3.5 stars, actually.

Anticipation of reading this book elicited high hopes from me, but although I tried really hard, I think successfully, to not compare it to the author's wildly successful 2019 book, The Silent Patient (which absolutely blew me away) - it turned out to be just okay.

It kicks off with the promise of intrigue: Mariana Andros, whose beloved husband Sebastian died many months ago during a vacation to her native Greece, gets a frantic call from her niece Zoe, a student at Cambridge University. One of her school friends has been murdered. Mariana, once a student at the campus herself (it's where she met Sebastian, the love of her life), doesn't waste much time heading to Cambridge to comfort Zoe.

Mariana is a London-based psychotherapist specializing in groups, and much is made of one of them - a disturbed and disturbing guy who talks and acts like a stalker. Despite the potential for serious disruption to him in particular, though, she abruptly ditches them all and heads to the university. As an aside, based on this and other books I've read, I must say that hanging out a psychotherapist shingle in the U.K. apparently takes far less education than here in the United States, so maybe that's why she saw no problem leaving her patients to fend for themselves while she was away. On the way to Cambridge, she encounters a determined young man named whose words and actions give Mariana the creeps similar to those she got from her patient.

When she arrives, Zoe tells her aunt that the murdered girl, Tara, told her that Edward Fosca had threatened to kill her and is, in fact, Tara's killer. A rather offbeat but extremely popular professor of Greek Tragedy at Cambridge, Fosca has a special following of young female students known as The Maidens. But at least one colleague of Fosca's refutes Zoe's remarks, and the police shut Mariana's theories down from the git-go (it was worthy of note to me that the chief inspector reveals far more information to a suspect that any U.S. cop ever would - but then maybe I've just watched too many TV shows.

Of course, Mariana doesn't believe Fosca protestations of innocence, or the police or university powers-that-be; instead, she's convinced that solving the murder is up to her. As such, she chooses to ignore her groups back home for a while longer to spend a few more days to investigate on her own (at this point, I actually wondered if this is supposed to be a cozy mystery - Mariana fits that heroine pattern perfectly). She soon learns that Fosca's Maidens bear uncanny similarity to relics in the little Greek town where her Sebastian died, making her (and readers) suspect a possible connection. And then, the body of another Maiden turns up.

Mariana's investigation turns up more dead ends than real clues, and her continual digging around becomes offensive to other characters as well (Fosca among them). But like those cozy heroines, she barges ahead even when the police strongly advise her to butt out. All this leads to an action-packed ending that brings at least one relatively unexpected twist.

It was the ending, though, that pretty much did me in. I felt much the same reaction that I had to the April 1978 finale of The Bob Newhart Show when he and his wife, played by the wonderful Suzanne Pleshette, wake up and we all learned that the entire series had been a dream. On the one hand, I applauded the creativity; on the other, I was also frustrated that I, and all the other viewers, had spent four years watching a story that in one sense was totally irrelevant. Such was the case here; the ending brought things to a conclusion of sorts, but also brought the realization that much of what went on before was there as a distraction, not substance. Besides that, one of the crucial time frames simply did not add up unless one of the characters was far more of a pervert that I thought, and I never learned what happened to one of the characters in whom I had an interest.

So while overall this is a decent story - definitely worth a read on a warm summer beach and one I believe many readers will love - it isn't one I'm particularly excited about. I do thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review an advance copy.

Mixing Greek mythology with a psychological thriller "who-dunnit," The Maidens is a fast-paced murder mystery that was nearly impossible to put down. Mariana, a Greek transplant to London via Cambridge, flies to her niece's side when a series of murders occurs. Attempting to get involved and help find the culprit, Mariana pretty much breaks all the laws of obstruction of justice, but it made for a fantastic tale. The only thing stopping this from being a five-star story was the ending. I wanted more and didn't feel like I had the closure I needed.

Mariana Andros is a group psychotherapist in London, reeling after the death of her beloved husband, Sebastian. As Mariana is grieving, her niece Zoe unexpectedly calls her from university in Cambridge, and requests that Mariana turn on the news: a young woman has been murdered, and Zoe fears that it’s her friend Tara. Mariana goes at once to Cambridge to be there for Zoe, and while there she becomes aware of a secret society known as The Maidens: a group of beautiful, gifted students…under the influence of the charismatic Professor Edward Fosca. Mariana becomes convinced that Fosca is the murderer, and when more young girls die, Mariana will stop at nothing to get to the truth, even as it puts her own life at risk.

The Maidens was so, so good y’all. There’s so much to enjoy - the tense atmosphere, the idyllic British university setting, the murder mystery, the characters and how fascinating they all are - even the minor ones, the dual threads of antiquity and psychotherapy that weave through the novel, the fact that this is one of those mystery/thriller where you truly suspect everyone (and I mean everyone!)… I can’t say enough good things about this book.

Michaelides crafts an incredibly tense mystery with enough red herrings and false leads that the reader is thoroughly engrossed. I know I was - The Maidens is utterly captivating, and explores the darkest reaches of academia, love, desire, death and rebirth, obsession, and the self. The threads of antiquity throughout the book give it a timeless quality, showing that humans have struggled with the same since the time of Euripedes and Aristotle. Truly fascinating stuff that will give any reader much to think on long after the book has been finished.

Finally, two things as an aside: 
1) I was someone who deeply imprinted on The Secret History by Donna Tartt, and The Maidens is a very delightful echo and steeped with dark academia and antiquity.
2) Readers who loved The Silent Patient will love this one, if not just for Michaelides being amazing, then for the fact that The Maidens takes place in the same universe and we even see some characters returning.

The Maidens will be released on June 1, 2021.

Alex Michaelides knows exactly how to draw the reader in; how to make the reader feel unsettled and a little on edge. This thriller moves quickly with many twists along the way. Just when you think you have things figured out, the story shifts once again. I throughly enjoyed this gripping page turner.

It was fine but would have benefitted from better twists or a larger unraveling of the main character. I did enjoy the tie ins to The Silent Patient!

I loved the setting of The Maidens. Cambridge University was perfect for the backdrop to this murder mystery dotted with references to Greek tragedy.

This was one of my most anticipated books this year, and it’s hard for a book to live up to hype like that. I really enjoyed it, especially that ending which I never saw coming. Red herrings were thrown about with abandon and kept me guessing the whole way through.

What I didn’t like was how Mariana took things into her own hands regarding the murders. Is it plausible that she would have withheld evidence from the police? Or entered into a crime scene to gawk at a dead body while police were in the middle of investigating it? To me it wasn’t.

However, I was glued to this until I got to the end. A great mystery.

I just do not know what to think about this one. I’m thinking 3.5ish stars because I loved everything up until the 90% mark.

My issue with thrillers is always the ending. I loved The Silent Patient and enjoyed the ending! But, not so much with this one.

The premise was great though and the descriptions of losing a partner were heartbreaking. I loved all the Greek mythology woven into the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent psychological thriller with many twists. I really enjoyed the way the author intertwined Greek Mythologies into his story. I also loved "The Silent Patient" by Alex Micahaelides so when I saw he had released his second book I was very excited.. I mean I was dying to get my hands on "The Maidens" by this super talented author. I cannot give enough praise for the way the author is able to make me so invested in Mariana, the hero in "The Maidens". She seemed kind of dumber than a rock sometimes, but she was such a sympathetic and caring woman to me I overlook her minor flaws. I highly recommend this for people who enjoy an intellectual mystery with imperfect but original and colorful characters.

Thank you to Net Galley for the chance to read and review.

I enjoyed quite a bit about this book - more than I was expecting to after a couple of my friends gave it a low rating. Plus, I was one of the few who wasn’t particularly ‘wow-taken’ with “The Silent Patient”.

In “The Maidens” what I enjoyed most wasn’t actually the suspense.
It wasn’t a spellbinding psychological thriller for me (yet not a problem either). Books don’t need to have any suspense for me to enjoy them- I’m not a die-hard-thriller seeking twist & turn reader [I enjoy them - but I wouldn’t say they fill the bulk of my reading].....
I tend to enjoy reflective type writing - literary and contemporary fiction that examines humanity - character driven novels that explore the many sides of human complexities- and our relationships together.
And....
“The Maidens” had many of the qualities I’ve enjoyed from my favorite types of books.

I enjoyed the way this book started....it’s writing ....the setting ( descriptions of both Greece and England: two countries I’ve visited)....and the details we begin to learn about Mariana, [ therapist/group therapy leader....and sample group sessions describing a couple of her clients]
I was fully engaged in learning about how Mariana grew up - in Greece - about her parents - her parents characteristics - her sister - the death of her husband Sebastian. I was equally interested in learning about Zoe, her niece (whose parents were killed)....and how Mariana and Sebastian thought of her as their daughter- raised her with love and was excited for Zoe when she went to St. Christopher college at Cambridge University....( the same university where Mariana and Sebastian met and fell in love)
I found all this pleasantly engaging! Having lived in Cambridge for a full year myself in the 70’s - I enjoyed tapping into many of my own memories——
And I felt Alex Michaelides did a deliciously wonderful job describing many of the beauties of Cambridge - it’s University and the surroundings.

With the beautiful descriptive writing - linking soulful connections with Greek mythology- helping to describe a current state of being - moods - troubles - and understanding.....of the characters....
The ‘mystery’.... who was the murderer....of a young girl - two young women on the college campus were of minor interest to me.

I liked the psychology and philosophy...and reading about the Greek Goddess- Persephone- [also called Kore]....the daughter/ maiden of Zeus and Demeter.....queen of the underworld, goddess of spring flowers, death, life, vegetation, and distraction— the myth of her abduction/return-aspects of this book, more than I cared about the crime investigations of ‘who’ killed Tara Hampton’s — whose dead body was found by marsh.

I liked how “The Maidens” allowed us to experience how Greek Mythology continues to influence our culture and how we still live today. (thinking about all the contributions to philosophy, psychology, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, literature, theater, etc.)....
I actually really ‘was’ able to experience the power of Greek mythology though this murder-thriller....[WHICH *was* the surprise treat for me]....
enjoying this book more than “The Silent Patient”:

As far as ‘who’ was the villain....of course I had some interest - but it wasn’t my primary driving force. Until close to the end of this novel...where things all-of-sudden picks up a traditional thriller-speed to conclusion....I was enjoying the thoughts about loss, past abuse influences, and the characters history.....
Along with the lovely prose of our natural world and architectural designs.

So....I’d give this book a solid 3.5....perhaps even 4 stars.
I couldn’t help but wonder if the author might branch out from writing ‘thrillers’....to perhaps a literary novel. I think this book shows she has the talent for it. I’d love read a book by Michaelides ‘without’ a murder.

Excerpts:
“In the space of just a year, which once would have slipped by almost imperceptibly—and now stretched out behind her like a displayed landscape flattened by a hurricane—the life she had known had been obliterated, leaving Mariana here: thirty-six years old, alone and drunk on a Sunday night; clutching a dead man’s shoes as if they were holy relics—which in a way, they were”.
“Something Beautiful, something holy, had died. All that remained were the books he read, the clothes he wore, the things he touched. She could still smell him on them, still taste him on the tip of her tongue”.

“Once you kill another human being, there’s no going back.
I see that now. I see I have become all together a different person.”
“It’s a bit like being reborn, I suppose. But no ordinary birth— it’s a metamorphosis. What emerges from the ashes is not a phoenix, but an uglier creature: deformed, and capable of flight, a predator using its claws to cut and rip”.
“I feel in control now, writing this. At this moment in time, I am calm, and sane”.
“But there is more than one of me”.
“It’s only a matter of time before the other me rises, bloodthirsty, mad, and seeking revenge. And he won’t rest until he finds it”.

“During the long summer afternoons, Mariana grew to love the feel of a book in her hands, the smell of paper, the sensation of turning a page. She would sit on the rusty swing in the shade, bite into a crisp green apple, or an overripe peach, and lose her self in a story”.
“Through these stories, Mariana fell in love with a vision of England and Englishness—an England that had quite possibly never existed beyond these pages of these: an England of warm summer rain, and wet greenery, and apple blossom; winding rivers and willow trees, and country pubs with roaring fires. The England of the Famous Five, and Peter Pan and Wendy; King Arthur and Camelot; ‘Wuthering Heights’ and Jane Austen, Shakespeare—Tennyson”.

“St. Christophers was among the oldest and prettiest of Cambridge colleges. It was made up of several courtyards and gardens leading down to the river, and built in a combination of architectural styles—Gothic, neoclassical Renaissance— as a college have been rebuilt and expanded over the centuries. It was a haphazard organic growth—and, Mariana thought, all the lovelier for it”.

“There was a word for this moment in Greek tragedy: anagnorisis—recognition—the moment the hero finally sees the truth and understands his fate—and how it’s always been there, the whole time, in front of him. Mariana used to wonder what that moment felt like. Now she knew”.

At first I was considering this to be a 3 to 3.5 rating....
But actually....no: I’m definitely taking away gifts from this book ...
So - I raise my own rating to 4 solid stars.

going into this book i thought it was just “okay” i thought it was going to be predictable and it was like reading a dark academia book but instead of following a student it followed an outsider, i thought i already knew what was going to happen but the book kind of plays on that. if you read dark academia a lot, you think that you know what’s going to happen in this book but honestly you don’t and that’s the best part. the plot twist in this book was so great. it literally made me gasp out loud.

I had high hopes having so enjoyed Michaelides’ first book, The Silent Patient. This was a big miss for me.

Not only did I not care for or connect with the characters in any way, I found the plot contrived, ill-conceived, and forced.

What a bummer.

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Publishing for the advanced copy of this book. I’m grateful.

I read The Maidens last month because I also received the physical ARC and while I really enjoyed the story and appreciated the tie-in with The Silent Patient near the end, I found the mystery to be a bit predictable and I didn't understand why Mariana was taking it upon herself to investigate the murder when she was only a group psychotherapist. In addition, she traveled to Cambridge to be with her niece Zoe however she didn't really seem that concerned about Zoe; she was more concerned about solving the murder and accusing the teacher. Still, I enjoyed the story and would recommend this book but I didn't love it nearly as much as I did The Silent Patient.

The “Maidens” is the second book I’ve read by Alex Michaelides. Mariana Andries is a recently widowed psychotherapist in London who is called to Cambridge by her niece Zoe after Zoes’s friend is brutally murdered. Mariana begins her own investigation into the murder and is sure Professor Fosca is behind it.

The book was suspenseful and I liked the Greek mythology references.
My criticisms are that there were too many characters that didn’t help the plot in any way and that the ending came out of left field.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.

The authors first book The Silent Patient was a 5 star brilliant read.A book that everyone I knew was reading raving about,The author has done it again The Maidens drew me in from the first pages kept me reading late into the night.There were so many twists and turns just as II thought I had it figured the mystery out I was wrong .Highly recommend ,grab this thriller.#netgalley #celadonbooks

This second novel by Alex Michaelides is mainly set at Cambridge where the murder of a student has occurred. But before we can get to that – and, to me, the real beginning of the plot – we must slog through the details of the viewpoint character's past and present. In The Maidens, Mariana Andros, a group psychotherapist, is suffering through her initial months as a widow. The loss of her husband at an early age exerts a pall over her life and her actions. We see Mariana attempt to continue to function as an effective psychologist, but nothing she says or does seems astute or professional. One of the male members of her group is following her around, and she does nothing to stop his behavior and therefore help him, psychologically. There is no evidence of competence here.

So blame all that on the effect of her husband's recent death. Mariana's life is upended by a frantic call for help from her niece Zoe. Thus starts the problem/mystery of the novel. Zoe's close friend at Cambridge is missing and Zoe fears she is dead. Zoe's right. Mariana wiggles her way into the police investigation and is present when other murders of female Cambridge students are discovered. Is she more astute at this point and able to aid the investigation? No. Still in a fog. Admittedly, the author's excellent depiction of the shadowy, gloomy setting makes the reader feel this murkiness as well.

There is enough suspense to keep us reading to find out “who done it,” but unfortunately little satisfying characterization. The “maidens” are a secret group of beautiful females which star professor Edward Fosca has assembled. But their personalities are stereotypical, and Michaelides' use of the Demeter/Persephone mythology is a thin layer apparently intended to structure and inform the narrative. It doesn't.

Many reviewers write excitedly of their surprise at the ending, and indeed the plot is so full of potential suspects that we nearly fail to keep them all straight. Attempting to work out the clues, as Mariana does, poorly, keeps readers compelled to finish the novel.

This story in itself may be a Greek tragedy in which Mariana must lose everything – her husband, her practice, her identity, her family members, her ignorance – so that she might reach agnagnosis and finally recognize her real self and place in life.

I received a copy of The Maidens from the Macmillan and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. The story references characteristics of many of the Gods and Goddesses in Greek Mythology and is very cleverly written. The proverb “There are none so blind as those who cannot see” can be aptly applied. The author certainly uses a lot of red herrings to keep the reader guessing.

Mariana, troubled by the death of her husband becomes embroiled in a police investigation when a member of a group of women called “The Maidens” is murdered. This woman was a friend of Mariana’s niece, Zoe, the only member of her family still alive. The characters are well developed and the story is very atmospheric. I have to admit, the ending shocked me.

Sometimes second books fall short after the debut one was such a success, but I liked this book as much as I did the Silent Patient and loved the references to that earlier book. I love stories where I am constantly guessing as to what is going to happen next.

This was so good. I really enjoyed the mystery of this one! Michaelides does a great job of giving the reader a chance to get to know the characters and become invested in their lives! The mythological storyline was interesting, and I enjoyed learning about some of the stories as they were woven into the book. The society was fascinating. I loved the obsessive elements! The mystery was great, and I was surprised at the way the story twisted and turned...I did not figure out what was actually going on until it was revealed!!

I highly recommend this for thriller/mystery readers!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Like many people, this was one of, if not my most anticipated read of 2021. I have been on the edge of my seat, and I have never been so excited to be approved to read an arc. I LOVED the Silent Patient. I make everyone I meet who has even the slightest interest in books read it because I know it will blow their minds. I say that first because I knew going into this that I would put this book on an extremely high pedestal.

Things I enjoyed:
- The premise was really interesting, and I loved the idea of the Maidens. The connection to Greek mythology was woven well throughout the book. I think his background knowledge on what he writes really comes through.
- The shorter chapters made it a page turner! I finished this book in basically one sitting (I started a chapter the day before when I was first approved for it, then the rest the next day). The pace sort of shifted around for me, but even in the parts that had a slow burn sort of feel, at the same time it did not drag, which I appreciated!
- He kept me guessing throughout the book. It’s been tough to find a thriller recently that wasn’t super obvious, and I felt like the author threw in a lot of red herrings so there were many directions it could have gone. I thought the actual killer could have been the one for maybe 30 seconds and then ruled it out, so props to the author on that.
- The overlap with the world of the Silent Patient. I love when a writer does this, and this made me even more excited because the Silent Patient is my favorite thriller of all time, and I hope we get to see more of this world in the future!

What I didn't love:
- Despite not guessing the killer, I was not as blown away in the end the way I was in the Silent Patient. I was hoping this one would have had a shocking psychological twist, where Mariana was involved somehow in the murder, or if she were an unreliable narrator perhaps. I do think though this downside for me had much to do with the SUPER high expectations and personal assumption that it would be the same type of feel as his first book.
- The Henry story line. Though it added that element of making me freaked out while reading his parts (and I totally was so great writing there), that story line did not add to the plot for me other than to maybe have another person who could have been the killer.

Overall:
To those expecting a book like the Silent Patient, it was a different sort of feel. It leaned more in the direction of a whodunit to me, which is not at all a bad thing, just a different sort of thriller than his first. Despite many of my comparisons here to his first book, I hope others can see this one as just another thing that this author can do well! Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to others and found it entertaining. I cannot wait to see what he writes next!

3 solid -I was expecting so much more stars!

This time I’m unpopular reviewer. Yes, I disappointed! Yes, I was truly expecting something earth shattering, soul crushing, mind bending, grey cell fryer, unputdownable!

What went so wrong with me?
-one dimensional, very dislikable characterization
-too many plot holes bigger than the cracks in my head!
-Slow, flat, boring beginning
-Too much unnecessary misdirection about the identity of the murder even though it’s so obvious from the beginning
-Meeting with the one of the most useless and miserable investigation team who are always three steps behind a psychiatrist who knows nothing about murder investigation

The things I liked:
Short, easy to read chapters

Returning back to same universe where Silent Patient’s story executed( could third book be a crossover! Fingers crossed!)

Academic murder mystery premise with Greek mythology vibes

Delicious Cambridge atmosphere, detailed depictions about the surroundings which takes us virtual vacation to this epic, historical place!

Some parts of the final revelation is also well executed even though there are still so many questions in my head which are still not satisfyingly answered!

Storyline: when I read the blurb which informs us this is claustrophobic, enigmatic, mythology, dark murder mystery about young women students who were brutally killed as a part of a ritual, I was so excited about this interesting premise.

But our meeting with a group of women students called Maidens which is conducted by their narcissistic, flirting professor Edward Fosca took too long! We lost so much time with inner turmoil of heroine: her sadness, grief, her depression etc.

After being introduced to our sad, grieving heroine Mariana Andros, we observed one of her group session and met with her obsessed passion Henry who might be watching and stalking her day and night. Then we learn her tragic past: She lost everyone in her life: including her parents, sister and her beloved husband which makes her think she’s punished by the gods of wrath!

Her niece Zoe who is her only family member, a student At Cambridge calls her to inform her close friend might be missing. When Mariana decides to check on her niece by taking a trip to the university where she has been also a student and met her husband, she realizes there’s a murder investigation and her niece is right. Her close friend Tara is brutally murder.

Mariana decides to console her niece, spending more time at the place by conducting her own investigation. Her number one suspect is professor Edward Fonseca who might be the lover of the victim and he’s also finder of mysterious Maidens group. Tara was also the member of this group and unfortunately she was not the only one brutally killed! Somebody is after the maidens and he/ she is adamant to finish what he/she started!

Overall: I’m giving three , it could be so much better, but there’s still interesting and intriguing premise of the story still kept my attention intact stars!

I wish I was one of the admirers of this book but I missed the author’s claustrophobic, intense, brilliant mind games, psychological, distorted, smart twists and gripping writing style he performed at Silent Patient!

Third one is the charm! I think his next work will be so much better!

So many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for sharing this one of the most anticipated books’ digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

Ever since I read it, I have had a mild obsession with The Silent Patient—so to say I was excitedly awaiting the release of The Maidens would be an understatement. It was important to me to judge this one completely independent of The Silent Patient, and I’m really glad I made a conscious effort to do so.

This was a slow, dark build that kept me guessing all the way through. While I typically don’t enjoy a slow build with a fast and furious ending, the modern day Greek tragedy elements of this one made it worthwhile. The wool was completely pulled over my eyes, once again. Fans of TSP will be delighted with the Easter Eggs sprinkled in. Alex Michaelides has a lifelong fan in me!

Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Alex Michaelides for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!