I wanted to love this one but it just wasn't for me. I know there have been many others who have loved this book though so it would be a good one to recommend. I enjoy Alex's books and will definitely be back for more.

Was a solid 4 stars for me.
This was a good entertaining book, it had a solid plot, but it did not quite live to the first book l. As a huge fan of the silent patient I had really high hopes for this book, so I may have somewhat set myself up to be disappointed. I would recommend this book though

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I enjoyed reading the story and at every turn, couldn't quite figure out who the killer was even though the author does a good job of presenting several suspects. I had fun playing detective with Mariana and creating my own conclusions about the ending; it was exciting to see it go another way for once!

It may be hard for an author to match his debut bestselling novel, but Alex Michaelides has superbly done just that with The Maidens. Once again, he uses a psychotherapist as the lead. Mariana specializes in group therapy and finds herself involved as the amateur detective trying to uncover who is murdering college girls who just happen to belong to a secret group known as the Maidens. Cambridge is the setting and Greek tragedies are a motif. Expect some chilling scenes and a surprising twist. This is a perfect summer read.

I had very high expectations for this one and they weren't met. The characters were completely flat, i neither liked nor disliked anyone enough to root for them. The mystery was interesting but not enough to make up for the characters.

A compelling murder mystery. The WhoDoneIt bingo card had a lot of choices - I lost, which makes this a pure winner!

Not a bad read at all. The only downside was that I suspected who the killer was early on and it ruined the book for me a bit. Still, a good story all in all.

I loved The Silent Patient. It was one of my favorite thrillers when I read it. I was really looking forward to reading The Maidens. The premise sounded intriguing-a secret society at Cambridge University, Greek mythology, a murder mystery. This book wasn't for me on any level. It felt like a hot mess. Too many red herrings, a protagonist I didn't care about. I was bored reading it and the end was just a creepy mess of weirdness.

I know many people loved this one, but this definitely wasn't for me and I can't recommend it. It didn't live up to the hype, but again, that's just my opinion. I'm rounding up to 3 stars because I loved TSP so much and there is a connection in The Maidens to that book. The setting was great, but it wasn't enough to save this one.

Mariana Andros tries to continue her life as normal- leading group therapy sessions and keeping a watchful eye on troubled patient Henry-but her husband's recent death overshadows every action of her daily life. When Mariana gets a troubling call from her niece Zoe. Mariana immediately races to Cambridge to be with her. Zoe's friend Tara had gone missing and when Tara's body is soon found Mariana becomes obsessed with solving her murder. As Mariana delves deeper and deeper into a secret society on campus called The Maidens, more and more girls end up dead, and she starts to suspect the enigmatic professor Fosca may be behind the murders.
An entertaining thriller set against an academic background, readers of dark academia will enjoy this novel.

Let me start off by saying I wasn’t crazy about The Silent Patient but because everybody loved it so much I was excited for The Maidens. The ending really threw me off, I was not expecting it. There was a lot going on in this book and I can see how many people would enjoy it. Based on this authors writing style and how many people loved The Silent Patient I know this book will be a hit. And I honestly probably will read more of his books in the future because I do enjoy his writing style. However, I didn’t hate this book but I didn’t love it either. Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was my most anticipated thriller read of 2021 but unfortunately I was left a little disappointed. The Silent Patient is one of the best thrillers I've ever read so I had very high expectations for The Maidens. I loved the plot, it was very original, and I loved the academia setting, but I felt like there were too many characters. I wanted more development within the main ones. I wouldn't deter anyone from reading this, but it wasn't entirely for me.

Some books are for you, and some just aren't. While I can totally appreciate a slower build suspense style read, I have a hard time when I just don't connect with the characters or premise. For some, Greek Mythology will be a selling point, but it just didn't hold my interest.

The writing was beautifully done, and the short chapters made it easy to pick up and put down (great for summer reading) but the storyline just fell flat for me. This book worked for many of my reading friends, it just didn't work for me.

Thank you to Celadon Books for my gifted copy.

Someone is killing innocent teen girls, but no one knows who or why.

I really enjoyed the short chapters while reading The Maidens, which made for a quick read. However, I did find the story to be boring most of the time. I also found it to be predictable. I did enjoy the Greek vibes in this. I couldn’t really connect with the characters. I also didn’t understand why the main character, who is a therapist, oversteps her boundaries with her clients.

Therapist Mariana Andros doesn’t study murderers. She’s not a forensics psychologist. She’s a group therapist. But when her niece calls her from Cambridge to tell Mariana that her best friend had been killed, Mariana sets off from London to figure out what happened and do what she can to help bring the killer to justice.

Mariana knows Cambridge well. She went to school there herself years ago, even met her husband there. It’s been almost a year since she lost Sebastian, but she’s still deep in her grief. Now she’s heading back to Cambridge, where there are so many reminders and memories. But she has to go, for Zoe. Zoe has no one else. Mariana’s sister and her husband, Zoe’s parents, had died when she was a teenager. Mariana and Sebastian took her in, in the summers between years of boarding school. Mariana and Zoe are all the family they each have left.

Tara was a troubled young woman. She was Zoe’s good friend, but she was also experimenting with drugs. She had a boyfriend, a local who sold drugs. But she was also involved with one of her professors, an American who was teaching her Greek tragedy. Edward Fosca was not only a charismatic professor, he also has a group of students that he works closely with. They are all young women. They are all beautiful. And they all come from wealthy or powerful families.

Mariana tries to talk to some of these women, these followers of Fosca, these Maidens, as they’re known at the college. She is convinced that Fosca is the killer, even though the Maidens are saying he was with them when Tara was stabbed.

And then another of the Maidens is killed. Again, she is stabbed. And again, other Maidens are giving Fosca an alibi. Mariana cannot understand the hold that this man has over these young women. She talks to the police, but they are not impressed with her accusations of the professor. She is warned off. She is told that she is in danger. And yet, Mariana will not be deterred.

As Mariana delves deeper into the mystery, she is also thrown into a storm of emotions, from the grief of losing her husband to anxiety about her group therapy patients, from her concern for Zoe to her frustration in getting nowhere with the police. As potential suspects close in on her, and ghosts from her past are stirred up from old memories, Mariana finds herself getting closer and closer to the killer. And when she herself receives a death threat similar to the ones that came to the dead girls, will she be able to figure out the answers in time to change her fate? Or have the gods already decided that she has to sacrifice her life for Zoe’s?

The Maidens is a modern thriller set in the halls of Cambridge and filled with references to Greek myths, tragedies, and poets. It feels contemporary and classic at the same time, drifting through time with ease. Author Alex Michaelides’ first novel, The Silent Patient, was a huge bestseller, and The Maidens is destined to be as well. It’s flawlessly written, with a growing sense of unease that propels you to keep reading until all the secrets are revealed. The characters are sublime, the plot is taut, and the overall experience is just magical.

The thing that struck me the most as I read The Maidens is that it felt so effortless. The pages just kept going by, and it didn’t feel like it took any work on my part. It was so well written, so expertly woven together, that I was only removed from the story when I came across the Easter eggs from his first book. The rest of the novel was completely smooth and lovely, and I was delighted by every page. I absolutely recommend this novel. It’s an amazing experience, with the perfect surprise ending.

Egalleys for The Maidens were provided by Celadon Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

This book has been highly anticipated given his success with The Silent Patient. However, I was not a big fan of that book. I was intrigued by the concept of this plot and Greek mythology is so intriguing. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. It was rather boring and seemed to be incorporating many different storylines and themes. A secrete cult? A love affair with a professor? A grief stricken psychotherapist? Annnnd a disturbing client. Oh. AND some random student named Fred. It was too many elements for such a short book. I think it would have been more enjoyable (in my opinion) if it stuck with just the mythology focus and the murders. I did not like how the therapist were perceived and how they spoke in this book. I was an adolescent therapist for 5 years and there is no way I would have approached any of this the way Mariana did. I did not connect with her, Mariana, she seemed robotic and not very personable. The ending. Okay that was shocking and I did not suspect it. But it seemed out of left field. Sigh. I will say, this author does write in a way that keeps you hooked regardless. The way the chapters were set up and the letters, the format kept me intrigued.

The Maidens was one of my most anticipated new releases of 2021. It didn’t disappoint. I was hooked from page one all the way until the last page. Dark academia, Greek Mythology, a stunning AF cover ... say less!! I was gifted an advance readers copy in the mail from the publisher and I devoured it once it was delivered!! I highly recommend!!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for a gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thoughts: Okay, I really, really liked The Silent Patient, so I was incredibly excited to be given an ARC of Alex Michaelides latest, The Maidens. I truly tried to enjoy this book, but perhaps I put it up on too high of a pedestal because of TSP. That said, I'll start with what I did like... The premise was interesting, the Greek mythology aspects were intriguing, and the TSP tie-in was a nice touch, as well. I also appreciated the short chapters, which in my opinion helps move the plot along a bit faster. So, what didn't I like? I think there was quite a bit of unrealized potential with this story, both in regards to plot and to the characters. Also, the main character is introduced as a competent psychotherapist but then struggles to get a "read" on anyone involved in the plot. I also felt that there were a few inconsistencies with the story, and while there is an interesting plot twist I felt like it was highly improbable and didn't make a lot of sense to me. Again, I may have set the bar really high given how much I enjoyed The Silent Patient, so I still think readers should come to their own conclusions on this one...

Wow, I admit I did not see that coming! I always love it when I fail to figure out who the murderer is in a book. That means it’s a complicated story with lots of possible suspects and red herrings. Quite a few creepy people lurking around Cambridge in this book. Easy to keep turning the pages and the suspense keeps building until the end.

Fast-paced psychological thriller, full of suspense and mystery.

Mariana, a therapist, goes to Cambridge to support her niece following the brutal murder of a classmate and friend. At Cambridge she does a bit of her own investigating and stumbles upon Professor Edward Fosca and his all female student entourage, The Maidens.

Not long after Mariana's arrival on campus, there is another murder. Mariana is sure Fosca is the killer, and she's determined to prove it.

Blending crime and Greek mythology, Michaelides is perfect for fans of dark academia and mysteries of the ancients.

The Maidens
by Alex Michaelides
Published June 15, 2021

I was really looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. I am not sure where the disconnect set in. I liked the setting of a college campus, I just failed to connect the dots. This was not a good fit for me and I will not be recommending it at this time. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

3 star