Infused with Victorian-era British poetry and Greek mythology, Maidens turns the highbrow into the highly readable ” Entertainment Weekly He also loves the process of making a film, and being on set – which he likens to group therapy at its best: forging friendships and creating a kind of family. (This is something he misses now, as there is nothing lonelier than being novelist!) And although he had three screenplays produced, none of the films were successful, to say the least, and he ended up feeling disillusioned as a screenwriter. Everything that can go wrong on a film set usually does go wrong; and he kept seeing scripts that he had spent years writing being destroyed or rewritten because director or actor had a ‘better’ idea or a location fell through or time or money ran out, necessitating cuts. Mesmerising – a beguiling labyrinth of twists and surprises, even better than THE SILENT PATIENT. THE FURY is THE MAGUS meets THE SECRET HISTORY on a Greek island paradise where nothing is as it seems, and Alex Michaelides is a master magician, skilfully misdirecting the reader at every turn"

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 arrived at that moment, along with the others—in time to hear the beginnings of Leo’s howl, before the wind grabbed the sound from his lips and ran off with it, disappearing into the dark. Thoughts: THIS IS THE ULTIMATE UNRELIABLE NARRATOR STORY! I think Elliot was a brilliant narrator and I loved the way he spoke to the reader as if he was composing a play. It was such a fun read and the tone was just right. I love the lyrical way that Michaelides writes and the way he brought in so many elements to create this story. I especially loved the Greek island and the idea of the fury.

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Alex Michaelides’s long-awaited next novel, 'The Maidens,' is finally here...the premise is enticing and the elements irresistible." The New York Times 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. That rarest of beasts: the perfect thriller. This extraordinary novel set my blood fizzing — I quite literally couldn’t put it down. I told myself I’d just dip in; eleven hours later — it’s now 5.47 AM — I’ve finished it, absolutely dazzled.’ AJ Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy. Pros: better than The Maidens, interesting story structure, final third was more engaging, pop psychological facts about "inner child" were doin their thing

It’s hard for those of us who remember Lana Farrar’s movies to picture her as being “lost.” On-screen, she suffered a great deal but did so with stoicism, inner fortitude, and tremendous guts. She would face her destiny without flinching and go down fighting. She was everything you want in a hero.In real life, Lana couldn’t be more different from her screen persona. Yes, there was a superficial resemblance—she couldn’t help looking like her, and she walked and carried herself with the same. Once you got to know her intimately, you began to glimpse another person hidden behind the façade: a more fragile and complicated self. Someone who was much less sure of herself. Most people never encountered this other person. But as this story unfolds, we must keep a lookout for her, you and I. For she holds all its secrets. 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.

On a small private Greek island, former movie star Lana Farrar - an old friend - invites a select group of us to stay. The Fury is the third novel by Alex Michaelides, which will be released on January 16, 2024. I read an advanced copy from Celadon Books. No doubt many of you will know her name or have seen her movies. She made too many to mention. If you’re anything like me, one or two of them are very dear to your heart. One of the best thrillers I’ve read this year. Masterfully plotted and brilliantly paced by a writer at the top of his game.’ Cara Hunter, author of Close to Home His story begins with the beautiful Actress who owns the Island, Lana Farrar, a reclusive ex-movie star.

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 A deliciously dark, elegant, utterly compulsive read — with a twist that blew my mind. I loved this even more than I loved The Silent Patient and that’s saying something.' Lucy Foley DO NOT EXPECT THE SILENT PATIENT 2.0. This is a completely different vibe and cannot be compared with his chart-topping debut.

The story is told over five acts, just like a play, and I was engrossed by the first two. Then the pacing slowed a bit, and the drama got weird and convoluted. This book deserves praise for being a unique murder mystery. Nothing is as it seems. The ending was a surprise too, but the middle acts lost me a bit. Much as Alex loved acting, he wasn’t a good actor – he was far too self-conscious. But he loved being part of a group and putting on a production. And this led him to spend a couple of years after graduation, where he lived in London, trying to make it as an actor. Although he got an agent while at university, his acting career never took off, and he mainly worked in a pub – as well as being a runner in a film production company. At the same time, he began to write, and wrote his first screenplay – which led him to become a screenwriter, when a film was produced from his first screenplay. This film was a disaster, and thankfully never released – and Alex was advised by its producer to study screenwriting at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. Not a particularly flattering suggestion, perhaps, given that he had just produced Alex’s script, but it was the best advice he ever received. A very impressive debut…an original take on the psychoanalyst tale. I’m excited to see what Alex does next. This guy has a voice. That’s very rare. He’s a real talent.’ Steve Cavanagh, author of Thirteen 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.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. It’s funny, I feel that you and I should be sitting together on a couple of barstools, right now, as I tell you this tale—like two old friends, drinking at the bar. This discrepancy, for want of a better word, between Lana’s public and private selves was something I struggled with over the years. I know Lana struggled with it, too. Particularly when she first left Hollywood and moved to London. I also enjoyed The Maidens, but definitely the least of the three Alex Michaelides books. I wouldn’t say I was disappointed by it, as I knew some readers were after loving The Silent Patient so much, and I was definitely surprised by the ending, but it just didn’t have the same level of suspense and intrigue as the others for me.