Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of the audio book. I was absolutely thrilled to receive this selection and couldn’t wait to banish myself to my deck no press play. The Maidens takes the reader on a journey to Cambridge where the niece of psychotherapist Mariana is enrolled. Mariana comes to her niece’s aid when a a young woman is found murdered. It just so happens that this young woman is Tara’s ( the niece) best friend. Soon a number of other female students are found murdered and a professor is the target of Marianna’s investigation.

Intertwined within the plot is a secret society called ‘The Maidens”, a group of students who study Greek tragedies and who loyal to their professor. For good measure Michaelides throws in characters whose mental illness abounds, the recent loss of Marianna’s husband, and shady characters who seemly enter the plot for no reason… and so goes the plot of ‘whodunnit”.

Michaelides is an excellent writer, there is no doubt of this, however unlike his earlier novel “The Silent Patient”, I was able to discern early on who was behind the hideous murders. The surprise ending was not so much a surprise. Furthermore, I found the development of Zoey’s character and actions to be contrived. Someone who is so obviously mentally ill could not conduct herself in the manner that she did for so long. A young impressionable girl does not handle grief or loss well and for her to continue to carry out the ‘plan’ was just not plausible. It was as if another character was introduced in the last chapters. I just couldn’t get over the ending. It is akin to writing ‘ she woke up and found it was all a dream. THE END”

I wanted so much more from this book than I got, but here are the positives: Alex Michaelides definitely knows how to situate his readers. I felt like I was in Cambridge-from the local haunts to the geography of the colleges, the culture of the halls and the rooms, the sense of privilege. He gave plenty of details to ensure that the reader didn't feel like they were in some unnamed anonymous university somewhere, but in a very specific place. As far as the characters though ... I gotta say, I'm not sure he pulled off a fully three-dimensional female protagonist. Despite having a very detailed backstory, the main character, Mariana didn't feel like a flesh-and-blood human being, but a vessel through which stuff is being made to happen.

And the mystery itself was a little half-baked. The motive for the crimes, the heroine's fixation on the main suspect and what ultimately happens to him all felt very contrived, and the resolution rushed. There was also something different about the writing in this one--lots of summarization and telling, particularly when it came to occurrences, which was jarring since the setting was so lovingly described that you could picture it. The chapters were short, which can work to move the action along, but in this case some of them were plain ol' unnecessary. An entire very short chapter was dedicated to the heroine leaving her rooms and walking to a pub, for instance. Other significant segments were dedicated to describing meals, and yet the conversations and plot developments were basically told to us, rather than shown as evolving. And the police investigation, led by the appropriately non-white chief inspector (because it's the new millennium after all and we gotta show non-white people in leadership positions) was so thinly drawn it was almost non-existent.

Finally, the end of the book ... it was definitely consistent with the kind of ending we saw in 'The Silent Patient' but in this instance, it felt like one of those fireworks that screech loudly as they ascend, only to offer a lackluster sputter of sparks that are quickly extinguished. I think this author is going to produce much better work in the future. He definitely knocked it out of the park with his debut. But this one barely connected for me. If I had to say why, it would be for all the reasons above, but the fatal flow for me was the inadequate use of the main hook-The Maidens were little more than window-dressing. He never quite delivered on the promise of an exciting novel featuring the weird goings on with an insular, mysterious group of beautiful acolytes of a charismatic professor. By the end of the book, you'll barely remember their names and know little of their personalities. I'll await and read his next one, but this one I'm sure will not be remembered as a favorite.

Audiobook Note: I got the audiobook from Netgalley. The narrator is very good. Moody, well-modulated for the main character, and very measured with male voices which is a must for female narrators.

The Maidens is a psychological thriller with many twist and turns. This is my first book by Alex Michaelides, his storytelling did not disappoint. The story had me guessing all the way until the end. I listen to the audiobook and the narrators did an excellent job. Thank you @NetGalley, @MacmillionAudio and @AlexMichaelides for the advance audiobook for my honest review.

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides, narrated by Louise Brealey and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audio-ARC for an honest review.

The narrators were wonderful. As I really enjoyed 'The Silent Patient', I was really looking forward to this book. It didn't disappoint! I found it very suspenseful and thought I knew who the guilty person was. Was I ever mistaken!

Looking forward to the next book by Alex Michaelides.

#NetGalley #TheMaidens

I'm the unicorn who hasn't (yet) read Alex Michaelides' The Silent Patient. At this point there's been so much hype about it (and I've seen good reviews and bad) that I've been afraid I'll almost surely be disappointed. But now that I've read The Maidens, I do believe I'm ready to jump into The Silent Patient soon.
Mariana Andros, the main character, is troubled - she's a gifted group therapist but she's still reeling from the loss of her husband. When her niece's university friend is murdered Mariana becomes involved in trying to determine who the killer might be, and while she has one specific suspect in mind, as a reader it's much less clear. It was twisty and turny and overall I enjoyed this one - but I don't want to say too much and give anything away. I will add that it was very well narrated - the two narrators, Louise Brealey and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, reading the two points of view definitely added to the enjoyment, and to the mystery.
My thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an advance copy for an unbiased review.

Alex Michaelides shows readers how susceptible people can be when they are entranced by an older man:

Mariana is a group therapist who is trying to combat her own trouble since her husband died in a tragic accident. Mariana knows that group therapy will not only help her but those in the group as well if they will let it. But Mariana is going to have to put her group session behind her when her niece Zoe calls her to tell her that her roommate is missing, and the police are investigating. Mariana knows that Zoe needs her so she drop everything and head to Cambridge, a school she once studied at as well. While Mariana is on her way, her body is found. What Mariana discovers when she reaches Cambridge is the murderer in Edward Fosca, however, no one is willing to believe her and he appears to be untouchable. He has created a group of young women called the Maidens who he rules over and they will do anything for him. Mariana will have to put all her training to work in order to prove that Fosca is the murderer before any more of the girls get hurt.

I think this will be a different type of review, as I am sure that most people who read The Maidens really enjoyed Michaelides debut novel, The Silent Patient. I'm here to say that I was one of the few that did not enjoy The Silent Patient, however, I did recognized that Michaelides had the ability to tell a story, I just found The Silent Patient was too much of a slow burn for me

So now that we have that out of the way, I will say that this book is the complete opposite of The Silent Patient and a much more traditional mystery novel. So if you are here for something different, like what was presented in The Silent Patient, you will be disappointed. I don't think I can say this enough, this is NOT The Silent Patient.

I wasn't a fan of Mariana "detective" type work? I found it a it mundane. Mariana was a slightly boring as a detective character as she just seemed to muddle her way through it, and thought that by just asking questions she could get the answers that she wanted. This is not how one would conduct an investigation as she completely ignores other evidence. Yes, questioning people is one part, but people are so subjective, remember things differently, and eye witness statements are often not trusted as you can have 10 different people tell you 10 different things after witnessing the same event. That said I think that Michaelides did a good job of lining up quite a few people who could be the murderer and I was just frustrated that Mariana seemed to focus on only one person, I guess it was a perfect example of tunnel vision in regards to a case. For me the more attention the author focuses on that person the less likely I'm going to believe that it is them, as everyone seems to believe there needs to be a big twist in the end, nothing is so straight forward any more. I was not able to figure everything out and did not see one of the twists coming that is for sure, so well done Michaelides, well done.

I liked the nod to The Silent Patient that Michaelides put into this book, it was fun to read and added a time context to everything that was happening and in a way changed how I saw certain things in the Silent Patient. It was not needed in this book but I think that is was a fun add.

I think that as Michaelides keeps writing his books will get better and better. I enjoyed this book much more than his debut and you can tell that Michaelides has the ability to tell great stories, just some of the details need to be worked out.

Enjoy!!!

Unfortunately this book did NOT work for me. I had a lot of issues from the plotting, to the characters, to the reveals. But I'm going to keep this as brief as possible.

1. The characterization of the females characters in here was... unbelievable at best. There were so many moments were I had to pause the audiobook in frustration because the things the women were doing or saying and the situations they were putting themselves in were completely unrealistic. The dinner scene in the professors office was the turning point for me and there was just no recovering from it.

2. I'm all for red-herrings, but they need to have a purpose. I don't like when they're thrown in and never addressed. There were so many elements - Henry, the pinecones, Fred's entire existence - that were idly tossed in and completely abandoned.

3. What. Was. That. Twist. I love when a reveal can take me by surprise, but this was absurd. There was not a single moment of foreshadowing beyond her mentor's cryptic statement (which HOW WOULD SHE KNOW?!). It felt cheap and gross and I honestly hated it. I'm sorry.

This book just missed the mark on every level for me. I'm SO SO sorry. I hate having to write this negative review..

Content Warning: The Maidens is an intense thriller that contains graphic instances of many triggers, including self-harm, animal abuse/death, murder, death, gore, stalking, adult/minor relationship, physical and emotional abuse, child abuse, domestic abuse, toxic relationships, suicidal themes, sexual assault, and grief.

Something terrible is happening at Cambridge University, of that much Mariana Andros is certain. And, at the center of these happenings is Edward Fosca, a Greek Tragedy professor at the University. Beloved by his students (especially by a secret society of female students who call themselves The Maidens), Edward is beyond suspicion or reproach. Which is one, of many, reasons that Mariana knows that he is a murderer. So, when Mariana’s niece, who is a member of The Maidens, is found dead at Cambridge, Mariana becomes determined to uncover who killed her. Her instincts lead her to Edward Fosca, but this mystery runs deeper than she ever could’ve expected. Is it worth getting answers, if Mariana destroys her own life in the process?

You can get your copy of The Maidens now from Celadon Books!

This book was a little too graphic and intense for my tastes and reading it was a struggle at points. If you’re considering picking up a copy of The Maidens but are concerned about some of the content, please be sure to review the listed warnings. Honestly, I feel as though I was the wrong reader for this book, as I am not someone who generally reads thrillers. With these issues aside, there were things I enjoyed about The Maidens. I loved the narrators on the audiobook because their voices were so well suited to the characters and plot. Additionally, I thought the premise of The Maidens was quite interesting, with its dark academic style. Just because I didn’t love The Maidens doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t be a good fit for other readers, especially those who enjoy books full of creepy content.

My Recommendation-
If you enjoy dark thrillers with plenty of twists, you might enjoy The Maidens. This book could be a good fit for fans of Alex Michaelides’ first novel, The Silent Patient.

I received this as an audio galley to listen to for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me access.

Michealides does it again! I couldn't stop listening to this audio book, so much so I may have avoided any and all responsibilities. The twists and turns this story takes, really make you go crosseyed (in a good way) at who you believe the killer is. I love how there are several leads as to who the killer may be, and you are right with the MC in thinking you know, but SURPRISE you don't.

If you loved The Silent Patient, then you will love this even more.

I am going to need a murder board for the next book I read of Michealides just to stay ahead of the game.

The Maidens is the second book I have read by Alex Michaelides. While this story didn’t grip me as strongly as The Silent Patient, I did enjoy it. The characters were well developed and the storyline moved along nicely. I liked how the author included bits of Greek tragedy into the story. The ending felt a bit rushed and left me with a what the heck did I just read vibe. Overall though, it was a good story.

Mariana is a group therapist who is still grieving the loss of her husband, Sebastien, after his sudden death. When her niece, Zoe, calls to tell her that her best friend has been murdered, Mariana hops on the next train. Zoe lives on campus at the school that Mariana attended and happens to be where she met Sebastien. Mariana quickly becomes entangled in the case as the body count keeps rising when the campus killer strikes again. She becomes determined to prove the guilt of a professor named Edward Fosca, who seems to be too comfortable with his female students.

It pained me to give this book this rating. Michaelides’ first novel, The Silent Patient, is one of my fave thrillers I have ever read. I did enjoy the allusions to it in this one (we meet again Theo). What a fun nest egg for his readers! There was just a lot that didn’t work for me in this one. There was way too much going on to the point that the plot seemed scattered. There were also some random characters that I think were supposed to be red herrings but I am just confused by their purpose (Fred?? anyone??). I struggled with the third person narration and I just didn’t really connect with anyone. The ending was a bit surprising but didn’t pack the same punch that The Silent Patient did. I did enjoy the alternating POVs with the letters but I was just left wanting more. I still highly recommend The Silent Patient if you haven’t got around to it yet!

This was an interesting read for me having loved the author’s debut. I liked the premise of this one but I must admit I wasn’t as invested because I really struggled to like the main character. Although I really did love the story of a secret society and I didn’t see that twist coming at all. Bravo , once again to the author. Absolutely brilliant just like his debut..

TW: Family drama, death of a loved one, murder, child abuse, grooming, animal death, cheating, abuse

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book: Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. A handsome and charismatic Greek Tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students alike—particularly by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens. Mariana Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist who becomes fixated on The Maidens when one member, a friend of Mariana’s niece Zoe, is found murdered in Cambridge. Mariana, who was once herself a student at the university, quickly suspects that behind the idyllic beauty of the spires and turrets, and beneath the ancient traditions, lies something sinister. And she becomes convinced that, despite his alibi, Edward Fosca is guilty of the murder. But why would the professor target one of his students? And why does he keep returning to the rites of Persephone, the maiden, and her journey to the underworld?When another body is found, Mariana’s obsession with proving Fosca’s guilt spirals out of control, threatening to destroy her credibility as well as her closest relationships. But Mariana is determined to stop this killer, even if it costs her everything—including her own life.
Release Date: June 15th, 2021
Genre: Fiction Thriller
Pages: 352
Rating: 3.5 ⭐⭐⭐

What I Liked:
• The plot was interesting and felt new
• The characters are likeable

What I Didn't Like:
• Mariana does a lot of dumb things

Overall Thoughts: I didn't care for The Silent Patient but I believe in giving an author another chance, so that brings me here. I listened to the audiobook and it was good though upon listening to the portion of the book when the killer is talking the audiobook has an accent, taking away that it can't be an American. I hated Mariana. She came off needy and annoying. Let the police do their job but no she's so quick to point a finger and so blinded to the clues. It's funny that she is worried that giving the police the random postcards make her think she'll be crazy. Like that's for the case! I loved the mention of Alicia Berenson. I'm a sucker for when two books reference something happening in another. I love that Mariana suspects that Professor Fosca is a murderer but then goes to his house alone as well as taking drinks from him and eating. Like why??

The ending felt so rushed. Like all this build up and in two pages it's over. Also the ending isn't fair. Call me a purist but when you're building a thriller or a suspense novel you have to give the reader a chance to figure out who the Killer is we're not really given that option as the Killer is dead and all we have left to go with is writings left behind that don't point at it being Sebastian. With it being that way it felt like how could I have known him.

Random pet peeve of mine:
I'm so sick of these books doing "part one, part two...." what's the point? Is it building up to something?

Final Thoughts: This book is great if you love short chapters. I moved the rating for this book up because I did like the story and I couldn't guess who the killer was at the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and Celadon books for an advanced audiobook arc. All thoughts and reviews are from my perspective.

I was so excited to read The Maidens after having read and loved The Silent Patient. Unfortunately the hype around this one was a little bit too much, as this book was a bit of a let down for me. The narrator of this one did a great job, but the storyline was a bit too drawn out. I had parts of the twist figured out, but did not quite figure out the big reveal. But I felt the big reveal was a HUGE let down, and I was not okay with the idea of him being a pedophile and the whole grooming process. Not at all where I saw this book going and was quite disappointed.

After loving The Silent Patient so much, I knew I had to give The Maidens a shot.
Right from the beginning I was drawn in. Deaths, students, professor, a therapist and a secret society at the University? I was totally in!

For me. the premise was great and it was promising, but it just fell flat. It was predictable and didn't live up to the previous book. Again, this was me. I felt like I was on the precipice of something big, but it never took hold.
With that said, the narration was great. It's mostly from Louise Brealey's but the little we got from Kobna Holdbrook-Smith was creepy good. It's always good to get that creepy vibe from a thriller. The narration is what kept me going. The performances were great. But I kept finding myself drawn out of the story. Some of the book was so predictable that it was getting a little aggravating, but it did show promise. I would've liked to see the characters fleshed out more to connect with them.

I know I'm vague, but this just didn't hit all the notes I was expecting. It was still alright and I would definitely give the audio a shot as the performances kept me intrigued and I liked the twist that I knew was coming.
3+ stars

Students at a university keep turning up murdered with a nexus to a secret society of university women, with a male professor involved. The main character becomes obsessed with solving the murders and sets her sights on the male professor. This story takes place in an academic setting. "Dark academia" is not my favorite element in a thriller, which is why I preferred The Silent Patient over this book. The Greek mythology references went over my head as well. However, this book had the author's characteristic twists and turns, which definitely kept me guessing. Though one particular reveal I just did not buy. There wasn't enough context for it to make sense or be believable. Overall, I loved that the book kept me guessing, engaged and wanting to know what happens.

This was a good book, but not great. Nevertheless, I could not put it down. I always enjoy a good campus novel, and this one had the benefit of being a thriller. Unfortunately, the twist in the end was not a real one, because I guessed it before. Additionally, the ending is kind of abrupt and quick. I wish we had a little more information. I do feel that if one does not know Greek mythology, it can be a disadvantage. I still recommend it because if is a good read and the writing flows. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I really enjoyed the audiobook of The Maidens. The narrator does an excellent job giving life to the characters and helping to develop the plot of this dark and twisty thriller.

As a storyline - Alex Michaelides did an excellent job. I absolutely loved The Silent Patient, so wasn't sure what to expect with the newest novel. I liked the brief cameo of overlapping characters and the story development and depth of characters was once again excellently done.

Highly recommend if you enjoyed The Silent Patient!

I listened to the audiobook of The Maidens by Alex Michaelides. It had all the elements I had hoped it would have. The narrators, Louise Brealey and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith gave brilliant performances adding just enough intrigue and suspense as the novel was read. It was fast paced and well plotted with short chapters. The characters were well developed and complex. I liked how Alex Michaelides flawlessly managed to reintroduce characters from Silent Patient into this book. The Maidens was dark, suspenseful and gripping. It combined Greek mythology with murder and took on an obsession to convict. There were many clever twists, tense moments and several red herrings. I, for one, did not see the ending coming. It was quite unexpected.

Mariana Andros was a grieving widow and well respected group therapist. She had a brilliant mind but the loss of her beloved husband, Sebastian had left her sad, angry and at a loss of purpose in her life. Then one day, Mariana received a phone call from her niece, Zoe, who was studying at St. Christopher’s college, part of Cambridge University. One of Zoe’s friends, Tara, had disappeared. Zoe feared the worst had happened to Tara and was having a hard time coping with that aspect. Mariana and Sebastian had brought Zoe up together after her mother, Mariana’s sister, and her husband had died in a tragic car accident. There was nothing that Mariana wouldn’t do for Zoe so of course she told Zoe that she would come to the college to try and help Zoe find out what happened to Tara. Perhaps this was just the purpose Mariana was seeking.

It was soon revealed that Tara had been murdered. At her funeral, a group of female students, known as The Maidens, attended the funeral, dressed in all white. Zoe informed Mariana that the girls were part of The Maidens. It was a secret society of all female students led by Edward Fosca, professor of Greek tragedy. Edward Fosca was highly regarded by his colleagues and well liked by the students. Mariana slowly began to suspect Edward Fosca as Tara’s killer, and then even more so when more of the members of The Maidens started to strangely disappear and were later found murdered. In Mariana’s opinion, all evidence pointed to Edward Fosca as the murderer. Mariana was convinced she was right and started to become obsessed with her conviction. The only question Mariana could not justify in her mind was why would a professor want to murder his own students? Could Mariana prove her point before someone else, possibly her niece, Zoe, fell by his hand and Mariana spiraled more out of control with her obsession?

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Celadon Books for allowing me to listen to this audiobook through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I highly recommend this book.

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY: A dark engrossing psychological thriller with a surprising climax.

BRIEF REVIEW: Mariana Andros is a group therapist in London who is still mourning the loss of her husband Sebastian the prior year. She also has a patient who has been stalking her. One day she receives a panic call from her niece Zoe who attends the university in Cambridge. Zoe's friend Tara has been brutally murdered . Mariana is Zoe's guardian and wants to be with her so she drops everything and takes a train to be with her niece.

The murder of Tara is reminiscent of a Greek tragedy and Mariana learns that Tara was a member of a secret campus group called "The Maidens." It's a select group of beautiful, confident young women led by the popular and handsome Professor of Mythology, Edward Fosca who soon becomes a prime suspect. Mariana begins to snoop around and then another girl is dead, murdered in the same brutal fashion. Mariana is sure Professor Fosca is involved somehow. The local police are getting annoyed by Mariana and tell her to stay out of their business but, she's not giving up that fast. Then one day she receives the same type of postcard with a Greek tragedy quote as the other dead girls had received and, things heat up from there leading up to a surprising and satisfying ending.

There were several things I loved about this book. It had several suspicious characters, and number of red herrings to throw the reader off track. It also had a couple of familiar characters from The Silent Patient as well, but, this could certainly be read as a stand alone novel. The audio book was fantastic with dual narrators, a female for Mariana's third person POV and a male voice of a deeply disturbed, possibly psychotic (unknown) man with troublesome childhood memories. Although this one took a bit to get going, a slow-burn, it quickly escalated into high gear. I was blown away with the final reveal.

I loved this author's last novel The Silent Patient so I couldn't wait to try this one. If it hadn't been for the graphic events involving sheep and then a family dog, this would have been a perfect read for me. Why do authors need to spoil a good book by introducing a shock factor involving animals? I felt I had to take off a star because of this.

Thanks go to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for allowing me to download this audiobook at no cost in exchange for my unbiased review.

RATING: 4/5

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