Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. This is my honest feedback.
When I read The Silent Patient, I could not understand why the book was a best seller. I had to read it for a Book Club that I go to. Unanimously, no one liked the book.
Sometimes an author gets better with his second book so I was willing to give it a chance.
I did not like the book for the following reasons:
Mr Michaelides is not a good writer. He coasts on surprise and suspense even when the incidents are not believable.
He can't write from a woman's point of view. Like many other male writers, he makes his female protagonist silly, unable to make a good decision, haunted by patients, and we learn blind as a bat
The ending was just stupid, beyond belief. I figured out pretty quickly how it would end because I knew this writer is going to pull the most outrageous possibility out of a hat and try to make us believe it.

So I can't recommend this book.

This book was an emotional whirlwind of events tied to pieces of Ancient Greek Philosophy where life and death are practically in the same sentence.

Edward Fosca is a Greek Tragedy Professor at Cambridge University and has organized a secret society of seven beautiful female students known as "The Maidens." Each one is from a family of prestige and wealth. One girl has been violently murdered and her best friend, Zoe, is deep in grief. She calls upon her Aunt Mariana who raised her after her parents died. Mariana quickly decides to stop everything and come to St. Christopher's to help Zoe get through this period of sadness.

Mariana was originally from Greece with a challenging relationship with her father and mother. She met her husband at the same school and became a therapist. Her father built a very successful shipping business and when he passed, she inherited his fortune. She was very happy until a year ago when her beloved husband, Sebastian, died along the coast of one of the Greek Islands on a visit together.

We are reminded at the University of the presence of the great British poet, Alfred Tennyson, with his famous quote: "tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." Mariana returns to the days when she was a young student to comfort Zoe. As she starts to ask questions, she finds herself involved with the investigation after not one but three girls are now murdered. It is her fear her niece could be next as she tries to keep her safe while taking a glimpse of her own past.

I couldn't wait to read another book by Alex Michaelides as I loved, "The Silent Patient." It's a fast read with lots of surprises including two characters that are included from his previous book. I thought I had the end figured out but was totally off. This twisted love story with intense acts of drama was in its own way a spiritual awakening.

My thanks to Alex Michaelides, Celadon Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advance copy to be released on June 15, 2021.

This was very different than Alex’s first book the silent patient, however I still really enjoyed it! It kept me intrested and wanting to know more. I loved the Greek aspects of this book and I highly recommend

What Makes This Book Better Than The SIlent Patient ??
Well First Off Its Very Intriguing Once You Open Up Chapter One
The Characters Are Very Well Written
And The Author Does Alot Of Research Of Greek Mythology

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon books for the advanced reader's copy of The Maidens. As in his breakout debut novel, The Silent Patient, the main character of Alex Michaelides's The Maidens is also a psychotherapist. Greek native Mariana is a well known group therapist working in London. She is also still consumed with grief over the death of her husband Sebastian. Mariana is dealing with one very troubled client, when she receives a frantic call from her niece Zoe, who fears a fellow classmate at Cambridge has been murdered. Mariana heads to the university, her alma mater, and gets enmeshed in a series of strange goings on that have chilling ties to ancient Greek dramas.
I usually love a novel with a college setting, and The Maidens was certainly a page turner. My problems with this book is that for a Cambridge educated, successful therapist, Mariana does not seem particularly intelligent and is completely lacking in common sense. She suspects a particular professor, Edward Fosca, a Svengali type who has a group of beautiful coeds following him around campus (the Maidens of the title) of orchestrating gruesome murders, and yet willingly puts herself in harms way. The plot seems especially far fetched. Once a single student is viciously stabbed in what appears to be a ritualistic killing, no doubt the university would take the necessary precautions to protect its students, especially as the targeted women are the daughters of some of the most wealthiest and powerful families in the world.
I am guessing that many readers won't have the same quibbles with this book that I do. Plus bonus points that the ending was a twist that I didn't see coming into the final few chapters.

A fast-moving murder mystery set against the background of British academia make this novel a great read for anyone who enjoys thrillers or dark academia.

A woman still reeling from her husband's death is summoned to her old college by her niece and discovers women turning up dead there. Mariana leaves her group therapy practice behind to see her niece, Zoe, who is attending Cambridge, where Mariana and her husband Sebastian met. There not only is she haunted by her memories of the past, but also as Zoe's friends in an elite group of students called the Maidens are brutally murdered one by one. Mariana suspects the group's leader, Edward Fosca, is behind the murders and is determined to prove it by using her group therapy practices on the students. Why does he prove to be so elusive? As Mariana digs deeper, she starts to uncover a lot of secrets, and someone willing to kill for all of them.

The twist at the end I truly didn't see coming, and was shocked at, always a pleasant surprise when you read as many thrillers as I do. This is a well done story that is compulsive reading. Michaelides is proving to be a favorite of mine.

3.5 stars, actually.

Anticipation of reading this book elicited high hopes from me, but although I tried really hard, I think successfully, to not compare it to the author's wildly successful 2019 book, The Silent Patient (which absolutely blew me away) - it turned out to be just okay.

It kicks off with the promise of intrigue: Mariana Andros, whose beloved husband Sebastian died many months ago during a vacation to her native Greece, gets a frantic call from her niece Zoe, a student at Cambridge University. One of her school friends has been murdered. Mariana, once a student at the campus herself (it's where she met Sebastian, the love of her life), doesn't waste much time heading to Cambridge to comfort Zoe.

Mariana is a London-based psychotherapist specializing in groups, and much is made of one of them - a disturbed and disturbing guy who talks and acts like a stalker. Despite the potential for serious disruption to him in particular, though, she abruptly ditches them all and heads to the university. As an aside, based on this and other books I've read, I must say that hanging out a psychotherapist shingle in the U.K. apparently takes far less education than here in the United States, so maybe that's why she saw no problem leaving her patients to fend for themselves while she was away. On the way to Cambridge, she encounters a determined young man named whose words and actions give Mariana the creeps similar to those she got from her patient.

When she arrives, Zoe tells her aunt that the murdered girl, Tara, told her that Edward Fosca had threatened to kill her and is, in fact, Tara's killer. A rather offbeat but extremely popular professor of Greek Tragedy at Cambridge, Fosca has a special following of young female students known as The Maidens. But at least one colleague of Fosca's refutes Zoe's remarks, and the police shut Mariana's theories down from the git-go (it was worthy of note to me that the chief inspector reveals far more information to a suspect that any U.S. cop ever would - but then maybe I've just watched too many TV shows.

Of course, Mariana doesn't believe Fosca protestations of innocence, or the police or university powers-that-be; instead, she's convinced that solving the murder is up to her. As such, she chooses to ignore her groups back home for a while longer to spend a few more days to investigate on her own (at this point, I actually wondered if this is supposed to be a cozy mystery - Mariana fits that heroine pattern perfectly). She soon learns that Fosca's Maidens bear uncanny similarity to relics in the little Greek town where her Sebastian died, making her (and readers) suspect a possible connection. And then, the body of another Maiden turns up.

Mariana's investigation turns up more dead ends than real clues, and her continual digging around becomes offensive to other characters as well (Fosca among them). But like those cozy heroines, she barges ahead even when the police strongly advise her to butt out. All this leads to an action-packed ending that brings at least one relatively unexpected twist.

It was the ending, though, that pretty much did me in. I felt much the same reaction that I had to the April 1978 finale of The Bob Newhart Show when he and his wife, played by the wonderful Suzanne Pleshette, wake up and we all learned that the entire series had been a dream. On the one hand, I applauded the creativity; on the other, I was also frustrated that I, and all the other viewers, had spent four years watching a story that in one sense was totally irrelevant. Such was the case here; the ending brought things to a conclusion of sorts, but also brought the realization that much of what went on before was there as a distraction, not substance. Besides that, one of the crucial time frames simply did not add up unless one of the characters was far more of a pervert that I thought, and I never learned what happened to one of the characters in whom I had an interest.

So while overall this is a decent story - definitely worth a read on a warm summer beach and one I believe many readers will love - it isn't one I'm particularly excited about. I do thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review an advance copy.

Mixing Greek mythology with a psychological thriller "who-dunnit," The Maidens is a fast-paced murder mystery that was nearly impossible to put down. Mariana, a Greek transplant to London via Cambridge, flies to her niece's side when a series of murders occurs. Attempting to get involved and help find the culprit, Mariana pretty much breaks all the laws of obstruction of justice, but it made for a fantastic tale. The only thing stopping this from being a five-star story was the ending. I wanted more and didn't feel like I had the closure I needed.

Mariana Andros is a group psychotherapist in London, reeling after the death of her beloved husband, Sebastian. As Mariana is grieving, her niece Zoe unexpectedly calls her from university in Cambridge, and requests that Mariana turn on the news: a young woman has been murdered, and Zoe fears that it’s her friend Tara. Mariana goes at once to Cambridge to be there for Zoe, and while there she becomes aware of a secret society known as The Maidens: a group of beautiful, gifted students…under the influence of the charismatic Professor Edward Fosca. Mariana becomes convinced that Fosca is the murderer, and when more young girls die, Mariana will stop at nothing to get to the truth, even as it puts her own life at risk.

The Maidens was so, so good y’all. There’s so much to enjoy - the tense atmosphere, the idyllic British university setting, the murder mystery, the characters and how fascinating they all are - even the minor ones, the dual threads of antiquity and psychotherapy that weave through the novel, the fact that this is one of those mystery/thriller where you truly suspect everyone (and I mean everyone!)… I can’t say enough good things about this book.

Michaelides crafts an incredibly tense mystery with enough red herrings and false leads that the reader is thoroughly engrossed. I know I was - The Maidens is utterly captivating, and explores the darkest reaches of academia, love, desire, death and rebirth, obsession, and the self. The threads of antiquity throughout the book give it a timeless quality, showing that humans have struggled with the same since the time of Euripedes and Aristotle. Truly fascinating stuff that will give any reader much to think on long after the book has been finished.

Finally, two things as an aside: 
1) I was someone who deeply imprinted on The Secret History by Donna Tartt, and The Maidens is a very delightful echo and steeped with dark academia and antiquity.
2) Readers who loved The Silent Patient will love this one, if not just for Michaelides being amazing, then for the fact that The Maidens takes place in the same universe and we even see some characters returning.

The Maidens will be released on June 1, 2021.

Alex Michaelides knows exactly how to draw the reader in; how to make the reader feel unsettled and a little on edge. This thriller moves quickly with many twists along the way. Just when you think you have things figured out, the story shifts once again. I throughly enjoyed this gripping page turner.

It was fine but would have benefitted from better twists or a larger unraveling of the main character. I did enjoy the tie ins to The Silent Patient!

I loved the setting of The Maidens. Cambridge University was perfect for the backdrop to this murder mystery dotted with references to Greek tragedy.

This was one of my most anticipated books this year, and it’s hard for a book to live up to hype like that. I really enjoyed it, especially that ending which I never saw coming. Red herrings were thrown about with abandon and kept me guessing the whole way through.

What I didn’t like was how Mariana took things into her own hands regarding the murders. Is it plausible that she would have withheld evidence from the police? Or entered into a crime scene to gawk at a dead body while police were in the middle of investigating it? To me it wasn’t.

However, I was glued to this until I got to the end. A great mystery.

I just do not know what to think about this one. I’m thinking 3.5ish stars because I loved everything up until the 90% mark.

My issue with thrillers is always the ending. I loved The Silent Patient and enjoyed the ending! But, not so much with this one.

The premise was great though and the descriptions of losing a partner were heartbreaking. I loved all the Greek mythology woven into the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent psychological thriller with many twists. I really enjoyed the way the author intertwined Greek Mythologies into his story. I also loved "The Silent Patient" by Alex Micahaelides so when I saw he had released his second book I was very excited.. I mean I was dying to get my hands on "The Maidens" by this super talented author. I cannot give enough praise for the way the author is able to make me so invested in Mariana, the hero in "The Maidens". She seemed kind of dumber than a rock sometimes, but she was such a sympathetic and caring woman to me I overlook her minor flaws. I highly recommend this for people who enjoy an intellectual mystery with imperfect but original and colorful characters.

Thank you to Net Galley for the chance to read and review.

I enjoyed quite a bit about this book - more than I was expecting to after a couple of my friends gave it a low rating. Plus, I was one of the few who wasn’t particularly ‘wow-taken’ with “The Silent Patient”.

In “The Maidens” what I enjoyed most wasn’t actually the suspense.
It wasn’t a spellbinding psychological thriller for me (yet not a problem either). Books don’t need to have any suspense for me to enjoy them- I’m not a die-hard-thriller seeking twist & turn reader [I enjoy them - but I wouldn’t say they fill the bulk of my reading].....
I tend to enjoy reflective type writing - literary and contemporary fiction that examines humanity - character driven novels that explore the many sides of human complexities- and our relationships together.
And....
“The Maidens” had many of the qualities I’ve enjoyed from my favorite types of books.

I enjoyed the way this book started....it’s writing ....the setting ( descriptions of both Greece and England: two countries I’ve visited)....and the details we begin to learn about Mariana, [ therapist/group therapy leader....and sample group sessions describing a couple of her clients]
I was fully engaged in learning about how Mariana grew up - in Greece - about her parents - her parents characteristics - her sister - the death of her husband Sebastian. I was equally interested in learning about Zoe, her niece (whose parents were killed)....and how Mariana and Sebastian thought of her as their daughter- raised her with love and was excited for Zoe when she went to St. Christopher college at Cambridge University....( the same university where Mariana and Sebastian met and fell in love)
I found all this pleasantly engaging! Having lived in Cambridge for a full year myself in the 70’s - I enjoyed tapping into many of my own memories——
And I felt Alex Michaelides did a deliciously wonderful job describing many of the beauties of Cambridge - it’s University and the surroundings.

With the beautiful descriptive writing - linking soulful connections with Greek mythology- helping to describe a current state of being - moods - troubles - and understanding.....of the characters....
The ‘mystery’.... who was the murderer....of a young girl - two young women on the college campus were of minor interest to me.

I liked the psychology and philosophy...and reading about the Greek Goddess- Persephone- [also called Kore]....the daughter/ maiden of Zeus and Demeter.....queen of the underworld, goddess of spring flowers, death, life, vegetation, and distraction— the myth of her abduction/return-aspects of this book, more than I cared about the crime investigations of ‘who’ killed Tara Hampton’s — whose dead body was found by marsh.

I liked how “The Maidens” allowed us to experience how Greek Mythology continues to influence our culture and how we still live today. (thinking about all the contributions to philosophy, psychology, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, literature, theater, etc.)....
I actually really ‘was’ able to experience the power of Greek mythology though this murder-thriller....[WHICH *was* the surprise treat for me]....
enjoying this book more than “The Silent Patient”:

As far as ‘who’ was the villain....of course I had some interest - but it wasn’t my primary driving force. Until close to the end of this novel...where things all-of-sudden picks up a traditional thriller-speed to conclusion....I was enjoying the thoughts about loss, past abuse influences, and the characters history.....
Along with the lovely prose of our natural world and architectural designs.

So....I’d give this book a solid 3.5....perhaps even 4 stars.
I couldn’t help but wonder if the author might branch out from writing ‘thrillers’....to perhaps a literary novel. I think this book shows she has the talent for it. I’d love read a book by Michaelides ‘without’ a murder.

Excerpts:
“In the space of just a year, which once would have slipped by almost imperceptibly—and now stretched out behind her like a displayed landscape flattened by a hurricane—the life she had known had been obliterated, leaving Mariana here: thirty-six years old, alone and drunk on a Sunday night; clutching a dead man’s shoes as if they were holy relics—which in a way, they were”.
“Something Beautiful, something holy, had died. All that remained were the books he read, the clothes he wore, the things he touched. She could still smell him on them, still taste him on the tip of her tongue”.

“Once you kill another human being, there’s no going back.
I see that now. I see I have become all together a different person.”
“It’s a bit like being reborn, I suppose. But no ordinary birth— it’s a metamorphosis. What emerges from the ashes is not a phoenix, but an uglier creature: deformed, and capable of flight, a predator using its claws to cut and rip”.
“I feel in control now, writing this. At this moment in time, I am calm, and sane”.
“But there is more than one of me”.
“It’s only a matter of time before the other me rises, bloodthirsty, mad, and seeking revenge. And he won’t rest until he finds it”.

“During the long summer afternoons, Mariana grew to love the feel of a book in her hands, the smell of paper, the sensation of turning a page. She would sit on the rusty swing in the shade, bite into a crisp green apple, or an overripe peach, and lose her self in a story”.
“Through these stories, Mariana fell in love with a vision of England and Englishness—an England that had quite possibly never existed beyond these pages of these: an England of warm summer rain, and wet greenery, and apple blossom; winding rivers and willow trees, and country pubs with roaring fires. The England of the Famous Five, and Peter Pan and Wendy; King Arthur and Camelot; ‘Wuthering Heights’ and Jane Austen, Shakespeare—Tennyson”.

“St. Christophers was among the oldest and prettiest of Cambridge colleges. It was made up of several courtyards and gardens leading down to the river, and built in a combination of architectural styles—Gothic, neoclassical Renaissance— as a college have been rebuilt and expanded over the centuries. It was a haphazard organic growth—and, Mariana thought, all the lovelier for it”.

“There was a word for this moment in Greek tragedy: anagnorisis—recognition—the moment the hero finally sees the truth and understands his fate—and how it’s always been there, the whole time, in front of him. Mariana used to wonder what that moment felt like. Now she knew”.

At first I was considering this to be a 3 to 3.5 rating....
But actually....no: I’m definitely taking away gifts from this book ...
So - I raise my own rating to 4 solid stars.

going into this book i thought it was just “okay” i thought it was going to be predictable and it was like reading a dark academia book but instead of following a student it followed an outsider, i thought i already knew what was going to happen but the book kind of plays on that. if you read dark academia a lot, you think that you know what’s going to happen in this book but honestly you don’t and that’s the best part. the plot twist in this book was so great. it literally made me gasp out loud.

I had high hopes having so enjoyed Michaelides’ first book, The Silent Patient. This was a big miss for me.

Not only did I not care for or connect with the characters in any way, I found the plot contrived, ill-conceived, and forced.

What a bummer.

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Publishing for the advanced copy of this book. I’m grateful.

I read The Maidens last month because I also received the physical ARC and while I really enjoyed the story and appreciated the tie-in with The Silent Patient near the end, I found the mystery to be a bit predictable and I didn't understand why Mariana was taking it upon herself to investigate the murder when she was only a group psychotherapist. In addition, she traveled to Cambridge to be with her niece Zoe however she didn't really seem that concerned about Zoe; she was more concerned about solving the murder and accusing the teacher. Still, I enjoyed the story and would recommend this book but I didn't love it nearly as much as I did The Silent Patient.

The “Maidens” is the second book I’ve read by Alex Michaelides. Mariana Andries is a recently widowed psychotherapist in London who is called to Cambridge by her niece Zoe after Zoes’s friend is brutally murdered. Mariana begins her own investigation into the murder and is sure Professor Fosca is behind it.

The book was suspenseful and I liked the Greek mythology references.
My criticisms are that there were too many characters that didn’t help the plot in any way and that the ending came out of left field.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.