bit of a double entendre, and this time the FURY of both will catch up with all of them, and this Island.
His story begins with the beautiful Actress who owns the Island, Lana Farrar, a reclusive ex-movie star.
Joining her this Easter, will be her son, Leo, her husband Jason, her two best friends, Kate and Elliott, and her two faithful employees, Nikos and Agathi.
Shared from the first person POV of Elliott, it’s easy to become CAPTIVATED by his narration, as if you really are two strangers sitting on bar stools listening to his reluctant confession over drinks.
But as the story unfolds over five “Acts” (after all, he is a playright) you will discover that Elliott may like to embellish a bit-as all great storytellers do…
With short, snappy chapters, you can easily read this story in one sitting! I was engrossed from the first page, and had to find out which parts of this tragedy were TRUE.
The cameo appearances from characters in past books was also a fun touch as is the cover-a popular Greek symbol known as the “Evil Eye”!
I was thrilled when Celadon books offered to mail me an early copy in exchange for an honest, EARLY review.
And, I am even more thrilled to share how much I enjoyed this!
AVAILABLE NOW!!
He has a story to share, unlike any you have heard before….
He assures us, that although it’s a story about seven people trapped on a beautiful but isolated, private Greek Island called Aura, that it ISN’T an “Agatha Christie” whodunnit with a baffling crime, and a clever solution. It’s more of a “why dunnit”-a character study of sorts.
Aura is the Greek Goddess of the “morning air” or “breeze” which doesn’t even begin to describe the Aegean winds that sometimes batter this group of Islands known as the Cyclades, in the Southern part of the Aegean Sea.
Winds which are referred to as “to menos” which translates to “the fury” in English-Winds that cut the Islands off from one another when they come out of nowhere, and begin to blow furiously.
The tale he shares is actually more of a tragic love story, although someone is murdered-and Elliott will share the details of both…
Hell also hath no FURY, like a woman scorned…so the title of the story is a bit of a double entendre, and this time the FURY of both will catch up with all of them, and this Island.
His story begins with the beautiful Actress who owns the Island, Lana Farrar, a reclusive ex-movie star.
Joining her this Easter, will be her son, Leo, her husband Jason, her two best friends, Kate and Elliott, and her two faithful employees, Nikos and Agathi.
Shared from the first person POV of Elliott, it’s easy to become CAPTIVATED by his narration, as if you really are two strangers sitting on bar stools listening to his reluctant confession over drinks.
But as the story unfolds over five “Acts” (after all, he is a playright) you will discover that Elliott may like to embellish a bit-as all great storytellers do…
With short, snappy chapters, you can easily read this story in one sitting! I was engrossed from the first page, and had to find out which parts of this tragedy were TRUE.
The cameo appearances from characters in past books was also a fun touch as is the cover-a popular Greek symbol known as the “Evil Eye”!
I was thrilled when Celadon books offered to mail me an early copy in exchange for an honest, EARLY review.
And, I am even more thrilled to share how much I enjoyed this!
AVAILABLE NOW!!
March 3, 2024
Am glad that's over. This is the weakest book I've read of Alex Michaelides and am so disappointed. The blurb sounded so amazing and it could have been so interesting tbh, but it was quite dull and underwhelming. In order to do something new, I believe the author created a very chaotic execution of the narrative.
Elliot is someone the author writes in a very cunning demeanor which does suit his character a lot, but I found his moves and arc to be very predictable. He sort of resembled a very twisted Theo from The Silent Patient, but Theo on the contrary was very likable or at least interesting. The rest of the characters are all so damn bland. I couldn't careless.
The time jumps and flashbacks were not my thing either. I would have liked it more had there been a constant flow of events. By the time I got into the actual murder, we go back to Elliot's past again.
The ending, bro I cried cause I called it in the first chapter. These were not happy tears, these were tears of frustration cause I read the damn boring book to have guessed the ending at chapter 1 😭😭😭 KMN!!!
Nah, not for me. Disappointed. Also, this can't cure reading slumps.
~•~•~
Counting on this book to get me out of my reading slump 😩😩
Elliot is someone the author writes in a very cunning demeanor which does suit his character a lot, but I found his moves and arc to be very predictable. He sort of resembled a very twisted Theo from The Silent Patient, but Theo on the contrary was very likable or at least interesting. The rest of the characters are all so damn bland. I couldn't careless.
The time jumps and flashbacks were not my thing either. I would have liked it more had there been a constant flow of events. By the time I got into the actual murder, we go back to Elliot's past again.
The ending, bro I cried cause I called it in the first chapter. These were not happy tears, these were tears of frustration cause I read the damn boring book to have guessed the ending at chapter 1 😭😭😭 KMN!!!
Nah, not for me. Disappointed. Also, this can't cure reading slumps.
~•~•~
Counting on this book to get me out of my reading slump 😩😩
January 26, 2024
I didn’t hate this but I’m definitely feeling underwhelmed :/
May 16, 2024
so damn bad & boring
January 13, 2024
Thank you Celadon Books for the gifted ARC. IYKYK, my reviews are ALWAYS honest.
Writing: sure | Plot: had potential | Ending: the most exciting part
SYNOPSIS
Elliot Chase and his rich ass friends decide to spend Easter weekend on a secluded Greek island. And even though Jesus has risen, unfortunately one of their group has fallen. DUN DUN DUN!!!!
MY OPINION
Two quick things before I get into it:
1) If you have not read The Silent Patient, there are MAJOR FKING SPOILERS in the epilogue. There's a lowkey spoiler for The Maidens as well. If you don't want to read both books before this one, you can safely skip the epilogue. It doesn't bring anything extra to the book.
2) DO NOT EXPECT THE SILENT PATIENT 2.0. This is a completely different vibe and cannot be compared with his chart-topping debut.
This was def my most anticipated read for 2024; I considered it the tiebreaker between TPS (5 star banger IMO) and The Maidens (RIP to the trees that lost their lives for that book). Thankfully it was much better than his last.
Elliot Chase = Great Value Nick Caraway. I feel like he's tryna solidify himself as a "serious" author with this one; the book is structured like a play, he's doing thee most with the Greek mythology references, and Elliot breaking the fourth-wall and being an omnipresent narrator, etc. Did he do it? Idk. Do you think people knew Pride & Prejudice went extremely hard when it dropped?
The ending had more twists than a bag of pretzels or Simone Biles' floor routine. Some reviewers didn't like that. Some did. In the context of the characters and their backgrounds, I think it worked. They're actors — and if you've ever been around theatre geeks, you know the vibes — so all the drama seemed on brand. It was the most engaging and entertaining part of the story by-far.
FYI all of the characters are unlikeable. If you need someone to cheer for, turn on ESPN. Oh and the timeline is not linear. You're circling back A LOT.
Ultimately it was a middle of the road for me. If it had been any longer, I think the rating would've been lower. It's a quick read but it drags for 2/3 before chaotically charging to the end.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: better than The Maidens, interesting story structure, final third was more engaging, pop psychological facts about "inner child" were doin their thing
Cons: mid writing as always, Elliot Chase was trying too hard to be Nick Caraway, first 2/3 a little slow and repetitive
___
Check outmy YouTube and my TikTok
Writing: sure | Plot: had potential | Ending: the most exciting part
SYNOPSIS
Elliot Chase and his rich ass friends decide to spend Easter weekend on a secluded Greek island. And even though Jesus has risen, unfortunately one of their group has fallen. DUN DUN DUN!!!!
MY OPINION
Two quick things before I get into it:
1) If you have not read The Silent Patient, there are MAJOR FKING SPOILERS in the epilogue. There's a lowkey spoiler for The Maidens as well. If you don't want to read both books before this one, you can safely skip the epilogue. It doesn't bring anything extra to the book.
2) DO NOT EXPECT THE SILENT PATIENT 2.0. This is a completely different vibe and cannot be compared with his chart-topping debut.
This was def my most anticipated read for 2024; I considered it the tiebreaker between TPS (5 star banger IMO) and The Maidens (RIP to the trees that lost their lives for that book). Thankfully it was much better than his last.
Elliot Chase = Great Value Nick Caraway. I feel like he's tryna solidify himself as a "serious" author with this one; the book is structured like a play, he's doing thee most with the Greek mythology references, and Elliot breaking the fourth-wall and being an omnipresent narrator, etc. Did he do it? Idk. Do you think people knew Pride & Prejudice went extremely hard when it dropped?
The ending had more twists than a bag of pretzels or Simone Biles' floor routine. Some reviewers didn't like that. Some did. In the context of the characters and their backgrounds, I think it worked. They're actors — and if you've ever been around theatre geeks, you know the vibes — so all the drama seemed on brand. It was the most engaging and entertaining part of the story by-far.
FYI all of the characters are unlikeable. If you need someone to cheer for, turn on ESPN. Oh and the timeline is not linear. You're circling back A LOT.
Ultimately it was a middle of the road for me. If it had been any longer, I think the rating would've been lower. It's a quick read but it drags for 2/3 before chaotically charging to the end.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: better than The Maidens, interesting story structure, final third was more engaging, pop psychological facts about "inner child" were doin their thing
Cons: mid writing as always, Elliot Chase was trying too hard to be Nick Caraway, first 2/3 a little slow and repetitive
___
Check outmy YouTube and my TikTok
October 15, 2025
**4.5-stars**
The Fury, the latest from Alex Michaelides, is a unique and unsettling Tragedy from which I couldn't look away. This kept my head spinning all the way through. We love that!
I've thoroughly enjoyed this author's previous novels, so had been highly anticipating this. I started to see some early reviews though that made question if I would like it.
Luckily, I found this to be engaging and intriguing from the very start. Our narrator, Elliot, addresses the fact that he is our narrator. It's like we are sitting with him, having some drinks, and he is telling us a story from his life.
I absolutely adore that kind of narrative. It always makes me feel like I am actually a part of the action, or more fittingly in this case, of the friend group.
Elliott relates to us the details of an ill-fated trip he took with his best friend, Lana, a retired movie star, her husband, Jason, their mutual friend, Kate, also an actress, Lana's son Leo, an aspiring actor, and Lana's assistant, to a remote Greek island for a weekend getaway.
We know what starts out as a beautiful holiday, ends up to be anything but. The group gets trapped on the island due to high winds. Emotions and tensions are running high. The claustrophobic nature of their excursion becomes palpable.
This strain could be blamed for the violence and death that ultimately occurs, couldn't it? Or is something much deeper lurking under the surface that leads to the bloody and chaotic conclusion?
Y'all, I was absolutely swept up into this story. I know that some Reviewers have mentioned that it was slow for them, but I didn't have the same experience with it. I had the audiobook and listened to the first 70% just while adulting, doing my cleaning and other errands, one Saturday.
I was obsessed with learning all I could about the characters and couldn't help but continuing on. The narrative structure is out of the ordinary, but I loved how it was done.
Michaelides kept me guessing. It also should be noted that I am a huge fan of unreliable narrators and Elliott fits that moniker to a tee.
I wouldn't say this is a simple story to read, and I can see how it wouldn't be for everyone. I can also see how some may find it slow. There is quite a bit of develop in the beginning, building out our group and their relationships.
However, for those who enjoy some mental gymnastics, mixed with great character work, an unreliable narrator and tension so thick you could cut it with a knife, this is sure to be a success.
If any of these descriptors are buzzwords for you, give it a go. You may like it, you may not, but either way, it's sure to be a memorable experience.
A few other aspects of this book that worked for my tastes were the remote location, particularly the fact that it is set on an island, I live on an island, so tend to love to see that, the cast of unlikable characters and the teeny bit of character crossover from The Maidens and The Silent Patient.
No, you don't need to read either of those novels prior to reading this, but for those who have, those little name drops can be a lot of fun.
While this doesn't have the same level of mystery as The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, it did sort of remind me of that in some ways. I think the vibe of mild confusion mixed with enjoyment is quite similar.
If you enjoyed that one, you may enjoy this as well. Overall, I think this is just so fun. It's clever and engaging and yes, also a tad confusing at times.
I'd definitely read it again, maybe try and pick up some subtleties I might have missed this time around.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio and Celadon Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was a great reading experience for me and I'm happy to have a copy on my shelves.
I can't wait to see what Michaelides comes up with next!!
The Fury, the latest from Alex Michaelides, is a unique and unsettling Tragedy from which I couldn't look away. This kept my head spinning all the way through. We love that!
I've thoroughly enjoyed this author's previous novels, so had been highly anticipating this. I started to see some early reviews though that made question if I would like it.
Luckily, I found this to be engaging and intriguing from the very start. Our narrator, Elliot, addresses the fact that he is our narrator. It's like we are sitting with him, having some drinks, and he is telling us a story from his life.
I absolutely adore that kind of narrative. It always makes me feel like I am actually a part of the action, or more fittingly in this case, of the friend group.
Elliott relates to us the details of an ill-fated trip he took with his best friend, Lana, a retired movie star, her husband, Jason, their mutual friend, Kate, also an actress, Lana's son Leo, an aspiring actor, and Lana's assistant, to a remote Greek island for a weekend getaway.
We know what starts out as a beautiful holiday, ends up to be anything but. The group gets trapped on the island due to high winds. Emotions and tensions are running high. The claustrophobic nature of their excursion becomes palpable.
This strain could be blamed for the violence and death that ultimately occurs, couldn't it? Or is something much deeper lurking under the surface that leads to the bloody and chaotic conclusion?
Y'all, I was absolutely swept up into this story. I know that some Reviewers have mentioned that it was slow for them, but I didn't have the same experience with it. I had the audiobook and listened to the first 70% just while adulting, doing my cleaning and other errands, one Saturday.
I was obsessed with learning all I could about the characters and couldn't help but continuing on. The narrative structure is out of the ordinary, but I loved how it was done.
Michaelides kept me guessing. It also should be noted that I am a huge fan of unreliable narrators and Elliott fits that moniker to a tee.
I wouldn't say this is a simple story to read, and I can see how it wouldn't be for everyone. I can also see how some may find it slow. There is quite a bit of develop in the beginning, building out our group and their relationships.
However, for those who enjoy some mental gymnastics, mixed with great character work, an unreliable narrator and tension so thick you could cut it with a knife, this is sure to be a success.
If any of these descriptors are buzzwords for you, give it a go. You may like it, you may not, but either way, it's sure to be a memorable experience.
A few other aspects of this book that worked for my tastes were the remote location, particularly the fact that it is set on an island, I live on an island, so tend to love to see that, the cast of unlikable characters and the teeny bit of character crossover from The Maidens and The Silent Patient.
No, you don't need to read either of those novels prior to reading this, but for those who have, those little name drops can be a lot of fun.
While this doesn't have the same level of mystery as The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, it did sort of remind me of that in some ways. I think the vibe of mild confusion mixed with enjoyment is quite similar.
If you enjoyed that one, you may enjoy this as well. Overall, I think this is just so fun. It's clever and engaging and yes, also a tad confusing at times.
I'd definitely read it again, maybe try and pick up some subtleties I might have missed this time around.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio and Celadon Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was a great reading experience for me and I'm happy to have a copy on my shelves.
I can't wait to see what Michaelides comes up with next!!
April 7, 2024
Elliot Chase is the narrator of the story. He is going to tell you a story unlike any you've ever heard. Lana Farrar is an ex movie star and is one of the most famous movie stars in the world. She invites all of her close friends to spend Easter with her on her private Greek Island. There are seven suspects that are trapped on this Island.
This is a story of Murder. The big question is who is killed and why was the person killed and who killed this person.
Here are the list of the suspects.
Movie Star Lana Farrar
Playwright Elliot Chase
Best Friend Kate Crosby
Teenage Son Leo Farrar
Second Husband Jason Miller
Island Caretaker Nikos Delakis
House Keeper Agatha Mavropoulos
There was a slow burn in the beginning. I thought it was slow until I got half way through it then the book takes off and I couldn't put the book down. I was so intrigued and just loved this story. I am a big fan of this author. All of the characters are so unlikable.
I thought I had the whole book figured out but I did not see the twists coming at the end. I was so surprised my jaw hit the floor.
This book was one of my most anticipated reads. When I got the copy of the book I screamed with excitement. I was thrilled.
I want to thank Celadon Books for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
@CeladonBooks #ReadThisBook.
This is a story of Murder. The big question is who is killed and why was the person killed and who killed this person.
Here are the list of the suspects.
Movie Star Lana Farrar
Playwright Elliot Chase
Best Friend Kate Crosby
Teenage Son Leo Farrar
Second Husband Jason Miller
Island Caretaker Nikos Delakis
House Keeper Agatha Mavropoulos
There was a slow burn in the beginning. I thought it was slow until I got half way through it then the book takes off and I couldn't put the book down. I was so intrigued and just loved this story. I am a big fan of this author. All of the characters are so unlikable.
I thought I had the whole book figured out but I did not see the twists coming at the end. I was so surprised my jaw hit the floor.
This book was one of my most anticipated reads. When I got the copy of the book I screamed with excitement. I was thrilled.
I want to thank Celadon Books for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
@CeladonBooks #ReadThisBook.
August 30, 2023
4.5⭐️
“There were seven of us in all, trapped on the island.
One of us was a murderer.”
When former Hollywood movie star Lana Farrar invites her friends to join her on Aura, the idyllic small Greek island gifted to her by her late first husband, for an Easter weekend getaway with her family, little does she know that one of the seven would not leave the island alive.
Who was murdered and why? One of Lana’s guests, Elliot, a dramatist by profession, takes us through the events that transpired over that fateful weekend and that led to the murder in question. Through Elliot we get to know more about Lana and the others on the island - Kate, theater actor and Lana’s and Elliot’s friend; Leo, Lana’s seventeen-year-old son who wishes to pursue an acting career despite his mother’s disapproval; Lana’s second husband Jason who doesn’t seem too fond of the other guests; Lana’s housekeeper and confidante Agathi and the caretaker of island Nikos, both of whom have been in Lana’s employ for a long time. Beneath the friendship and camaraderie, there seems to be much tension, unrequited feelings, lies and resentment, and it becomes evident that there was no lack of motive to turn on one another.
Elliot tries to be a “reliable” narrator of events, but as he so rightly observes,
“We are all the unreliable narrators of our own lives.”
Named after the Greek goddess of the breeze and the morning air, the island is rumored to be haunted, and the locals believe that stepping foot on the island brings bad luck. The ferocity of the winds – “to meno” - “the Fury” in the region often makes it difficult to travel across the Aegean waters, trapping the visitors on the island with a murderer in their midst.
With an interesting cast of characters and a skillfully structured narrative, The Fury by Alex Michaelides is an atmospheric and suspenseful page-turner. I loved the setting and thoroughly enjoyed the intricately plotted Agatha Christie-ish (though Elliot insists it isn't so) murder mystery with more than a few twists! The author seamlessly weaves past and present events into a skillfully crafted narrative divided into five parts or “Acts". The narrative, presented from Elliot’s first-person PoV, kept me engaged and entertained until the very last page.
Though The Silent Patient remains my favorite of all three of Alex Michaelides’ novels, I found The Fury to be a very satisfying read!
I have a feeling that with the right narrator, this would be PHENOMENAL in audiobook format!
Many thanks to the Celadon Readers Program for inviting me to be an early reader. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The Fury is scheduled to be released on January 16, 2024.
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph
“There were seven of us in all, trapped on the island.
One of us was a murderer.”
When former Hollywood movie star Lana Farrar invites her friends to join her on Aura, the idyllic small Greek island gifted to her by her late first husband, for an Easter weekend getaway with her family, little does she know that one of the seven would not leave the island alive.
Who was murdered and why? One of Lana’s guests, Elliot, a dramatist by profession, takes us through the events that transpired over that fateful weekend and that led to the murder in question. Through Elliot we get to know more about Lana and the others on the island - Kate, theater actor and Lana’s and Elliot’s friend; Leo, Lana’s seventeen-year-old son who wishes to pursue an acting career despite his mother’s disapproval; Lana’s second husband Jason who doesn’t seem too fond of the other guests; Lana’s housekeeper and confidante Agathi and the caretaker of island Nikos, both of whom have been in Lana’s employ for a long time. Beneath the friendship and camaraderie, there seems to be much tension, unrequited feelings, lies and resentment, and it becomes evident that there was no lack of motive to turn on one another.
Elliot tries to be a “reliable” narrator of events, but as he so rightly observes,
“We are all the unreliable narrators of our own lives.”
Named after the Greek goddess of the breeze and the morning air, the island is rumored to be haunted, and the locals believe that stepping foot on the island brings bad luck. The ferocity of the winds – “to meno” - “the Fury” in the region often makes it difficult to travel across the Aegean waters, trapping the visitors on the island with a murderer in their midst.
With an interesting cast of characters and a skillfully structured narrative, The Fury by Alex Michaelides is an atmospheric and suspenseful page-turner. I loved the setting and thoroughly enjoyed the intricately plotted Agatha Christie-ish (though Elliot insists it isn't so) murder mystery with more than a few twists! The author seamlessly weaves past and present events into a skillfully crafted narrative divided into five parts or “Acts". The narrative, presented from Elliot’s first-person PoV, kept me engaged and entertained until the very last page.
Though The Silent Patient remains my favorite of all three of Alex Michaelides’ novels, I found The Fury to be a very satisfying read!
I have a feeling that with the right narrator, this would be PHENOMENAL in audiobook format!
Many thanks to the Celadon Readers Program for inviting me to be an early reader. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The Fury is scheduled to be released on January 16, 2024.
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph
January 4, 2024
I was intrigued by the Greek private island setting and the idea of a group of friends that get trapped there.I love a game of cat and mouse, so I was all in and getting vibes of And Then There Were Ten by Agatha Christie (Then there were 7 in this case though).
The writing style is very meta and I was beyond annoyed with Elliot (Can you stop talking Elliot?!). The other characters/friends on the island seemed to dislike each other, possibly hate.I didn't connect with a single one. When the drama comes, it hits like a FURY! The evil eyes popping amongst them. 👁️
The overall pacing is uneven. The beginning was slow and repetitive, the ending was very twisty, but also very wacky (I thought I'd get whiplash at one point)!! Are these people really trying to pull this off?!
I loved The Silent Patient, but this fell short. I didn't like the characters and just wasn't invested, although I did want to learn who murdered who, so when I finished I felt kinda blah.
Thanks to Celedon for my ARC and you can read this starting on January 16, 2024
The writing style is very meta and I was beyond annoyed with Elliot (Can you stop talking Elliot?!). The other characters/friends on the island seemed to dislike each other, possibly hate.I didn't connect with a single one. When the drama comes, it hits like a FURY! The evil eyes popping amongst them. 👁️
The overall pacing is uneven. The beginning was slow and repetitive, the ending was very twisty, but also very wacky (I thought I'd get whiplash at one point)!! Are these people really trying to pull this off?!
I loved The Silent Patient, but this fell short. I didn't like the characters and just wasn't invested, although I did want to learn who murdered who, so when I finished I felt kinda blah.
Thanks to Celedon for my ARC and you can read this starting on January 16, 2024
January 11, 2024
The Fury is an interesting thriller because it's written as if the reader and writer are having a casual conversation. Except, I am a reader who likes writers who get to the point quickly, eliminate the fluff, grab me by the lapels, and keep me riveted in my seat. This book languidly held me.
Even though I didn't like the writing format, the storyline was intriguing and there were some unforeseen twists.
Even though I didn't like the writing format, the storyline was intriguing and there were some unforeseen twists.
March 5, 2024
I loved “The Silent Patient.” I thought it was one of my all-time favorite books. Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And then there was “The Maidens.” Could it be as good as “The Silent Patient?” No. I didn’t really care for this one. Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Was I ready to give up on Michaelides yet?
When I started reading some of my Goodreads friends mixed reviews, I became concerned. I rearranged my question from ‘was I ready to give up on Michaelides yet’ to, should I even bother to read this one?
Well, I decided to read it, especially when a friend donated the book to my Little Free Library Shed.
What was I in for?
The narrator, Elliot Chase, lets readers know right away that “this is a tale of murder.” But he is also clear in his telling of this story, that he is an unreliable narrator. So, there are lots of moments in which readers are left to wonder, did this really happen as he is describing?
Still, so much of the plot seemed like a movie I had already seen or a book I have already read. How many times have we been told this story?
And unfortunately, how could readers become invested in it with such a floppy plot, and unbelievable, one-dimensional characters?
It didn’t take long for me to stop wondering who was going to be murdered or why. I just didn’t care any longer. As far as I was concerned, murder the lot of them! No one was particularly likable!
Lastly, ‘the fury’ refers to a malign Aegean wind. But, by the end of this soppy mess, I think the real fury was me, angry I had wasted my time.
Maybe you will feel differently.
And then there was “The Maidens.” Could it be as good as “The Silent Patient?” No. I didn’t really care for this one. Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Was I ready to give up on Michaelides yet?
When I started reading some of my Goodreads friends mixed reviews, I became concerned. I rearranged my question from ‘was I ready to give up on Michaelides yet’ to, should I even bother to read this one?
Well, I decided to read it, especially when a friend donated the book to my Little Free Library Shed.
What was I in for?
The narrator, Elliot Chase, lets readers know right away that “this is a tale of murder.” But he is also clear in his telling of this story, that he is an unreliable narrator. So, there are lots of moments in which readers are left to wonder, did this really happen as he is describing?
Still, so much of the plot seemed like a movie I had already seen or a book I have already read. How many times have we been told this story?
And unfortunately, how could readers become invested in it with such a floppy plot, and unbelievable, one-dimensional characters?
It didn’t take long for me to stop wondering who was going to be murdered or why. I just didn’t care any longer. As far as I was concerned, murder the lot of them! No one was particularly likable!
Lastly, ‘the fury’ refers to a malign Aegean wind. But, by the end of this soppy mess, I think the real fury was me, angry I had wasted my time.
Maybe you will feel differently.
February 12, 2024
I usually love an unreliable narrator, but this book’s narrator, Elliot, taught me that there’s such a thing as being too unreliable. It honestly felt like the author was figuring out the plot as he went along, and relied too heavily on Elliot’s unreliability as a means to try and strengthen the plot. Also the subtle nod to The Silent Patient reminds me of actors who have a rewatch podcast for their show- it’s time to move on. I did love the short chapters- it made it hard to put down. Overall this was a very average murder mystery, I probably wouldn’t recommend it.
January 27, 2024
“... let me remind you this is a true story - and in real life, that’s how we communicate, isn’t it? We’re all over the place: we jump back and forth in time; slow down and expand on some moments; fast-forward through others; editing as we go, minimizing flaws and maximizing assets. We are all the unreliable narrators of our own lives.” - Elliot Chase (The Fury)
“All of us are trying to escape the pain and be happy. And all the actions we take to achieve this goal - our intentions - that’s the stuff of story.” - Elliot Chase (The Fury)
I could post quotes from this book all day. It has a surprising amount of insight if you enjoy finding nuggets of wisdom in your fiction! I do, but I can see where those who prefer more straight-up thrills and less heady musings might not be quite as fond of our narrator Elliot Chase’s philosophizing. First, let me recap the story a bit:
Lana Farrar is a retired actress who has invited her husband Jason, son Leo, and friends Kate and Elliot to the Greek island, Aura, gifted to her by her late husband, Otto. Also there are housekeeper, Agathi, and groundskeeper, Nikos. In the style of Agatha Christie, what follows is a locked-room murder mystery, only this time they’re all trapped on the island by the violent winds - The Fury - until help can arrive. There’s loads of relational drama and 'n’er do welling', but in the end - it’s just fun. Elliot is both likeable and unlikeable, but always fascinating as he presents the story to us - his audience. I loved the intimacy of that!
So, who dies and why?
I can assure you of this - until the story ends, that is NO easy answer! Michaelides spun me like a top trying to find the direction this story was going, and I was good with that! I saw some reveals coming, but the whys and hows kept changing, so I never got a firm footing on anything. True to his previous book, The Maidens, he also keeps his stories in the same universe, with references to Mariana from that book, who - in a clever turn - is Elliot’s therapist in this one, and a brief reference to Theo from The Silent Patient.
Although I rated both this and The Maidens four stars, the previous book was a 3.5 rounded up, whereas this is a 4.5 rounded down, so I definitely enjoyed this more. The Silent Patient will always hold the TOP spot in my heart though, since that was THE book that got me hooked on the mystery/thriller genre!
I listened to this on audio, while following along on my Kindle or the gifted copy from Celadon. Alex Jennings did a wonderful job with the narration, fully embodying Elliot and the other characters. It elevated the experience, which was already written like a play, giving me the feel of sitting in the front row of a small theater while the narrator weaves his tale for me.
If you enjoy a twisty tale of crime and passion with a side of what makes humans tick that constantly keeps you guessing what is true - this should appeal to you! I’m still not entirely sure I know what was real at the end, but I don’t mind. I can always count on Alex Michaelides to make me think!
★★★★ ½
Thanks to Celadon Books for the gifted ARC to honestly review and my library/Libby for the audio and Kindle copies. It’s out now!
“All of us are trying to escape the pain and be happy. And all the actions we take to achieve this goal - our intentions - that’s the stuff of story.” - Elliot Chase (The Fury)
I could post quotes from this book all day. It has a surprising amount of insight if you enjoy finding nuggets of wisdom in your fiction! I do, but I can see where those who prefer more straight-up thrills and less heady musings might not be quite as fond of our narrator Elliot Chase’s philosophizing. First, let me recap the story a bit:
Lana Farrar is a retired actress who has invited her husband Jason, son Leo, and friends Kate and Elliot to the Greek island, Aura, gifted to her by her late husband, Otto. Also there are housekeeper, Agathi, and groundskeeper, Nikos. In the style of Agatha Christie, what follows is a locked-room murder mystery, only this time they’re all trapped on the island by the violent winds - The Fury - until help can arrive. There’s loads of relational drama and 'n’er do welling', but in the end - it’s just fun. Elliot is both likeable and unlikeable, but always fascinating as he presents the story to us - his audience. I loved the intimacy of that!
So, who dies and why?
I can assure you of this - until the story ends, that is NO easy answer! Michaelides spun me like a top trying to find the direction this story was going, and I was good with that! I saw some reveals coming, but the whys and hows kept changing, so I never got a firm footing on anything. True to his previous book, The Maidens, he also keeps his stories in the same universe, with references to Mariana from that book, who - in a clever turn - is Elliot’s therapist in this one, and a brief reference to Theo from The Silent Patient.
Although I rated both this and The Maidens four stars, the previous book was a 3.5 rounded up, whereas this is a 4.5 rounded down, so I definitely enjoyed this more. The Silent Patient will always hold the TOP spot in my heart though, since that was THE book that got me hooked on the mystery/thriller genre!
I listened to this on audio, while following along on my Kindle or the gifted copy from Celadon. Alex Jennings did a wonderful job with the narration, fully embodying Elliot and the other characters. It elevated the experience, which was already written like a play, giving me the feel of sitting in the front row of a small theater while the narrator weaves his tale for me.
If you enjoy a twisty tale of crime and passion with a side of what makes humans tick that constantly keeps you guessing what is true - this should appeal to you! I’m still not entirely sure I know what was real at the end, but I don’t mind. I can always count on Alex Michaelides to make me think!
★★★★ ½
Thanks to Celadon Books for the gifted ARC to honestly review and my library/Libby for the audio and Kindle copies. It’s out now!
January 20, 2024
This book was the slowest build to the most lacklustre, generic, obvious ending ever. Hardly a thriller, hardly entertaining, hardly any good.
I got anticipation fatigue just waiting for this “thing” the narrator promised 1000 times to actually happen. Every chapter ended with a terrible line of “and then it got interesting” or “then it went to hell” or “then the screaming started”. Stop trying to bait me into reading the next chapter and make me *want* to read it.
The title is apt, though, on account it made me furious.
I got anticipation fatigue just waiting for this “thing” the narrator promised 1000 times to actually happen. Every chapter ended with a terrible line of “and then it got interesting” or “then it went to hell” or “then the screaming started”. Stop trying to bait me into reading the next chapter and make me *want* to read it.
The title is apt, though, on account it made me furious.
January 4, 2024
Can we first talk about the brilliant cover for this book?! Why are we not focused on the huge “evil eye” symbol that is front and center on the cover of this magnificent book? And how convenient that this story takes place on an island in Greece. And for those who are not aware, the Greek evil eyes are “all-seeing eyeballs”, which are supposed to ward off negative energy caused by another’s jealousy. 🧿 Very well played Alex Michaelides. 👏
All I can say is that I loved this cleverly written story! The Fury had everything that I look for in a book, which included exquisite writing and short chapters- which made me turn the pages faster. The book was broken down into Five Acts, just like a screenplay. So brilliant!! The characters were relatable, and even though they weren’t the most likable, I still had a soft spot for some of them- especially our narrator Elliot Chase.
Elliot Chase is the narrator of this story. Elliot will speak to you like you are an old friend. Elliot will tell you step by step (and play by play) exactly what happened at his friend Lana’s house on the island in Greece. Were there some unexpected events that made me gasp 😮 You bet there were! This story certainly did not play out like I expected.
The Fury is my first thriller going into 2024, and while I was debating between 4 or 5 stars- I decided to go with five stars because of the originality of this story. I loved the narration of Elliot, and I loved the fact that this book was quite different than most of the thriller/suspense books that I’ve read lately, and for that I am very grateful (and happy). I also highly recommend reading this fast-paced story!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and the author for an ARC of this book which I had the pleasure of reading. Publication date: January 16, 2024.
Genre~ Mystery & Thrillers
All I can say is that I loved this cleverly written story! The Fury had everything that I look for in a book, which included exquisite writing and short chapters- which made me turn the pages faster. The book was broken down into Five Acts, just like a screenplay. So brilliant!! The characters were relatable, and even though they weren’t the most likable, I still had a soft spot for some of them- especially our narrator Elliot Chase.
Elliot Chase is the narrator of this story. Elliot will speak to you like you are an old friend. Elliot will tell you step by step (and play by play) exactly what happened at his friend Lana’s house on the island in Greece. Were there some unexpected events that made me gasp 😮 You bet there were! This story certainly did not play out like I expected.
The Fury is my first thriller going into 2024, and while I was debating between 4 or 5 stars- I decided to go with five stars because of the originality of this story. I loved the narration of Elliot, and I loved the fact that this book was quite different than most of the thriller/suspense books that I’ve read lately, and for that I am very grateful (and happy). I also highly recommend reading this fast-paced story!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and the author for an ARC of this book which I had the pleasure of reading. Publication date: January 16, 2024.
Genre~ Mystery & Thrillers
February 27, 2024
"We are all the unreliable narrators of our own lives." Pg. 6
The Fury by Alex Michaelides is a unique and suspenseful thriller, that undoubtedly lives up to the hype of Michaelides's first novel, The Silent Patient. It takes place on a small private island in Greece, called Aura, owned by a reclusive movie star Lana Farrar. The book follows Lana and her rich friends over the course of a spontaneous weekend trip to the island and a murder takes place. It is narrated by one of Lana's friends Elliot Chase, in an extremely conversational style, and the story unfolds in 5 acts as a play would. It was well-paced, had an interesting cast of characters, and had multiple twists and turns throughout the story that kept me on the edge of my seat. I've yet to be disappointed by an Alex Michaelides's novel, it is fair to say that he is one of my favourite authors, especially when it comes to thrillers. I think that fans of If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio and The Guest List by Lucy Foley Would really enjoy this book!
Thank you Netgalley and Caledon Books for an advanced reader copy of this book! And thank you to Caledon Books for mailing me a 'The Fury' themed Playbill with a code for the audiobook as well - that was some super cool promo to receive!
January 2, 2024
If Dr.Jekyll & Mr.Hyde wrote an island thriller with obsessive characters, then you'd have The Fury written like a Shakespearean drama. If you're looking for somewhat of an atmospheric read - you'll love The Fury!
Of the Alex Michaelides books I've read... this is the only one that I haven't loved. We do follow his usual style of seemingly innocuous storytelling followed up with an explosive ending.. but this ending wasn't quite enough.
I think Michaelides created a true allegory for an unreliable/ obsessed narrator... and it's almost like a great teaching tool for what to do... but other than that, I'm really not sure what AM's goal in writing this one? Multiple times while reading, I was looking for just a little *something* more.
Other than feeling a little disappointed with the twist - I still feel like AM is one of my favorite writers. He takes risks, his atmospheric settings pull you in, you feel like you really know the characters and understand their motivations. And at just 300 pages... it's worth a read!! I wouldn't necessarily call it my favorite psychological thriller/murder mystery but I enjoyed the overall *vibe*.
↑↑ Update - Finished December 30th, 2023 ↑↑
I was such a huge fan of The Silent Patient and The Maidens that I YELPED when I got this in the mail!! I'll be reading it tonight and tomorrow feverishly!! So excited to experience this before I've seen any spoilers!!
↑↑ Update - Started December 28th, 2023 ↑↑
**Thank you to Celadon Books for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤
Find Me On Instagram 🦋 || More Bookish Thoughts & Reviews Here 🖤
Of the Alex Michaelides books I've read... this is the only one that I haven't loved. We do follow his usual style of seemingly innocuous storytelling followed up with an explosive ending.. but this ending wasn't quite enough.
I think Michaelides created a true allegory for an unreliable/ obsessed narrator... and it's almost like a great teaching tool for what to do... but other than that, I'm really not sure what AM's goal in writing this one? Multiple times while reading, I was looking for just a little *something* more.
Other than feeling a little disappointed with the twist - I still feel like AM is one of my favorite writers. He takes risks, his atmospheric settings pull you in, you feel like you really know the characters and understand their motivations. And at just 300 pages... it's worth a read!! I wouldn't necessarily call it my favorite psychological thriller/murder mystery but I enjoyed the overall *vibe*.
↑↑ Update - Finished December 30th, 2023 ↑↑
I was such a huge fan of The Silent Patient and The Maidens that I YELPED when I got this in the mail!! I'll be reading it tonight and tomorrow feverishly!! So excited to experience this before I've seen any spoilers!!
↑↑ Update - Started December 28th, 2023 ↑↑
**Thank you to Celadon Books for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤
Find Me On Instagram 🦋 || More Bookish Thoughts & Reviews Here 🖤
January 17, 2024
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!
“This is a tale of murder. Or maybe that’s not quite true. At its heart is a love story, isn’t it?”
Seven people are stranded on a Greek island and one of them is murdered.
The actress
The caretaker
The housekeeper
The husband
The son
The friend
The lover
But what REALLY happened? Elliot Chase has taken the story hostage! This unreliable and intrusive narrator may not be telling the truth.
Alex Michaelides has returned with a killer thriller!
The Fury is not your typical Agatha Christie murder mystery, as the story unfolds within a five act play. Appearances can be deceiving! The plotting is superb and jaw dropping twists lurk around every corner. Just like in The Maidens, Michaelides includes an Easter egg connecting all three of his books.
It would have been a five star read, but The Fury was distinctly missing the super windy atmosphere it promised. With a title like The Fury, meaning wild or violent, I expected to be blown away with descriptions of gusty wind tunnels and a stormy tempest. Unfortunately, it was so absent that I forgot that it was windy.
Regardless, I predict that The Fury will be one of the first bestselling novels of 2024!
If you enjoyed Benjamin Stevenson’s Everyone on This Train Has Killed Someone, you will love The Fury!
4.5/5 stars rounded down
Expected publication date: 1/16/24
Thank you to Celadon books for the ARC of The Fury in exchange for an honest review.
“This is a tale of murder. Or maybe that’s not quite true. At its heart is a love story, isn’t it?”
Seven people are stranded on a Greek island and one of them is murdered.
The actress
The caretaker
The housekeeper
The husband
The son
The friend
The lover
But what REALLY happened? Elliot Chase has taken the story hostage! This unreliable and intrusive narrator may not be telling the truth.
Alex Michaelides has returned with a killer thriller!
The Fury is not your typical Agatha Christie murder mystery, as the story unfolds within a five act play. Appearances can be deceiving! The plotting is superb and jaw dropping twists lurk around every corner. Just like in The Maidens, Michaelides includes an Easter egg connecting all three of his books.
It would have been a five star read, but The Fury was distinctly missing the super windy atmosphere it promised. With a title like The Fury, meaning wild or violent, I expected to be blown away with descriptions of gusty wind tunnels and a stormy tempest. Unfortunately, it was so absent that I forgot that it was windy.
Regardless, I predict that The Fury will be one of the first bestselling novels of 2024!
If you enjoyed Benjamin Stevenson’s Everyone on This Train Has Killed Someone, you will love The Fury!
4.5/5 stars rounded down
Expected publication date: 1/16/24
Thank you to Celadon books for the ARC of The Fury in exchange for an honest review.
September 29, 2023
Holy crap, you guys. That was, like, really good.
The Fury isn't exactly what you'd call a fast-paced novel. It meanders back and forth in time and Elliot (the narrator) deviates from the main story over and over. There's a lot of backstory about the various characters and how they met each other, and also about the events that led to the fateful night on the island. But that's kind of what makes it so great, I think? You're getting little snippets of relevant information in each and every chapter, but you have no idea how it all fits together until the end. The action really happens in just a few chapters – and not necessarily consecutive chapters, because Elliot digresses quite a bit between the climatic bits.
Elliot is not exactly the most reliable narrator, either, so the significance of certain events and actions change as he reveals more and more of the truth with each chapter. Often you get one version of events as Elliot is narrating in the first person, and then a more complete version of events later on from another character's point of view. And he certainly withholds some very important details.
Oh, and if it's important to you, the chapters are short. This makes the story seem a bit more fast-paced than it actually is, in my opinion.
The twists at the end were fantastic and I totally did not see any of it coming. I thought I knew who the murderer was at the very beginning, and while it turns out that I was right, it was not at all in the way that I was expecting. I mean, perhaps it wasn't the most plausible sequence of events, but it was tremendously entertaining.
Overall, this was a twisty-turny, suspenseful, riveting novel with a delightfully unreliable narrator. This is the first novel I've read by Alex Michaelides, but if all of his writing is this good, it definitely won't be the last.
4.75 stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
The Fury isn't exactly what you'd call a fast-paced novel. It meanders back and forth in time and Elliot (the narrator) deviates from the main story over and over. There's a lot of backstory about the various characters and how they met each other, and also about the events that led to the fateful night on the island. But that's kind of what makes it so great, I think? You're getting little snippets of relevant information in each and every chapter, but you have no idea how it all fits together until the end. The action really happens in just a few chapters – and not necessarily consecutive chapters, because Elliot digresses quite a bit between the climatic bits.
Elliot is not exactly the most reliable narrator, either, so the significance of certain events and actions change as he reveals more and more of the truth with each chapter. Often you get one version of events as Elliot is narrating in the first person, and then a more complete version of events later on from another character's point of view. And he certainly withholds some very important details.
Oh, and if it's important to you, the chapters are short. This makes the story seem a bit more fast-paced than it actually is, in my opinion.
The twists at the end were fantastic and I totally did not see any of it coming. I thought I knew who the murderer was at the very beginning, and while it turns out that I was right, it was not at all in the way that I was expecting. I mean, perhaps it wasn't the most plausible sequence of events, but it was tremendously entertaining.
Overall, this was a twisty-turny, suspenseful, riveting novel with a delightfully unreliable narrator. This is the first novel I've read by Alex Michaelides, but if all of his writing is this good, it definitely won't be the last.
4.75 stars, rounded up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
January 22, 2024
Alex Michaelides said he had great fun writing The Fury and it comes through. It was a book that left me smiling frequently.
There are seven people on Lana’s island. At the end of the stay, only six are alive. It was quite the sensational story. Now, Elliot Chase, playwright, promises to tell what really happened.
As seems to be the current trend, the story is told from the viewpoint of a narrator who speaks directly to the reader. Every now and then, I would question how Elliot could possibly know something. But don’t worry, all will be revealed. In fact, I had to hand it to Michaelides. Every time I felt a part was extraneous it came back to have an import on the ending.
The story is a bit like peeling an onion, with layer after layer removed to take us to the core. There are five “acts”, in the style of a Greek tragedy, with each giving additional information of previous scenes. No one is likable, everyone is hiding secrets. Elliot is the typical unreliable narrator, but he is entertaining. He’s at turns catty, pathetic and untrustworthy. In fact, the book is great intelligent entertainment. If you think you’ve figured it out, trust me, you haven’t. I fell for that myself, convinced I knew how it was going to play out. I was three or four twists off.
The narrator, Alex Jennings, did a great job with Elliot although some of his other voices were so similar that I would struggle as to who was supposedly speaking.
My thanks to Celadon Books for a paper ARC and Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of the audiobook.
There are seven people on Lana’s island. At the end of the stay, only six are alive. It was quite the sensational story. Now, Elliot Chase, playwright, promises to tell what really happened.
As seems to be the current trend, the story is told from the viewpoint of a narrator who speaks directly to the reader. Every now and then, I would question how Elliot could possibly know something. But don’t worry, all will be revealed. In fact, I had to hand it to Michaelides. Every time I felt a part was extraneous it came back to have an import on the ending.
The story is a bit like peeling an onion, with layer after layer removed to take us to the core. There are five “acts”, in the style of a Greek tragedy, with each giving additional information of previous scenes. No one is likable, everyone is hiding secrets. Elliot is the typical unreliable narrator, but he is entertaining. He’s at turns catty, pathetic and untrustworthy. In fact, the book is great intelligent entertainment. If you think you’ve figured it out, trust me, you haven’t. I fell for that myself, convinced I knew how it was going to play out. I was three or four twists off.
The narrator, Alex Jennings, did a great job with Elliot although some of his other voices were so similar that I would struggle as to who was supposedly speaking.
My thanks to Celadon Books for a paper ARC and Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of the audiobook.
January 14, 2024
3.5🌟
Lana Farrar is one of the most beloved film actresses. She’s invited her closest of friends to join her on a remote Greek Island. This getaway will be chock-full of intrigue…unrequited love, betrayal and possibly even murder.
Though filled with seriously high drama, it was a very slow moving story. But I knew I was in for a great ending…and yes, it does live up to the hype!
After being lulled in by this story for so long, I nearly had to backtrack and re-listen to the ending as it was a complete deviation from the flow of the book to that point. (Sometimes you just need a little extra patience!) An extra half star for the ending alone!🙌
I listened to the audio which came in at just over 8 hours. Narrated by Alex Jennings.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio 🎧
Lana Farrar is one of the most beloved film actresses. She’s invited her closest of friends to join her on a remote Greek Island. This getaway will be chock-full of intrigue…unrequited love, betrayal and possibly even murder.
Though filled with seriously high drama, it was a very slow moving story. But I knew I was in for a great ending…and yes, it does live up to the hype!
After being lulled in by this story for so long, I nearly had to backtrack and re-listen to the ending as it was a complete deviation from the flow of the book to that point. (Sometimes you just need a little extra patience!) An extra half star for the ending alone!🙌
I listened to the audio which came in at just over 8 hours. Narrated by Alex Jennings.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio 🎧
January 10, 2024
"My name is Elliot Chase, and I’m going to tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard."
Elliot's very best friend happens to be Lana, a famous yet retired movie star, that he is also secretly in love with. When Lana invites Elliot along with her husband Jason, son Leo, best friend and fellow actress Kate, plus her assistant to her private Greek Island for Easter no one is able to refuse a respite under the Greek skyline.
Corks are being popped, the champagne is flowing, and secrets are about to spill. It appears not everyone and everything is quite what it seems.
Before long gun shots are heard and someone lays dead. And that's just the beginning to what you think you know.....
Michaelides returns to form with his latest novel, The Fury. I loved, loved, loved his debut The Silent Patient but felt his follow up, The Maidens, was rather disappointing in comparison to his debut. Yet, it was still a 3 star read for me so I continued to hold very high hopes for his future offerings. Admittedly, I almost set this one aside in the beginning. It's slow to get rolling while building up to the actual meat of the story and it almost lost me but I persevered and I am so glad that I did because the pay off was well worth the wait. Elliot was a superbly drawn unreliable narrator, the setting was divine, and the remaining cast were wonderfully horrible. Okay, that isn't quite fair, a few seemed to be decent people and they counterbalanced the nutters perfectly. The ending is going to be divisive among readers. Some have loved it while others felt it went OTT. I agree with both sides in their opinion but for some reason I got such a kick out of it that I've fallen in the love it camp this time around and it makes me so happy to be able to say that. I can not wait to see Michaelides treats us to next. 4 stars!
Thank you to Celadon Books for kindly mailing me a physical arc to review.
Elliot's very best friend happens to be Lana, a famous yet retired movie star, that he is also secretly in love with. When Lana invites Elliot along with her husband Jason, son Leo, best friend and fellow actress Kate, plus her assistant to her private Greek Island for Easter no one is able to refuse a respite under the Greek skyline.
Corks are being popped, the champagne is flowing, and secrets are about to spill. It appears not everyone and everything is quite what it seems.
Before long gun shots are heard and someone lays dead. And that's just the beginning to what you think you know.....
Michaelides returns to form with his latest novel, The Fury. I loved, loved, loved his debut The Silent Patient but felt his follow up, The Maidens, was rather disappointing in comparison to his debut. Yet, it was still a 3 star read for me so I continued to hold very high hopes for his future offerings. Admittedly, I almost set this one aside in the beginning. It's slow to get rolling while building up to the actual meat of the story and it almost lost me but I persevered and I am so glad that I did because the pay off was well worth the wait. Elliot was a superbly drawn unreliable narrator, the setting was divine, and the remaining cast were wonderfully horrible. Okay, that isn't quite fair, a few seemed to be decent people and they counterbalanced the nutters perfectly. The ending is going to be divisive among readers. Some have loved it while others felt it went OTT. I agree with both sides in their opinion but for some reason I got such a kick out of it that I've fallen in the love it camp this time around and it makes me so happy to be able to say that. I can not wait to see Michaelides treats us to next. 4 stars!
Thank you to Celadon Books for kindly mailing me a physical arc to review.
February 7, 2024
well
well
well
look who was right.
this one just felt sooo...sloppy... :(
----------
i just know that alex michaelides wrote another horribly plotted thriller novel with the shittiest most dumbass plot twist ever that im going to read and f*cking hate
well
well
look who was right.
this one just felt sooo...sloppy... :(
----------
i just know that alex michaelides wrote another horribly plotted thriller novel with the shittiest most dumbass plot twist ever that im going to read and f*cking hate
January 15, 2024
Determined to escape the gloomy London weather, former movie star Lana Farrar decides to invite a select group of friends to her Greek island, Aura. Once there, they settle in as they typically do with a bit of swimming and plenty of drinks. But as the vicious wind—locally known as the fury—starts to slam the tiny island, tempers become short and friend becomes foe. Before too long, gunshots are heard and a body is found. As the shock begins to wear off, they start to wonder—who could be behind the dastardly crime? Surely, it can’t be one of their own…
Things only go from bad to worse, however, when they learn that the police can’t make it to the island until morning. The wind means that their boats can’t leave the dock. The party is left to their own devices and, needless to say, nothing good is sure to come of it. Especially given the buried feelings amongst the small group, which run the gamut from seething anger to unrequited love. Little do they know, but they’re destined for an escalating game of cat-and-mouse. Who will win and who will succumb? After all, not all of them will make it back to England alive.
Phew. An avid fan of Michaelides, I still don’t know quite what to make of The Fury. I mean, it was so expertly done, but also nothing like what I expected. From its finely honed characters to the shrewdly organized plot, I was swept up by the prose from the very first page. Ultimately, however, it was the narrator who I fell in love with from the start. After all, his sly misdirection and heaps of lies of omission meant for one devilishly good tale.
Part cunning Agatha Christie-esque mystery and part character-driven suspense, this plot was simply sublime. From the cleverly laid out scenes to the astute whydunnit of a storyline, it came alive for me much like it was being acted on stage. And let me tell you, the plot was oh so original. I mustn’t say more or it will ruin it all, but needless to say, there was a wicked game of cat-and-mouse on top of one almighty twisted explosion of a climax. Even better, it was wrapped up with a dead on perfect conclusion that I just didn’t see coming.
Then there were the dynamite characters. Complex and multifaceted, they resonated with a true-to-life verve. Don’t get me wrong, they each had me hoodwinked and bamboozled, even the narrator himself. But given that this plot was driven by their well-thought-out behavior and less by any action-packed events, their deceit was a welcome addition. Take it from me, this was a twisted tale that had definite elements of a dark love story on top of the expected murder mystery. One that was made complete by the superlative cast.
I do have to forewarn you, however, this is no psychological thriller and it felt quite different from The Silent Patient. Instead, what developed was a story full of keen insights into human nature and the psychology of behavior. Add to that the ingenious, onion-like layering to the wholly original plot and I found myself won over hook, line, and sinker. See, I honestly can’t think of another book that pulled such devastating punches without alienating me along the way. And believe you me, Michaelides missed that trap by a mile.
All in all, I was surprisingly enamored by this classic yet also novel take on a locked room murder mystery. With plenty of foreboding and more than one truly shocking twist, I declare that Michaelides has done it yet again. Did I mention the atmospheric setting and evocative descriptions? Quite frankly, there wasn’t much this one was missing. So if you don’t mind a slower yet evenly paced novel that has all the elements for one intoxicating tale, be sure to grab this book as soon as it hits store shelves. Rating of 4.5 stars.
Thank you to Alex Michaelides, Celadon Books, and BookishFirst for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: January 16, 2024
Trigger warning: drug use, infidelity, bullying
Things only go from bad to worse, however, when they learn that the police can’t make it to the island until morning. The wind means that their boats can’t leave the dock. The party is left to their own devices and, needless to say, nothing good is sure to come of it. Especially given the buried feelings amongst the small group, which run the gamut from seething anger to unrequited love. Little do they know, but they’re destined for an escalating game of cat-and-mouse. Who will win and who will succumb? After all, not all of them will make it back to England alive.
Phew. An avid fan of Michaelides, I still don’t know quite what to make of The Fury. I mean, it was so expertly done, but also nothing like what I expected. From its finely honed characters to the shrewdly organized plot, I was swept up by the prose from the very first page. Ultimately, however, it was the narrator who I fell in love with from the start. After all, his sly misdirection and heaps of lies of omission meant for one devilishly good tale.
Part cunning Agatha Christie-esque mystery and part character-driven suspense, this plot was simply sublime. From the cleverly laid out scenes to the astute whydunnit of a storyline, it came alive for me much like it was being acted on stage. And let me tell you, the plot was oh so original. I mustn’t say more or it will ruin it all, but needless to say, there was a wicked game of cat-and-mouse on top of one almighty twisted explosion of a climax. Even better, it was wrapped up with a dead on perfect conclusion that I just didn’t see coming.
Then there were the dynamite characters. Complex and multifaceted, they resonated with a true-to-life verve. Don’t get me wrong, they each had me hoodwinked and bamboozled, even the narrator himself. But given that this plot was driven by their well-thought-out behavior and less by any action-packed events, their deceit was a welcome addition. Take it from me, this was a twisted tale that had definite elements of a dark love story on top of the expected murder mystery. One that was made complete by the superlative cast.
I do have to forewarn you, however, this is no psychological thriller and it felt quite different from The Silent Patient. Instead, what developed was a story full of keen insights into human nature and the psychology of behavior. Add to that the ingenious, onion-like layering to the wholly original plot and I found myself won over hook, line, and sinker. See, I honestly can’t think of another book that pulled such devastating punches without alienating me along the way. And believe you me, Michaelides missed that trap by a mile.
All in all, I was surprisingly enamored by this classic yet also novel take on a locked room murder mystery. With plenty of foreboding and more than one truly shocking twist, I declare that Michaelides has done it yet again. Did I mention the atmospheric setting and evocative descriptions? Quite frankly, there wasn’t much this one was missing. So if you don’t mind a slower yet evenly paced novel that has all the elements for one intoxicating tale, be sure to grab this book as soon as it hits store shelves. Rating of 4.5 stars.
Thank you to Alex Michaelides, Celadon Books, and BookishFirst for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: January 16, 2024
Trigger warning: drug use, infidelity, bullying
July 4, 2025
Lana, a reclusive ex-movie star, invites a small group of friends to visit on her private Greek island.
The fury of the Greek winds picks up and all are stuck on the island without any means to leave.
Gunshots are fired and a body appears. The fury of the Greek winds are nothing compared to the fury going on in this group of friends.
Elliot, the narrator, breaks the fourth wall and addresses the reader. The author has a bit of fun with his readers, as Elliot admits he is far from a reliable narrator.
I was kept entertained and guessing right up to the fun twisty end. The author is quickly becoming a top favorite!
A buddy read with my friend Marialyce. The audiobook, narrated by Alex Jennings, was excellent.
The fury of the Greek winds picks up and all are stuck on the island without any means to leave.
Gunshots are fired and a body appears. The fury of the Greek winds are nothing compared to the fury going on in this group of friends.
Elliot, the narrator, breaks the fourth wall and addresses the reader. The author has a bit of fun with his readers, as Elliot admits he is far from a reliable narrator.
I was kept entertained and guessing right up to the fun twisty end. The author is quickly becoming a top favorite!
A buddy read with my friend Marialyce. The audiobook, narrated by Alex Jennings, was excellent.
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