An excellent 5 star listen! I loved the narration and oh the story line is so fantastic! It was fun trying to figure out who did it and piecing together all the clues throughout. The twists and turns and that ending! OMG So Good!

Well developed but very unlikable characters. Interesting plot twist but seemed a bit forced. Didn't flow well for me. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

4.5 Stars

Alex Michaelides knows how to set a tone and atmosphere that is consistent but never stagnates. Being inside Mariana’s instinctual but obviously troubled mind wasn’t annoying, the way it could easily have been. The author balances the psychological competence and obsession in equal shifts while slowly revealing more of the main character along with the murder mystery.

The Greek Tragedy and Rites of Persephone overlaying the idyllic and historic University setting was just the right amount of creepy but scholarly. It was disturbing on all the right levels but never pushed to the point of outrageous. Along with the diary interjections between chapters, which added another level of mystery and access to a mind in the midst of psychopathy, it was an entirely eerie plot.

Not gonna lie, I had a strong inkling where it was going around mid-book but there were still enough sub-plots and characters woven in that I was driven to see how it all played out for the various individuals. To find out who was guilty of any number of infractions. And if Mariana would be harmed or if the truth would win out in the end.

It wasn’t an entirely perfect book, hence my 4.5 Star rating. I had a few hiccups near the end but overall, I found I loved it. I enjoyed the little “Easter eggs” that were sprinkled in and the tone was just too good to really quibble long on the couple critiques (sorry, not going to reveal any spoilers).

I also highly recommend the audiobook. The narrators were perfect and I never wanted to press pause. It was a great experience.

5 stars
This was a great mystery! I enjoyed it so much and I was completely surprised by the ending.

The majority of the story takes place at Cambridge University which is steeped in history and traditions. Michaelides does a great job not only setting the scene but develops the characters very well.

The main character, Mariana is a group therapist that is coping with the loss of her beloved husband. Her niece, Zoe is attending Cambridge and is like a daughter to Mariana. When Zoe's best friend is murdered Mariana hops on the first train to support Zoe. She decides to stay after she notices strange behavior from Zoe's Greek Tragedy professor, Edward Fosca. Mariana finds herself investigating the murder, putting herself in danger.

This was a such a roller coaster ride that I thoroughly enjoyed! The audiobook was so immersive, the way it was narrated and kept me listening for hours without a break, I couldn't stop listening!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very good thriller. Several times I changed my prediction about who the culprit was and even though I figured out part of the ending, half of it was still a surprise. I loved the Greek mythology interspersed. Overall. The Maidens was a page turner that kept me guessing and held my interest to the very end. I read an e-book version and I listened to the audio version. Both were great and the audio was very well narrated.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

OH. MY. GOD. This audiobook was ROCKING! I could not stop listening to it. The voice actors did a great job and I was reeled in immediately. The storyline was fascinating and I couldn't wait to find out who exactly these Maidens were and why they were dropping like flies!! I wasn't sure what to expect but since I loved The Silent Patient, I knew I had to give this (audio)book a go! And man I am so glad I did.

I was starting to try and figure out the "whodunnit" and I think I did a pretty good job. It was so much fun trying to put all the clues together and there were so many twists. I LOVED IT! The end made my jaw drop and I was not prepared for what was revealed!! Definitely recommend this one to all the thriller lovers out there and I just KNOW its going to be a hit when its released!!

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for the Early Listen. Another great audiobook by Alex Michaelides. Great narration

I ADORED this book. A twisty thriller with a character I sink right into, feeling as though we could be friends, like despite her faults, I want to know her. I loved the backstory, the way it was built up, and how it was shown to affect the future. I'm also SO GLAD I did the audio version. The narrator did an incredible job, and I think it just made the story that much better. Highly recommend.

This was a well written mystery/thriller. Set in modern-day Cambridge academia. Good setting and characters.

I really enjoyed the narration of this book! The twists and the ending were so unexpected! I kept guessing who the "murderer" was ... and omg wow, I was sooo wrong. Great book!

Let me just start out by saying I was underwhelmed with The Maiden. I really enjoyed the Silent Patient but this one just didn’t quite do it for me. It picked up in the very end with a plot twist but the rest was a very slow burn for me.

I didn’t mind the exposition on the main character, Mariana, but it was once she arrived on The Cambridge campus, which would be the rising action, that the book began to drag. I raised the rating solely on the ending which I didn’t see coming.

Synopsis:
Mariana, a group therapist, has recently lost her husband, Sebastian, in a freak accident. Death has always loomed nearby because she also lost her mother at an early ag, her sister and sister’s husband were killed in a car accident. Shortly after her sister’s death her father also passed.
Leaving Zoe, her niece, as her only remaining family. Zoe’s roommate, Tara, has just been murdered and that is what brings Mariana to Cambridge to help her niece cope with another loss. The prime suspect is one of Zoe’s professor’s, ,Edward Fosco. He has a secret group of female students he refers to as The Maidens. They behave more like a cult, hanging on to every word that leaves his lips and believing in the Greek tragedies his classed is based on.

Mariana is determined to prove Fosco’s guilt but this will cost her a great deal: her credibility with the university, the police and those dearest to her.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to The Maidens early! While this wasn’t my favorite thriller ever, you couldn’t beat the ambiance and the unsettling feeling that came with the idea of a serial killer at Cambridge University. I will admit, while I did half predict the “twist”, the story did make me question my theory throughout my entire reading experience. Plus, the additional features of a secret society and Greek tragedy made this even more fun to read.

Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy. I absolutely loved Michaelides’ The Silent Patient and couldn’t wait to get my hands on his next novel. This book was a disappointment for me. I predicted who the murderer was but the way it played out didn’t have me on the edge of my seat as I’d hoped. I didn’t really care for any of the characters. I will definitely read a future book by this author but it’s hard to follow up such a fantastic first book.

This audiobook was fantastic! I put it in 2.5x speed and finished it in about half a day. The narrator was amazing, she was such a fantastic actress I actually felt like I was watching a movie despite having no visual stimulus. The way the narrator captured intense emotion via voice was super powerful, and made this book super enjoyable. The audio was clean, the narrator had good diction, and overall it was lots of fun to listen to.

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.

4.5 Stars
This was a great follow up to the Silent Patient. I enjoyed just as much and dare I say a little bit more. I was completely surprised by the ending. I thought I had it figured out but I was so wrong!! Theo Faber the psychotherapist from the Silent Patient makes an appearance which made it even more enjoyable. The majority of the story takes place at Cambridge University which is steeped in history and traditions. Michaelides does a great job not only setting the scene but develops the characters very well. Mariana is a group therapist that is coping with the loss of her beloved husband. Her niece, Zoe is attending Cambridge and is like a daughter to Mariana. When Zoe's best friend is murdered Mariana hops on the first train to support Zoe. She decides to stay after she notices strange behavior from Zoe's Greek Tragedy professor, Edward Fosca. Mariana finds herself investigating the murder, putting herself in danger. This was a roller coaster ride that I thoroughly enjoyed. The audiobook was fantastically narrated and kept me listening for hours without a break, I couldn't stop listening!! Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

When Mariana’s niece Zoe calls her to tell her that her best friend was murdered by their campus, Mariana runs to her. In trying to help her grieving niece Mariana is caught in a web of lies and deception. She’s convinced she knows who the killer is, and will stop at nothing to get others to believe her.
I have not read Alex Michaelides’s previous novel The Silent Patient, but his writing is compulsively readable. I felt like I flew through this book and enjoyed the narrative he laid out. I particularly enjoyed the classical references throughout and how they were used in the post cards. But the final twist was not exactly one I loved, it was unexpected though.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an ALC of The Maidens by Alex Michaelides. This one hits shelves on June 15th!

Alex Michaelides got me again! When I read The Silent Patient I was completely shocked by the twist at the end that I had to put my kindle down and walk away before finishing the last like 15 pages. I really enjoyed it and was excited when I was granted early access to his latest release!

I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews for The Maidens here on the internet. I actually really enjoyed it! I loved the narrations by Kobna Holbrook-Smith and Louise Brealey. I think had I been just reading a physical copy of this it would have felt slow at times, but the audio was perfect for me.

There were so many twists throughout! When I thought I had figured out who was the killer, I would completely second guess myself. I love trying to solve the mystery before the end of the book I can honestly say I did not see the ending twist coming!

I also LOVED The Silent Patient Easter eggs that were scattered throughout this book! No spoilers for either but OMG. Loved the addition of those!!

I thought this was a pretty good second book for Alex Michaelides and I’m excited to continue reading his work!

I enjoyed this book until the end. I was disappointed by another unrealistic ending. Everything was going well, and then all of the crazy was dropped on us. The same thing happened in The Silent Patient. I did enjoy that there were some Silent Patient Easter eggs in the story, but I would have enjoyed it more if the ending made more sense.

I have to say it - I believe this is the best book I’ve read all year. I just dont even know how to put words to how much I enjoyed this book. The thriller aspects were perfection, to the point where I waited out on reading all day just to read at night to set the perfect mood. I was so engrossed in the book that I kept trying to guess the many twists and turns this novel was taking. Two days later and I’m still thinking about the ending… and that’s where this loses one star for me… because I still don’t know if I liked the ending or not. It took me completely by surprise - My jaw actually dropped. I had my suspicions, but never did I think. The perfect book for anyone looking for a good thriller/dark academia.

*Thank you NetGalley and publishers for an early audiobook copy of The Maidens by Alex Michaelides in exchange for an honest review*