If you liked Alex Michaelides first novel, The Silent Patient you will most likely enjoy this novel. He mentions characters from his previous novel but, it doesn't affect the story if you haven't read it. (I highly recommend you read it.)

The only thing that didn't work for me is how much a group therapist is involved in the investigation, a little too unrealistic for me, but it also wasn't a deal-breaker.

I wanted to start by mentioning that I listened to the audiobook version. The narrators are fantastic. The male narrator is creepy and perfectly suited for this novel.

Mariana has lost the love of her life to a tragic accident. She has her own demons to deal with including the loss of her mother and her relationship with her father. Mariana is a group therapist who has a lot going on in her personal life. This also includes a patient from her group therapy that has crossed the line.

To top off things off, her niece, Zoe was just informed that one of her friends has been murdered. Tara is a part of a group called the Maidens that is lead by a charismatic professor, Edward Fosca. She is sure that Edward is the murderer despite having an alibi. Mariana keeps trying to put the pieces together, but some things are not adding up. The novel had me guessing until the end.

I don't think this author is right for me. The Silent Patient was good, but not amazing. And The Maidens was just meh. Other people love his books, but they aren't for me.

The Maidens had way too many unnecessary red herrings and character decisions that did not make any sense to me. The twist at the end was shocking, but it wasn't the type of twist that I appreciate.

I liked “The Maidens” by Alex Michaelides: I didn’t “love” it. The problem maybe me. I had very high expectations after the previous novel. I am a sucker for mysteries set in higher education settings using classical writings as part of the plot. The driving narrative concerns dark murder mystery about women students brutally killed as part of a ritual and a cad professor who enjoys special time with young coeds. Further, we meet Mariana, who becomes the amateur sleuth determined to uncover the murderer ( who must be that cad professor, must it?)
Why did I like this story? The book is well-written. Michaelides is a gifted writer who can describe moods and settings as If the reader is right there. Perhaps I have read too many mysteries because I was expecting there to be a surprise twist at the end that upends all previous assumptions.
Good story. Thanks to NetGalley for this Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book (I think more than the Silent Patient). While I empathized with Mariana and all she was going through, I didn't really like her as a character. That being said, what I truly enjoyed was the anxiety I always feel when listening to thrillers and Michaelides did a great job of building everything up and keeping me invested in the story until the end.

Alex Michaelides did it again... he got me. There is nothing better than a mystery that keeps you guessing, and man, I did a lot of guessing (absolutely NONE of those guesses were correct). This is a really masterfully done mystery. I feel like I really can't share much about the whys and the hows because I REALLY don't want to give anything away. So just a couple of high-level thoughts...

About halfway through the book, I recall thinking to myself that while I was enjoying the book, I was a little disappointed that the mystery didn't quite live up to Michaelides' first novel (The Silent Patient). I WAS WRONG.

I listened to the audiobook version and was very pleasantly surprised to find it primarily narrated by Louise Brealey who, in addition to narrating a number of popular audiobooks, is well known as Molly Hooper on the BBC series Sherlock. She has the perfect voice for a book like this and her narration kept me really grounded in the story. I also really love Sherlock so I'm perhaps a bit biased.

This all really just boils down to Michaelides being really, really good at what he does. I'm excited to see what he comes up with next.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love a psychological thriller that has its creepy moments and suspicious creepy people. I wish the main character Mariana would have been a little safer being around these said “creepy people” she should know better, she is a psychotherapist. But again, no I don’t wish that, as I wouldn’t be able to say out loud what the hell are you doing! I kept going back and forth on who I thought was murdering people. I didn’t figure out exactly what was going on until the end. Love that!

If you have read the Silent Patient, you will like that the book is set in the same setting around Cambridge. I absolutely love and think it is fun that Theo and Alicia make an appearance in this book. It makes me think maybe the Authors next book will have some more guest appearances from these two books? I sure hope so! This Author is now one of my favorite psychological thriller writers.

I read an advanced copy and reviewed it. 5 ⭐️. I loved it so much i listened to the audio! The audio is even better. Highly recommend it. #macmillinaudio #netgalley #themaidens

This book gave me a hangover....and not in the way that they normally do. It wasn't because it was so incredibly good that it left me in this state of limbo, this hangover in the end. It was because it had me feeling a ways (bored) throughout 90% of the book, and then had an ending which gave me major whiplash. I much preferred The Silent Patient and felt let down by this one. Too overhyped.

Audio: I thought the audio was good! Two narrators for each viewpoint.

This book was very well written - it has a lot of twists and turns and it had quite a few chilling parts. Although the book was a bit too dark and twisty for me, I can appreciate how well it was written and all the ways the writer did such a great job with this story. It took me quite a while to get into the book - but I enjoyed the ending. I thought it was strange that the protagonist was a group therapist yet was so blinded that she forgot how to be a therapist, and Clarissa - the professor was a bit dull but other than that, I enjoyed the book.

‘“Yes.” Theo nodded. “Yes, I know who he is.” He studied the advert with obvious interest. “The Grove? Isn’t that where they sent Alicia Berenson? After she killed her husband?” “Alicia Berenson?” “The painter . . . Who won’t talk.” “Oh—I remember.” Mariana gave him an encouraging smile. “Maybe you should apply for the job? Get her talking again?” “Perhaps.” Theo smiled, and thought about it for a moment. He nodded to himself. “Perhaps I will.”’

Mariana Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist. She returns to Cambridge University, her alma mater, when her niece Zoe calls her devastated by the murder of her friend. Edward Fosca is a Greek Tragedy professor there and runs a secret girls only society that he calls The Maidens. Mariana is convinced that Fosca is a murderer, but he seems untouchable. When another body surfaces, Mariana becomes obsessed with proving his guilt, despite The Maidens acting as his alibi. Can Mariana uncover the mystery without losing her mind, or her life, in the process?

To say that this book was highly anticipated for me is an understatement. I was not only approved for the eARC and audio ARC, but I took myself on a multi town scavenger hunt when Celadon Books did their Little Free Library drop day! It made my whole weekend that I was able to find a physical copy! I read The Silent Patient last year and it stands out as one of the most mine blowing and memorable books of 2020 for me!

Unfortunately, I may have hyped it up a bit too much. This was good, don’t get me wrong. But it wasn’t quite to the level of The Silent Patient for me. I did absolutely love the references made to Theo and The Grove (if you know, you know). I did find Mariana’s intense involvement in the case to be a bit of a stretch, though, being that she is not an officer of the law. And the twist at the end just didn’t seem to pack the same punch as other great plot twists have. I actually had a hunch midway through, and I ended up being right. Overall this was a great murder mystery with tragically flawed characters, some Greek influence, and many twists and turns. It certainly kept me flipping the pages!

The narration of the audiobook was spot on! I loved both of the narrators as they really brought emotion to the characters. The accents. The cadence of their voices. Just awesome!

Thank you to Netgalley, Celadon Books and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Maidens, by Alex Michaelides, is a psychological thriller that follows Mariana, a group therapist, who is grieving after her husband’s death. She gets a call from her niece, Zoe, a college student at her own alma mater Cambridge University, upset about the murder of one of her closest friends. This friend belonged to a secret group of female students called The Maidens,. Mariana is convinced that their charismatic Greek Mythology professor is the killer.
The female narrator of the audiobook does a wonderful job at drawing you into Mariana’s mind and a second male narrator provides thoughts from the killer in a perfectly deep dark voice.
I really enjoyed the dark academia setting, the references to Greek mythology and the fast pace of this book.

⚠️[TW: blood, death, depression, anxiety, mental health, manipulation, murder, Incest, Animal abuse, abuse, Alcoholism, anger issues, loss of a loved one, student/teacher relationship, pedophilia, sex, stalking, starvation, violence] ⚠️


Plot
Mariana is a 36-year-old whose husband has died. She and her niece Zoe live peacefully. But when Zoe's friend who goes to Cambridge university gets murdered, Zoe acts a little out of the norm. Mariana finds herself starting to try to solve the case, but finds herself suspecting Professor Edward Fosca who Mariana thinks has something to do with the recent murder of Zoe's friend.
When more bodies start showing up Mariana starts becoming obsessed with the professor and becomes convinced that he is behind all these murders.
Mariana goes to far lengths to try to out the professor but she soon finds out that he is untouchable, with a hand over the perfect face that she would like to punch and a reputation that sends off nothing but the best vibe.
Mariana again finds out that the professor has a secret club called "The Maidens". A female-only initiates the club. And it also happens to be girls from that club that are murdered ruthlessly with a note and a quote from one of the professor's Greek mythology books. Making him an even bigger suspect.
And after confronting him, Mariana is sure that he is the murderer and she will do whatever it takes (including risk her own life) to stop this ruthless murderer.


Mariana
Mariana is the main character of this book and an interesting one. I didn't really have any problems with Mariana or her actions because I thought they were quite asked for by the professor. I love that she was grieving in her own way and didn't even know it, I also love that she was a group therapist because it was more interesting to see what a therapist thought of all these murders. And I've never actually had a main character that was a therapist (especially in a psychological thriller).


Zoe
(Zoe is Mariana's niece. The ending of this book broke me so please read this book and you will know why. )
Zoe was a very likable character and a very sweet one. She was also grieving in her own way but didn't really show it apart from crying once so that made me suspect Zoe was more of a tough character. She was also one we didn't really get to see much of in this book and I would have loved to know more about her because again the ending was surprising and she contributed a lot to that.


Professor Edward Fasca
Fasca is the main suspect in this book. He was really interesting because he had some chapters to himself where he would just talk about his childhood and what led him to become a murderer. So this book did have that villain's side of the story, which I think was perfectly done. I also love how charming and carefree he is because honestly, that's what we really want in a villain.


Overall
Overall this was the perfect book to indulge me in someone else's problems and sweep me away 😂 I also love that this book took place in London because that only made it more interesting to me. I love that this book had represented and showed anxiety, depression, and mental health in a way that made me want to come back to it another day to get another experience from it. Also, books like these are making me want to read more psychological thrillers because honestly, they are just amazing 🔪💀👀

A special thanks to Macmillan Audio, Celadon Books, and Netgalley for an Advanced Reader's Copy of this audiobook!

The twist caught me by surprise and I enjoyed the Greek mythology aspects of it. That being said, it just lacked a certain appeal while I was reading it?

I was honestly a little nervous about how I would like this one because I loved The Silent Patient so much and it was such it’s own thing that I wasn’t sure the follow up could live up to it. The beginning was a bit slow, but I liked that there were references to some of the characters from The Silent Patient and it had a very similar rhythm. Also I once again did not see that ending coming! The narrators were great and they did a wonderful job of capturing the characters and not taking away from the story. I definitely recommend this book if you love thrillers and mysteries.

The authors second offering was better than his first. Plot was well developed and kept me guessing to the end. The reference to his first book were unnecessary and took me out of the story. This was a great stand alone and there wasn’t a need to tie in to the other book. Lengthy but worth it.

OMG!!! THE MAIDENS BY Alex Michaelides was spectacular!!! I love the plot, the characters, and the setting. Wow! I am just blown away! I did not see the ending coming. I still have chills just to think about it!!! Please put this one on this TBR if you have not done it yet. It is sooooooo gooooood!!!

The narration was strong, clear and provided the right amount of intonations to make this book enjoyable to listen to.

Mariana was called by her niece Zoe in Cambridge about a murder. Mariana starts her own investigation for the murderer. Sure believes Edward Fosca, the professor, is guilty. Get ready for a surprising ending!

Thank you Macmillan audio for the audio copy and Celadon for the reader’s copy.

I altered between bookmark the physical copy and listening to this on audio. I’m actually glad that I got the audio book too because this story wasn’t what I was expecting from Michaelides, not after loving The Silent Patient. No, this is not a negative review, I’m trying to say that the audio elevated my experience with the book.

Mariana is a group therapist who is also silently struggling after the death of her husband. She suddenly receives a call from Zoe, her niece at Cambridge after a cruel murder of her friend. The story progresses with Mariana comforting Zoe, more murders from an active serial killer with creepy Greek mythology references and subtle notes on dark academia.

The storytelling of The Maidens is a little different than Alex’s previous book. The first half has background info on the characters and it moves a little slow but towards the middle the story progresses so fast that before I realised it, I was done 70% with the book!! Some characters from The Silent Patient make a cameo and their involvement with the story is just utter delightful to enjoy. The twists OMG made me go *wow* and when the effects of those twists started to fade, Alex threw another twist in my face that left me dead *mentally*. The last few chapters were so brilliant.

Overall I enjoyed reading/ listening to this literature-psychological-dark academic-thriller just like I enjoyed The Silent Patient. Definitely recommend!!

The Maidens, especially the last 40 minutes or so, was the wildest rollercoaster of a book I've read in years. I am absolutely stunned. The book takes a but to warm up but it was totally worth it. I’m shocked and reeling from the twist, just like Mariana. That’s the highest praise I can possibly give a mystery book, as I love when I’ve got no idea what the twist really is and that happens so rarely. A good mystery derives value not only from, well the mystery of it all, but also from the TENSION and this book has got it! There’s an active serial killer on the loose and everyone is in danger. Can Mariana find her proof to throw Edward Fosca behind bars before her niece becomes the next victim?!? Louise Brealey and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith are amazing dual narrators who are sure to suck you into the story.

I really can’t say too much without spoiling the entire book, so unfortunately this review will be pretty short. Non-plot-wise, I’ve been told that characters from Michaelides’s previous book, The Silent Patient, made an appearance in this one. That must be a fun treat for fans! As someone who didn’t read The Silent Patient did did some research myself to figure out who it was and how they impacted this story. I just wanted to reassure others that the cameo is brief and not dependent on you having to know that character’s whole backstory. It was a tasteful cameo and you can 100% read The Maidens as a stand-alone book!

If Dark Academia is up your alley, if you don't mind gore/abuse in your literature, I’d definitely recommend picking up The Maidens ASAP.

Group therapist, Mariana, must leave her practice in London in order to comfort her niece, Zoe, after the murder of her friend. While in Cambridge, Mariana sets out on a quest to investigate Professor Edward Fosca who leads young female students in a group known as the Maidens. Many twists and turns follow as Mariana, who attended the university herself, encounters old friends and acquaintances as she attempts to solve not one but multiple murders in this thrilling mystery.

Michaelides picks up where he left off in The Silent Patient as a skilled storyteller who is able to tell a plot-driven story with good pacing and interesting characters. These new characters have just the right amount of tension among them to propel the reader and keep them turning the pages. An added bonus is the campus setting which gives a wonderful literary backdrop for the story sprinkled with themes of Greek tragedy.