The Fury

The Fury by Alex Michaelides (1/16/24) Review Pub 1/15/24 4 Stars
Published by Celadon Books

"My name is Elliot Chase, and I’m going to tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard."

Lana Farrar, a reclusive former movie star, always surrounds herself with her closest theatre friends at Easter. This year is no different. Invitations are sent out to Elliot along with her husband Jason, son Leo, best friend, and fellow actress Kate, plus her assistant. They all join her on Aura, her private Greek island off the coast of Mykonos to celebrate. 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 is dead. And that's just the beginning to what you think you know...

I almost set this one down in the beginning. It was a little slow for me when building the actual history, and secrets of the story and, it almost lost me. I stuck with it, and I am so glad that I did because the payoff was well worth the wait.

Elliot was a wonderfully written, unreliable narrator, the setting was divine, and the remaining cast were wonderfully horrible and morally grey.

Full of secrets, drama, obsession, and backstabbing, this story was a very entertaining read. I really enjoyed how the author intertwines Greek mythology into his books and The Fury reads like a Greek tragedy. I loved it! I think the ending is going to be divisive among readers. Some will love it while others may feel it is over the top. I can see both sides but, I’m with the loved it team. I got such a kick out of it. I gave The Fury 4 stars.

The Fury by Alex Michaelides will be available on January 16, 2024. Many thanks to Celadon Books, NetGalley for the ARC copy.

Lana Farrar is a reclusive ex–movie star and every year, she invites her closest friends to escape to spend Easter on her idyllic private Greek island. Trapped overnight, the guests discover a murder! Elliot Chase is one of those guests, and he narrates what happened that night.

Didnt like the narrative or the way the story was written, or the pov from someone who obviously didn't know what was going on at that time.

Audiobook, again while packing. Got 68% through and I wanted to quit. However, I just kept listening and it got good. When the narrator reveals how he was bullied as a child, the story turns and it feels like the real story emerges. The first half of it felt like just characters setting up for the second half. Elliot loves Lana the movie star, but of course she married somebody else, and her best friend has an affair with her husband… Murder and pretend murder, at the very end. Giving it a five because if it had been a book book, I would not have continued.

I've read all of Alex's books in the order they've come out and I've really enjoyed the Easter egg references throughout them.

This book was better than The Maidens but not as good as The Silent Patient in my opinion. The Silent Patient was intricately woven and masterfully delivered. This narrative was a bit clumsier, but still enjoyable. It was very difficult to get into the novel as the narrator is incredibly off-putting without any character context. Technically, a great achievement as he's supposed to be a grating off-putting personality, but still an issue when trying to get motivation to keep reading past the first few chapters. I also don't love the ending. I think it could've ended multiple times multiple chapters prior and made for a less clumsy story. Or perhaps a characterization that expounds upon his psychopathic treatment of others, rather than a snap "crime of passion" after being "bullied". Given his treatment of Barbara West following her death and that reveal, a snap decision seems incredibly out of character. I think a decision based off of "regaining control of the narrative" would've been more rewarding to the story.

Overall, 3.5 stars because it really is better than good but not amazing.