The Maidens was not what I was expecting at all. Perhaps, I am just not intelligent enough to understand the deeper meaning behind the plot or I mistakenly assumed the book was going to be more in the realm of dark academia when all it was is set on the Cambridge campus but overall the storyline was so disparate and not cohesive. It was also predictable since one knows from the Silent Patient that the author likes to give the readers a twist in this book he leaves plenty of crumbs yet he seems to be trying to give a deeper meaning in terms of mental health and it just did not work for me. Very disappointing. HOWEVER, the only reason I was able to finish this book was because I really did enjoy the narration of the audiobook. The narrators kept me engaged in the story even if I was disappointed in the overall plot. I would definitely recommend the audio to my library customers.

OH. MY. GOD. HE DID IT AGAIN. Alex Michaelides managed to blow my mind once again with his brilliance. I am genuinely at a loss for words right now. I was a huge fan of the Silent Patient and as soon as I heard about the Maidens, I knew I would love it and I’m not disappointed in the slightest.

Mariana is a group therapist who lives in London. One day, her niece Zoey calls and is hysterical because her best friend was murdered. Mariana runs to her aid and immediately suspects Greek mythology professor Edward Fosca is the murderer. When the murders continue, she gets more confident in her analysis and becomes fixated on his private group of students known as the Maidens.

I went into this book with such high expectations and they were blown out of the water. I can honestly say there was not one dull moment in the entire book and my heart was beating in anticipation during the last few chapters. FIVE STARS. Easily.

TW: pedophilia, animal cruelty

4.5 stars rounding up to 5 stars.

Wow, this is the best book I’ve read in awhile. The writing was haunting, beautiful, and darkly atmospheric. The Greek myths tied into the novel did wonders for the writing. Ultimately, while this is reminiscent of the Secret History, I much preferred this. The mystery, twists, and red herrings kept me interested throughout.

Overall, I liked Mariana in the beginning, but towards the end she started to ignore flags. For being such a deep and logical person, she seemed to lack self-awareness.

The minor characters were interesting (Clarissa, the Maidens, Fred, etc.) as well as Mariana’s backstory.

The Maiden’s by Alex Michaelides
Publication date: June 15, 2021

4/5 stars
Having read The Silent Patient, I was excited for Alex Michaelides second novel, The Maidens. The blurb had me even more intrigued; secret society of females known as the Maidens, murder mystery, Greek Tragedy professor with an alibi, I was ready.

The story takes place at Cambridge University, a place the main character, Mariana, has previous ties to. With the murder of one of the Maidens, Mariana is determined to prove the charming professor, Edward Fosca, is the murderer.

While the setting at the University begins as a light prestigious place, it continuously darkens. Michaelides paints a clear, detailed image of the setting in a way that places you there. Mariana was difficult to connect to and I would have liked more exploration and dialogue with her character, her past and less on the professor.

This dark murder mystery, thriller is enveloped in Greek mythology and hidden clues. With the mystery and twists, I was entertained and engaged throughout the book.

The audio narration was paced well. The dialogue and characters changes were smooth and worked well. No complaints. I would definitely recommend this to readers of murder mystery who enjoy clues and twists.

Thanks to Netgalley, Celadon, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy to review

Death and tragedy have surrounded Mariana all her life. Still, since marrying the man of her dreams, finding her calling, and raising her orphaned niece, Zoe, as if she was her own, Mariana's life seemed to be finally on track.

That is until tragedy struck, and she loses her husband. We meet her a year after her loss, and still grieving, she leaves everything behind when Zoe calls asking for help. Her best friend was murdered, and Zoe suspects professor Fosca and his posse, the maidens, are very much involved.

Mariana sets out to Cambridge to protect her niece and make sure professor Fosca is caught; Mariana is obsessively convinced of his guilt.

When another girl is found murdered in the same ritualistic way, Mariana knows it's just a matter of time before another body shows up. She is determined to put an end to it before the murderer targets Zoe.

I usually try not to be greedy and only request one format of a book I am interested in - either a copy I can read or a copy I can listen to. I was almost done reading The Maidens when the audiobook became available; I should have just let it go, right? Well, no. For one, the audiobook is published by Macmillan Audio, and y'all know how I feel about their productions. For "two," Louise Brealey is a narrator in this book, and I am a massive fan of hers. She is one of my favourite narrators, and let me tell you, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith matched her talent!

Between the two of them, the story came to life. Their pace was impeccable, their chemistry was evident, and I feel they took a magnificent story and elevated it. There were passages in The Maidens that were written in Greek. I loved listening to the narrators read them! Even though I still did not know what it meant, I appreciated listening to them being spoken as they should be, which, unfortunately, I failed to do independently. I also liked the atmosphere the narration brought to our mystery character's chapters. The narration was so creepy! I loved it! Lastly, I read with a North American "accent," so I love listening to British books because they always sound better than my "head voice."

Technically and based on my personal criteria, I can not fault The Maidens. The plot idea was excellent – Greek Tragedies ARE the perfect inspiration to thrillers. The way Michaelides executed his vision was superb. It was everything I love in a book – Fast, witty, enthralling, fair, compelling. Reading The Maidens was like being pulled into a vortex: each time I started reading, my world ceased to exist, and I was utterly immersed in the world Michaelides created just for me (okay, okay, it was a gift for everyone who reads it). He has this ability to build an atmosphere so authentic, you see what he wants you to see and feel what he wants you to feel. He played entirely fair, but for the first time in a long time, I didn't quite put the puzzle completely together; his final twist was "chef's kiss." I liked it so much I read the audiobook in its entirety right after I finished the e-book.

Mariana was a fantastic character, and her development was done perfectly. I felt like I knew her; I saw myself in her. Experiencing the book through her eyes was a privilege. Alex gave each character a unique voice and a purpose within the text. Different characters evoked different visceral reactions in me that still linger: The empathy I felt for Mariana, The dislike I felt for Fosca, the revulsion I felt for Morris, the loathing and pity I felt for the harpies, erm, I mean the maidens, the ambivalence I felt for Fred. In fact, I don't think there was a single character I didn't have an emotional reaction to.

As for my personal feelings, first and foremost, I need to let out the excitement I felt when seeing some characters from The Silent Patient make an appearance. It's not often that Thriller/mystery authors actually BUILD their own universe, and I'm here for Michaelides' world. I can't wait to see more of it! I feel his books can be read in any order (so far), but do yourself a favour and have both books handy when you start reading, it will be impossible not to read them back to back. In fact, I mentioned that I read The Maidens twice in a row (one as an audiobook); I forgot to say that I have also added The Silent Patient to my May TBR because I just can't stop thinking about it now!

I really don't want to drop even an inkling of a spoiler, but Michaelides really surprised me with parts of his twist. I was hoodwinked, fooled, stupefied, and loved every minute of it—utter and total whiplash syndrome. As much as I am competitive and love solving plot puzzles, there is something to be said about the thrill of being surprised when reading a book. I am cherishing this feeling.

The way Michaelides describes places is brilliant. I really felt like I was at that farm, in Greece, at Mariana's house. I felt like I had attended St Christopher's College. Basically, wherever he took me, he evoked a vivid visual that made me feel like I was there. This, to me, is another of the millions of reasons why I adore his writing style.

Lastly, (though I feel no one but me will care) can I take a moment and show my most profound appreciation for Alex's love of commas? The comma is my favourite graphic sign. I think I even use them when I speak. There are no words to express how much I love seeing them used. Is it just me, or do they really make sentences so much more dynamic and exciting? Just me? Okay, rave done.

I foresee The Maidens making it to my 2021 top reads list! And I will be utterly shocked if it doesn't make it to Goodreads' best thriller shortlist.


Disclaimer: I first read it as an ARC. In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley and Alex Michaelides for providing me with a copy of The Maidens audiobook

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for gifting me with an Audio ARC of The Maidens by Alex Michaelides. In exchange I offer my unbiased review.

This was just as good as I hoped it would be. Alex Michaelides once again delivers an unputdownable psychological thriller. A serial killer is stalking a group of beautiful coeds known as The Maidens. When
Mariana Andros, a group therapist receives a frantic phone call from her terrified niece, a student at Cambridge, she drops everything to console her. Once at Cambridge, Mariana finds herself immersed in the mystery, using her intuitive skills as a psychotherapist to help with the investigation.
Plenty of intriguing characters, and a surprise visit from Theo Faber made this new thriller a treat to read. Audio narration was excellent.
This book/audio will be the book everybody will be talking about.
A sure fire summer hit!

I really liked the mythology that was just splashed in there. There were just random factoids that I just found really neat. It made sense in the end and that really kept my interest. Also, as a big fan of The Silent Patient I LOVED the references. If you could have seen me slap my desk when they started mentioning Alicia Berenson and Theo Faber! I was PUMPED.

However, that’s kind of all I really enjoyed about The Maidens. I found myself incredibly bored and just flipping through the book just to finish it. I thankfully received it on audio, so I could finish it via audio. I don’t think I could have if I didn’t have the audio. The ending was decent, but I was kind of expecting.. more? The reader of The Maidens was phenomenal and was the main reason I finished the book. I enjoyed her range of voices for each character.

Overall, I don’t know if I enjoyed The Maidens because I know what’s next is The Silent Patient, or because the Greek mythology was so wonderful. Regardless, I felt bored and underwhelmed with The Maidens. It had amazing potential that just fell flat for me. I know I am a very rare unpopular opinion, and I can name at least 20 others who gave this a 5 star. Thank you Celadon and MacMillan Audio for the gifted copy!

The Maidens was one of those popular books that caught my eye, so when I saw I could access the audiobook I was stoked. I listened to this book in 3 sittings. It follows Marianna, a psychologist who suspects that a popular professor at Cambridge, Edward Fosca, is sleeping with and subsequently killing members of a special group of girls known as The Maidens. I really enjoyed listening to this story via audio. The narrators have a really good way of hooking you into the book and continuing to maintain interest. The plot always had me changing my mind about the possible suspects and just the characters in general, and I was constantly changing my mind as new evidence or a new twist was introduced, which is a great element in a mystery novel. The ending itself, the big whodunnit reveal, was completely unexpected. I also loved the dark academia feel of this novel and the references to the Greek classics and all that literary goodness. The Maidens is a story about betrayal, exploitation and power, and if you're looking for a good mystery that will keep you guessing, this is it!

When I heard that Alex Michaelides had a new thriller with Greek mythology elements, I knew I had to read this book. Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing an ALC on NetGalley; I also got a friend's ARC from Celadon Books.

Therapist Mariana Andros finds herself back at her alma mater Cambridge University when a friend of her niece Zoe is killed. As Mariana investigates, professor Edward Fosca becomes her lead suspect. As she falls deeper into the mysterious world of Fosca and his female followers, The Maidens, she realizes that she may be in grave danger.

I absolutely tore through this book - I could not stop reading it. I started with the audio - main narrator Louise Brealey did a great job bringing me into Mariana's world and the Cambridge setting. I also loved hearing the Greek passages read aloud. I then speed read through the text version, returning to the audio to re-listen to the ending and some of my favorite sections. The writing was lush and descriptive, perfectly suited to the rarefied Cambridge setting and excellent on audio and in print.

This is a different book than The Silent Patient - it's more character-driven with a mystery that ramps up gradually. I loved the feeling of getting deeper into this dark academic world with Mariana, as well as exploring her own past. Edward Fosca was also a highlight as he went toe to toe with Mariana.

Don't expect this to be a popcorn thriller - but if you like a good mystery, especially dark academia, you should definitely give this one a try. 4.5 stars rounded to 5.

Review posted to Instagram and Goodreads 5/10/21.

The Maidens by Alex MIchaelides follows Mariana Andros a group therapist who becomes fixated on Cambridge University professor Edward Fosca and his secret society of all female students known as The Maidens after a member of the Maiden's and a friend of Mariana’s niece Zoe, is found murdered.

I've never been so excited to receive an ARC! I've been anticipating this book since reading and falling in love with Michaelides' debut novel, The Silent Patient. This novel was super atmospheric and the author did a great job of creating an engaging murder mystery set in a dark academia setting. I suspected everybody at least once in the course of this book and wasn't' disappointed at the end. Michaelides does an excellent job of leaving me shocked at his endings without feeling that the twists come out of nowhere. I also really enjoyed all the mythology entwined in this book.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a quick read! I was hesitant to read this novel because the description didn’t appeal to me. I’m so happy that I didn’t listen to myself because this book was wonderful! This was written in a way that made me think multiple people could be to blame and I elated that the book ended that way! There were some unexpected twists (and that’s exactly what I’m looking for when reading mysteries). Alex Michaelides does a fantastic job of setting up the reveal.

The audiobook is also really well done. I especially enjoyed the male narrator for the few chapters that he appeared.

Possible Spoilers Below:
Those that read The Silent Patient will also be in for a surprise. One character from that novel makes an appearance in this book. It’s so great when authors put their books in the same universe as the rest. It makes me want to go back a read The Silent Patient again.

The Maidens is a murder mystery/psychological thriller set in Cambridge. The main character, Mariana, is grieving the loss of her husband while trying to maintain her group therapy practice when she gets a frantic call from her niece Zoe. A young woman has been gruesomely murdered and Zoe fears it is her friend Tara who said something frightening to Zoe shortly before her disappearance. Mariana drops everything and heads to Cambridge to comfort Zoe, who is like a surrogate daughter to her.

Mariana is sure that the killer is a charismatic professor named Edward Fosca and she becomes obsessed with proving that he is the killer. Of course, no one believes her and the surly police chief tells her on no uncertain terms to get lost. But she persists and spends the rest of the book collecting clues and investigating Fosca.

There are a lot of links to Greek mythology (Mariana herself is Greek) and the book deals with a lot of psychological concepts, including how we cope with trauma and grief.

Following up a book like The Silent Patient would be a challenge so I tried to put all expectations aside and enjoy this without comparison. There is also a nice link to the Silent Patient that readers will appreciate.

I think I enjoyed this on audio more than I would have in print because the narrator was very good and had a crisp British accent that fit the Cambridge setting of the book perfectly. However, despite my overall enjoyment, there were a few things that annoyed me. For example, Mariana deciding to play armchair detective went against everything we knew about her nature, and she took risks that seemed downright stupid in contrast to her cautious personality. My other peeve was the same one I have for most books of this genre: the ending and “showdown” tend to be so melodramatic, cliched, and over the top that I end up rolling my eyes a little. Having said that, this audiobook was a nice diversion to my day and I mostly enjoyed my time with it.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan for an advance audiobook!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First, I have to write that I absolutely loved the casting of the narrators. They did a fantastic job embodying the characters. And, their voices drew me in from the very beginning and made the book “unputdownable.”

I love that this suspense novel was a blend of British dark academia and Ancient Greek mythology. A slow burn, it was a delicious mix. And, the ending brought a big twist!

Overall, a very enjoyable listening experience!

I would label The Maidens as a psychological murder mystery. Most of the book takes place at Cambridge University and I found it extremely atmospheric. I don’t want to spoil anything so I’ll keep this short. I actually enjoyed The Maidens more than The Silent Patient; the chapters are short and the plot moves along at a nice pace. It was never a chore and I binged this in one day. I don’t know anything about Greek Mythology and this book is heavily influenced by the story Persephone but I didn’t have any trouble following along. My only real issue with this book is this: in order to keep the readers guessing, the author has created a lot of red herrings & misdirections with several subplots. Many of those just die off with no resolution or mention again. It ended up feeling a bit disjointed. Overall, I really enjoyed this and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think readers who don’t read a lot of psychological suspense will love this book. I’m extremely grateful to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to The Maidens in exchange for an honest review. Current publication date is 6/15/21!

I had very high hopes for this one, as I loved The Silent Patient. The Maidens is more of a dark academia (sort of) with elements of Greek Mythology so off the bat it reminded me of things I’ve read before. I wasn’t hooked and sometimes felt like I wanted to skim through it to get it over with. SO MANY RED HERRINGS, that it felt excessive and started to get difficult to keep track of all of them. The ending was just okay, not mind-blowing. Also, I would’ve preferred less of a supernatural element, but that’s just me. One thing I really loved though, is the little subtle nods to Silent Patient that the author worked in. That was pretty clever. I will still pick up more Michaelides in the future, and I’d probably still recommend this book to some people but it wasn’t for me.

Right from the opening chords of the audiobook, The Maidens is a fantastically haunting thriller. The story begins with Mariana, a group therapist with with a tragic history. Mariana begins investigating the killing of her niece's friend from an exclusive Cambridge study group called The Maidens, which is based on the rites of Persephone. She suspects the Greek tragedy professor who leads this group, but there are many other suspicious people lurking in the darkness as well.

Louise Brealey's cool, detached narration of the audiobook is interspersed with chilling fragments from the unknown killer narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, which makes the story feel almost like live theatre.

I have read The Silent Patient, so I knew that the author would write an ending I could never predict, but even so, I couldn't help trying to figure out what was really going on and who was the killer! I found The Maidens to be a compulsively readable, thoroughly entertaining story.

There’s a justifiable amount of buzz swirling around Alex Michaelides’s sophomore novel, The Maidens, given the success of his 2019 debut, The Silent Patient. Said buzz (and early reviews) made me wonder a few things before I even cracked it open, so as an act of public service I’m sharing my pre-read Q’s with my post-read A’s.

Q: Do you have to read The Silent Patient beforehand? Or in my case, if you have read it, do you need to remember anything about it?
A: Not really, though you’ll miss out on some things if you don’t. I'd suggest at least reviewing a plot summary of TSP to bring yourself up to speed.

Q: Do you need to be familiar with Greek mythology beforehand, since it plays a central role in the storyline?
A: Nope! Everything is explained (maybe even in a little too much detail for those who already know Persephone, “The Maiden,” is Queen of the Underworld).

Q: What’s this I hear about animals being harmed?
A: There are separate scenes of sheep and a family dog being slaughtered.

Q: Will I like it more than The Silent Patient?
A: Probably not. It stands pretty well on its own, but the odds of it exceeding high expectations aren’t great. As with any thriller, your overall enjoyment will come down to if you see the twists coming and find the ending satisfying. I personally was surprised by the big reveals and thus appreciated the novel’s conclusion. I’m looking forward to seeing what this author does next.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook courtesy of Macmillan Audio via NetGalley. The narration is well done, and this format is recommended. The Maidens is slated for US publication on June 15th.

A solid sophomore effort from Alex Michaelides. I really enjoyed The Silent Patient and I think I liked The Maidens even more! Things I loved: the gothic vibes, the Cambridge setting, the atmosphere, and the tiny nods to TSP throughout (I squealed when I first came across one). Things I did not love: the constant gaslight of our main character, Mariana, with regards to her mental health and trauma and in relation to her role as a therapist. I can't decide if this was used as a plot device or if the author was really reflecting on this character this way, as I think it could easily be classified as both. Avid thriller readers will likely guess the plot twists here, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the novel, which I read in one day. Definitely a great page turner for your summer!

Thank you to Celadon Books for the arc and MacMillan audio for the advanced audiobook of Alex Michaelides newest novel The Maidens. I really loved The Silent Patient so I was really anticipating this second novel. I loved the narrator of the audiobook - she had the perfect voice and accent for telling this story and I found her quite soothing to listen to. This was a fairly quick book to get through although sadly I didn't love this one as much as The Silent Patient. Personally for me I didn't enjoy the greek mythology woven into the story although it did add to the atmospheric writing. I did like the surprise ending - it kind of redeemed the book for me as I was just in a place of - didn't love it and didn't hate it. I know a lot of people will love this book - I quite possibly had set the bar a bit high going in to this one The chapters in The Maidens were short which I liked and I think that the cover fits the book perfectly.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this arc of Alex Michaelides’ second book.
I had to listen to this audiobook twice because it was confusing for me the first go around. Maybe if I had it in print, I would’ve been able to understand it better. Luckily, I liked it more the second time I listened to it. Though The Maidens isn’t as good as The Silent Patient (in my opinion), it can still hold its own.