Everything seems fine in a London bustling college in the 21st century. That is, until word spreads fast that Tara has been murdered. Mariana is a therapist proving her point that the beloved professor murdered three women, Tara included, without the blink of an eye. But a secret society of women, “the Maidens” and all else are against Mariana. So, who really stabbed the three women? Alex Michaelides writes a thrilling follow up to the 2019 bestselling Silent Patient.
Readers will not be disappointed with the did he or didn’t he thriller that unfolds in The Maidens. Mariana is a highly believable, well written character. The backup characters, although numerous, gain importance throughout. Too many details and not enough mystery solving make this read a slow one until around the halfway mark. However, the end is unbelievable with a resolution that you won’t be guessing.
Both narrators tones matched the mood of Michaelides’ novel. The female voice’s British accent matches the setting and allows the listener to better understand the setting. The male’s voice has depth and emotion that filled the novel’s purpose.
Readers will want to listen to this thriller when it is released June 15. Be ready to crack the case of The Maidens.

Thank you so much to author, Alex Michaelides, Celadon Books (for the physical, advance reader copy) and Netgalley and Macmillan Audio (for the audio advance reader copy) of my most anticipated thriller of 2021, “The Maidens”.

This was a 4.5 star read for me, and I’ve rounded up to reflect that.

After reading “The Silent Patient” I knew I would want to read more from Alex Michaelides, in the future. I really feel like his writing is set apart from other thriller writers, and especially when I think of other male writers (writing women) - even well established authors like Stephen King or Riley Sager - there is a noticeable difference in descriptions and care in telling their stories. So when a “dark academia” thriller was announced I immediately started trying to get my hands on an ARC. I mean, SIGN! ME! UP!

The descriptions are lush and atmospheric. As if the setting, Cambridge, arguably the perfect academic setting, wasn’t enough... as if the promise of a secret society and Greek Myth weren’t enough... this book has so many fun twists and turns that will have you guessing till the end.

Some technical things I loved were the short chapters and the sectioning off into parts. The short chapters propel you forward so that you can really binge it in sections. And the parts breaks come at the best time for taking a minute evaluate your thoughts or even stop for the day or night of reading. It’s the kind of structuring that makes it ideal for a mini-series adaptation. Which, if someone wants to get on that, let’s get it going!

This book had all the makings of a perfect thriller for me, and it absolutely delivered. As I was reading to took note of things that could be handled in a problematic way, and those things, to my delight, were handled quite well. The entire novel deals with the fact that all of us have trauma. It looks at the ways we grieve. It allows us to dissect the characters through the eyes of a therapist, and even use what we’ve learned to look at the main character. Mental health is not villainized, rather looked at in the complex ways trauma and mental health effect people, no matter our actions or bias or perspective, we are all shaped by it. Rather than use it as a device the author invites us to perceive the actions of others with empathy and complexity. I appreciated the sympathetic way Mariana (the MC) looked at others because of her career as a therapist. I also loved the Greek Mythology throughout. There are constant references to two, specific goddesses and to specific lines from tragedy, there are professors who are well versed in the myths and tragedies. The way the myths are discussed, for someone like me who is obsessed with myth, it just made me want to re-read the plays mentioned, or find novels based on the goddesses. I love when a book inspires you to read.

The rest of my review and the reason I docked it .5 stars as well as the trigger warnings that I think are important is below.

I docked a half star, mostly because of the villainous monologue at the end. I never like these, although I fully appreciate that there isn’t a great way to do a reveal without one. I did think that the way it was given was exciting and interesting, and so in the end, I didn’t mind too much.

The trigger warnings I noted while reading are for;
>grief
>abuse
>self harm
>infertility
>murder of a pet (part 4, chapter 1)

All in all, I highly recommend this novel and can’t wait to see more people read and discuss this book! What a treat!

Edward Fosca is a handsome and charismatic Greek Tragedy professor at Cambridge University but Mariana thinks he is a murderer. Fosca is adored by staff and students. The members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens are intrigued by him. Why would the professor target one of his students? Why does he keep returning to the rites of Persephone, the maiden, and her journey to the underworld? Mariana is determined to find out. This book kept me guessing until the very end. I enjoyed the writing and the Greek tragedy references. There are a lot of twists and the ending was a complete surprise. I would recommend this book and I am looking forward to Michaelides next book. I would like to thank McMillian Audio and Celadon Books and NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy for an honest review. I listened to the audio and read along with the book. I enjoyed the narrator and it was a great experience.

When a young student is killed at her niece’s school, Mariana drops everything to help. As she gets closer to the truth, she fears for the life of not only her niece but for all the girls included in her study group.

The twists were only mildly surprising but the story was a quick one and I enjoyed it.

I’m thankful to NetGalley for an arc of the audio book in return for an unbiased review.

Mariana is a group therapist that becomes entwined in a cluster of murders, at her former university, when her niece’s friend is found dead. The mysterious Maidens society, overseen by Professor Edward Fosca, also seem connected due to the fact that the members are the ones found up murdered. Mariana decides to help her niece by trying to solve the mystery and help identify leads, but all suspicion points to the cult leader.

The style of this novel is very similar to the author’s other work, The Silent Patient. It keeps you guessing and even makes you question the authenticity of the narrator at times. I really enjoy the ties between the two novels – how many of the characters in The Silent Patient make an appearance. Mystery/Psychological thrillers are not my typical genre, but I really like this author and his style. There seems to be a huge, believable twist at the end that leaves your head reeling; in my case… did I hear that right?!?!

The female voice acting is well done. I believe it is the same woman that did the Silent Patient. She is easy to understand and switches between character voices well; each character is distinct. The male voice actor is not heard often, but he has a deep gruff voice that is rather… I would describe as alluring.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC. We have done Alex Michealides’ other book for book club, would consider this one as well. It always leads to interest discussion. We will not purchase the audiobook for our library, but will definitely get a copy of physical book – probably in several languages once it is released in them.

The Maidens was pretty "meh" for me. I should note that it takes me A LOT to really enjoy thrillers (I'm not really sure why except that I typically go for more character-driven books than plot-driven ones), but I've certainly found a few that I've really loved.

For me, this one didn't feel very special or unique. I like that it takes place on a college campus and has aspects of Greek mythology in it. And I did enjoy the main character, Mariana, a group therapist in England. I felt like I connected with her and was invested in her story. She's still grieving for her husband who passed away the previous year when her niece (of whom she's the guardian) calls from her Cambridge college to tell her that her best friend has been murdered. Mariana immediately goes to her and basically ends up staying in an effort to solve the murder.

I thought it was a bit strange that the police weren't doing a better job and Mariana seemed to discover more clues than they did. Of course, there are lots of suspects throughout, but I mostly figured out what was happening about halfway through. And honestly, even that felt a little odd and unrealistic to me.

The narrator does a great job in the audiobook and I found the book to be enjoyable to listen to, even if I wasn't totally captivated. I'm still happy I listened and I'm glad that many others have been really enjoying this one!

A secret society of all female students and a murder? Sign me up immediately. I love the premise, it pulled me right in unfortunately the story fell short for me.

Mariana seemed well thought out but a lot of the other characters felt one dimensional. I think if I could see them all as more fleshed out people, I may have enjoyed it more. I really would have loved more of The Maidens and their secret society, I was really intrigued by them. I enjoyed the mystery throughout and trying to figure it all out but I was not a fan of a big twist..

I wasn't huge on The Silent Patient and I'm not huge on The Maidens, I think this author just may not be for me.

Let me start this review by making a confession...I was not a fan of The Silent Patient. However, I decided to give the author another chance when I received an ALC from MacMillan.

Thrillers are not my normal genre, but I will read them from time to time. The Maidens did capture me right from the start. It tells the story of group therapist, Mariana, that is still reeling from the death of her husband last year. When her niece at Cambridge calls to tell her that one of her classmates has been brutally murdered, Mariana rushes to Zoe's side to offer her support. At Cambridge, Mariana discovers the secret world of the Maidens and grows suspicious of their ring leader, Professor Edward Fosca. As more girls wind up murdered, Mariana is in a race against the clock to prove Fosca's guilt before she turns up dead herself.

I listened to the audiobook for most of the book, then finished up reading the last 30% of my physical copy, because I wanted to know how this would all unravel a bit faster than my ears could listen. The story kept me entertained and I enjoyed the narrator's cadence and how she characterized her voice to fit different people. The bonus male narrator for some of the chapters gave the audiobook a fun change of pace. There are also passages written in Greek and the narration provided a great listen into what the language actually sounds like (which is far more eloquent than it was in my own head).

The part of the book I enjoyed the most was how Mariana tried to analyze who committed the murders and got into the mind of the killer. It was fascinating trying to find the motive of the killer, not the who did it, but the why they did it. The nods to Greek mythology was also fun. It's been a hot minute since I've studied them (hello middle school).

The story has a lot of red herrings along the way and I definitely had my theories of what really was happening. I wanted to love this book. I wanted to give this author another chance, but sadly, the ending made me not like the book as much. For me, it was a little far-fetched, and a bit disturbing, to be honest. I get that thrillers need to have shock value, and the ending definitely did have shock value, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. Had the ending been just a tad different, it would have been a 5 star read for me.

3.5 stars. This novel was riveting. I was hooked from the get-go. I think I was really disappointed by the ending. I'm not really salty that I didn't figure it out; I think I was just expecting better from Alex Michaelides.
Marianna Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist. Her niece, Zoe, calls her from Cambridge where a friend has just been murdered. Marianna is convinced that Professor Edward Fosca is to blame. She becomes convinced, despite his alibi, that he is the murderer. Her obsession with proving Fosca's guilt spirals out of control and ultimately Marianna's own life is endangered.
I also want to point out that more than halfway through, there is a tie-in with the Silent Patient, Micaelides, 1st novel. It also follows up at then ending as well.

*Special thanks to McMillan Audio and NetGalley for an early audio file of this novel.*

I loved The Silent Patient, and I was eager to read this follow up, especially once I heard that there were connections between characters in this book and characters in The Silent Patient.

This was a slow burn thriller steeped in Greek mythology. Past and present events were expertly woven together, and my interest was piqued throughout.

The audiobook narration was crisp and fluid, even as the voice actor switched between English and American accents. I was impressed.

Thank you, Macmillan Audio, for an advance listening copy of this title!

The premise for The Maidens immediately piqued my interest. A ritualistic murder on a prestigious college campus, with a Classics professor and his select group of all female students, known as the Maidens, at the center of the intrigue? Yes, please. I love dark academia, especially when combined with the study of Ancient Greek and classical literature. I went in hoping form something along the lines of The Secret History, which I absolutely adore. But I liked what this book pretended to be far more than what it actually was. If that makes sense. Alas, The Maidens fell a bit flat for me.

I actually groaned out loud at the twist. I was so disappointed with where it went. I felt played, and not in a fun way. There was some truly great setup for something else here, but the twist came out of left field with absolutely no breadcrumbs leading to it. It felt forced and false, and reminded me of the problems I had with Michaelides’ previous novel. But while I didn’t love how things turned out, the rest of the story was interesting enough to make my experience with it vaguely positive overall.

There is a brief reference to the author’s previous novel, The Silent Patient, and the case around which that story centers. This was a fun addition, I suppose, but it actually served to pull me out of the story. I thought it was unnecessary and distracting, but that’s a personal opinion. I’m sure there will be other readers who love this little nod to The Silent Patient.

Something random that bothered me through the entirety of the book: why does every single man who crosses our perspective character’s path seem to have the hots for her? I know she’s evidently a beautiful woman, but having 4 different men pursuing her to varying degrees over the course of the novel was a bit much. And elicited more than a little eye-rolling. What I will say, though, is that the audio for this is stellar, except for the voice given to one particular character. If you’re a fan of BBC’s Sherlock, be aware that Louise Brealey is the main narrator here!

The Maidens wasn’t a bad book. But it didn’t live up to its potential. If you’re in the market for a mystery, this one might be refreshingly different. However, if you go into this book looking for dark academia along the lines of The Secret History, I’m afraid you might be disappointed.

The Maidens centers on Mariana, a group therapist in London. Her niece's best friend is murdered at Cambridge University, and Mariana goes to be with her niece. Soon Mariana inserts herself into the murder investigation. She is sure that Greek tragedy professor, Edward Fosca, is the murderer. A few more students are murdered before Mariana finds herself in danger. In true Michaelides fashion, there are unexpected twists and turns before we get to the answers.

Mariana's character was multi-layered and had depth, and I really enjoyed being in her thoughts. However, there were several characters (Mariana's former professor, her therapist mentor, and a former fellow student) whose characters were very flat. They seemed to be inserted into the story simply to move along to the next plot point. If more characters were as well thought out as Mariana, it would have made for a much better flow and believable story.

I don't know a lot about Greek mythology. I enjoyed the references to it, but I would have felt more engaged if there was more explanation and background about them.

I listened to the audiobook. I loved the narrator except for her voice for Edward Fosca, an American professor. Her accent for him was inconsistent.

Overall I enjoyed the book, but it is not a favorite. Thanks to NetGally for the review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Alex Michaelides has done it again. I could not put this down! The blend of ancient mythology, peer pressure, and mystery was so exciting. Mariana was a great main character, completely driven by the desire to catch a murderer who is targeting a clique of young women. Great twists and character development. The male narrator is truly creepy. Thanks @netgalley for the e-ARC!

I was looking for a good thriller and I mostly got it. This is a campus novel that really had me guessing who was the murderer throughout. I thought I had it figured out several times, but I did not. However, the dramatic reveal at the end was not one that I liked at all. I found it quite off putting. The audio was very well done, though.

I confess I was not previously familiar with this author, but was pulled in by the cover art and the general plot summary.
I am glad to say it ended up being a heck of a book - and in particular a heck of an audiobook, perfectly narrated by Louise Brealy and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. It manages to be both cerebral literature AND a cracking-good thriller - a feat almost unheard of, outside of Umberto Eco.
There is so much going on here - compelling characters and backstories, subplots, extensive references to characters and events from Greek mythology, a chilling counter-narrative from an unknown journal writer, a murder mystery, a probable but unprovable murder suspect, a mysterious cadre of unusual girls, trust issues, grief, obsession… And triumphantly it all eventually ties up neatly, in a well-crafted conclusion that will linger in your mind, well after it ends.
I received a free copy of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review, and I’m so glad to have been given the opportunity.

I’ll be honest I was a bit underwhelmed & thought it was predictable but I also felt that way about TSP as well. I really wish we got more insight into the actual maidens & their secret society! The pacing was nice & it was a quick read but I just wish it was a bit harder to figure out the twists. If you liked The Silent Patient & that plot surprised you then you’d likely enjoy this one as well.

As usual, this was absolutely brilliant. I don't usually listen to audiobooks but I wasn't approved for the ebook version. I devoured this! Pick it up when it comes out June 15th!

I loved Alex Michaelides debut novel The Silent Patient, this new novel is equally as fantastic. Mariana is a group therapist, trying to recover after losing her husband, Sebastian, in a tragic accident. One night she gets a call from her niece Zoe, whose friend has been found dead. Mariana cannot seem to let it go after discovering a secret society, The Maidens, and many Greek mythology ties to the apparent deaths. What happens next is a twisted, dark, enthralling unraveling of unbelievable tragedy and horror. Throughout this novel I repeatedly thought I knew who had killed the young members of The Maidens only to be proved wrong time and time again. Michaelides does an excellent job once again of keeping the reader engaged and on their toes.

A Greek tragedy turned psychological thriller for the modern age 🔎

I have ✨no words✨ I'm horrified and slightly miffed from that epilogue. But before we get into it let me give you a quick summary:

Grieving widow, a.k.a. Mariana Andros, is a group therapist. Mariana rushes to Cambridge to console her troubled niece after a grisly murder. She then teams up with said troubled niece to solve the murder(s). The pair begin to suspect one professor at Cambridge with a cult-like following of women called 'The Maidens' to be the prime suspect.

(I fan-casted him as Ben Barnes, not that any of you were remotely curious.)

And of course, madness, affairs, misdirections, and horrors ensue.

First of all, the narrator for this audiobook was brilliant. And the male narrator for the villain?? So thick and molasses-ey and creepy all at the same time! The story started off really strong, with a beautifully written, stream of consciousness prose showcasing the mechanics of Mariana's grief. I LOVED Fred and believe he should be protected at all costs. Mariana was so sad and so strong, and I honestly relished the inner workings of her mind, seeing the way she peeked back at the past with rose-tinted glasses.

Michaelides started to lose me around the halfway point, and had to drag me a bit the rest of the way, but that ending had my ears perked. And then I was promptly outraged, disgusted, and horrified. This was my first thriller/mystery, and it was a nice introduction. I'll be sleeping with my bedroom light on tonight!

#guppy

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for sending me an ARC of this audiobook!

Writing Quality: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
World-Building: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Characterization: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Dialogue: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Plot: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Pacing: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Enjoyment Level: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

「 Overall: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 」

THE MAIDENS by Alex Michaelides

"She was in love even though he was gone forever, gone behind the veil. Behind the veil, behind the veil. Where was that from? Tennyson probably. Behind the veil, that's how it felt. Since Sebastian died Mariana no longer saw the world in color. Life was muted and grey and faraway, behind a veil, behind a mist of sadness."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

THE MAIDENS feels like getting lost in an ancient forest. The slow, musing narrative wraps around you, abandoning you in a haze.

It's modern day, Cambridge, England, but the world and voice feels historical, perhaps Edwardian. The voice was one of my favorites in awhile: thoughtful and introspective, cultured and unhurried.

I was completely wrapped up in the story and absolutely did not see the ending coming. It's one of those where you have to sit and stare at the wall awhile, thinking, before you return to the tangible world.

Highly recommended.

Swipe for Goodreads summary.

•

NARRATOR

The narration is ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, probably aiding the ruminative voice of the text. The male narrator has a deep, hypnotic, sexy voice--not what I would have imagined for the villian. It adds a dimension to the text I probably wouldn't have gleaned.

•

WRITING CRAFT NOTES

Let 👏 your 👏 prose 👏 breathe 👏.

•

RELEASE
Pre-orders now. Pub-day is June 15.

I received the audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.