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.

I enjoyed the audiobook! I found it to be easy to follow along with as I was reading and I could keep up with the story if I wasn’t reading along!

I was able to listen to the audiobook thanks to @macmillan.audio and @celadonbooks. The British accents of the narrators definitely transport you to Cambridge and immerse you in the mystery right away. That’s one of my favorite parts of audiobooks!


Mariana Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist who becomes fixated on The Maidens when one member, a friend of Mariana’s niece Zoe, is found murdered in Cambridge. I’m not quite sure what I was expecting with this one, but it left me wanting a bit more. Don’t get me wrong- it was fast paced and I finished it in a day, so that’s always a plus for me with thrillers. Definitely recommend for those looking for a quick summer read, those university mystery settings, and some Greek mythology thrown in!


Thank you to @celadonbooks for my gifted ARC and @macmillan.audio for the gifted ALC!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for my audiobook copy of The Maidens by Alex Michaelides in exchange for an honest review. It publishes today, June 15, 2021.
I can totally understand the hype behind this book, however, it just wasn't my cup of tea. I felt left-behind on the Greek Mythology stuff, (although that's my own ignorance, not up the the author to educate me on those stories), and that made parts of the book hard to follow. But if you have basic knowledge of Greek Mythology, or can pick up on it quicker than me, (you most likely do, or can), this shouldn't be a barrier for you.
I had a hard time liking the main character, for a long time it felt like she was just going to spend most of the time turning guys down after they hit on her. I was hoping for more psychology, but was left wanting.
I can totally see why this book is, and will continue to be so popular. The mystery itself was good, and I did not see that twist coming one bit, and that definitely is huge!
Trigger Warning: Sex, violence, lots of Greek Mythology related violence/sex/etc., language, drug use, suicide.

Oh man, this story had it all. It was a slow beginning but once I got into the story, man I was captivated, intrigued and man did the twists get me. I really was not expecting that ending. 😳 I must now go find my copy of The Silent Patient, and proceed to read it.

The narrator were amazing too! I loved the dual voices and they did a fantastic job reading the story. This is an excellent audiobook!

Overall I liked this book. I don’t usually read thrillers, but lately I’ve discovered that I really like them. This one started off a little slow for me, but I understand that it was needed to build up the story. By about halfway through I was hooked. This is definitely a book that keeps you on your toes. Just when you think you know what’s going on a new plot twist reveals itself. I never ever could have predicted the ending to this book. Honestly it was so incredibly well written that I had no idea who was the killer until the last possible moment. I think that’s my favourite part, the constant guessing and then plot twists proving you wrong. It’s so entertaining! Mariana is such a likeable character so that helped as well! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys thrillers / murder mysteries, and i definitely plan to check out the authors other books!

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 or 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!! The audio book was great. It truly added to the story!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a gifted copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book started out awesome then slowed way down... I almost stopped reading it because I was overwhelmed with bordem. Fortunately I stuck it out until the end. The ending was awesome!! I didn't see that coming. Overall I would recommend this book but just realize that you need to push through a good portion of the book to get the goods!

From the first time I saw the synopsis of this book, I knew that I wanted to read it. I listened to an audio version of his first book, The Silent Patient and really enjoyed it; so when I was approved for the Audio ARC of this new novel, I was ecstatic.

This a a dark academia novel about girls who are being murdered on campus. These particular girls are a part of an elite “club” called The Maidens and work closely with one particular Professor. This wouldn’t be a story, let alone a Michaelides’ story, if that was all there was to it. This story was captivating and me to the university ever time I picked it up to listen to.

The narrators were stunning. They were on point as the speakers of this tale. They were believable as the characters and brought this to life.

I was really excited for this book based off the cover and the description… but was somewhat disappointed. The ending was weird and I definitely wasn’t expecting the plot twist, but it didn’t sit well with me. For a book called “The Maidens,” we don’t see too much of the group behind the title. All in all, while it was still enjoyable, it was a bit of a let down.

-Book Review
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

-Genre
Psychological thriller, Audiobook

-Opening lines
Edward Fosca was a murderer.

This was a fact. This wasn’t just something Mariana knew just on an intellectual level, as an idea. Her body knew it. She felt it in her bones, along her blood, and deep within every cell.

-My description
Group therapist Mariana is still mourning her husband’s death when she gets a frantic call from niece who is studying at Cambridge, Zoe. Zoe is distraught, her friend Tara was murdered, and Zoe might have been the last person to see Tara alive. Mariana is sure that Edward Fosca, a professor who is so popular there is standing room only on his lectures and he has a group of young women (who dress all in white) who follow him everywhere and sit at his feet—The Maidens. And the dead girl was one of them. How many more girls will die before Mariana can gather the information that she needs to convince the police that Fosca is guilty?

-How it made you feel
Just a little off kilter and unstable

-Favorite part
Don’t know if it says more about me or the book that I liked all the details of student and faculty life at Cambridge.

-One-word description
Disquieting

-Would you recommend?
This was a solid listen for me. I listened to it in less than a day, caught up in the events of the book just as Mariana was. I suspect I might not have enjoyed reading the text as much as upon reflection I see some parts were a little overwrought and dramatic. The use of dual narrators for the audio version, one female telling Mariana’s story and one male reading what we later realize is a letter, is very effective and actually adds to the mystery and suspense. Which of the male characters in the story does this voice, this letter, this past belong to? Perhaps because of the connection to Greece or the sort of gothic feel, it reminded me a little of some of Mary Stewart’s work.

To preface this, I'd like to note that I'm not usually much of a mystery or thriller reader. This is one of the first I think I've ever read, so someone who reads them regularly may have a very different response than I did.

That being said, I love this book.

Perhaps I'm just easily drawn in by suspicious men and the red herrings you'd expect from a mystery, but I was genuinely shocked by several of the twists, especially the final one. There's a slowly but steadily climbing tension and sense of dread, although I wasn't very anxious about solving the crime until the end. The stakes don't feel as high for most of the book as I would've expected, probably because I was never quite sure what Mariana's investment in the investigation is, though I enjoyed watching her become more and more obsessed as she was drawn further into the mystery.

Listening to this as an audiobook was a good call for me, especially for someone pretty new to the genre; the main narrator keeps the pace up and makes the dialogue feel very natural (though the American accent wasn't very good), while the narrator of the murderer's chapters gives them an ominous feel. It also stopped me from skipping ahead to the ending just to end the agonizing anticipation of wondering just what was going on!

I'm excited to read The Silent Patient, to which there are several references in this one, and I'll probably be re-reading now that I know the answer to the mystery.

Mariana is a therapist who is still grieving the death of her husband a little over a year ago. Mariana receives a call from her niece Zoe, a student at Cambridge, who says that her friend has been murdered. Mariana goes to help Zoe and somehow becomes entangled in a murder investigation. Mariana and Zoe suspect that one of the professors murdered her friend and is continuing to kill members of a group of privileged students known as The Maidens. As Mariana investigates, she eventually comes upon the shocking truth behind the murdered.
I really enjoyed this book. I love British thrillers and enjoyed the setting of Cambridge. I also enjoyed all of the Greek mythology that is sprinkled throughout this mystery. I thought I had this completely figured out and I admit that I was shocked at the ending. Any book that shocks me today (given the typical tropes of the modern thriller novel), is a win for me! I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good thriller.

Thanks to the publisher and author for an advanced copy of the audiobook version of The Maidens by Alex Michaelides. I went back and forth between the audio and ebook version of the novel. The narrators in the audio version were very good!

So my feelings on the novel, itself are complicated. One must understand that I LOVED The Silent Patient and was blown away by the unique story and unexpected twists and turns that, in general, are often predictable. As is bound to happen, when one book is SO loved, it is inevitable that the next book may not live up to the expectations set by its predecessor. That did happen for me with The Maidens. I felt a bit underwhelmed by it.

However, regardless of it not blowing me away, I want to point out that it DID keep my interest and I read/listened to it very quickly, always wondering what would happen next. It was a good mystery that was affected by my inability to relate to the main character, Mariana. I found her to be annoying and whiny. I have seen others compare the story of The Maidens to perhaps a dumbed down version of Donna Tartt's The Secret History and I do get the comparison. One thing that would have made the two books more similar is if The Maidens had actually spent more time with the girls in The Maidens....but the book spent almost all its time on Mariana, who was not part of the insular "society".

The Maidens is a good mystery that will likely hold anyone's interest who goes into it without the expectations I went in with. It will be especially interesting to those who love novels that incorporate Greek Mythology into the plot, which I also enjoy. Overall, The Maidens is a winning summer mystery that, like a summer romance, won't be that memorable come Fall.

The buzz of excitement around this book has been palpable, and I was truly looking forward to seeing how the author would follow through after wild success of The Silent Patient. To receive this as an audiobook ALC was a gift for which I am grateful. Unfortunately, it underwhelmed me.

The premise is intriguing. Mariana, a group therapist who is working through her own loss and grief, is certain that Professor Edward Fosca is a murderer, who is systematically killing young women who adore him. She becomes obsessed in proving his guilt. But is it him? Several other possibilities present themselves, but she refuses to deviate from her certainty of his wrongdoings. And then the truth is revealed.

I am never opposed to a good red herring in a story. I like to be kept on my toes, to have to question my guesses, my assumptions of the guilty parties. But this one was a bit overdone, too many hints and possibilities thrown in to keep the reader off-balance, and I think it took away from the power of the story. There is no question that Michaelides can write atmospheric, gothic novels, and his skill in storytelling is impeccable. I just felt he might have tried a little too hard to match the success of his first book.

Narrators Louise Brealey and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith bring this story to life, and add the perfect level of creepy and mysterious. Truly well done!!

A solid 3.5 stars.

Does Alex Michaelides hit the ball out of the park with his sophomore book? That elicits a one-word answer from me. Brilliant! I could simply stop writing and say it again. Brilliant.

Greek mythology and a murder mystery. How do the two pair? Any author, especially one relatively new with just their second book, is going to have mixed reviews. After all, reviews are subjective. But we are here for the benefit of my experience with The Maidens. I think as a reader I have gotten a bit too comfortable with audiobooks and text to speech. Although I did receive an audiobook of this ARC, I received a print copy for review first. I did download the audiobook from NetGalley but have not yet found time to listen to it. Why am I bringing this up? Well, I love Kindle text to speech. Using this format allows me to multitask, so sitting down to read a print ARC is not my first choice.

So I came up with a plan. That was to sit in my recliner and to read a hundred pages a day over the course of a few days. Well, that did not happen. In fact, I opened the book and did not move until I read it from cover to cover. To say I was enthralled is an understatement. This book was truly captivating to me, despite the mixed reviews I have perused briefly. As soon as I submit this review I will stop and read at least a few of them.

What grabbed my attention so much with this book? Well, I read The Silent Patient as an early release back in 2019. So I have been more than eager for Alex Michaelides's next book. Then, the plot itself. That captured my attention. A small secret society and the murder of one of the students at Cambridge University.

Our primary protagonist is Mariana, a group therapist who works out of her home. This brings her problems that she much contend with, but before she can sort some of those difficulties out, she receives a phone call from her niece Zoe, who tells her that a classmate has been murdered, and begs Mariana's help. Zoe at first tells her that she thinks her professor Edward Fosca has murdered her friend. What is more is that she alludes to a exclusive group of young women referred to as The Maidens.

Mariana sees those women with her own eyes as she attends the funeral. She sees them walking down the aisles during the funeral in their flowing robes. As she begins to see how these women are connected to Fosca, she becomes worried for Zoe, especially when one of them is soon found murdered.

Admittedly I know nothing of Greek mythology. And the only thing I know about the Greek language are words that I have read in an Interlinear version of the Bible. This story was rich with both, the mythology and language. However, I was not lost. Not once. I love that including both things made this book stand out from The Silent Patient. The author no doubt comfortably used his Cyprus background and smoothly inserted it into this novel. To me, as a reader who always wants to learn, this came highly appreciated. This thrilling story took on a major plot twist, and I simply was not expecting it. In fact, there was even a surprising tie-in to The Silent Patient!

I loved The Maidens and have become a diehard fan of Alex Michaelides. This book has landed in my 2021 list of top reads and no doubt this book will end up in my re-read pile. I cannot wait for his next book and would love to see what direction he takes to see if he writes another thriller of this caliber.

Many thanks to Celadon Books and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

He gave me EVERY SINGLE THING I asked for and nothing else.

So why am I so pissed off?

I’m at the point where I’ve read quite a few thrillers, and I can see a mediocre book a mile away.
And is just what THE MAIDENS is.
Mediocre.

And the sadness in mediocrity is that you accept, and it continues unless it’s called out and corrected.

This book is sadly, I think, a reformation of THE SECRET HISTORY by D.Tartt. Not a replica or a copy or even an homage. It’s quick, dirty, shallow, and thirsty. It is the magician turning tricks.

For this trick, I give three stars, and I beg for the magician to stop pulling these same cards. It feels VERY much like you think we as readers are simple to figure out, easy to appeal to, and easy to win over.

I literally just finished this one because I really, really wanted to post my review on pub day and my brain is still trying to process what happened at the end of this book. If I were to use emojis to describe my thoughts as I finished it would be 🤔😳🥴🤯😬😧...

Since I'm sure you've already seen this one everywhere. Here's what I liked:
• Short chapters
• Dual POVs
• The Silent Patient references 🙌🏼
• The academic murder mystery setting
• The 👏🏼 Plot 👏🏼 Twist

I know that a lot of this story is told through Greek mythology and connects heavily to it, but I didn't really care much about that and at times it made it seem long.

Mariana Andros knows Edward Fosca is a murderer. Fosca, a handsome and charismatic Greek Tragedy professor at Cambridge University is adored by staff and students alike - particularly by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens. Mariana is a brilliant, but haunted group therapist who becomes fixated on The Maidens when one member, a friend of Mariana’s niece Zoe, is found murdered at Cambridge. Despite Fosca having a rock solid alibi Mariana becomes convinced he is guilty of murder. When another body is found, Mariana’s obsession with proving Fosca’s guilt spirals out of control.

I absolutely loved Alex Michaelides’ debut novel, THE SILENT PATIENT, and was thrilled to see he had a new title coming out this year. Books set in academic settings are some of my favorites to pick up, so after hearing the premise for THE MAIDENS I knew I needed to make this a must read. Michaelides does a phenomenal job of bringing Cambridge to life on the pages of this story and setting an at times claustrophobic location that is steeped in secrets.

Despite having a setting that lends itself to tension and creep factor, ultimately THE MAIDENS felt underwhelming to me. I never bonded with the main character of Mariana throughout the entirety of the story. Her backstory felt disjointed and for someone who is labeled as being a gifted therapist, I didn’t see that play out. In addition to not loving the main character, I found the pacing to be slow with little action to hold my attention. Perhaps I’m biased because I was expecting the same thrill ride that THE SILENT PATIENT delivered, but I didn’t find myself sucked into this story until over halfway through.

Overall, I liked THE MAIDENS, but I would have loved to see a bolder and more intense story.

🎧: I listened to this one over audio and highly recommend the narrator!

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides opens with an assertion from protagonist Mariana that a particular man is a murderer, pulling the reader in right from the start. Who has he killed? Why? And - how has he gotten away with it?

Mariana is a grieving therapist who undertakes some detective work after there's been a murder at her niece's university. As she investigates, clues about the maidens and Greek mythology add a layer of depth to the book - but one I often felt damaged the pacing of the novel. I wanted to fly through this book, but that didn't let me. I would not characterize this as a book you could read at the beach in an afternoon.

The Maidens did, however, work a bit more for me than the Silent Patient. It was fairly atmospheric; set on a suspenseful, creepy campus with old buildings and fog rolling in. I'd recommend The Maidens to those into such a setting, unlikeable characters, and a slow burn mystery.

Given the choice between the text and the audio, I'd opt for the latter: The audiobook production is fantastic.

Mariana is a group therapist. When her niece calls her about a death at her college, Mariana leaves at once to help Zoe. Mariana immediately focuses on a brilliant Greek mythology professor, Fosca. She knows he is the killer but can she prove it!

Mariana is a unique character. I was drawn to her inhibitions and her strengths. Throw in the Greek mythology and the tragic murders and you have an enthralling tale. I was glued from start to finish.

This is narrated by two different voices, Kobna Holbrook-Smith and Louise Brealey. These two narrators are some of the best in the business. They are the right amount of excitement and emotion!

Alex Michaelides has done it again! This story is captivating, intriguing and unstoppable! It twists and turns until all your suspects are cleared…then what?!? You will have to read this to find out!

Need a good dark thriller….THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this audiobook from the publisher for a honest review.