The authors first book The Silent Patient was a 5 star brilliant read.A book that everyone I knew was reading raving about,The author has done it again The Maidens drew me in from the first pages kept me reading late into the night.There were so many twists and turns just as II thought I had it figured the mystery out I was wrong .Highly recommend ,grab this thriller.#netgalley #celadonbooks

This second novel by Alex Michaelides is mainly set at Cambridge where the murder of a student has occurred. But before we can get to that – and, to me, the real beginning of the plot – we must slog through the details of the viewpoint character's past and present. In The Maidens, Mariana Andros, a group psychotherapist, is suffering through her initial months as a widow. The loss of her husband at an early age exerts a pall over her life and her actions. We see Mariana attempt to continue to function as an effective psychologist, but nothing she says or does seems astute or professional. One of the male members of her group is following her around, and she does nothing to stop his behavior and therefore help him, psychologically. There is no evidence of competence here.

So blame all that on the effect of her husband's recent death. Mariana's life is upended by a frantic call for help from her niece Zoe. Thus starts the problem/mystery of the novel. Zoe's close friend at Cambridge is missing and Zoe fears she is dead. Zoe's right. Mariana wiggles her way into the police investigation and is present when other murders of female Cambridge students are discovered. Is she more astute at this point and able to aid the investigation? No. Still in a fog. Admittedly, the author's excellent depiction of the shadowy, gloomy setting makes the reader feel this murkiness as well.

There is enough suspense to keep us reading to find out “who done it,” but unfortunately little satisfying characterization. The “maidens” are a secret group of beautiful females which star professor Edward Fosca has assembled. But their personalities are stereotypical, and Michaelides' use of the Demeter/Persephone mythology is a thin layer apparently intended to structure and inform the narrative. It doesn't.

Many reviewers write excitedly of their surprise at the ending, and indeed the plot is so full of potential suspects that we nearly fail to keep them all straight. Attempting to work out the clues, as Mariana does, poorly, keeps readers compelled to finish the novel.

This story in itself may be a Greek tragedy in which Mariana must lose everything – her husband, her practice, her identity, her family members, her ignorance – so that she might reach agnagnosis and finally recognize her real self and place in life.

I received a copy of The Maidens from the Macmillan and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. The story references characteristics of many of the Gods and Goddesses in Greek Mythology and is very cleverly written. The proverb “There are none so blind as those who cannot see” can be aptly applied. The author certainly uses a lot of red herrings to keep the reader guessing.

Mariana, troubled by the death of her husband becomes embroiled in a police investigation when a member of a group of women called “The Maidens” is murdered. This woman was a friend of Mariana’s niece, Zoe, the only member of her family still alive. The characters are well developed and the story is very atmospheric. I have to admit, the ending shocked me.

Sometimes second books fall short after the debut one was such a success, but I liked this book as much as I did the Silent Patient and loved the references to that earlier book. I love stories where I am constantly guessing as to what is going to happen next.

This was so good. I really enjoyed the mystery of this one! Michaelides does a great job of giving the reader a chance to get to know the characters and become invested in their lives! The mythological storyline was interesting, and I enjoyed learning about some of the stories as they were woven into the book. The society was fascinating. I loved the obsessive elements! The mystery was great, and I was surprised at the way the story twisted and turned...I did not figure out what was actually going on until it was revealed!!

I highly recommend this for thriller/mystery readers!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Like many people, this was one of, if not my most anticipated read of 2021. I have been on the edge of my seat, and I have never been so excited to be approved to read an arc. I LOVED the Silent Patient. I make everyone I meet who has even the slightest interest in books read it because I know it will blow their minds. I say that first because I knew going into this that I would put this book on an extremely high pedestal.

Things I enjoyed:
- The premise was really interesting, and I loved the idea of the Maidens. The connection to Greek mythology was woven well throughout the book. I think his background knowledge on what he writes really comes through.
- The shorter chapters made it a page turner! I finished this book in basically one sitting (I started a chapter the day before when I was first approved for it, then the rest the next day). The pace sort of shifted around for me, but even in the parts that had a slow burn sort of feel, at the same time it did not drag, which I appreciated!
- He kept me guessing throughout the book. It’s been tough to find a thriller recently that wasn’t super obvious, and I felt like the author threw in a lot of red herrings so there were many directions it could have gone. I thought the actual killer could have been the one for maybe 30 seconds and then ruled it out, so props to the author on that.
- The overlap with the world of the Silent Patient. I love when a writer does this, and this made me even more excited because the Silent Patient is my favorite thriller of all time, and I hope we get to see more of this world in the future!

What I didn't love:
- Despite not guessing the killer, I was not as blown away in the end the way I was in the Silent Patient. I was hoping this one would have had a shocking psychological twist, where Mariana was involved somehow in the murder, or if she were an unreliable narrator perhaps. I do think though this downside for me had much to do with the SUPER high expectations and personal assumption that it would be the same type of feel as his first book.
- The Henry story line. Though it added that element of making me freaked out while reading his parts (and I totally was so great writing there), that story line did not add to the plot for me other than to maybe have another person who could have been the killer.

Overall:
To those expecting a book like the Silent Patient, it was a different sort of feel. It leaned more in the direction of a whodunit to me, which is not at all a bad thing, just a different sort of thriller than his first. Despite many of my comparisons here to his first book, I hope others can see this one as just another thing that this author can do well! Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to others and found it entertaining. I cannot wait to see what he writes next!

3 solid -I was expecting so much more stars!

This time I’m unpopular reviewer. Yes, I disappointed! Yes, I was truly expecting something earth shattering, soul crushing, mind bending, grey cell fryer, unputdownable!

What went so wrong with me?
-one dimensional, very dislikable characterization
-too many plot holes bigger than the cracks in my head!
-Slow, flat, boring beginning
-Too much unnecessary misdirection about the identity of the murder even though it’s so obvious from the beginning
-Meeting with the one of the most useless and miserable investigation team who are always three steps behind a psychiatrist who knows nothing about murder investigation

The things I liked:
Short, easy to read chapters

Returning back to same universe where Silent Patient’s story executed( could third book be a crossover! Fingers crossed!)

Academic murder mystery premise with Greek mythology vibes

Delicious Cambridge atmosphere, detailed depictions about the surroundings which takes us virtual vacation to this epic, historical place!

Some parts of the final revelation is also well executed even though there are still so many questions in my head which are still not satisfyingly answered!

Storyline: when I read the blurb which informs us this is claustrophobic, enigmatic, mythology, dark murder mystery about young women students who were brutally killed as a part of a ritual, I was so excited about this interesting premise.

But our meeting with a group of women students called Maidens which is conducted by their narcissistic, flirting professor Edward Fosca took too long! We lost so much time with inner turmoil of heroine: her sadness, grief, her depression etc.

After being introduced to our sad, grieving heroine Mariana Andros, we observed one of her group session and met with her obsessed passion Henry who might be watching and stalking her day and night. Then we learn her tragic past: She lost everyone in her life: including her parents, sister and her beloved husband which makes her think she’s punished by the gods of wrath!

Her niece Zoe who is her only family member, a student At Cambridge calls her to inform her close friend might be missing. When Mariana decides to check on her niece by taking a trip to the university where she has been also a student and met her husband, she realizes there’s a murder investigation and her niece is right. Her close friend Tara is brutally murder.

Mariana decides to console her niece, spending more time at the place by conducting her own investigation. Her number one suspect is professor Edward Fonseca who might be the lover of the victim and he’s also finder of mysterious Maidens group. Tara was also the member of this group and unfortunately she was not the only one brutally killed! Somebody is after the maidens and he/ she is adamant to finish what he/she started!

Overall: I’m giving three , it could be so much better, but there’s still interesting and intriguing premise of the story still kept my attention intact stars!

I wish I was one of the admirers of this book but I missed the author’s claustrophobic, intense, brilliant mind games, psychological, distorted, smart twists and gripping writing style he performed at Silent Patient!

Third one is the charm! I think his next work will be so much better!

So many thanks to NetGalley and Celadon Books for sharing this one of the most anticipated books’ digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

Ever since I read it, I have had a mild obsession with The Silent Patient—so to say I was excitedly awaiting the release of The Maidens would be an understatement. It was important to me to judge this one completely independent of The Silent Patient, and I’m really glad I made a conscious effort to do so.

This was a slow, dark build that kept me guessing all the way through. While I typically don’t enjoy a slow build with a fast and furious ending, the modern day Greek tragedy elements of this one made it worthwhile. The wool was completely pulled over my eyes, once again. Fans of TSP will be delighted with the Easter Eggs sprinkled in. Alex Michaelides has a lifelong fan in me!

Thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and Alex Michaelides for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to Celadon for the copy of The Maidens, the highly anticipated sophomore novel from Alex Michaelides. I feel bad for Michaelides as his debut novel, The Silent Patient, was a hit. The ending of that book was like YESSSS. So that is what everyone will be coming to his second novel with-- the expectations to be blown away. This one, though as SP did, used psychology as part of the story, the overall story was a different one to tell.

What I Liked:
1. Michaelides used three things I am a sucker for: Greek mythology, secret societies, and college campuses. If the story includes one or more of these, I am picking it up at some point. Michaelides uses the mythology and the secret society as a way to move the plot and make you suspect multiple people. His main character Mariana, who went to this college, uses the secret society and compares it to her own group therapy sessions she runs.
2. The writing. Though I did not love this one overall, I enjoy the author's writing style. The short chapters make the book feel as if it is moving faster-- which I will talk about in a minute. Also, his prose is just well done. The story telling is what kept me hooked. As I type this, I realize who know how long I will have to wait to read his next book.
3. The tie-ins to the Silent Patient. They don't really effect the plot, and they probably were not necessary at all. I just found them to be fun.

What I Didn't:
1. This one the twist is not a twist. I felt it was quite obvious and though I did not figure it out all together, I figured it out enough to not be overly thrilled with the ending.
2. Mariana was not a great protagonist. She was not confident in anything she ever did. Her grief at times seemed forced and she honestly just was not likable to me.
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Overall: I enjoyed this one. There is no doubt, I will pick up anything Alex Michaelides writes. Though this one did not blow me away like The Silent Patient did, this was a solid sophomore book and I feel many will enjoy it as I did and even more in most cases!

Book Review for The Maidens
Full review for this title will be posted at: @cattleboobooks on Instagram!

Mariana is a group therapist, and attended Cambridge, that Her niece Zoe now attends! At the beginning, you'll read about Marianas husband Sebastian's death and how devastated she is. Then Mariana gets a phone call from Zoe telling her that her friend has turned up brutally murdered.

Edward Fosca is the greek history teacher at Cambridge, and he has a select group of students they call "The Maidens". After clues are put together, it must be him that's the murderer, and as more bodies start showing up, Mariana wants to help Zoe prove who the murderer is!!

The story weaves through Marianas life with her husband, and the investigation at Cambridge. The writing was good, and the plot sounded right up my alley, but parts of the story just seemed a little bit cliche and unbelievable. Not a bad thriller, but just nothing extraordinary. I did guess who the killer was pretty early on, BUT I did not guess the end twist, which had my jaw dropped! Lol! So that's a good thing!! I do think it's worth the read, especially if you enjoyed "The Silent Patient" which I really did!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own!

Edward Fosca is a murderer. Mariana knows this even though no one else does. The handsome and charismatic Greek tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students especially by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens.

Mariana Andros is a brilliant group therapist who becomes fixated on The Maidens when one member, a friend of Mariana’s niece Zoe, is found murdered in Cambridge.

Mariana, once a student, knows underneath the beautiful campus lies something evil. She knows Edward is guilty even with his alibi. Why would the professor target one of his students?

When another body is found, Mariana’s obsession with proving Fosca’s guilt spirals out of control, threatening to destroy her credibility as well as her closest relationships. But Mariana is determined to stop this killer, even if it costs her life.

Everyone’s most anticipated read! I am so fortunate to be able to read it. This book is filled with a ton of Greek mythology. Now if that’s not your jam, you probably won’t like this as much. It was a slow builder relying more on character development until the very very end and then Alex Michaelides slaps you in the face with his twist. His writing is so intelligent. I also appreciated the cameo by Theo in this book. It was a fun tie in. I enjoyed this even though I can see how some people would like it less than The Silent Patient. Both equally psychological but in different ways.

Alex Michaelides is back with his second book, and it is a psychological thriller like his first, The Silent Patient. Readers even run into the main character from The Silent Patient over the course of the novel. In this one,

Mariana is a group therapist who is still mourning the drowning death of her husband. She is called back to Cambridge, where she and her husband studied, when her niece calls to tell her that her roommate has been murdered. What unfolds is a series of murders connected to literature, Greek myth, and Mariana's dark and sad past.

While I enjoyed this book because I just LOVE books that are set in Oxford or Cambridge, it did not live up to the suspense of Michaelides's first book. I found the twist at the end to be a little bit unbelievable and unsatisfying.

Not the best, not the worst, Alex Michaelides sophomore novel The Maidens ended up being a middling read for me. Following up a mega-success like The Silent Patient was always going to be an uphill battle, but I just don’t think this one had the style or substance of Michaelides’ previous work.

The premise here was undeniably compelling. I’m always game for a good academia murder-mystery! Mariana is a therapist in London, who receives a frantic phone call from her niece after a friend of hers has been found murdered at Cambridge. Mariana rushes over to help console her niece, Zoe, and eventually starts investigating the death herself. A strange group of female students, known as The Maidens, draw Mariana’s focus, not least of all because at the center of their cohort is an unsettling professor, who seems to have a strange hold over the young women.

I think my biggest complaint while reading would have to be that I was just bored for so much of it. Michaelides writes in a very readable style, with easily consumable, short chapters, but I kept waiting to be swept away by a plot wave that never came. In order for a slow burn to be pulled off successfully there needs to be a good amount of tension simmering throughout, and I just never felt on the edge of my seat in that way. Did I want to know what would happen next? Sure, but did I tear through the pages to try to find out? Not really.

The characters were also a little underdeveloped for me as well. Most were pretty one-dimensional, so it was difficult to connect with them or even get a read on their motivations. And in my opinion, the author majorly over-used red herrings. There were so many that it started to feel like a coi herring pond full of them. Every single male character was creepy and weird. Every single female character was malicious or helpless. Additionally, Michaelides has a background in psychology and Greek mythology, so it wasn’t a huge surprise to see those topics included in both of his books. But something about Mariana’s psychology credibility here felt insincere, so any time she used those credentials to glean access to crucial information, I had trouble buying into it.

There were a couple of twists that I didn’t necessarily think were the most likely outcomes, but I still had considered possibilities. So I don’t think I can claim that I truly ‘guessed the ending’, though I still didn’t feel thoroughly surprised in the way I assume the author was going for. I was completely blindsided while reading The Silent Patient at multiple points in the story, and for me The Maidens just didn’t deliver in the same way.

The pacing nearing the end picked up significantly, which I liked, even if the ending itself felt a little rushed. I don’t know, I’m seeing reviews all over the place for this one, so I get the feeling this is going to be a book most people are going to want to experience for themselves. And while I’m not going to put this on any must-read lists of 2021, I think it’s still going to be an entertaining enough thriller for a lot of readers.

Super quick synopsis: Mariana, a group therapist, gets a frantic call from her niece, Zoe, who's in school at Cambridge, about a crime that's occurred. I went into this book blind and definitely recommend doing the same!

This is a book I really savored recently. Super short chapters with a nice, slow build that makes the reader feel more and more uneasy definitely makes this bingeable. However, after loving The Silent Patient when I read it in 2019, there was no way I wasn't going to savor this one and take my time with it. Without giving away too much of the fun stuff, this was dark and mysterious, without being in your face gruesome or disturbing. I'm also a sucker for a solid campus setting, which added to the ominous atmosphere and had me on edge with several shady campus dwellers. I was determined not to be completely caught off guard by the ending like I was with The Silent Patient; I did guess the killer, but the motive was really unexpected - still a great ending.

The Silent Patient is my favorite thriller of all-times. Hands-down. While The Maidens didn't top it for me, it was great and lived up to the hype - no sophomore slump for the author. Definitely an auto-buy author for me!

Thank you to @celadonbooks for the #gifted physical copy and the additional e-copy via @netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Mariana Andros, a dedicated Group Therapist, knows first-hand how difficult recovering from trauma can be. Therefore she exhibits a great deal of empathy and patience towards her many clients. She doesn't even need to work, due to a large inheritance, however she continues her practice because she enjoys being able to help others.

Sadly, Mariana has lost almost everyone she has ever loved. In fact, the only family she has left is her niece, Zoe, currently a student at Cambridge University. That's why when Zoe calls her one night, extremely distraught, Mariana boards a train the next morning to go to her; she must help.

Arriving in Cambridge stirs up a lot of memories for Mariana. She attended school there as well and wasn't prepared for the emotional repercussions of being back on campus. Mariana tries to push her own emotions aside, however, in order to better focus on Zoe. Apparently, a dead body found the previous evening has been identified as Zoe's good friend. It is obvious the girl has been murdered.

After conversations with Zoe about the girl, Mariana begins to suspect Edward Fosca, a popular and captivating Greek Tragedy Professor, may be the culprit. He has an alibi, but not one that Mariana considers to be reliable; his secret society of young women students, known as The Maidens, could easily be persuaded to lie for him.

Mariana successfully inserts herself, through various connections, into the investigation, putting herself on a collision course with the undeniably charming, Professor Fosca. The Maidens is compulsively readable. Once I started it, I could not put it down! I loved how Michaelides wove together all of the different aspects of this story. I thought it was wonderfully crafted. I was so engaged throughout, I had to remind myself to come up for air.

The setting of Cambridge was extremely vivid. It starts as this beautiful, pristine and exclusive place. Then over the course of the narrative, a dark underbelly becomes exposed as Mariana digs further into the mystery. I absolutely loved that. So is life, am I right?

Additionally, Mariana had such depth of character. I loved learning about her and watching her try to push past her own anxieties and fears to try and help Zoe. She became laser-focused in her search for the truth and I was cheering her on the whole way. I wouldn't say she is overly likable, in the traditional sense, but I certainly found her to be believable.

I could swoon about this for days, but will spare you that and wrap it up by saying, I loved this book! I thought it was so fun, super entertaining and memorable. The setting, the characters, the twists and turns; it is WICKED!!!

I actually think I enjoyed this more than The Silent Patient, and that's saying a lot. I already cannot wait to see what Michaelides comes up with next.

Thank you so, so, so much to the publisher, Celadon Books, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I appreciate it more than I can say. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I cannot wait for it to be released!!!

Mariana Andros visits her niece attending Cambridge University after the discovery of a grisly murder on campus in this interesting adult mystery.

Alex Michaelides’ first novel, The Silent Patient, took me by surprise with how completely and totally it entertained me. The author’s second foray into the mystery genre is a tad less riveting. The story focuses on Mariana as she investigates the murder of her niece’s friend on campus. Mariana is a vulnerable and sympathetic character…until her actions are shoehorned into the story make the plot work. Her ability to insert herself into an active investigation, particularly one with so much attention, was unrealistic. Characterization was often sacrificed for plot in order to strengthen the twist at the end.

All that said, this book is a quick and entertaining read. It kept me hooked from beginning to end – I read it in one sitting (unheard of for me with a four-year-old, two puppies, and a hubby in the house). The Greek mythology added a fun mysterious element to the story. It also had a surprising amount of cameos from The Silent Patient. I typically dislike when authors feature previous characters or reference plot points from books outside of a traditional series, but it was well done here. Honestly, it made me want to re-read the first book again.

Content warnings: abuse, toxic relationships, loss of a loved one

tl;dr While characterization is sacrificed for plot for much of the novel, the story itself is a quick and entertaining read.

I loved the Silent Patient and this book didn't let me down. In fact, this book takes place in the same timeline as the first book which was interesting. It kept me guessing the whole time!

When Mariana receives a distressed call from her niece Zoe, she knows she needs to get to her as soon as possible. Zoe’s best friend Tara has been murdered, and suddenly the rest of the Maidens are dropping like flies. Mariana is so certain that Edward is the killer and she is willing to put herself at risk to prove it.

Well shit hell can Alex Michaelides write a twist. I knew the answer, I knew who the killer was. I was so certain throughout almost the entire book. I was wrong. So, so, so wrong. I will say some of the Greek mythology stuff had me wanting to jump ahead, but damn when this book came together it was just perfection. If you loved The Silent Patient, you want to read this book! I won’t say anything else, because really you just need to read it yourself!

A dark psychological thriller sculpted in the image of Greek mythology. The narrator is as unreliable as our best guess. Fast paced with an unexpected nod to The Silent Patient.

Thank you NetGalley & Celadon Books for this eARC and the chance to read & review this book.
Read the Silent Patient? Loved it??? If you said yes to both, then you will absolutely love this book! I read this in a day, finding myself not able to stop. I absolutely loved the setting, speed & characters... I did however, predict the way MOST of this story would go... but then BAM.. of course something happens and it was nothing at all what I had expected. I also lovvved that we got a small little glimpse at a few characters from Michaelides first novel. This book will be published on June 14th. You don’t wanna miss it!