3.5/5 Overall, I liked this book, but I did take issue with the way several of the female characters were portrayed. I think it's silly when a character just lets men push them around, kiss them even, and just accepts it- have some backbone! What normal woman just lets men go around randomly kissing them and doesn't react? There's also the issue of the "hivemind" and suggesting that all of the women belonging to one group have exactly the same opinions. We're not robots. I've never in my life met a group of women who are so agreeable. Somebody always has their own two cents to add. Finally, the way another character was involved in the ending was also so bizarre and out of character.

Other than all of that, I liked the pacing, the way all of the Greek tragedy was included, as well as the overall plot of the novel and I'd definitely read this author's books again. But let's work on making the female characters resemble actual humans.

When Mariana received a phone call from her niece stating that her best friend has been murders, this perceptive therapist takes it upon herself to prove that Fosca, a professor at the university her niece attends, the same university she once attended, is the culprit in the gruesome murders plaguing the campus. As we follow Mariana, we learn is the calm in the chaos. She is no stranger to tragedy and as she uncovers the mystery we are left speechless by the events that reveal the truth.

As I was listening the audiobook, it was easy to remain captivated by the narration of the book. The plot and the characters were easy to comprehend. While I partially guessed how this story would unfold, I don’t think I was prepared for the entire truth and was shocked, to say the least.

Greek mythology played an important role in the plot, but I must say I was a bit perplexed by the coincidences and constant mention of Demeter. I personally couldn’t see the point of having this goddess consistently brought up. While Mariana felt a great deal of sorrow and guilt over an event that took place in her past, bringing up Demeter didn’t specifically add to the conclusion of the story and I felt there was a great deal of importance centred around this.

This book is perfect for those in search of a suspenseful plot and dark academia setting.

Thank you Macmillan Publishers/Celadon Books and NetGalley for providing me with this audiobook.

Thank you MacMillan Audio from Celladon Books, Michael Michaelides and NetGalley for an advance reader's copy of The Maidens.

I enjoyed reading the Silent Patient by the same author so much that perhaps the expectations on Michaelides' second novel were too high. I would have read this book, no matter what the reviews would say. I actually received an audio version of the book and the narrator is very enjoyable, she serves the story well.

The settings were appealing, the coast of Greece and the Cambridge Campus make for very nice backgrounds.

The story itself was a bit of a letdown, this is not really a psychological thriller but a murder mystery in Cambridge. The more I listened, the less I liked it. There were multiple developments along the story with minimum variations, I thought they were repetitive and they didn't contribute to a richer mystery. It feels like every occurrence was written with the intention of leading the reader towards the bad guy, the push so extreme that it was clear that the clues were misleading.

Those involved in solving the murder mystery seem to miss a lot, the plot feels implausible and yet the ending is easy to guess.

Finally, I wish I would have counted the number of "I see" answers in the dialogues. Way too many.

I gave the book 3 stars because I didn't hate it but rather, felt disappointed in concept and style. I will probably still read the next book by Michaelides.

I love this narrator, and this would normally be the type of book that I really get into.

It had some major credibility problems, for example with the way that the protagonist suddenly became a “detective” and put herself into dangerous situations without involving the authorities. They tried to mitigate this by showing the police as indifferent and disbelieving of her claims, but the police character seemed like a caricature and none of it was believable..

Another example was all the touching of what may be evidence in murders, the way the police captain manhandled the postcards for example,. It just didn’t ring true.

The final straw was the ending, for which no groundwork was laid..

I’m giving three stars and if I could give 3.5 I would, primarily for the narration.

Maidens was a psychological thriller which I love to read. I went into this book not comparing with the author Alex Michaelides previous book the “Silent Patient” which I liked. This book also had the shock factor at the end. I always love a good twist. Unfortunately, this book lost my interest quickly. Quite a bit of unnecessary misdirection in “whodoneit.” A women lurking around for a murder at Cambridge University for several days just seemed unrealistic to me. I thought it was brilliant of the author to link his two books. I liked the book, but wanted to love it. I listened to the audio version of The Maidens and thought the narrators did wonderful job with the book. Thank you Netgalley, Macmillion Audio, and Celadon Books for the advance audiobook.

Great academic setting that manages to stay removed from the outside world even as mayhem occurs. Subtle blend of good and evil in some of the characters, while others seem distinctly evil. A few funny short scenes as well. Story moved along at a good speed and I had not figured out who had done what until the very end. Narration was excellent. Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

Mariana returns to Cambridge after her niece's best friend is murdered. She goes to help comfort Zoe, but the university's beloved professor, Edward Fosca, seems a bit off. Mariana integrates herself into the case, certain that Fosca is the murderer. She is determined to prove it.

This book was OK for me. Not great, not terrible. While I accurately pinpointed the villain, the reason behind their behavior was a bit too out there and unreasonable to me. I almost went down to 2 stars due to that "twist".

I listened to the audiobook. I found the narration to be a bit slow- I almost increased the speed. It was clear and easy to follow.

I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another captivating read from NY Times bestselling author of the Silent Patient. This compelling look at the intrigues of college life, murder and mental health comes to life with a multiple voice audiobook. Fans of Michaelides will enjoy a cameo from from a familiar character.

Thought this would be more like the Silent Patient, which I loved, but it really felt like another author wrote this. The story and the mystery were good, but I think I just came in with too high of expectations.

Mariana Andros is a group therapist still reeling from the death of her husband when she receives a call from her niece, Zoe. Zoe's good friend Tara has been murdered. Mariana quickly comes to suspect the school's Greek Tragedy professor Edward Fosca. But no one will believe her, so Mariana sets out to prove that Fosca is murdering members of a secret society known as the Maidens.

Wow. I had really enjoyed Michaelides first novel, The Silent Patient, so I was pretty sure I'd like this one too, but I didn't expect to like it this much. Mariana is troubled and complex so I definitely felt like she was in over her head a lot of the time and her emotions were overiding her logical sense. The ending blew me away. This is a fast paced book with a dark storyline that gets even darker as it goes on.

I listened to the audiobook and found the reader to be easy to listen to. Great pacing and the subtle changes in voice for different characters was not distracting or overwhelming.

On sale June 15, 2021.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Maidens is a creepy, edge of your seat, psychological thriller. The book revolves around Mariana who is grieving the loss of her husband and finds herself immersed in the murder of a girl at her niece's university. "A creature born from myth" preys on the campus and Michaelides shocks readers once again with a surprising ending. I enjoyed the story, but enjoyed the narration even more.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Mariana is a group therapist, and former student at Cambridge University. Where, her niece Zoe now attends. When she comes to find out one of her nieces friends were murdered she gets wrapped up in all the secrets and questions involving the crime. A professor named Edward Fosca, a group known as the maidens, greek myth obsessions and a sinister feel hovering over Cambridge; Mariana is determined to uncover it all even while putting herself in extreme danger.

I was so excited to get the opportunity to dive into this dark story before the release. I did really enjoy it and thought it was an entertaining book but there was a few parts of the story I felt dragged and were kind of repetitive. The setting was perfectly written and this would have been such a great book to read during spooky season! I would recommend this book but it definitely wasn't my absolute favorite and although I didn't guess the twist in anyway, it still didn't really shock me for some reason and leave me thinking about it days later.

The Silent Patient is one of my favorite psychological thrillers so I – unfairly - anticipated the same twisted energy in The Maidens. While I enjoyed it, I was a bit disappointed. I took some time to think about just what it was about The Maidens that fell a bit flat for me and what I enjoyed about it.

Here’s what I liked about the story:

• The setting is dreamy! Academic settings are my jam. Add in a dash of gothic mystery and murder and I’m sold.
• The interspersion of Greek Mythology throughout the book is magical and I loved it!
• The nods to The Silent Patient and seeing Theo again! It’s been too long, Theo, my friend!
• The narrators are the bomb-diggity! Kobna Holdbrook-Smith and Louise Brealey are amazing and made this an absolute joy to listen to!
• I listened to this in just over a day, so it is compelling & engrossing! I had a burning need to know who the murderer was and what was their motivation!

Here’s what I didn’t like:

• The characters. I believe there’s a certain amount of naivete needed for some characters to get to the gist of a story but it felt a bit overdone. I didn’t feel like I got to know any of the characters very well.
• How does a college professor at a prestigious school get away with draping himself with gorgeous young students, meeting in his rooms for *private* tutoring, etc. … and it doesn’t raise an eyebrow? With anyone?
• Red-herrings: There were so many distraction/misdirection characters that were saying “look here, it’s obvious, I’m the killer” but yeah, they weren’t. At the half-way point, everyone, literally everyone, was a suspect. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing.

Despite the things I had difficulty with, I still give The Maidens a solid 4 stars and would recommend it to any fan of the genre. My thanks to Macmillan Audio for this generously gifted ALC!

I read the Silent Patient when it first released and remember enjoying it so I was eager to be able to receive this ARC. This book was not for me. I unfortunately found the storyline and characters very dull.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMilan Audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sophomore novels are tough, especially when your first novel is a runaway hit.
The premise has a lot going for it: Cambridge, murder, a mysterious society, a charismatic professor, Greek mythology! All the elements are there, but I wasn’t captivated.

Widowed Mariana is drawn back to Cambridge, when a college student is found murdered. Cambridge holds the memories of her courtship to her husband and the mystery of the murdered student. She races to find answers before more lives are lost.

I might be growing out of dark academia. I didn’t find anything new and insightful in it. The nod to Michaelides’s first novel was interesting, but was not elaborated on.

The audio book has two narrators, both do a wonderful job, the male narrator’s voice is creepy and great!
Thanks to netgalley for the audio book, it is very well produced.

ARC Review: The Maidens by Alex Michaelides (5 stars)

Truly, I finished this book days ago, and I have been digesting it ever since.
I need each of you to go read this book immediately. I mean it. Literally the moment it releases. Because I have realized the one downside to being blessed with an early copy. Once you read the book and it blows your mind - you have no one to talk to about it! I desperately need to rant, rave, and rage about the wonders of this tale!

A perfect blend of mystery, psychology, and Greek folklore - this book contains my favorite elements. Mixed into this, you have Mariana Andros. While Mariana grieves her own losses, she is suddenly called upon to aid Zoe, Mariana’s niece, when her friend is murdered. Zoe is a student at Cambridge University, which also happens to be Mariana’s former university. When Mariana arrives, she uncovers a web of intrigue that will keep you guessing until the final moments.

I listened to the audiobook, as such, I would also like to note that the narrators are excellent. We all know that a narrator can make or break the experience of consuming a story audibly, and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith and Louise Brealey brought this tale to life beautifully.

Thank you so much to Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley who sent me an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Maidens follows Mariana as she returns to Oxford when her niece, Zoey, is suddenly surrounded by a series of murders that have elements relating to Greek tragedies. As several young women part of a mysterious group called The Maidens on campus begin to drop, Mariana struggles to make sense of the reasoning behind the killers motives.

This was a great read! I found it thoroughly enjoyable. There were lots of left turns and suspense, and I loved the Greek tragedy elements. It was really fun to see where it went. The ending wasn't too surprising to me, but it made it no less enjoyable to go through.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Good murder mystery, with Greek tragedy references mixed in. Loved the Cambridge setting too.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen to a prerelease copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Marianna is clearly grieving the death of her husband, but her behavior is odd and extreme at times. The fact that she constantly falls into bouts of deep nostalgia about her husband feels a little forced, but I found myself “forgiving” the lapses, because she is overcome with grief. The author’s choice makes sense later in the book, but I was quite skeptical while making my way through it.

Michaelides did a really great job of creating an unreliable main character. This definitely increased the tension throughout the book, because the reader doesn’t know what to believe. I was unsure if the events being presented are actually happening, or if it’s only in Marianne’s mind.

Zoe was not a reliable character either. Her motivations and behavior felt suspect, but as the reader, I couldn’t quite figure out why.

Michaelides also threw in a TON of “red herrings” and they all seemed plausible. The idea was solid, but It became frustrating the further I got into the book. It lacked subtlety, but maybe that was the point...to overwhelm the reader.

To be honest, I didn’t find any of the characters very like able, which thrilled me. Add to that the fact that the story takes place on the campus of Cambridge University, and the setting ended up being my favorite “character.”

The story was well crafted and meanders in all the right ways. Michaelides added enough backstory to help the reader understand why certain characters may behave or react the way they do. However, there were a few characters that felt like throwaways. They were introduced and set up as if they might be important, but they ended up being peripheral at best.

The plot hinges on two problems...
ONE: Young women are being murdered on campus and no one knows who the killer is.
TWO: Marianna is directly in the center of the of it all, but it is questionable whether she is unwell and how much of what she thinks and says can be trusted.

Overall, I enjoyed this Mystery/ Thriller (not as much as Michaelides’ previous release The Silent Patient) and would recommend it.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio via NetGalley for the early listening copy of The Maidens! So excited to have had the chance to listen to this! All opinions are mine alone

About the narrators: this was great to listen to, and hard to stop. The male’s accent didn’t seem to make sense for where the character originated from, but the female has an excellent voice. She is very articulate and easy to listen to. I could always tell who was speaking and her differing voices were consistent and on-point.

I really like Michaelides’ writing style, he offers vibrant descriptions of scenery and architecture and I feel like I can really picture things as they happen. I also especially enjoy how the suspenseful, dark, academic atmosphere permeates almost every scene of the book so that I never forget I’m reading a suspenseful, psychological thriller.

There is some interesting psychology in the book too. It did a lot to redeem group therapy in my mind. I read a particularly terrible book on it earlier in the year but Mariana, a group therapist, explains how group actually works and I feel like I got a decent feel for how it is expected to work. Theo (anyone remember the psychiatrist from The Silent Patient?) had a cameo in the book as well which was kind of cool to see. So the book looks at both individual issues and group mechanics when dealing with mental trauma.

Mariana and Fosca were both complicated, multilayered characters. You’ll have to read to find out how so. I loved the Greek influence, how much psychology and Greek tragedy, mythology, and poetry were included in the pages. My biggest issue was the reveal – like – really? It didn’t cause me to hate the book but it was a HUGE leap for me to make mentally, which is what I guess makes a psychological thriller…..good.

There was just the TINIEST touch of magical realism.

My only overall issue was that every single male character was creepy as hell, which kind of detracted because I don’t think every single person needs to be creepy or bad. All of the women were pretty basic.

Overall – totally recommend for fans of psychological thrillers, dark academia, and Greek inspired writing!

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