Book Review - The Fury by Alex Michaelides

Title: The Fury
Author: Alex Michaelides
Genre: Mystery/ Thriller
Published: 2024
 
Description: 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 sped Easter on her idyllic 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 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 tory unlike any you’ve ever heard.
 
Review: Lana Farrar leads a reclusive existence, after a tumultuous life as a famous actress. Every year she invites her best friends to her idyllic Greek island to celebrate Easter and escape the English weather. But this year, the seven friends are beset at night by the fury, a local storm that rises suddenly and cuts the island off from civilization. A night that will end in violence and murder. One of them must be the culprit, and old friendships give way to hatred, jealousy and vindictiveness. A cat-and-mouse game ensues
 
I like the setting of a remote location, where retired actress Lana Farrar stepped out of the spotlights and left Hollywood. You quickly learn that there is a lot of drama between all these friends. Jealousy, secrets, secret admiration, revenge, vicious schemes, toxic relationships, poor choices and lots of manipulation. It goes from bad to worse. And I love reading about rich people drama.
 
I’m a big fan of Alex Michaelides previous books: “The Maidens” and especially “The Silent Patient”. So my expectations were really high for “The Fury”. The story is told through the character Elliot Chase, who tells his story as it were to you, the reader. He tells you from the start that he can not be trusted. I really liked this form of narration, it felt fresh. Michaelides has thrown in several plot twists, but unfortunately I found these twist a bit disappointing. In this regard, I found “The Fury” to be nothing like his previous thrillers.
 
The story had a lot of potential, the setting and all the drama felt promising. And I did enjoy these elements. But as the story progressed, I began to realize that the story didn’t really grab me. Although I did like the narrative style very much. This was just an okay mystery thriller for me.
 
Rating: 3/ 5