I am usually not a fan of unreliable narrators but this book had me won over with Cambridge and the academic setting. I love anything Dark Academia. I guess the only sticking point for me Mariana. They set her up as so fragile and broken and that made everything she said and though suspect. I just dislike the device of making the female narrator fragile and broken to add tension and misdirection. While Mariana isn't necessarily a fragile flower, we are given enough information to question whether or not she is thinking clearly or if the grief over the loss of her husband is enough to distort her reliability. Using this as a force to drive your plot is always uncomfortable for me.
Given the popularity of books like this I have no doubt that this book will be a good seller and will get people talking.

Soooooo, I didn't like this book.
What I didn't like I know others will love but it was just super disappointing to me. I found that the pace of the book was very slow and I was often bored during the first 60% to 70% of the book. Luckily, the chapters were short which made it much easier to get through. Very early on I was able to guess who the murder was. The red herrings weren't able to draw me away from my initial hunch. I think the ending could have been good, but the twist didn't fit into the story for me. It felt shoehorned in for shock value and it wasn't satisfying. I pushed through this book because I know this author can deliver a twist but it just didn't work for me.

I know people are going to love this book. But I find that what works in a thriller for some, doesn't work for others and this one just didn't do it for me.

After having read Alex Michaelides first book, The Silent Patient, I was eagerly awaiting this book.

Mariana is a grieving widow who is struggling to find her footing after the recent death of the love of her life, Sebastian. When her only living relative, her niece Zoe, is calling from Cambridge because her best friend Tara has been murdered, Mariana immediately comes to her aid. The hunt for the killer becomes an obsession for Mariana and tests her relationships with her niece and friends.
There is also some overlap with the characters from The Silent Patient, which in my point of view was entirely unnecessary. All in all I found the story a bit messy and unsatisfactory - maybe because I had so high hopes and expectations for this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book in advance.

This is a good book that I'd recommend to folks who want a fast-paced murder mystery with hints of Greek mythology & secret society at uni vibes. Three stars for the following, without giving too much away: 1. Mariana is 36? She reads older to me. 2. I wanted more of the Maidens / mythology from the start. 3. That group therapy session with the Maidens was goofy. I couldn't imagine it happening in real life without major consequences, and it took me out of the story. 4. Maybe it's just me, but the stalking & abuse by men seem like poorly thought out plot and decoy devices. Idk, maybe I'm just sick of that narrative. 5. I guessed who-done-it from the beginning, but can admit that twist at the end got me. I liked the hints at The Silent Patient, and have added it to my to-read list. Thanks for the ARC!

From page one I was sucked into this fast-paced psychological thriller. Mariana receives a call from her niece, telling her that her best friend at college is missing. When this friend's brutally murdered body is discovered, Mariana heads to Cambridge to help Zoe through this terrible time. There are more murders, lots of twists and turns and an ending that will make you want to go back to the beginning and start over.

I raced through The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides and The Maidens was no different! This novel is visceral and brought to mind Jack the Ripper. The fresh take of Greek mythology mixed in with a modern thriller was captivating and made this novel hard to put down.

Alex Michaelides has another winner....beautifully written. An added bonus was tiny tie in to The Silent Patient! A slow build to an ending I didn’t see coming in the least. And lovely bits of Greek mythology thrown in!

This book had me hooked from the first few chapters, and it never let up. I was always intrigued to see what would happen next, and found myself contemplating who the killer was with each new character who was introduced. Dotting the story with sparse excerpts from a second narrator was a masterful approach to keep the reader guessing, who done it? I find myself wishing for more as the novel wraps up, wanting to hear more about the outcomes of the relationships with Mariana, but I couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable read. Looking forward to recommending this title once it is released!

Alex Michaelides approaches his novel, The Maidens, with the skillful hand and eye for the mystery / thriller novel while expertly intertwining dark academia and psychological influences. This is one that will keep you invested until the very end.

After reading Michaelides' The Silent Patient, I expected a surprise twist at the end of The Maidens, and there was one. I'm just not sure it was worth the read. I found the plot far-fetched and the red herrings obvious. I think this story will do better as a movie.

I wanted to like the book more than I actually did. Mariana, the main character, is a group therapist and a good one at that. I valued and believed her opinions and statements. But she does some really dangerous things that didn't complement her sound judgment. There certainly was a surprise ending that I didn't see coming.

The Maidens is a twisty psychological thriller that leans heavily on Greek mythology. It was highly readable but in some ways, needlessly complicated. There are many characters and potential red herrings to keep up with and the book keeps you guessing until the end.

This was a mystery that kept me guessing until the very end, which is the best kind. I loved The Silent Patient and this doesn't top that, but I really enjoyed this one too. The complex characters, lovely setting and twisty mystery kept me hooked.

This is a good, twisty novel, which reminded me in some ways of The Secret History (though not quite at the level of that book, one of my all-time favorites). The story starts rather slowly, but keeps building to a page-turning pace and an ending which I did not see coming. I loved the references to The Silent Patient, too! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am so excited that Alex Michaelides wrote another book. Thank you to Netgalley for a digital ARC in change for my honest review. Alex does it again! The story unfolds likes a piece of origami, complicated and then quickly. Expect lots of twists and turns, naturally. The natural inclusion of Greek plays and gods was genius. I can't say I loved this book more than The Silent Wife, but I love any story set on a campus, especially a small, secluded school. A well-written and well-planned plot.

From the very beginning, we know that Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this the main character, Mariana, is certain. Fosca is a Greek tragedy professor at the Cambridge University and is loved by both his colleagues and students, especially the group of women known as The Maidens. Mariana is a group therapist who becomes obsessed with Fosca when one of the Maidens is found murdered. This thriller is twisty and a great sophomore novel to follow up The Silent Patient.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved The Silent Patient, so it only felt natural that I would love "The Maidens."
The best part about this book is the surprise ending, which I (obvs) won't give away, but was definitely not one that I had guessed. I loved the twists and turns in this novel. What I didn't like is that it sometimes felt like the historical parts of it (i.e. the Greek mythology) weighed the story down at parts. There were a few times where I wanted the story to move along a bit faster. However, overall, I would highly recommend this one. Great read!

“The gods have willed your death—and soon, from your throat, streams of blood shall gush forth at the sword.”

This book, the much-anticipated follow-up to The Silent Patient, had really big shoes to fill... I, for one, was pretty underwhelmed by both the writing and the plot. The Maidens felt to me a lot like the skeleton of a thriller story: all of the elements were there, but there wasn’t any meat on the bones. It felt like it was trying to be The Secret History by Donna Tartt (à la dark academia) but way hastier in the writing & development. Much of this story centers around Greek tragedy, in particular the tale of Agamemnon and Iphigeria. This element certainly brought interesting depth to the plot, but it felt under-developed to me. Alex Michaelides talks very briefly about this concept of the liminal: that treacherous & thrilling space where man transcends this life to experience something beyond, the razor’s edge of the human experience. I would have LOVED to been given more examples of this concept throughout the story, or at least more attention to these bigger messages derived from the study of Greek myth. Persephone and Demeter are referenced a few times as well, but this all felt far too brief for me. Too much of the novel was taken up by frivolous he-said-she-said, conducted by characters who (again) felt interesting but underdeveloped. The theme of powerful men grooming younger women was a strong one, and I did find myself reading through the entirety of this book to learn the intricacies of this relationship between the sexy professor and his clique of devoted young students. Without giving anything away, the way things wrapped up felt sloppy and a little too out of left field, like the author sacrificed the most interesting character arcs for the sake of a heavier misdirect impact. I can’t say I’ll be recommending this book, which is unfortunate given how much momentum I had going into the reading experience (after The Silent Patient).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

4+ stars

No sophomore slump for Alex Michaelides as he writes another solid thriller with The Maidens. Mariana is a group therapist who is still mourning the death of her husband Sebastian. Her niece Zoe is a student at Cambridge is upset as her friend was murdered and Mariana goes to her alma mater and gets involved in the case.

Lots of red herrings to lead the readers astray. I didn't care for Mariana as a MC--she's a bit impetuous and does stupid things like tampering with evidence. I enjoyed learning about Cambridge and I learned some very cool new words like buttery and bedders. Very different college living experience from what I had.

Loved the Easter egg referencing The Silent Patient.

Not quite sure where to rate this one. Definitely a page-turner and finished it in a day, but not as good as The Silent Patient. I was hoping to have it land on a solid 4-star but I think the way the ending turned out, it puts it more at a 3-3.5 for me.

What I enjoyed:
- I really loved the incorporation of mythology and how it was seamlessly woven into so many events throughout the story.
- I loved the fast-pace! This was definitely a page-turner.
- I liked the psychotherapist perspective of our main character and having little typed letters from our “villain” sprinkled throughout.
- I was excited to see a clever little nod to The Silent Patient and its main character, Theo. Fun Easter egg!
- There were red herrings everywhere but I love that about mystery/thrillers. It kept me guessing the whole time about who was really responsible.
- The descriptions of Cambridge were wonderful!

What I didn’t love:
- I was hoping for a grand twist like we had experience in The Silent Patient and was disappointed when it didn’t turn out as twisty as I was hoping for.
- Some aspects of the ending were tough and, content-wise, I was disappointed it went the direction it did.

Overall, fairly enjoyable read, fast-paced, good mystery/thriller that doesn’t require too much brain-bending to enjoy!

Content Warnings:
Death/murder, ritualistic sacrifices, child abuse, spousal abuse, animal death