I liked The Maidens but didn't love it. The ending was a little contrived for me but not so much that I couldn't enjoy the story. I did enjoy the references to characters and places in Michaelides previous novel, The Silent Patient.

The Silent Patient was a fantastically written and plotted mystery/suspense novel. I loved every moment of it. Michaelides managed to recreate those same feelings of mystery, truths obscured or hidden just beneath the surface and almost within grasp, and also this building and titillating suspense in The Maidens.

His titles are always so apt and obvious that I feel it is a method that helps to divert attention. His answers to everything are not obvious, they are deeply hidden and only reveal themselves at the most opportune time. However, the way be manages to pull the reader in while also pushing them away is fantastic. I loved this as an audiobook, the male narrator was wonderful and loves the teasing tone he had. It was almost mocking and really helped to push a very specific idea of the mystery that later becomes a spectacular twist.

As it is, the story is absolutely amazing, but I felt as though the audiobook really brought the story to life and added dimension to both the main character and narrator, and the story itself.

I may have been one of the last thriller-lovin’ bookstagrammer to read The Silent Patient (I finished it in May!) so I was really looking forward to checking out The Maidens.

The premise: Mariana Andros is a group therapist grieving the recent loss of her husband. She gets a frantic call one night from her niece after the murder of her friend in Cambridge. She drops everything to go comfort her niece--the closest living relation either of them has to each other.

When Mariana meets Greek Tragedy professor Edward Fosca, she’s immediately on guard. Fosca is apparently the leader of a secret society of female students at Cambridge called The Maidens, to which Zoe belonged. Mariana is determined to connect Fosca to her death and do everything she can to protect her niece.

Thoughts:

What I liked: The setting. The novel was pretty atmospheric. I loved the Cambridge setting, and could easily picture scenes playing out around the campus.

The concept of The Maidens and its ties to Greek mythology was intriguing.

The pacing was pretty good.

What I didn’t like:
This very much felt like a slow-burn, which I can totally appreciate if the character development is nearly perfect. I just felt like Mariana didn’t live up to her full potential as a main character. I felt myself drifting away from the plot pretty frequently because I just wasn’t that interested in her for a lot of the book. I just felt like she was missing… something.

Maybe I was just at the tail end of a great thriller streak, and this just fizzled a bit more than it sizzled for me at the time. Who knows. It’s a solid three to maybe 3.5 if I had to give it a star rating, so I'll round up ;). I think it’s worth checking out if you are a fan of pretty big plot twists.

Narrated by Louise Brealey, with a few chapters interspersed with narration from Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, it’s worth a listen if you love audiobooks. I think if this is on your tbr, it’s one I’d recommend listening to! Thanks to Macmillan Audio for an ALC of The Maidens via NetGalley.

This book was so good. One of the best suspense/mystery/thriller whatever you want to call it, that I have read in quite some time. You follow Marianne and then a mysterious male who the reader believes is the murderer through the book. Michaelides has such a fantastic ability of building characters where the reader feels like they have solved the mystery, only to have their mind totally blown with the actual reveal. I finished this book and just stared off into space for a good ten minutes because my mind was blown. Cannot wait for more works from this author!
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley who provided this free as an audiobook prior to release for review. All opinions are my own.
4*

I jumped at the chance to review this audio book for the narrator; Kobna Holdbrook-Smith in Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London series is a long-time favorite.

Mariana, a recent widow and therapist, is called to Cambridge to support her niece, whose best friend has gone missing. There are an abundance of suspects, and Mariana fixes on one early, Edward Fosca, a classics professor with a cult-like following of young women.

The story is ok, with an interesting setting among the colleges of Cambridge. I found the inbred intellectualism of the characters increasingly annoying as the book proceeded. Mariana is supposed to be brilliant, but apparently her grief over her husband’s death has blinded her to some obvious clues. Fosca is self-absorbed and arrogant.

Holdbrook is a secondary narrator in the story, and the role he is given is disappointing.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Alex Michaelides sets up his highly discussable psychological thriller in the iconic British university town of Oxford and one of it’s equally iconic campuses. The setting immediately brought me back to Dorothy L Sayers “Gaudy Night” which is one of my favorite Golden Age British Mystery novels, even though the Latin quotations there are Ancient Greek quotations here. Michaelides approaches The Maidens with a skillful hand and an eye for the mystery/thriller novel while expertly intertwining dark academia and psychological influences. You do have to suspend disbelief at times since I would expect even a place so steeped in tradition would have an eye on a male professor having his private tutoring circle consist only of beautiful girls and calling them “Maidens” but if you are willing to roll with that it is an engrossing thriller that will keep you invested until the very end - and end I did not like very much but I’ll let you decide for yourselves. I think this is a good one for book clubs since it provides fodder for discussion.
I loved the narration by Louise Brealey and Kobna Holbrook- Smith - it definitely made me feel right there in Oxford along for the ride !

Just okay. I’m not a die-hard Alex Michaelides fan. I finally read The silent patient earlier this year and I know his new book was a most anticipated read for thriller lovers but I found it underwhelming. Like his first, this one revolves around a therapist- this time a group therapist who ends up acting as an amateur detective thinking she knows who is behind a series of murders at her niece’s college (shocker - she doesn’t). I will give the book this - I did not expect the ending but I didn’t find it quite as jaw-dropping as the ending in his last book. There is also a cameo of Theo and his “silent patient” at the end of this book that will no doubt thrill Michaelides fans. Overall this was a quick read, the middle dragged a bit but the end was satisfying and there were lots more references to Greek mythology that seems to have become the author’s trademark.

I absolutely loved Alex Michaelides's first book "The Silent Patient". I kept checking online for any information on his next book. When I heard it had been released I was desperate to find it. At first, the best I could do was the sample. I devoured that and kept looking for the book. All I was able to find was the audiobook.

“The Maidens” was an excellent book and I highly recommend it. I didn't like it as well as “The Silent Patient”. Considering that was one of my favorite books of all time, I would not let that deter you. I might have enjoyed it more if I had read it instead of listening to the audiobook. I think my adult ADD sets in when listening instead of reading and not being able to reread portions as I go.

I loved the way Alex connected the two books slightly. Both Theo and Alicia are discussed. That was exciting for me. Is it wishful thinking, or does this mean there will be a third book? I hope Alex keeps writing.

The ending in “The Silent Patient” was so shocking and good I reread it and went back further in the book to read and see if I saw any of the clues the second time. It reminded me of my addiction to the movie “The Sixth Sense”.

However, I did not have the same reaction to the ending in “The Maidens”. It did have shock value, but I didn’t like it. It was a little too twisted.

Thank you Brad Pitt for making a movie of The Silent Patient. I can’t wait for the release.

I received this galley from NetGalley.

This is a slower burn of a thriller but in this case I thought it worked. I love campus settings and when you have alleged bad behavior by teachers and students I am always here for it, and that is what we have with this story. Edward Fosca teaches Greek Tragedy at Cambridge University, and is loved by both teachers and students alike, but mostly by members of a secret society of female members known as The Maidens.

Mariana Andros, o former student, is a brilliant (but troubled) group therapist called in to help when a friend of her niece, Zoe, is found murdered in Cambridge. She quickly becomes fixated on The Maidens, and is convinced Fosca is behind it, and that there is something sinister going on with the ancient traditions. When another body turns up, she moves from convinced to obsessed and proving Fosca’s guilt is her only goal. She will stop at nothing to prove this untouchable man is behind it all, no matter the cost.

Overall I really enjoyed this one, I did not see the twist at the end coming, but thought it was a bit odd, if that’s the right word, but being a thriller I went with it and as I have said before, when I don’t see the ending coming then it is great in my book. The audio for this is really good, I loved the dual narrators and they did a fantastic job keeping the creepy atmosphere going the whole time.

Thank you to Celadon Books, LibroFM, and NetGalley for the gifted copy and ALC to review. I highly recommend you add this one to your list!

{Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced listening copy of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘴 by @alex.michaelides!}⁣
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I'd been dying to get my hands on this book and I'm so glad I ended up listening because the audio was so so so good! I finished it in less than 48 hours...which basically means I was walking around my house with ear buds in while doing all of the things.⁣
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I was immediately drawn into this story. Cambridge was the perfect beautiful yet ominous setting. The protagonist was a bit emotionally unstable therefore possibly unreliable. There were lots of sketchy males lurking about. Every element just added to the unputdownableness of this audio. ⁣
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In the midst of unending red herrings, I actually guessed one of the biggest reveals. It truly just made me feel completely validated and added to my listening experience. I finished while out on a walk during my lunch break and burst back into my office to inform my co-workers that "I knew it!" (Their reactions were underwhelming to say the least.)⁣
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In Michaelides fashion, there was more than one big reveal and I definitely didn't see them all coming. ⁣
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Definitely recommend. I will say this is not 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘗𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵. I've seen a lot of people comparing the two but this is a very different vibe. Personally, I think I might have liked this better. Maybe. Still undecided. ⁣

Another page-turner from Michaelides!
This story is a dark academia, totally atmospheric story about the therapist who recently lost her partner when he died. They had been caring for a girl that was in need of parents as a small child and who is now at university at Cambridge. Their daughter, Zoe, was approached by a visiting professor who is from the USA. He has the unusual custom of choosing a group of girls at university that he considers the most impressive and talented and invites them to a secret group, The Maidens. They are all attractive and intelligent young women who have come from privileged backgrounds. Then the member closest to Zoe is missing and found dead. This starts Mariana’s attempts at solving the mystery of who was behind the murder.
The thriller nature of the story was great. If you have read his first novel, there is a lot of similarities here. This maybe due to how recently I read The Silent Patient.
My only critique is the ending is over-the-top in parts and then a let-down in other aspects.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and would recommend it.
I enjoyed the written version of this one better than the audio. The narrator did a fine job and it did not detract from the story. However, given the Greek names and stories, I preferred the written version. For my personal reading.
#TheMaidens #Netgalley #CeladonBooks #MacmillanAudio

This book was a 4 star read until the twist.

What I liked:
-the literary references: I'm a literature nerd/English major, so I really appreciated the nods to mythology and poetry.
-cameos of characters from The Silent Patient: It just tickles my fancy when authors do this. It kind of reminds me of Stephen King's universe.
-the setting: I have a strong desire to visit Cambridge University now.
-how it kept me guessing: I was constantly thinking about who the killer could be and making predictions in my mind.

What I disliked:
-who the killer turned out to be: I just didn't see the connection between why the murders of young women were committed. (I'm trying not to spoil anything) I just don't understand what the motivation would be based on that character's confession.

Overall, I'm glad I listened to it, and the audio copy is very pleasant.

I would rate this book 3.5 stars. The Maidens was definitely a bit of a slow burn. The book is sectioned into "parts", and the first few parts were slow. There was also a lot of background about Greek history with Greek Gods etc., and got a little confusing and boring at parts. However, the book definitely picked up by about 60% through the book. I love books where you don't know what will happen, and although I made many guesses as to what would happen, I didn't guess the end of this one, just like in The Silent Patient. I listened to this book as an audiobook, and really enjoyed the narrator for both parts, especially Mariana's voice. The book also has short chapters, so it was quick to get through. I also really enjoyed the setting of this story, and especially with the audiobook version, it was easy to picture and help you get invested in the plot. The end third of the book was definitely 4-5 stars, but the first 2/3s bring the overall total down since it was quite slow.

Thank you to Netgalley, Alex Michaelides and Celadon Books for the advanced audiobook.

I really liked how the narrator performed on this audio. It was very refreshing that she had the right accent to put the story in perspective. This was a great story by Alex Michaelides. I couldn't help but feel heartbroken for Marianna and her loss of Sebastian. It was real easy to beleive Edward Fosca was the murderer. By all intents and purposes everything was pointing to him. The way he carried himself didn't deter from that either. He had a mysterious quality to him. The fact that he was having private meetings with just his female students should have thrown up alot of red flags, and I don't see how any college would allow that to go on. I immediately had my back up about Zoe. I knew there was something quite not right about her. You could tell she was hiding something that would eventually blow up. All in all this was a great psychological thriller. The murders themselves were so gruesome and very tragic. The greek mythologies throughout the story made it all the more interesting. Alex Michaelides knows his stuff. He writes so well about psychology and the deep aspects of mental illness. I also loved the fact that Theo from The Silent Patient made a cameo....we all know what happened there! All in all I am happy with this book, and look forward to reading more of Alex's books.

I did not finish this audio book at about 25%. It was nothing to do with the narrator's who were great. But, I just was not into the story line and the main character. I will not be posting this on other platforms.

Thoroughly mysterious, page-turning and oh so binge worthy! I absolutely loved the narrator and pacing of the audio and I very much enjoyed the Easter eggs of The Silent Patient, too. Solid sophomore thriller from Michaelides - very smart!

I expected to like the book. THE SILENT PATIENT is probably my favorite psychological thriller, so there was little doubt I would like this one.

What absolutely blew me away, however, was the audio quality. Not only were the narrators absolutely perfect for their roles (I say “roles” because they definitely brought the same amount of gravitas to this performance as an Oscar-winning actor) but the music setting the tone at the beginning and the overall quality of the audiobook makes this a fantastic production. This is what an audiobook should be.

If you are a fan of this book... read no further.

This is about to be a BRUTALLY honest review, emphasis on "brutal".

I actually hate this book. I hated The Silent Patient too, but I thought, "Hey, let's give this author another shot." Nope, this author just is not for me.

Here's what I did like: The author is extremely talented in his writing style. It's more novelistic versus a true blue thriller book. The writing style is beautiful and makes me want to power through the book. I loved his settings and character descriptions, and I loved all of the references to Greek Mythology. I think he has the right idea, but the wrong bitch. (Sorry not sorry for the TikTok reference.)

Here's what I didn't love about it: This story has a cast of extremely shady characters, that could basically all be murderers and/or bad people. So much so that it almost becomes too many shady characters. But for the entirety of the book, it points in the direction of the perfect suspect. It's actual insanity how perfectly framed they become. At some point, even the police have to stand back and say, "No serial killer could be this dumb." It's like sometimes when X marks the spot, you have to realize it's a trap. I mean how can the ending be considered a "twist" when you were never convinced in the first place the suspect was ever your guy.

I'll tell you how the author gets away with being known for "huge twists". It's because it's so UNBELIEVABLE I COULD SCREAM. I have seen other people who read this book say, "I figured out the twist halfway through, but I still liked it!" and to that I say, you are insane. There is just no way you could imagine the way this ended. Even if you had, there is NO WAY you understood it. And the epilogue still makes me want to tear my hair out. I can't even talk about it.

Overall, this is "The Silent Patient" all over again. I know everyone loves this author, and that this is a very unpopular opinion, but this is just not what I want when I reach for a thriller.

Did you read The Silent Patient?

Was honored to be gifted an audiobook copy of The Maidens by Alex Michaelides in exchange for this honest review.

Alex Michaelides outdid himself with his first book The Silent Patient. As gripping and page turner of a thriller that book was, the anticipation for this book to be laid out in similar suspense did not disappoint. With that being said, I felt that this one took the reader on alonger journey, building a bigger backstory than needed, until finally revealing the “whodunit” aspect in the story.
I also found myself a little more blindsided by the descriptiveness and details in which the murders were committed. My stomach wrenched as the words were penned cross the page. This book is not for the faint of heart. When the reviews say thriller and suspense, I would throw a tiny bit of psychological horror into that as well.

I appreciated the complexities of the storylines many which were purposely leading you down hypothetical rabbit holes, but also loved the cameo from other important characters from The Silent Patient.

Fans of Ruth Ware, Tana French, and Jussi Adler-Olsen will fall into each page, and devour the mystery of this book.

The Maidens will be released on June 15, and it is definitely THE psychological thriller of the summer. Make sure you put it on your TBR list

After my first encounter with Michealides’ debut novel, The Silent Patient, I was all on board with this next one, The Maidens.

It definitely had the dark academia theme going on and that’s always a plus for me. The story was in a way slow yet steady with introducing the climax. I found it rather intriguing with the protagonist, Mariana, because being a therapist she is also trying to process her on grieve. Her personality on the other was the opposite of attraction. The way she approaches people and when you feel appalled for how she is being talked to, she doesn’t react. And I’m left saying, WTH!. I hope you’ll understand this when you read it lol.

Edward Fosca, the one being accused, sounds charming and stuck up and of course he seems pretty straightforward about his feelings and not to mention intrusive with Mariana’s personal life. I didn’t like that one bit.

Zoe, the niece, is as stubborn as they come and very secretive even though she is asking, no wait, begging, for Mariana for help. That’s one of my pet peeves. You want the help but you can’t even be honest.

I really like the narrator for the audiobook but one thing I know is that I would rather just read it and go back on the clues lol. That’s the only downside of listening rather than reading the book. I would just recommend you all to read it lol.

In any case, this was a good mystery with a plot twist. I am planning on purchasing the book so I can reread it and give my thought to some things that have been said from the protagonist. If you are looking for some good mystery this is it. I give this book 4 out 5 stars.