I really liked how the narrator performed on this audio. It was very refreshing that she had the right accent to put the story in perspective. This was a great story by Alex Michaelides. I couldn't help but feel heartbroken for Marianna and her loss of Sebastian. It was real easy to beleive Edward Fosca was the murderer. By all intents and purposes everything was pointing to him. The way he carried himself didn't deter from that either. He had a mysterious quality to him. The fact that he was having private meetings with just his female students should have thrown up alot of red flags, and I don't see how any college would allow that to go on. I immediately had my back up about Zoe. I knew there was something quite not right about her. You could tell she was hiding something that would eventually blow up. All in all this was a great psychological thriller. The murders themselves were so gruesome and very tragic. The greek mythologies throughout the story made it all the more interesting. Alex Michaelides knows his stuff. He writes so well about psychology and the deep aspects of mental illness. I also loved the fact that Theo from The Silent Patient made a cameo....we all know what happened there! All in all I am happy with this book, and look forward to reading more of Alex's books.

I did not finish this audio book at about 25%. It was nothing to do with the narrator's who were great. But, I just was not into the story line and the main character. I will not be posting this on other platforms.

Thoroughly mysterious, page-turning and oh so binge worthy! I absolutely loved the narrator and pacing of the audio and I very much enjoyed the Easter eggs of The Silent Patient, too. Solid sophomore thriller from Michaelides - very smart!

I expected to like the book. THE SILENT PATIENT is probably my favorite psychological thriller, so there was little doubt I would like this one.

What absolutely blew me away, however, was the audio quality. Not only were the narrators absolutely perfect for their roles (I say “roles” because they definitely brought the same amount of gravitas to this performance as an Oscar-winning actor) but the music setting the tone at the beginning and the overall quality of the audiobook makes this a fantastic production. This is what an audiobook should be.

If you are a fan of this book... read no further.

This is about to be a BRUTALLY honest review, emphasis on "brutal".

I actually hate this book. I hated The Silent Patient too, but I thought, "Hey, let's give this author another shot." Nope, this author just is not for me.

Here's what I did like: The author is extremely talented in his writing style. It's more novelistic versus a true blue thriller book. The writing style is beautiful and makes me want to power through the book. I loved his settings and character descriptions, and I loved all of the references to Greek Mythology. I think he has the right idea, but the wrong bitch. (Sorry not sorry for the TikTok reference.)

Here's what I didn't love about it: This story has a cast of extremely shady characters, that could basically all be murderers and/or bad people. So much so that it almost becomes too many shady characters. But for the entirety of the book, it points in the direction of the perfect suspect. It's actual insanity how perfectly framed they become. At some point, even the police have to stand back and say, "No serial killer could be this dumb." It's like sometimes when X marks the spot, you have to realize it's a trap. I mean how can the ending be considered a "twist" when you were never convinced in the first place the suspect was ever your guy.

I'll tell you how the author gets away with being known for "huge twists". It's because it's so UNBELIEVABLE I COULD SCREAM. I have seen other people who read this book say, "I figured out the twist halfway through, but I still liked it!" and to that I say, you are insane. There is just no way you could imagine the way this ended. Even if you had, there is NO WAY you understood it. And the epilogue still makes me want to tear my hair out. I can't even talk about it.

Overall, this is "The Silent Patient" all over again. I know everyone loves this author, and that this is a very unpopular opinion, but this is just not what I want when I reach for a thriller.

Did you read The Silent Patient?

Was honored to be gifted an audiobook copy of The Maidens by Alex Michaelides in exchange for this honest review.

Alex Michaelides outdid himself with his first book The Silent Patient. As gripping and page turner of a thriller that book was, the anticipation for this book to be laid out in similar suspense did not disappoint. With that being said, I felt that this one took the reader on alonger journey, building a bigger backstory than needed, until finally revealing the “whodunit” aspect in the story.
I also found myself a little more blindsided by the descriptiveness and details in which the murders were committed. My stomach wrenched as the words were penned cross the page. This book is not for the faint of heart. When the reviews say thriller and suspense, I would throw a tiny bit of psychological horror into that as well.

I appreciated the complexities of the storylines many which were purposely leading you down hypothetical rabbit holes, but also loved the cameo from other important characters from The Silent Patient.

Fans of Ruth Ware, Tana French, and Jussi Adler-Olsen will fall into each page, and devour the mystery of this book.

The Maidens will be released on June 15, and it is definitely THE psychological thriller of the summer. Make sure you put it on your TBR list

After my first encounter with Michealides’ debut novel, The Silent Patient, I was all on board with this next one, The Maidens.

It definitely had the dark academia theme going on and that’s always a plus for me. The story was in a way slow yet steady with introducing the climax. I found it rather intriguing with the protagonist, Mariana, because being a therapist she is also trying to process her on grieve. Her personality on the other was the opposite of attraction. The way she approaches people and when you feel appalled for how she is being talked to, she doesn’t react. And I’m left saying, WTH!. I hope you’ll understand this when you read it lol.

Edward Fosca, the one being accused, sounds charming and stuck up and of course he seems pretty straightforward about his feelings and not to mention intrusive with Mariana’s personal life. I didn’t like that one bit.

Zoe, the niece, is as stubborn as they come and very secretive even though she is asking, no wait, begging, for Mariana for help. That’s one of my pet peeves. You want the help but you can’t even be honest.

I really like the narrator for the audiobook but one thing I know is that I would rather just read it and go back on the clues lol. That’s the only downside of listening rather than reading the book. I would just recommend you all to read it lol.

In any case, this was a good mystery with a plot twist. I am planning on purchasing the book so I can reread it and give my thought to some things that have been said from the protagonist. If you are looking for some good mystery this is it. I give this book 4 out 5 stars.

So after reading The Silent Patient and being letdown I was hesitant to try this book. I must say I enjoyed this story way better! This story has a nice slow burn that didn’t bore me and had a good build up. I honestly didn’t figure it all out until the very end. We both said the killers name at the same time and I was spooked. This was a solid suspense story and I highly recommend adding to your TBR pile.

This was a psychological thriller although I felt less than thrill about it. I walked away from this one feeling meh. It was just OK. Mariana gets a call from her niece Zoe in the middle of the night saying that her best friend at college was brutally murdered. Mariana, a group therapist who is dealing with her own grief of her husband that recently passed, heads to Cambridge to help Zoe and ends up trying to solve the murder case. You are introduced to “the maidens” who are Professor Fasca’s female student’s secret society. There was a lot of reference to Greek mythology. Unfortunately, I had zero connection with any of the characters. I found them to be flat and very one sided. It was exciting at the beginning but the second half tapered off. I did guess the twist at the end about half way through. Oh well, on to the next.

I usually struggle with audiobooks but this one keeps me sitting on the edge of my seat. Several times I was too nervous to keep listening because I was alone in the house and the narrator is just too good.

This was delightfully creepy and it brought me back to all the thrillers I enjoyed watching as a teen. I have realized that with the right narrator a book can come alive in a way that is absolutely breathtaking.

I will definitely be looking up more books by this author and this narrator!

I have not read Alex Michaelides' previous bestseller called The Silent Patient. But having finished The Maidens a few minutes ago, I must say I am a fan of his writing and will definitely read his previous novel. The Maidens will appeal to those who like dark academia settings in literature. Our main character Mariana is a psychotherapist who conducts group therapy sessions in London. One night she gets a call from her niece Zoe who is a student at Cambridge. Zoe's friend Tara has gone missing and now a body is found of a brutally murdered young girl. Zoe is sure it is Tara and is desperate for her aunt to come stay with her.

I listened to this novel on audio, and it is a brilliant production. I am not sure what it is like to read this book on paper, but the audio narration was gripping. I found myself unable to stop listening and finished the audiobook in just a couple of sittings. The book is written as a mystery thriller. As more dead girls turn up, it becomes clear that there is a psychopath on the college campus. Mariana suspects an American professor who teaches Greek tragedy. Her suspicions are reinforced by the fact that all of the murdered girls had received a postcard with a verse in ancient Greek foretelling their deaths. Professor Fosca also has a select group of students, all female, whom he calls the maidens - and Mariana suspects that his relationship with those girls is not strictly that of a teacher.

Overall, I highly enjoyed this novel, and definitely recommend it. It is a murder mystery but also an intense psychological thriller. The audiobook is a great way to read this for sure. 5 out of 5 stars.

An audio ARC was provided by NetGalley.com

My thanks to Macmillan Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘The Maidens’ by Alex Michaelides in exchange for an honest review. The audiobook is narrated by Louise Brealey and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith and has a running time of 9 hours, 19 minutes at 1x speed.

I had enjoyed Alex Michaelides’ ‘The Silent Patient’ and was very excited to read his second novel. ‘The Maidens’ also has a psychotherapist as its lead character and Theo Faber, the protagonist of ‘The Silent Patient’, has a minor role in this book.

This novel is set in the closed world of St Christopher's College, Cambridge. Mariana Andros is a group therapist based in London. She is struggling through her private grief following the recent tragic death of her husband. The college is full of memories for her as that was where they had met. However, when she receives an urgent call from her niece, Zoe, she immediately travels to Cambridge.

Mariana learns that Zoe’s best friend has been brutally murdered. As a result, she offers her skills to the local police though she has her own suspicions about whodunnit. However, the police are unconvinced so she undertakes her own investigation despite the danger this places her in.

Her prime suspect is enigmatic professor Edward Fosca. The murdered girl was a member of his exclusive group of students known as The Maidens. Mariana quickly becomes obsessed with Fosca. No further details in order to avoid spoilers.

There is a strong theme related to Ancient Greek literature and mythology running through the novel. Mariana’s father was Greek and her mother English and she grew up outside of Athens. When she was eighteen she had come to Britain to study at Cambridge. On her father’s death, Mariana found herself a wealthy woman as he had built up a small shipping empire.

Mariana feels a special connection to the myth of Demeter and Persephone and the Eleusinian Mysteries are also referenced. It does seem that in campus-based mysteries those tutors interested in the Classics are prone to leading their students into Hellenistic hijinks under the guise of private study groups.

I enjoyed this very much. It’s a slow burn academic mystery interwoven with aspects of Greek tragedy. I related to the themes of ‘The Maidens’ as well as to Mariana’s bereavement.

With respect to the audiobook, I have enjoyed the work of both narrators. Louise Brealey narrated ‘The Silent Patient’ and other popular titles including ‘The Girl on the Train’ and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith has been the narrator for the brilliant ‘Rivers of London’ audiobooks. Most of the chapters were read by Brealey with the occasional chapter by a mysterious male read by Holbrook-Smith. Both narrators were excellent, with crisp, clear delivery.

Overall, I found this an unusual mystery and very much appreciated the inclusion of both the psychological aspects and the rich mythology and literary traditions of Ancient Greece that have continued to be relevant down through the centuries.

Recommended.

I don't really read mysteries BUT I keep seeing this book everywhere. So when I seen it on Netgalley I knew I had to get it.

First off, I guessed who it was but my motive was just a hair off, but everyone saying they was surprised had me second questioning myself for a second.

I was more surprised with who the letters (the male character) was. I did not see that one coming. Maybe I should have but I didn't. I was actually like why are these even in here? But boy when you figure it out I gasped.

But like I said I don't read mysteries....don't really watch crime shows anymore (I use to love them) and I really enjoyed this book.

But there was one MAJOR thing that made me realize who it was.

If you've read it can ya take a guess?

Thanks to Macmillian Audio for an advanced audio copy of The Maidens.

I haven't read The Silent Patient but knew people loved Alex Michaelides so I was excited to listen to The Maidens. I was drawn in by the college setting and cult like group of women.

I enjoyed the story, loved reading about Cambridge and thought it was a fun book. I was a little confused why Mariana wanted to be the detective but liked the interwoven of the mythology with teh story.

It was a slow burn and a little slow a few times on audio, but overall I enjoyed it.

There seem to be two types of reviewers: the ones who absolutely LOOOVE The Maidens and keep comparing it to The Secret History (STOP! Just stop….), and the ones who absolutely hate it, and seem to think that The Maidens was waaaay overhyped thanks to Celadon’s brilliant (admit it!) marketing campaign. It is worth mentioning that the latest group’s opinion seems largely influenced by their shared love for The Silent Patient (the first book by Michaelides), which resulted in sky high expectations for The Maidens.

Well, I have not read The Silent Patient so to be honest my expectations were not that high. I just….well…expected a good thriller. And in my opinion it was not that bad. An implausible plot line sure, but not even close to some of the other utterly ridiculous thrillers (I am looking at you Verity 😊 that seem to be universally loved. The Maidens is NOT The Secret History, mind you, but it kept my attention, was (as promised) very atmospheric, kept me guessing (for a little while…. until everything became pretty obvious), and I found the “Greece parts” to be entertaining. All in all, my verdict is that it is not the worst thriller out there. Is it the best? No. I’d say it’s somewhere right in the middle.

The Maidens follows Mariana Andros, a group therapist, who recently tragically lost her husband, as she visits her beloved niece, Zoe, at Cambridge University. A string of horrific murders occurs, and Marianna is convinced that a popular and charismatic Greek Tragedy professor, Edward Foska is at fault. You see Professor Foska has this secret society, The Maidens, composed of only the most brilliant and beautiful female students. This strange behavior is (very unrealistically) attributed to Fosca being oh so brilliant and eccentric until the girls start dying one by one, under the most mysterious circumstances. Marianna becomes fixated on Fosca and The Maidens, and proceeds to investigate the murders (yes, yes, another “amateur sleuth” investigation), and in the process finds out more than she ever wanted about her own life.

So here are two things that The Maidens and The Secret History have in common: they are both set in an elite colleges, and both have a situation where a charismatic and eccentric classics professor (or I guess in The Maidens it’s Greek Tragedy, but eh…close enough) works closely with this small group of students that become his “secret society”. The professor is highly selective in how he chooses the students for his “special” group which in turn makes them feel privileged, and they proceed displaying a seemingly undying loyalty towards the teacher. And here, my friends, is where the similarities between these two novels end. The Secret History is a brilliant coming of age story, and a reworking of Crime and Punishment at that. It is not just an “atmospheric mystery”. I mean yes, there is an element of mystery, but it is first and foremost the character development journey – not unlike any of the other of Donna Tart's books. The Maidens is a thriller. That’s it. Period. So, no it is NOT like The Secret History. It has some nice descriptions of the beautiful spires, and turrets of Cambridge but that’s about it. In fact the whole amateur sleuth investigation part of it (in case you have not noticed I am not a fan of this trope in general) reminded me more of Ghosts of Harvard (which is also set in an elite institution). But alas, while Ghosts of Harvard has some pretty in depth, raw exploration of the severe mental health illness and its effects on the family, The Maidens is just a thriller. End of story.

I do agree with those of you who think it to be a bit too melodramatic. It really is. Some of the actions and reactions of the protagonists seemed unnecessarily over the top, almost cartoonish. If you are a bitter, cynical person (like yours truly) you are guaranteed to keep rolling your eyes. The whodunnit is implausible (think physically impossible) and the “amateur sleuth investigation” trop makes it appear downright silly at times. I thought the letters (or the diary entries?) from the murderer were awkward and were not integrated smoothly into the rest of the story, appearing to be there only to confuse the reader. I did find the parts about grief interesting. In particular, how Mariana always thinks of Sebastian in a positive light, essentially refusing to see anything that would suggest otherwise, even if it’s right in front of her eyes.

There are some references to Greek Tragedy and Methodology, but they are fairly superficial – I doubt any of you will have a hard time following because of that.

I think all in all it was an OK thriller. I recommend it to those who enjoyed Ghosts of Harvard. Just don’t go into it expecting The Secret History! And definitely do it on audio – I tried reading it, and found audio to be 100% better.

Will you be reading The Maidens? I will be reading The Silent Patient next – need to see for myself what all the fuss is about!

Thank you Celadon and Mcmillan Audio for my physical and audio copies respectively. As always, the views and opinions in this review are my own. The Maidens will be available for purchase next Tuesday, June 15 in print and on audio.

⭐⭐⭐.25

Received a copy of this audio book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I have really been getting into audio books lately and although this one didn’t at first catch my eye I found myself consistently going back to it and re reading the premise, and finally my brain told me to give this a chance. The whole book was a wild ride of mystery and I absolutely fell in love with it. The best part of the whole thing was listening to a certain part and saying out loud who I thought it was only to find out it was someone I least expected. The characters were fantastic, the story was fantastic and the twist at the end was mind blowing. Completely loved it and highly recommend

I thought this was sooo fun. I’ve heard some mixed reviews, and I can understand why, but it didn’t stop me from loving it. The atmosphere was great, there was a plethora of red herrings, and I was invested in the plot! Like a lot of the critiques I’ve seen, I definitely could have used a lot more of Maidens themselves and more Greek mythology / dark academia vibes, but again, loved it! I absolutely suck at guessing twists so you can bet your ass this one took me by surprise.

All in all, a fun ride. Thanks so much to Celadon Books for the advanced copy!

This is really a 4.5, for me. Like so many others, I was very much looking forward to this one. It didn’t let me down. The Silent Patient was a lot to live up to, for sure. Did it do it? Almost. This story has a different feel but there are some links to the author’s last beloved novel.

I enjoyed the characters and the story unfolded slowly, but never felt slow or boring. It gives you a bit of Dark Academia without feeling like it’s trying too hard, which I appreciated.

Honestly, I’m surprised to see how harshly this book is being reviewed. There were bits I didn’t much enjoy — I found myself bored with the antagonist’s backstory — but it still gripped me early on and I read it in a day. The ending didn’t play out as I expected and I found it wonderful.

I’ll certainly recommend this book to friends, though I can’t see myself raving about it for years to come, you know?

Huge thanks to Macmillan Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Mariana Andros is a group therapist who is struggling with her own personal loss. She receives a call from her niece, Zoe that a murder has occurred at her college. Determined to be there for her niece, Mariana leaves for Cambridge and is immediately swept into the mystery and intrigue surrounding the murder. There is a large cast of potential murderers, but Mariana is honed in on one individual in particular and is determined to find proof that he committed the crime.

Meanwhile, you sense that Mariana is using this situation to distract herself and is pushing her own issues to the side. In addition, she finds that she and Zoe don't appear to be as close as she thought. Everything seems to throw Mariana into a tailspin.

I really enjoyed the clever way this book was written and the way the author blended Greek mythology into the storyline. It added an air of mystery to many of the events and gave some of the story an otherworldly feel.

In addition, I listened to the audiobook and the narration was absolute perfection. It gave the story a creepy and ominous feel. I truly believe it lent to the overall enjoyment of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

I was a huge fan of The Silent Patient so when I saw The Maidens was available for an ARC I jumped at the chance, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Mariana Andros is a group therapist in the middle of personal turmoil. She’s recently lost the love of her life and she’s doing her very best to persevere while tending to the needs of her group therapy participants, including one who is getting a bit too demanding of her time while ignoring her boundaries.
One night she gets a frantic phone call from her niece Zoe. A body has been found at her university, and Zoe is convinced it’s her missing friend. Mariana jumps a train to Cambridge, her alma mater and the place she met her husband. In a place awash with painful memories, Mariana is introduced to the personable and popular Greek Tragedy professor Edward Fosca. But more troubling than the eerie feelings she has about Edward is the secret society of female students he leads called The Maidens. Soon, Mariana is convinced that Edward murdered Zoe’s friend—and the second girl who turns up dead—another Maiden. But there are so many secrets on the campus that it’s difficult for Mariana to truly figure out who would want those students dead and why.
Alex Michaelides has done a great job of weaving together a mind-bending whodunit with complex family and social dynamics plus an intriguing blend of Greek mythology. I was hooked from the beginning and although I wasn’t as shocked at the end as I was with The Silent Patient, I was left feeling like this was a satisfying turn of events. The pacing is quick, the storyline intense, and the characters intriguing. Also—there’s a brief homage to The Silent Patient which I loved.
I received an ARC audiobook of The Maidens. The performance was well done and perfectly engaging, matching the tone and pace of the storyline. I highly recommend The Maidens be it the printed format or the audio.

*I received an audiobook ARC of The Maidens from NetGalley and MacMillan audio in exchange for an honest review*