This review is for the audio book.
The Narrators did a great job in presenting the story.
This is my first book from Alex Michaelides that I read so I didn’t try to compare it to “The Silent Patient” maybe that is why I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the story.
Mariana a still grieving widow gets called to Cambridge, hers and husband’s former University, by her niece reporting the murder of a friend. The trip brings back many memories for Mariana which makes it even harder for her to deal with her loss. As a therapist she tries to analyze what has happened but been too close to the situation and people involved she isn’t too successful. The story is interwoven with some Greek mythology which keeps you guessing. The ending is the most unexpected shocking twist that will keep spinning in your head for a while after finishing the book.

I actually really enjoyed this one! I’m one of the rare few that hasn’t read The Silent Patient so I didn’t have a comparison in my head while I read. I really enjoyed the dark academia vibes, the crime aspect, and the mystery trying to solve who the killer was. I also really liked the Greek mythology, but I think that will definitely depend on the person. The end didn’t disappoint with a big twist. My only complaint is the regular person inserting themselves into a police investigation and doing the job better than the hired investigators trope- it always feels so unbelievable.

The Maidens is an amazing novel that twists and turns and leaves you completely guessing.

The narration is riveting and well performed.

An enjoyable experience from start to finish.

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance audiobook of The Maidens.

I read Michaelides other book, The Silent Patient, when it first came out in 2019, and thought it was a decent thriller. It got a lot of attention when it was published, and I remember thinking the twist at the end was pretty clever, but ultimately the characters didn’t hold up for me.

The same thing happened in this book. The murders, the setting at Cambridge, and the mystery all pulled me in, but Mariana was just not my favorite narrator. First, she didn’t read as a therapist at all. Her obsessive need to prove Fosca was the murderer despite all the evidence to the contrary just seemed unhinged (and c’mon…it’s never the obvious suspect!). Her group therapy session with the Maidens felt really cringy to me, and not only that, they managed to get the upper hand at the end of the session!

The biggest positive to this book was that I truly did not suspect the killer. Really, truly, I did not guess until the last 15 or so minutes before it was revealed. The twist was really good, and I really, really enjoyed the ending to this book. It was both shocking and satisfying, because it proved that I was right about Mariana; she really was blind to people’s true natures.

This book was really difficult to get into. I wanted to pick up this book due to the notoriety of the last book written by this author and how captivating it was. Most of the time I could not keep up with what was going on with the characters or the storyline, perhaps it was me. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Decent book, but didn't live up to The Silent Patient. Listened to the Audio Book and the American accent was distracting, sound like it was done with teeth clenched. Unfortunately that took my attention away from the story. This was a book that was easy to put down and I had to force myself to finish. I'd give it 2.5 stars if I could do half stars.

Why? Storyline just wasn't something that grabbed me. Twist was something I figured out early on. The mystery/intrigue wasn't high.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Excellent, captivating and has twisty plot. I find listening to audio much different then reading the book. I am uncertain why I still have the book and am reading it, but went to listen to the audio tonight and can not. Possibly, there was an error in processing this. So, I still have the book to read and really am enjoying the intrigue.

I think this will definitely be a heart pounding best seller, just like The Silent Patient.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for an ARC of this Audio Book. I really appreciate it.

There were many dark academia elements that you would expect from a book like this: an academic setting, characters navigating crimes and dark secrets.

The story begins with death, and it was a great way to set a melancholy tone for the rest of the novel. Grief was so palpable and so realistic from the start, I felt I was grieving right along with Mariana. I felt so sad, because I could imagine having the same exact feelings to losing a loved one. With what happens next, I can understand that her motivations come from a place of caring and empathy.

Overall this was a great mystery, and kept me engaged until the end!

In addition to having an active Audible membership, I also borrow audiobooks from the library. Oftentimes, it’s much easier for me to listen to a book rather than read it. I have written reviews of books I have listened to before, but this is the first time I have received an ARC of an audiobook.

The Secret History is one of my all-time favorite books, so I was very excited about the opportunity to listen to a new entry in the dark academia genre.

Rather than focus on the members of The Maidens, the narrative unfolds from the perspective of Marina, the aunt of the students. This removal makes it less of the dark academia I was expecting and more of a general psychological thriller that happens to be set at an elite university.

Louise Brealey provides the main narration, and Marina is both genteel and determined. She knows something is wrong, and she needs to unmask the killer before her niece becomes the next victim. Brealey also does several regional accents to voice minor characters.

There are interludes between the chapters with commentary from an anonymous man. This is where having an audiobook is a big advantage; there’s actually a second narrator, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, whose flat accent carefully masks any geographic indicators. This lack of emotion also provides insight into the cold and detached nature of the speaker.

To say I was shocked by the reveal would be an understatement. The denouement came out of nowhere, and I can’t say anything more, but I found myself doubting its veracity. Surely, there must be some mistake—a delusional character, perhaps—but as the epilogue reveals, it was all completely true.

I would recommend The Maidens. The narration brought the story to life by adding layers of depth and nuance, heightening the tension; leads prove fruitless and a killer roams free. I am going to have to keep an eye out for more from the author and both narrators in the future.



I received a digital audiobook from Macmillan Audio/NetGalley.

Gripping, punishing, twisting, and shocking are the words I'd use to succinctly describe any of Alex Michaelides's books, but especially with The Maidens.
Alex Michaelides is redefining what it takes for a novel to truly be considered a psychological thriller. With nuanced and complicated characters, intricate plot, intense inner monologuing of main characters, and just enough terror to make the premise utterly believable, The Maidens is sure to cement Michaelides in the realm of the greats.

With his sophomore novel, Michaelides has secured himself in my "autobuy" category and I'll follow this master of darkness anywhere his twisted plots lead me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan for the early access to the audiobook! These narrators are by far my favorites so far that I've encountered.

I was not such a fan of Alex Michaelides' novel The Silent Patient but decided to give this one a try. While I found the spooky element to be deeper in this novel, it still felt predictable to be and I found myself getting lost on the plot from time to time. However the story is interesting, unique, and I respect the work the author put in to perfect the story.

I'm not really sure how I would rate this book. It didn't go where I thought it would so the end was different than I thought. I was very interested in the book and then went through some slow spots... It was up and down but overall, I liked it. It's a bit of a twisty whodunit that I think you will enjoy.

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides is receiving so much buzz that my opinion doesn't matter in the grand scheme, but I'm sharing it anyway. As an occasional thriller reader, I thought it was "fine." I haven't read The Silent Patient (the cover freaked me out) and I'm not knowledgeable of Greek tragedies so that likely impacted my enjoyment.

The most obvious suspect isn't likely to be guilty, so I speculated about the murderer's identity and was very wrong. Also, several things about student life at Cambridge (late night tutoring sessions in private chambers, employees who make students' beds and take out their trash, etc.) took me out of the "reality" of the story. I won't share more to avoid spoilers.

I liked the short chapters that propelled me through the story, and really appreciated the atmosphere created by audiobook narrators Louise Brealey and Kobna Holdbrook-Simith. The ending was intriguing as I occasionally enjoy a novel that leaves me with questions.

Thank you to Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the review copies; all thoughts are my own.

Suspenseful and mysterious. I enjoyed this audiobook. 
Thank you to Macmillan / Celadon Books and NetGalley for the arc by Alex Michaelides in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, Alex Mechaelides does it again! This twisty turny mystery kept me on my toes the entire time. I adored all the Greek mythology and the nods to his previous book the Silent Patient. He ending took me by surprise, in a good way, and was sad to see it end.

The audiobook narration for it was lovely and I even had it sped up to 1.75 and it was easy to listen and enjoy.

Thanks to Netgally and Macmillion Audio for the ARC

i don't typically read books like this so I was hesitant at the beginning and felt like maybe I'd end up liking it. That was until the last 30 mins. The twist was super unbelievable and I really don’t get it ...... wondering if there will be a sequel based off the way it ended, not sure if i’d read a sequel tho to be honest. Did not have pay off I was hoping for,

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides is a fascinating, atmospheric mystery about strange, ritualistic murders on the campus of Cambridge University. The story follows Mariana Andros, a group therapist in London, who returns to her alma mater, when her niece’s close friend is savagely murdered in a ritualistic way. She initially stays in Cambridge to support her niece, but begins to investigate the murder. Mariana learns that the murdered girl was part of a secret society of a handsome, charismatic professor of Greek tragedy, and begins to obsess over him as the murderer I was immediately enthralled when I started this book, the middle was a little slow, but really picked up in the last third of the book. I loved the inclusion of Greek tragedies and the brief epistolary chapters by an unnamed man. The book comes to an unexpected and intriguing conclusion that I didn’t guess. I loved how some of the main characters in The Maidens are secondary characters in The Silent Patient and vice versa. Both stories appear to take place in the same universe around the same time. I listened to the audiobook, which is masterfully narrated by Louise Brealey and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.

Thank you so much Macmillan Audio for providing this audiobook ARC.

Although I like Alex Michaelides’ writing I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. The silent patient was amazing so maybe I was expecting too much. I think the premise of the story was good but a lot of it felt unrealistic. I found I didn’t like Mariana much. I can appreciate her being a concerned aunt and coming to the college to see Zoe but being so involved in a police investigation didn’t make sense. And what detective is actually that stupid and would let her? I wanted to see more of the maidens group especially since it is the title. The last third of the book picked up for me. I loved the references to characters from the silent patient. The writing read like a movie where I could really picture what was happening. The twist in the end was unexpected but felt a little weird after the constant misdirection where almost every character was looking suspicious at some point in the story. Having the ARC audiobook from NetGalley was great and allowed me to read through this story in just a few days.

I really enjoyed listening to this audio book. It was a gripping pyschothriller that kept me engaged the whole time! It even has a crossover with The Silent Patient. I would recommend this audiobook to friends. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this opportunity!