Thanks to Net galley for the ARC of this book. As a fan of Alex Michaelides's first book, The Silent Patient I knew this book would be just as good. I was not disappointed, it had a twist at the end that I didn't expect. The main character in the book Mariana is called to the college by her niece Zoe after a murder takes place. Mariana's suspicions fall on a professor at the college, Edward Fosca. Mariana pretty much makes herself a nuisance during the police investigation with her wild theories and her lack of evidence. There is a secret society of young women call The Maidens whom I'm not really sure what their purpose is. This book keep me interested and I was satisfied with the ending. I will be recommending this book to my library patrons.

The author of The Silent Patient has come up with another mind-turning, explosive thriller that will have you racking your brain trying to figure out what is really going on. A picturesque setting, a grieving therapist and horrible murders that draw Mariana into this twisted web of academia shenanigans, diabolical characters and seething undertone of secrets kept too long. Will she solve this puzzle, or will it destroy her?

Wait until you get to the end........

Another winner!

With his book The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides set a standard for dark and twisty psychological thrillers. His next work, The Maidens, follows in that same genre and does not disappoint. The academic setting provides a great backdrop to the creepy story of the cult-like "maidens," their leader, and the murder of some of its members. Just like with The Silent Patient, there's a twist you definitely won't see coming, and the dark and atmospheric work is overall quite enjoyable.

With the major success of The Silent Patient (debuting at #1 on the New York TImes Best Seller List), I was so excited to receive this advanced reader copy from NetGalley. The Maidens is formatted into six parts - most of the narration coming from a group therapist named Mariana Andros and chapters scattered throughout from an ambiguous narrator. Mariana tragically grieves over the death of her husband Sebastian and decides to get herself involved in a major investigation of a series of murders at Cambridge University. Instead of stepping back from this scary situation, she gets in many altercations with the Greek Tragedy Professor, his secret society of female students called The Maidens and many others!!

Alex Michaelides thrives when it comes to red herrings, greek mythology, creating unreliable narrators and making every character look super suspicious. I enjoy his writing, attention to detail and hope to see The Silent Patient and The Maidens on the big screen some day. Ultimately, he keeps the story moving.....WITH MANY TWISTS AND TURNS! Set in The Silent Patient world, readers will be reunited with some notable characters from Michaelides debut and wonder what will come of his next book! Thanks again to Celadon Books and NetGalley for this compelling read.

This one certainly surprised me! It’s not every day I find myself saying that.

On to the review...

From the very beginning, we’re introduced to a plethora of characters. I found this particularly pleasing, given how often in the genre there is usually only a handful of suspects, and it’s fairly easy to spot the “killer” (at least, in my experience). With The Maidens, however, having such a large cast of suspects kept me from guessing too easily the culprit.

I found myself impressed with Mariana, our main character. She’s practical, capable, rational, and just the right bit of flawed & broken. She is such a well-rounded character, and so I commend the author for not making her annoyingly one-note, daft, and grating—as is the case with many main characters in the Mystery/Thriller genre.

One thing I will say against this book: I was unable to suspend my disbelief that the police were so inept at their jobs. I know it was convenient for the plot that Mariana did most of the investigating, but I find it hard to believe the Chief Inspector AND all his men/women were that, well, dumb! You would think “the maidens” would’ve been put under some sort of protective detail, or at the very least surveillance. Or, police patrols around the campus! I don’t buy it that they just let the murders happen, with little effort to prevent them.

But that gripe is small potatoes given just how good this book is. Alex Michaelides’s The Maidens is an unputdownable thriller that will be the perfect beach read or book club choice this year.

Cambridge University is a prestigious one that excels at churning out successful students. It also has some of the most well-respected professors...except that one might be a murderer.

That is what Mariana thinks. She is a group therapist living in London, and drops everything when her niece, Zoe, calls her. Zoe’s best friend has been murdered on campus where they are both Cambridge students. Mariana makes her way to the University, where she herself attended years prior.

With bittersweet memories of the college, Mariana quickly learns that Zoe thinks Professor Edward Fosca is guilty of the murder. Mariana finds herself agreeing. As an instructor of Greek tragedy, he seems to hone in on a particular story given the circumstances. On top of that, what is up with the secret society he runs...The Maidens?

After another murder takes place, Mariana becomes determined to stop Fosca...and will not stop digging into the investigation...

...no matter what danger she might be putting herself in.

I was a bit nervous about reading The Maidens. First, I wasn’t a big fan of the author’s debut novel, The Silent Patient, and had guessed the ending early on. In addition, I recently finished a novel where Greek Mythology played a part (Madam), and that was not an enjoyable experience...to say the least.

However, I was pleasantly surprised. This mystery kept me engaged the entire time, and while Greek Mythology plays a role, it didn’t bore me. Nor did it try to suffocate my tender brain. The progression of suspense is a bit slow at times, but I never noticed while actively reading. The writing is a bit simple, leaving the characters mostly one dimensional. There was nobody I particularly cared about, and yet the words flowed effortlessly with some nice atmosphere. It’s also a quick read with short chapters.

As for the ending, I suspected part of it at one point or another, but was genuinely surprised by another aspect of it. That was a treat! There is also a brief tie-in to The Silent Patient that I thought was really clever.

Maybe it has to due with expectations, but Alex Michaelides’ sophomore effort is a win for me, and better than its predecessor. I’ll be looking forward to his next one.

3.5 stars rounded up.

TW: Brief animal harm in two sections.

Thank you so much to DeAnn, who kindly sent me a copy of the physical ARC. Also thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley, who sent me a digital ARC afterwards, in exchange for an honest review.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

Holy mackerel with a huge pile of red herrings!  The Maidens is set in the same world as The Silent Patient, even allowing us to see a couple of The Silent Patient's characters. Whereas the big twist in The Silent Patient got me, which is very hard to do, The Maidens throws so many suspicious people our way that I suspected everyone of being a murderer. Still, this was an enjoyable story, even as I rolled my eyes throughout the book, as the main character made one irrational decision after another. 

Mariana Andros is a group therapist, still grieving over the death of her husband. She seems to have trouble setting boundaries for herself and her patients. One patient harrasses and stalks her and she quickly meets several men at her old university that scare her yet she puts herself in close proximity to them, even allowing them to pour her drinks that take her past her tipsy limit. She is back at Cambridge University because her niece's good friend has been murdered and she wants to give her niece the support she needs to get through this sad time. 

But once on campus, things are even more dire than the murder of one university student. A popular professor, Edward Fosca, seems to be up to no good, with his followers made up of a secret society of female students. Mariana's niece seems to know a lot more than she will admit to Mariana and soon is Mariana dangerously poking her nose in places that will get her in trouble. She claims she is being careful, when in reality, she is anything but careful or subtle. The story has such a dreamlike, misty quality to it and Mariana is still so damaged by the death of her husband, that her lack of clear thinking seems to fit in with the atmosphere of the story. 

There was no way I could guess who the murderer was because every man seems to have something that might point to him. Everyone speaks in circles and there is a sense of foreboding, as if more is going to happen (and it does). I suspect that there will be more of this world, where The Silent Patient and The Maidens intersect in a third book and I look forward to reading that story. 

Expected publication: June 15, 2021

Thank you to Macmillan Publishers/Celadon Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for this digital ARC. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and unbiased.

Somehow I missed all of the hype that accompanied the author's first novel, but as a Classics nerd this one seemed right up my alley. I was not disappointed. Euripides abounds and I could actually exercise my rusty Ancient Greek translation skills (don't worry, if you can't read it the translations are given as well).

I have to admit that I couldn't put this novel down. I devoured it. Unlike most thrillers, I did not see the ending coming. I'd like to eventually reread it to see if there are more hints that I did not catch.

The main character was interesting, though she can be a bit frustratingly dense for how intelligent a person she is supposed to be. I don't want to say more on the topic and risk spoilers. This novel is best without any spoilers.

This novel appears to be something of a "prequel" to his first novel, as Theo, the protagonist of the first book, makes a cameo and is not yet working on the case of the first book. These references do not stop it from being a standalone novel on its own merits, but the connection is there for those who read the first book. The author has created a world in which these characters all exist together, which I greatly appreciate.

I did subtract one star because there was never a moment where I stopped and admired the writing itself. It was functional and never bad, but also never beautiful.

I thought the author’s first book, The Silent Patient, was a decent book and was hoping this one would be an improvement. I was wrong. This one was a mess. There was so much about this book I disliked.

To begin, I’m not a fan of therapists as detectives. If murders are going to be this gruesome, you need a real detective. People playing detective belong in cozy mysteries. Also, it annoyed me how easily Mariana was allowed access to the investigation. When she merrily wandered into a crime scene to check out a recently discovered body, I was beyond shocked. I couldn’t believe how quickly and freely she immersed herself in the investigation simply because she was a group therapist. I also thought the book suffered from sloppy writing and/or editing. Perhaps some of this will be fixed by the time of final publication, but these errors were like little speed bumps throughout the book, slowing me down.

I felt the plot was forced and things were thrown in simply to muddy the water. including Theo from The Silent Patient several times was simply annoying. As I read, I also got the sense that the author was quite impressed with himself. Not even the beautiful cover can save this one.

My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

I'm not going to lie, The Maidens was a frustrating read. The twist ending *almost* makes it worthwhile, but I have some complaints. I'll start with the things I loved about this book so as not to discourage anyone from picking it up.

The Cambridge setting and mythological references were palpable and made for an engaging backdrop.

The twist ending was unforeseen (though, to be quite honest, a little bit of a cheat! see below.)

The fact that the book takes place in the same universe as The Silent Patient and integrates characters from that book (albeit briefly) was a welcome surprise. I'm a sucker for this type of pandering to readers. :)

However, the characters were ALL frustrating. Especially the moronic investigators and administrators. I almost felt like I was reading one of those kids books where all the adults are ignorant and unbelieving to the point of absurdity (think A Series of Unfortunate Events).

There were also multiple characters who seemed to serve no purpose. What was the point of the other therapist who had access to the investigation? Was he simply a vehicle to grant Mariana access to a crime scene? His presence goes nowhere and adds little to the story.

The reason I say the twist ending is a cheat is that we never actually learn enough about the murderer to suspect them. We meet and "get to know" them only through the perspective of someone delusional and grief-stricken. All the while, we are presented with red herring after red herring, some of whom never have any other purpose in the book besides flimsy misdirection.

Besides the frustrating aspects, I found many enjoyable moments. I especially loved the very last pages of the book. They bring the universe full circle in a very satisfying way. Fans of The Silent Patient will not be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Maidens.

I was very disappointed with this; the narrative was slow, lacked suspense and urgency, and all the characters were flat, one dimensional and lacked substance.

I found it hard to identity or sympathize with Mariana; she's described as being a brilliant therapist but nothing she says or how she acts lends credibility to her maturity and experience as a therapist.

She spends nearly the entire story talking about the love of her life, Sebastian, and the fairytale life they held before his untimely death.

All the main male characters in this story are terrible brutes; predatory and charismatic, and the young women they prey on are vulnerable, naive and barely developed as strong individuals.

The writing was simplistic and the author is infatuated with the often used reply "I see." It's used copiously and numerously. I counted three "I see"s on one page.

I would recommend this book only to fans of the author's first book.

I was insane with joy to see the hype regarding this novel, knowing it was going to by by the author of The Silent Patient.( a book that will be hard to beat). The Maidens was just a tad disappointing, but I can live with that as I like Mr. Michaelides writing style and enjoyed the twist at the end. Keep them coming!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. This is my honest feedback.
When I read The Silent Patient, I could not understand why the book was a best seller. I had to read it for a Book Club that I go to. Unanimously, no one liked the book.
Sometimes an author gets better with his second book so I was willing to give it a chance.
I did not like the book for the following reasons:
Mr Michaelides is not a good writer. He coasts on surprise and suspense even when the incidents are not believable.
He can't write from a woman's point of view. Like many other male writers, he makes his female protagonist silly, unable to make a good decision, haunted by patients, and we learn blind as a bat
The ending was just stupid, beyond belief. I figured out pretty quickly how it would end because I knew this writer is going to pull the most outrageous possibility out of a hat and try to make us believe it.

So I can't recommend this book.

Thank you, Caledon Books, for the eARC!

After reading The Silent Patient, I was so excited to read Alex Michaelides’ follow up. Greek mythology? Murder mystery? Sign me up!

I was eating this novel up, until about halfway through. The dialogue was flat. The characterization was cheesy. And the ending....

Overall, an enjoyable read, but not nearly as good as his debut.

This book was an emotional whirlwind of events tied to pieces of Ancient Greek Philosophy where life and death are practically in the same sentence.

Edward Fosca is a Greek Tragedy Professor at Cambridge University and has organized a secret society of seven beautiful female students known as "The Maidens." Each one is from a family of prestige and wealth. One girl has been violently murdered and her best friend, Zoe, is deep in grief. She calls upon her Aunt Mariana who raised her after her parents died. Mariana quickly decides to stop everything and come to St. Christopher's to help Zoe get through this period of sadness.

Mariana was originally from Greece with a challenging relationship with her father and mother. She met her husband at the same school and became a therapist. Her father built a very successful shipping business and when he passed, she inherited his fortune. She was very happy until a year ago when her beloved husband, Sebastian, died along the coast of one of the Greek Islands on a visit together.

We are reminded at the University of the presence of the great British poet, Alfred Tennyson, with his famous quote: "tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." Mariana returns to the days when she was a young student to comfort Zoe. As she starts to ask questions, she finds herself involved with the investigation after not one but three girls are now murdered. It is her fear her niece could be next as she tries to keep her safe while taking a glimpse of her own past.

I couldn't wait to read another book by Alex Michaelides as I loved, "The Silent Patient." It's a fast read with lots of surprises including two characters that are included from his previous book. I thought I had the end figured out but was totally off. This twisted love story with intense acts of drama was in its own way a spiritual awakening.

My thanks to Alex Michaelides, Celadon Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advance copy to be released on June 15, 2021.

This was very different than Alex’s first book the silent patient, however I still really enjoyed it! It kept me intrested and wanting to know more. I loved the Greek aspects of this book and I highly recommend

What Makes This Book Better Than The SIlent Patient ??
Well First Off Its Very Intriguing Once You Open Up Chapter One
The Characters Are Very Well Written
And The Author Does Alot Of Research Of Greek Mythology

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon books for the advanced reader's copy of The Maidens. As in his breakout debut novel, The Silent Patient, the main character of Alex Michaelides's The Maidens is also a psychotherapist. Greek native Mariana is a well known group therapist working in London. She is also still consumed with grief over the death of her husband Sebastian. Mariana is dealing with one very troubled client, when she receives a frantic call from her niece Zoe, who fears a fellow classmate at Cambridge has been murdered. Mariana heads to the university, her alma mater, and gets enmeshed in a series of strange goings on that have chilling ties to ancient Greek dramas.
I usually love a novel with a college setting, and The Maidens was certainly a page turner. My problems with this book is that for a Cambridge educated, successful therapist, Mariana does not seem particularly intelligent and is completely lacking in common sense. She suspects a particular professor, Edward Fosca, a Svengali type who has a group of beautiful coeds following him around campus (the Maidens of the title) of orchestrating gruesome murders, and yet willingly puts herself in harms way. The plot seems especially far fetched. Once a single student is viciously stabbed in what appears to be a ritualistic killing, no doubt the university would take the necessary precautions to protect its students, especially as the targeted women are the daughters of some of the most wealthiest and powerful families in the world.
I am guessing that many readers won't have the same quibbles with this book that I do. Plus bonus points that the ending was a twist that I didn't see coming into the final few chapters.

A fast-moving murder mystery set against the background of British academia make this novel a great read for anyone who enjoys thrillers or dark academia.

A woman still reeling from her husband's death is summoned to her old college by her niece and discovers women turning up dead there. Mariana leaves her group therapy practice behind to see her niece, Zoe, who is attending Cambridge, where Mariana and her husband Sebastian met. There not only is she haunted by her memories of the past, but also as Zoe's friends in an elite group of students called the Maidens are brutally murdered one by one. Mariana suspects the group's leader, Edward Fosca, is behind the murders and is determined to prove it by using her group therapy practices on the students. Why does he prove to be so elusive? As Mariana digs deeper, she starts to uncover a lot of secrets, and someone willing to kill for all of them.

The twist at the end I truly didn't see coming, and was shocked at, always a pleasant surprise when you read as many thrillers as I do. This is a well done story that is compulsive reading. Michaelides is proving to be a favorite of mine.