I really enjoyed reading the first few chapters of this book. The main character, Mariana, seems really intriguing. The author has really set the stage for an excellent thriller. Effective hook, as I purchased the book so I could keep reading!

This chapter sampler absolutely captured my attention and I instantly fell in love with Alex Michaelides' writing.

I cannot wait to read the full book here shortly!

" I could feel a fire burning--a rising anger, a rage that would not go out. I knew it was wrong--I knew I should curb it before it overwhelmed me. But instead, I fanned the flames. And I burned."

Chilling words from the killer in The Maidens by brilliant author Alex Michaelides. In one of the most anticipated books of the summer we are treated to a psychological thriller full of Greek tragedy, lost loves, and a very disturbed soul.

Mariana is a group therapist dealing with her own depression when she receives a frantic call from her niece Zoe saying she thinks her friend has been brutally murdered. Mariana drops everything and heads to Cambridge University to protect and console Zoe.

As soon as Mariana meets Zoe's Greek tragedy Professor she senses there is evil in him. Proving he is the killer seems impossible. His alibi is his female students who are a part of his special Greek mythology society The Maidens. But the maidens are dying one by one and Mariana will risk it all to stop the professor.

This book took me in so many directions. The author has a mesmerizing style that makes you just have to keep reading even though you think you know how it will end. You will be wrong. I was truly aghast at the end. There are many red herrings and I was swimming with all of them.

I also listened to the audiobook and the narrators Kobna Holdbrook Smith and Louise Brealey were perfectly authentic. When the voice of the killer spoke I shivered and when Mariana panicked I hugged myself for comfort.

The ending, though shocking, made me feel a bit sad. Mariana had lost so much as the story unfolded and I hated that she had even more sorrow to endure. The fact that this writer made me care so much says it all about his ability to bring you into his world.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I thought this was a nice introduction to the book. I feel like the thing with Alex Michaelides books is that they seem sort of disorganized in the beginning because the story line is more scattered, but then it comes together nicely by around the middle. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I just needed more!

I just read chapter sampler so am unable to compose a review of the work but it sounds compelling enough to make me want to read the rest.

I very much enjoyed this sample. I picked it right when I've seen who wrote this book, since I enjoyed The Silen Patient.

The book is starting off great and I learned who the killer is at the beginning of the book? But is this really true? Hard to tell when I read only 5 chapters so far. But I am very much jnterested who Marianna is. If her crazy patient Henry did something to her why her husband is now dead? Who killed the 20year old girl from College?
So many questions after few chapters.

I had to buy this book from amazon right away :).
Thanks Netgalley for providing this sample.

I absolutely loved Alex Michaelides's first book "The Silent Patient". I kept checking online for any information on his next book. When I heard it had been released I was desperate to find it. So of course, when I was offered the sample I jumped on it.

The sample took me up to chapter 5 and I am hooked. I can't wait to read the complete book.

I received this galley from NetGalley.

unlike most people i have not read the author's other book "the silent patient" i wanted to read this because of the premise. and from these chapters it seems like its going to be a fast and entertaining read. im already curious about what will happen and cant wait to be able to read the rest!

I got the Chapter sampler from Netgalley but ended up getting the actual book too! I enjoyed this book. It was a good murder mystery and there were a lot of red herrings that kept me guessing. I thought it started a tad slow as the foundation was set but then it picked up and I couldn’t put it down!

I enjoyed reading Alex Michaelides first book - The Silent Patient, enough that I am interested in reading more of his work, so was very pleased when the announcement of The Maidens was made. Already there is the same amount of hype for this book as there was for the Silent Patient and judging by the first couple chapters given in this sampler the hype seems to be justified.

Looking forward to getting my copy of The Maidens when the book is released on June 15th

This was super interesting - I definitely want to read the full novel.

I was not a big fan of The Silent Patient, but this seems to have a different feel. Almost dark academia?

My goodness, if the first few pages are anything to go on, The Maidens is going to be a wild ride! Already, I am intrigued by Mariana’s personal history—especially the irony of her somewhat anti-social childhood and her eventual career choice as a group therapist.

Speaking of group therapy, I absolutely love that setting for a psychological thriller. There is an inherent unreliability to it—each patient could cause a ripple effect that could completely derail the story.

Already, Henry is…frightening. He is clearly damaged and clearly hurt. I am curious to learn more about his insistence upon having Mariana as a therapist. What is his motivation?

There are so many questions that I can’t wait to have answered once I read the whole book. How does Sebastian, Mariana’s husband, fit in to this story? Who is Edward? AND…what was on the news when Zoe called?!?!

I can’t wait to read more.

Did someone say DARK ACADEMIA?! With a Greek mythology twist? I seriously cannot wait to read the rest of this book! I've just pre-ordered a copy.

THE MAIDENS REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. When I saw @alex.michaelides (author of #silentpatient ) had a new book coming I knew I had to get my hands on it ASAP!. I loved the way this story twisted in Greek mythology amongst a current day backdrop at Cambridge University, with deceitful secrets amongst an elite group of female students called the Maidens, and a brilliantly captivating, yet dark Professor Fosca. As the murders occur, and Mariana sets out to find the killer, I felt like I was constantly changing my mind on who the killer could be. And just as expected, the end still left me totally shocked! I am now wanting to re-read it all again so I can see how all the details play out, knowing what I know now. 👀 This is a must have thriller for the summer. You can pre order your copy, June 15th is when it releases! #themaidens #celadonreads #summerreads2021 #readthisbook #5starreview #alexmichaelides

This definitely got me intrigued before finally getting to read the full book!
I think Michaelides does a fantastic job of creating a very eerie atmosphere. He doesn’t necessarily give us ‘unreliable narrators’, but you’re definitely wondering if they know what the hell they’re doing. I would definitely recommend!

Oh man! I am so excited about this book! I liked The Silent Patient but I think I’m going to love this new book! Already it starts out at a quick pace and with such great character development. I’m so intrigued as to how the Greek myths will be entwined throughout the plot. I feel as if this is going to be a hot read for summer and will fly off shelves for sure!!

🌟🌟 𝟝-ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕡𝕝𝕖𝕣 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 🌟🌟
I've just finished the 5-chapter sampler I got from @netgalley and it was mind-blowingly intense. I still need to read the entire book to write an overall, honest review, but so far the first five chapters I was offered are making me determined to preorder the book. I read Michaelides's the Silent Patient and it was a five-star read. I also participated in a competition reviewing the Silent Patient several months ago and I got third place, so the book was a good one for me. I have a very good feeling the Maidens is gonna be added to my favorites this year. We're talking amazing writing style, intelligently suspenseful dialogue, and, for me, Alex Michaelides is an authority when it comes to psychological thrillers.

I found The Silent Patient to be predictable but I decided to give Alex Michaelides another try. I called this one very early on as well. I found myself wanting to skip to the end just to see how it finished so I could move on to my next read.

When I discovered the sampler for the maidens available as READ NOW, I jumped with joy. Because I knew if I read the first five chapters there's no way I'm going to stop at that and go about my day. I guessed it right because I went ahead and placed my order of the book right away. Thankyou Netgalley for steering me in the right direction lol. If the first few chapters are any indication as to how thrilling this book is going to be I'm pretty sure this will land in the bestsellers list in no time. Its so good.

Boy do I wish this sample were longer because from what I've read alone, I am so eager to get my hands on the full book. I loved Silent Patient when I read it last year, and so far this book seems similar in that it grips you from the very beginning. It's fast-paced with short chapters and very accessible prose, and I've audibly gasped already, so I hope that attests to how quickly Michaelides jumps right into the suspense. Can't wait to read the rest of it!