The Fury
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3.6 • 970 Ratings
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER**
“Alex Michaelides hits the trifecta with his third novel, The Fury. The highly original story presents the reader with the king of all unreliable narrators, enough twists and turns to power two novels, and a host of characters that bleed right on the page. ” —David Baldacci
A masterfully paced thriller about a reclusive ex–movie star and her famous friends whose spontaneous trip to a private Greek island is upended by a murder — from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient
This is a tale of murder.
Or maybe that’s not quite true. At its heart, it’s a love story, isn’t it?
Lana Farrar is a reclusive ex–movie star and one of the most famous women in the world. Every year, she invites her closest friends to escape the English weather and spend Easter on her idyllic private Greek island.
I tell you this because you may think you know this story. You probably read about it at the time ― it caused a real stir in the tabloids, if you remember. It had all the necessary ingredients for a press sensation: a celebrity; a private island cut off by the wind…and a murder.
We found ourselves trapped there overnight. Our old friendships concealed hatred and a desire for revenge. What followed was a game of cat and mouse ― a battle of wits, full of twists and turns, building to an unforgettable climax. The night ended in violence and death, as one of us was found murdered.
But who am I?
My name is Elliot Chase, and I’m going to tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This tricky murder mystery messes with your mind from page one and never lets up. Lana Farrar is an old-school Hollywood star, a retired legend rich enough to own her own glorious Greek island. But when Lana invites a select group of friends for a luxurious getaway, the trip ends in murder. In addition to the Agatha-Christie-meets-Jackie-Collins vibes, The Fury serves up compelling characters with lots of hidden motives. The story’s told from the perspective of one of Lana’s friends, decadent playwright Elliot Chase, and spoiler alert: You can’t trust a thing he—or any of Lana’s other island-hopping pals—says. Best-selling author Alex Michaelides (The Silent Patient) delivers another thriller packed with crazy twists. We think this is going to be one of the great vacation reads of 2024.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Shades of Agatha Christie and Sunset Boulevard color this outstanding psychological thriller from bestseller Michaelides (The Maidens). Among the frenemies who gather for a weekend at a lush Greek island owned by former movie star Lana Farrar are Lana's second husband, Jason Miller; her son, Leo; theater actor Kate Crosby; two servants; and the book's unreliable narrator, playwright Elliot Chase. At the outset, Elliot tees readers up for "a tale of murder," that is also "at its heart... a love story." Shortly after arriving on the island, the group is trapped by unrelenting wind (in Greek: menos, or "the fury"), and before long someone is killed. Elliot then winds the clock back, delving into each attendee's place in a thick web of jealousy, ambition, and infidelity. As he builds toward the bloody opening incident, he dwells on each character's personality and flaws, revealing himself in the process, from his painful childhood that pointed him toward love of the theater to his complicated relationship with a much older, wealthy author whose death was gossip fodder. Michaelides keeps readers on deliciously unsteady ground throughout, ratcheting up the tension until he arrives at the final series of reveals. The result is a character-driven, atmospheric delight. Agent: Sam Copeland, RCW.
Customer Reviews
Insightful but confusing
There isn’t one character in this novel that I cared about in the end. Yet the author conveys, with heartbreaking clarity, the plight of this man child narrator. He owns up to his failings, so that helps, but he’s still deplorable. The structure is fine, the riff on an old noir movie is inspired. I’d have appreciated just one kind or decent character to leave me satisfied that I’d put in the time. I won’t compare this novel to the author’s original, game changing best seller because each book is its own gift.
Could’ve Been Much Better
The narrator is too intrusive and often times repetitive. Nice idea for developing a story but could’ve been done better.
Slow burn, slower ending
I typically love Alex Michaelides but this could have been 4 acts? Maybe 5 acts with less chapters and fluff?
All in all though, this was a great read. Super interesting twists. The ending is what I expected but alot that I didn’t expect happened along the way as well.