No Fury Like That

by Lisa de Nikolits

No Fury Like That is a one-of-a kind literary thriller about life and death and the power of second chances. The novel takes you on a fast-paced, funny, adventurous ride, exploring love, the meaning of life, friendship, revenge, family and the transformation of a character under trying circumstance. No Fury Like That is about how a person can change and grow, and how different things will come to mean more than others; friendship is more important than success, love is more important than money and family is more important than power.

Julia Redner has to die before she can find these things out for herself – but is she really dead or is she being given the opportunity to rethink her life and solve an intricate puzzle of murders?

"Imagine if characters from The Devil Wears Prada got trapped in Sartre's play No Exit, where "hell is other people." No Fury Like That uses the lens of female souls stuck in purgatory to examine loss, love, rage, angst, and what there really is to live for. Alternately funny, melancholy, philosophical, and raunchy, it's a wild ride and another gutsy novel from de Nikolits."

— John Oughton, author of Death by Triangulation

Genres: Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Lisa de Nikolits is the author of twelve traditionally published novels. That Time I Killed You is forthcoming in 2026 (Level Best Books).

12. “In her new book MAD DOG AND THE SEA DRAGON, Lisa de Nikolits lends her literary talents to noir, bringing wiseguy mobsters to the new millennium. She brings wiseguy mobsters to the new millennium. She's mastered spec-fic, thrillers, sci-fi, drama, and more; and now, with MAD DOG AND THE SEA DRAGON, Lisa de Nikolits turns to noir!” – AllLitUp.ca

Mad Dog and the Sea Dragon is noir thriller. Christopher Moore comes to mind, or Carl Hiaasen with a dash of Quentin Tarantino, all bundled up in a 50's-styled gangster novel set in modern day times.

The dropdead-gorgeous protagonist, Jessica, dresses like a Hollywood movie star but she's razor sharp. She likes to hang out with Daisy, her leafy sea dragon pal while she waits for her mob boss lover, Enzo Esposito, take her out on the town. Enzo's a big fan of Weegee, the 1940's true crime photographer, and what Jessica discovers, will shock her and put her life in danger. She'll need all her wits about her to get out alive.

11. Everything You Dream is Real: "In this darkly funny, politically charged follow up, de Nikolits, always a fearless writer, taking no prisoners. Whether you've read The Rage Room or not, Everything You Dream is Real is a searing, accessible fable for our collective fears and weaknesses, as fun as it is thought-provoking."

10. The Rage Room: “In her latest captivating book, Lisa de Nikolits proffers not only a roller coaster of entertainment, but also, sharp political commentary in complicated times. The Rage Room is an intricately woven dystopian world, rich in strong female characters who easily whisk readers to a world of futuristic follies. Move over George Orwell—De Nikolits shows us how the future can be scary, exciting, and above all, female.”
—Kelly S. Thompson, national bestselling author of Girls Need Not Apply: Field Notes from the Forces

“Wow, what a ride! Lisa de Nikolits has written a pulse-pounding thriller set in a troubled future that might just be ours. We see the seeds of The Rage Room in our own digital landscape. Mind-bending yet all too believable in the hands of a masterful storyteller.”
—Terry Fallis, two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour

9. The Occult Persuasion and The Anarchist's Solution: "Lisa de Nikolits sets readers on a rollercoaster ride of clever twists and unexpected turns. The Occult Persuasion and the Anarchist’s Solution is a lot of fun and filled with some believable, yet zany characters. It bounces between the viewpoints of Lyndon and Margaux, a retired couple whose marriage speeds steadily downhill after Lyndon decides to call it quits and runs off. It’s the ultimate story of marriage meltdown told in a style all Lisa’s own, and this one should be on everybody’s must-read list." –Dietrich Kalteis, author of Zero Avenue

8. Rotten Peaches, "Wow. Just wow. Lisa de Nikolits’ Rotten Peaches blew me away. A dark, compulsive, and addictive story in which the characters’ secrets and needs conflict with each other and fold back in on themselves in an ever-tightening noose, Rotten Peaches will keep readers gripped until the very last page. Highly recommended!" —Karen Dionne, internationally bestselling author of The Marsh King’s Daughter

7. No Fury Like That, a murder mystery with excellent reviews by Metroland Media and high profile international crime writers. No Fury Like That will be published in Italian, under the title Una furia dell'altro mondo, in 2019.

6. The Nearly Girl was released to rave reviews by magazines, literary journals and readers.

5. Between The Cracks She Fell was released in August of 2015 and received excellent reviews in magazines as well as literary journals. It won the Bronze IPPY Award for Popular Fiction.

4. The Witchdoctor’s Bones launched in Spring 2014 to acclaim from Canadian Living magazine and many

Reviews

[Sherry Fundin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed a change of pace from reading so many suspense,thriller, and paranormal novels, and watching Julia grow from a diva with no friends to a woman loved by some very unusual characters was a fantastic surprise that I would highly recommend.

I love all the characters, even the son of bi gun evil ones, because they make this novel so much more than I expected.

So far, Julia refuses to see what is right in front of her. She is dead. D. E. A. D. Dead. And in Purgatory.

Miss Richy Rich is in for a rude awakening. The only way out of Purgatory is through ‘an epic realization.’ I have a feeling she is going to wake up pretty quick and I wonder…what then?

I recently read a book about reincarnation and No Fury Like That made me curious for another take on second chances. I was not disappointed.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy No Fury Like That by Lisa de Nikolits.

See more at fundinmental

[Darcia Helle · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Fury Like That is a fun read that sneaks up on you with surprising moments of profound insight and tender emotion.

We slip into the supernatural realm, but for the most part this story feels completely plausible. The author’s depiction of the setting is so thorough and vivid that I could see it as if I was standing beside the characters. I wanted to visit and explore for myself! I especially enjoyed the originality of it all.

Characterization, for me, is central to any story. I have to feel the emotion and believe the characters. Here, de Nikolits excels. These characters burst off the pages with colorful, fully developed personalities. At the beginning of this story, I didn’t particularly like Julia, who is the main character. Yet she still managed to intrigue me, and soon, despite myself, I realized I cared about what happened to her.

The witty dialogue and quirky humor are offset by the serious undertone questioning life, death, our relationships, and what it all means. This is definitely one of those stories that will stick with me for a long time.

*I received an ebook copy in exchange for my honest review.*

[Jim Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Each of us is a seeker, walking along Eternity’s Road, which has no beginning and no end."
—Sri Chinmoy

An apt quote to begin a review concerning a book that deals with aspects of eternity, and whatever your belief (or beliefs) are, you may have to suspend them temporarily to fully enjoy this new offering from Lisa de Nikolits, author of 2016's The Nearly Girl (Inanna) as well as the award-winning Between the Cracks She Fell (2015, Inanna).
Julia Redner gradually awakens to find herself in a nondescript airport with a bunch of people standing around. Did she fall asleep at the airport? No, for she is only dressed in her go-to couch potato outfit with nothing on her feet. Only those cannot be her feet, for they are in desperate need of a pedicure! She soon discovers that this is actually Purgatory, this isn't a dream! But how did she die? Purgatory (in Ms. de Nikolits' view) is a large, impersonal space with unmarked doors leading into different rooms. Some are restrooms (for sleeping), rooms for activities like lawn bowling, knitting, exercise and so on. How one remembers all this is beyond Julia. Agnes, her multi-pierced Goth "Introducer" tells her:

"I’m just here to give you the guided tour: Purgatory for Dummies.”
“This is Purgatory?”
“It’s no island cruise, I’ll tell you that much.”

Julia, a self-described "bitch" in her earthly existence (a la Miranda Priestly in "The Devil Wears Prada") is compelled to associate and interact with her fellow "Purgatorians" in ways she would have considered beneath her in her daily life. Here in Purgatory, all are equal (since everyone is dead and doesn't own a thing, there is no materialism or wasteful consumerism), there are no class distinctions and it really is one large group therapy session. As each member of the group relates how they died (some are suicides, others are overdoses) and by listening and being supportive, Julia is slowly transformed into a more selfless individual, aided by various helpers such as the aged hippie Cedar Mountain Eagle and Über-dyke Beatrice with whom Julia strikes up a Scrabble-based friendship.

***Spoiler Alert Begins!***

Julia's death (or, actually a near-death) experience came at the hands of her ex-lover Junior, the CEO of the company she has worked for for 17 years. One day, she finds her position is terminated and she is escorted out of the building. Assuming that Junior had a hand in all this and never even gave her a warning call, she retaliates by posting a naked picture of Junior, which goes viral, thus destroying him on several fronts with a click of a button. He retaliates by breaking into her apartment and beating her (with the sole intent of destroying her good looks) until she falls into a coma. It is in this state she arrives in Purgatory. Eventually, Julia is presented with a choice by the Helpers: she can go back and wake up from the coma, or stay in Purgatory. Julia opts to go back for several reasons, the two main ones being to get Junior incarcerated and to make amends with her young niece Emma, whom she spurned care of when her parents both died in a car accident.

***Spoiler Alert Ends!***

To date, I have read three of Ms. de Nikolit's last four novels and it has been interesting to see her develop her serious-comedic style that really hit its stride in The Nearly Girl and has continued with No Fury Like That. As with the earlier novel, there are deeper undercurrents at play. In The Nearly Girl, we had a story about loveable, quirky characters in group therapy with various neuroses (led by a psychiatrist grappling with his own demons) trying to find and maintain love in a world that tries to suppress or compartmentalise them as crazy. In Fury, we have a similar disparate cast of characters now united in the afterlife and who for the most part are attempting to make sense of their earthly lives in a "coffee klatch" type of atmosphere, gently guided along by the more experienced Helpers.

It is this "stand-back-and-take-a-look-at-your-life" message that is the biggest takeaway from Fury. It is about realisations: how an altruistic life is better than a self-centered mean-spirited one, the struggle for worldly recognition is often futile, your family does need you, even if they don't know it, one act of indiscretion can have fatal consequences, and the list goes on. Once each Purgatorian attains their personal realisation, they can move along to the next level, wherever that may be.

Bottom line: don't dismiss No Fury Like That as a light, entertaining read. There are nuances to Ms. de Nikolit's writing that could be missed with such a viewpoint. This book is really about second chances that we may never get the first time around on our trek along Eternity's Road.

[Myna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third novel I've read in Lisa de Nikolits prolific oeuvre and my favourite. Yes, it's part thriller, and part redemption story, but my favourite thing about the novel is the unusual setting (purgatory) and the strange but internal consistency to the rules (or lack of rules) governing time and space in the quasi-physical setting (described like an abandoned airport). The bonding that takes place between a motley collection of women in their daily coffee klatches and their slow revelation of what has gone on in their earthly lives, makes the novel both funny and touching.

Lisa has a wonderful ear for dialogue and an ability to keep the many stories (of the individual woman and a handful of men) galloping along, careening to a plausible conclusion. It's a book you race to bed to at night to see what will happen next, with cliffhanger after cliffhanger. Her heroine (Julia) with a funny, snarky sense of humour, ultimately goes through a metamorphosis. The nebulous homilies posted outside of her therapist's office are a particular delight, offering comic relief, as is her love of couture, even in purgatory.

[Brenda Clews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lisa de Nikolits novel, No Fury Like That (Inanna Publications, 2017), is an imaginative, witty, humorous romp through Purgatory, endings of lives, discoveries and recollections in the near afterlife, a redemption novel where vengeance is the redeemer. Other reviewers give synopsis' of the plot, so I won't, but I am intrigued by the architectonics of the structure she creates for her Purgatory, a 3-dimensional maze, a cubist emporium where rooms appear and disappear according to 4-hour windows, and the Viewing Room where virtual reality comes to life. There is a coffee klatch mostly of women trapped in Purgatory not quite sure of how to achieve realizations to get privileges and perhaps promoted to Heaven. There is an entangled mess of relationships on earth that those in Purgatory must work their way through. The number of characters de Nikolits creates and maintains consistency with throughout the story is quite a technical feat in itself. No Fury Like That is a bustling, busy novel that spins and grabs you in all your corners and assumptions as it focuses on the corporate life vs the family life, success in the business world vs loving relationships. The main character, Julia, gets to have her cake and eat it too - she gets a second chance to make pay backs and revitalize her life, to balance it, to find love and family and happiness as well as a solid career. This is not to say that the novel isn't a passionate explosion of pain and anger and vengeance - it moves from a kind of 'Orange is the New Black' to 'Kill Bill' in a dizzying kaleidoscope of different kinds of violence, sharings, realizations and furies. Julia responds to the brutality that she suffered with a brutality that is as fierce and takes no reprieve. And then she shifts her life. I would say that No Fury Like That is about a new era where power relations between the sexes can become more balanced, where success in the world and fulfillment of the heart are eminently possible in a way that is brand new in our world.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Fury Like That by Lisa de Nikolits contains such an original storyline, I've never read anything like this before. Purgatory is often one of those places that ends up getting bypassed in the minds of many! I really enjoyed this book overall, however I do admit I was a bit skeptical toward the beginning. I was unsure where this story was going to lead but by the end I couldn't put it down. I don't want to give any spoilers but I was a fan of Julia's character development. The novel was journey for justice and a wild journey at that. I was proud to read that there was no need for a male hero or prince charming to save the day in this story. No Fury Like That brings into perspective what it would be like if people were given a second chance to look back and see the way they acted. It's so easy to get caught up in life which is what happened to Julia and usually it isn't until it's too late that it's realized. I would recommend this book to someone looking for a story that's completely different from anything they've ever read.

[Terri Favro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisa de Nikolits wrote in her acknowledgements for "No Fury Like That" that she penned her 7th novel after being laid off by her soulless media company of an employer -- what a great writer's prompt that turned out to be! A hard-bitten young businesswoman finds herself in Purgatory (which appropriately feels like an airport lounge) with no idea how she died so suddenly. Slowly her fellow Purgatorians, caught between heaven and hell, tell their stories and help her recall her own. Turns out, she isn't *quite* dead -- to quote "The Princess Bride" -- and can choose to stay or return to earth. This is a revenge novel which is also about second chances: fast paced, funny, sexy, violent and full of surprises. An entertaining read that raises questions about how to live one's life after you've had the stuffing knocked out of you –– literally, in the case of the novel's anti-heroin, and figuratively, in the case of the author in the throes of post-sacking. A furious delight.

[Heather Babcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lisa de Nikolits is a masterful storyteller and with her latest book "No Fury Like That", she takes the reader on one amazing journey! Set in Purgatory, "No Fury Like That" is imaginative, sometimes funny, sometimes scary but always entertaining and thought-provoking! The novel surprises and keeps the reader hooked as it takes many unexpected twists and turns. This is the kind of book that you can't put down but at the same time, you don't want it to end! One of the best books I have read in 2017.

[Carole Giangrande · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lively, fast-paced read with a central character (Julia) whose self-confessed mean streak is expertly dramatized in the unfolding plot - which is, in itself, an elaborate maze of skillfully-imagined mayhem. No spoilers here - if you're looking for an entertaining, raunchy and often funny romp through some of the seedier corners of the human psyche, this is your book. You'll come out alive and, when the laughs settle down, more reflective about childishness, vengeance and narcissism — and, oh yeah, the whole point of living a life.

[Jessica Bronder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julia Redner awakens in an abandoned airport but when she realizes she is in her lounging clothes and bare feet she realizes something is wrong. Julia is actually in Purgatory. Here she learns that it doesn’t matter who you are or what you have, everyone is equal. As she starts interacting with the other people she starts to open her opinion of the world and others.

I have to say that I did not expect this story to go the direction it did. Julia is one of the worst people that I have ever meet or read about. When I learned about how she got to purgatory I couldn’t really feel bad for her, in a sense she did ask for trouble. But the more I read I started liking her. She started to realize that there is more to the world and started to truly care for those around her.

This is the first book of Lisa de Nikolits’ that I have read and I loved the story. There are a wide range of emotions and learning lessons throughout the story. It was easy to slip into this story and start hoping that things work out for the best for Julia. She worked so hard and I couldn’t help hoping that she got her second chance.

This is a great story and one that I strongly recommend checking out.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

[Wall-to-wall books - wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was freaking brilliant! I read it once way back in the early fall - I loved it then. I just re-read it and I think I loved it even more this time!

This is one of those books that starts out like "Whaaaaat?" and you are not sure you want to continue, but wait!... Keep reading! You have to read this book all the way through before judging it, because you won't get it unless you do. If you quit in the beginning because you think you won't like it - you are really missing out!

This story-line is different, very different, but that's what I loved about it. I get tired of reading the "same ol' same ol'" So bravo to Lisa for her bravery in bringing us this incredible book. This was just as much fun as it was creepy.

And the characters! Oh my word! don't even get me started on the characters! Holy crap! Excellent character development - even in the secondary ones. Each one was so different and unique. Quite a few of them - snarky and quirky (my favorite type!). Agnes was my favorite, but honestly I just loved them all!

Warning - there is quite a bit of swearing - but... it works! I can't imagine this book without it.

I guarantee this will be one of my favorite books of the year! I was just telling my husband about it tonight at dinner. How there are so many spider webs in the plot and so many characters and how they are all connected in some way and how the author ties it all together in the end. I told him I could picture Lisa, the author, sitting with 3X5 cards with notes all over the table LOL. My husband said it sounds like it would make a great movie. YES!

I'm actually hoping it comes out in audible - I would love to listen to it!
So if you are looking for something that dares to be different and you don't mind a roller coaster ride - hold on and go for it!

I voluntarily posted this review after receiving a copy of this book from Partners in Crime Tours - Thank You!!

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an unusual novel. Purgatory, where people get to understand and deal with their actions before death. It was interesting to follow the purgatory experiences of Julia as realization dawns on her. She is able to really see what she did in life and how her actions affected others. After a particularly shocking understanding of her previous actions, “...it's like cannonballs of reality keep blasting you,” she says. (156) I'm a Protestant and do not believe in purgatory but de Nikolits has presented the concept in an entertaining and insightful way.

Reading this book gave me much to think about. If I could somehow objectively observe my actions, would I behave differently? If I had the chance, would I go back and right some wrongs? Are there lessons I am supposed to learn in life and if I don't learn them, will I get another chance?

While I found the novel very entertaining and thought provoking, I must warn potential readers that it contains lots of crude talk and foul language. It fit the character but I did find it a bit unsettling. Nonetheless, this novel is well written and I enjoyed it.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[Monica Petruskavich · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! From the first page to the last this book left me wanting more. It had moments that left me wondering if I were to leave this Earth today where would I end up? Did I do the best I could, what kind of regrets would one have? The characters had you heartbroken one moment, hopeful the next and still wishing that everything could be solved within the books pages for each one. Near the end the twists and turns were not exactly what I was expecting. Fantastic read! LOVED IT!!

[Tan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and fierce. Don't want to spoil anything, but I could definitely picture this as a Netflix movie!

[Lisa Nikolits · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm following Charles Finch's author post where he commented of his latest book: "I wrote this book! Six stars, possibly six and a half!" -author review

[Sharon Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purgatory hasn’t received as much exposure in literature as heaven and hell – that is until Inanna Publications published No Fury Like That by Lisa de Nikolits. Lisa’s novels have been all over the map with subject, plot, characters, and setting, much to the delight of readers. This latest one might just be her most imaginative. Certainly, her vision of purgatory is unlike any depicted in the Bible and her characters are anything but biblical. They also just seem to land in purgatory unaware at first of just where they are.

This is what happens to the main character, Julia, who awakens in what she thinks is an airport. But none of the planes outside have logos or move; the people inside just scream and none are dressed for travel. Julia, a fashionista in appearance, is appalled at her attire: ratty old blue sweatpants, pink T-shirt and bare feet. She remembers she has a husband, Martin, but wears no wedding ring. She has no idea how she got to this place and at first doesn’t realize she has died or how. She has also forgotten much of her life. She meets several other women who arrived before her –Agnes, Grace, Samia. and Fat Tracey. Their stories are also revealed in separate chapters. Then there is Beatrice, the director, who starts meeting with Julia to play Scrabble.

But meeting or getting anywhere in purgatory appears to be moving at random along a corridor and just landing at places by chance until Julia gets the hang of it. One place she lands is somewhat reminiscent of earth – the therapist’s office. And in purgatory, it is mandatory for new residents to meet weekly with the therapist but there is one rule – you cannot swear while in his office. It takes Julia a few visits to curb her mouth and not suddenly find herself locked outside.

As she bonds and bands with these other women, with their help, Julia adapts somewhat to life in purgatory – the Clothes Room, the Rest Room, Makeup Room – learning to think herself to a room to get there, and the viewing, which each woman gets to participate in when the therapist feels they are ready to see a live video of important parts from their life on earth. When Julia gets her turn at the viewer, her life pieces, some of which have been slowly coming back in therapy, are presented.

And it fills her with fury. But she is one of the ones allowed to return to earth to make things right and she follows her fury to do so – with some consequences, which like all consequences on earth, are mixed.

No Fury Like That is a wild ride with many twists, much humour from a range of characters, many who just want that second chance. Readers get many instances of cheering when characters return to earth and get some justice or a better life.

After reading No Fury Like That, readers may add Purgatory as a place they want to visit – whether in this life or the next. At the very least, it might just get some readers saying “go to purgatory” instead of “go to hell.” Although they might want to be particular who they send to the former.

[Len · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, original take on Purgatory that ends up looking surprisingly Tarantino-esque...quite the ride!

[Rosemary McCracken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julia Redner seemed to have it all: stunning good looks, a fantastic job, and enough money and perks to live in the style she’d grown accustomed to. But after it all went down and she finds herself in the afterlife, Julia realizes that she didn’t have a single friend and now has a whack of unfinished business to settle. No Fury Like That is a cautionary tale about the perils of rising to the top at any cost. It’s also a smart, satisfying read that’s laced with humour, peopled with quirky characters and moves along at a fast clip. Readers will root for its plucky heroine, hoping she’ll get a shot at a second chance. Another spellbinder from Lisa de Nikolits!

[M.H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully imaginative and edgy concept where Purgatory is re-imagined. Lost souls progress toward redemption through lattes, friendship and therapy.

We first meet Julia in a strange airport where she must struggle to solve the mystery of her own death...and life. I was engaged from the first page. No Fury Like That is a beautifully written: a metaphysical mystery that also touches on many social issues facing today’s women.

Highly recommended!

[Liz Bugg · Rating 5 out of 5]

NO FURY LIKE THAT is de Nikolits at her best. She has taken the question, “What if you had a second chance?” and has given her imagination free rein to answer it. The result is a novel full of colourful characters who grapple with their lives, their deaths, and what it is to be human. By the final page the reader has not only witnessed Julia Redner’s metamorphic journey, but has also taken a personal step forward.

[John Oughton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine if characters from The Devil Wears Prada got trapped in Sartre's play No Exit, where "hell is other people." No Fury Like That uses the lens of female souls stuck in purgatory to examine loss, love, rage, angst, and what there really is to live for. Alternately funny, melancholy, philosophical, and raunchy, it's a wild ride and another gutsy novel from de Nikolits.

[Jacqueline Kovacs]

Suspenseful, surprising, thrilling and at times laugh-out-loud funny, No Fury Like That takes you on page-turning ride into another world — with Lisa de Nikolits’s skillful writing keeping you belted in.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book...actually, there are parts that I loved. The ending, however, could have been better. Overall, a good read for when you need a distraction from deep or dramatic novels.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good vibes with the friends she makes in purgatory and then a nice change in pace as she reenters the real world. And I’m so happy she got to go back to purgatory to talk to her friends again in the end.

[Aparna Shah · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit...#

[Jastinder Toor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like it.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious, and satisfying.