For most of the book, this sat at 4 stars for me. In terms of the crime, I did figure out the culprit pretty early on, but I could not figure out the motive until the shocking reveal at the end. I'm still shocked by it so I bumped my review up to 5 stars and am looking forward to reading a physical copy. This review is for the audiobook.

The story is set well-- Cambridge University and secret societies giving off major dark academia vibes. You have intelligent characters who all seem to be suspicious or have something secretive about them. There are a few red herrings throughout the novel as well. These things along with a narrator who toes the line of reliable and unreliable create a mystery that is hard to solve despite all signs pointing to the charismatic, Eric Fosca-- who seems to have a cult-like following with some of his female students that are called The Maidens. So sketchy.

I was hooked on the audio of this story that filters between being narrated by the protagonist, Mariana, and a male figure. I think my favorite part about this story was the allusions to and mentions of Greek tragedies, in particular Persephone and Demeter. Overall, this story is well plot out, fast-paced, and surprising! Readers who like thrillers, but usually figure out the ending quickly will have fun with this one.

Following up on The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides adds a classical twist of Greek mythology underpinning this new outstanding, dark, psychological thriller set in Cambridge, England. Mariana, a group therapist recovering from the death of her beloved husband Sebastien, gets summoned to Cambridge when one of her niece Zoe’s close friends get stabbed to death. And so jumpstarts this twisty literary “whodunnit,” with Marian becoming obsessed with tracking down the culprit and increasingly convinced that a handsome Greek tragedy professor, Edward, has literally gotten away with murder. Fanning her suspicions, the charismatic Edward has surrounded himself with a brilliant group of female students, in a secret society called “The Maidens,” of which the murdered student is a member.

Beside plot twists you simply don’t see coming and red herrings that abound, what elevates this thriller to the classic and lyrical centers the entwining of the current events with famous stories of Greek mythology and tragedies, Elusian Mysteries, and a poem by Tennyson in remembrance of a dear friend who died young.

Running throughout is the story of the maiden Persephone, kidnapped by the god of the underworld, Hades, and rescued for only six months a year by the Greek gods to placate her heartbroken, distraught g mother, Goddess of the Earth Demeter – thus resulting in the happy Spring and Summer months of mother and daughter reunion, and an earth shut down in grief during Fall and Winter. Prior to being killed, the victim receives a postcard with a quote from a Euripdies tragedy written in ancient Greek alluding to “the gods having decreed your death.”

Adding to the Greek overlay, the novel is partially set in Greece where Mariana grew up on the island of Naxos, the setting of the tragic death of her husband. It’s also the setting of the story of the Minotaur. Theseus, son of King Aegeus of Athens, a youth sent to be sacrificed to the minotaur, gets told the secret of how to vanquish the beast by Ariadne, King Minos' daughter, on the condition that he help her escape Crete afterwards. Theseus fulfills his promise by taking Ariadne away from Crete, but then abandons her as she sleeps on the beach of the island of Naxos. In The Maidens, Marianna is abandoned by her husband as she too sleeps on the beach. But what stands out in this story is Marianna’s cleverness to ultimately escape her fate and forge a new destiny for herself. Also, Ariadne helps Theseus escape the maze after killing the minotaur by following back along a ball of unspooled red thread he let out on his way in. Keep this in mind when you step back to analyze this novel.

Tennyson’s wrote his poem, In Memoriam A.H.H., as a tribute to his beloved friend Arthur Henry Hallam, who died young at age 22. Tennyson’s long poem was stitched together from snippets of his private grieving. Marianna reads this poem, left beside for her by her friend she’s staying with, and feels it speaks exactly her grieving of her husband, such as this stanza:

I sometimes hold if half a sin
To put in words the grief I feel;
For words, like Nature, half reveal
And half conceal the Soul within.

With a portrait of a young Tennyson deep in thought and private grief hanging in the University, the themes of personal mourning and words as poetic therapy also weave throughout the narrative.

Added to all this are unexpected surprise crossovers to The Patient, Michaelides first book, as the novels take place in the same setting and time, and both focus on psychotherapists who know each other – including Theo, one of the main characters in The Patient and the mental hospital, The Grove.

All in all, your mind is reeling at the ending, at the Tragedy of it all, and of lifetimes of unresolved mourning.

My opinions of this book and narrator would not change my decisions as a bookseller because customers are already asking for it after the success of The Silent Partient.


Narrators: So the yes/no question is hard. The narrator who narrated the killer was BRILLIANT. The main narrator was monotone, lacked conviction, emotional range and pacing. This is especially harmful for a book that struggled with pacing as it was.

Book:

Come for the Greek Mytholgy and Alferd, Lord Tennyson influences, killer POV chapters and fucked up ending.

Run from the slow pacing that really doesn't start kicking on till 60% in, repetitive grieving of Mariana's dead husband and mean girl stereotypes.

For someone so self aware of her lack of knowledge when it comes to finding murderers, letting down her actual job, walking into a situation that will trigger an already open wound of grieving... Mariana is oblivious.

#TheMaidens by @alex.michaelides is coming out June 16th by @celadonbooks! Many thanks to the publisher and @Netgalley for the advanced copy of the audiobook!
This story begins with a woman trying to cope with the death of her husband, but when a murder occurs on the same college campus where her neice attends, she flies into protection mode and decides to go to the campus to check on her neice. While there she discovers a charismatic professor who everyone cannot stop praising, especially the female students. She uncovers this secret society of students (only female as IF that doesnt immediately raise red flags) that hover over the professor. Suspicions are raised when two of his secret society (called The Maidens) become victims of murder. The story goes off from there and I thought I knew where it was going, but thankfully, I was wrong and the twist really shocked me and I enjoyed that shocking revelation in a twisted, demented sort of way!
I have not read #thesilentpatient although I believe I have the CDs of it from my agapi, if I can play them in the car figuring out how to pause them! Im curious to go back and read that one as well. I know this had been compared to A Secret History, but other than it's setting, its really not like that. This is told from Maryann's (the aunt) POV unlike the Secret History which was told by the students in their secret society. This was a lot more fast paced than The Secret History, as thrillers usually are. I really enjoyed this on audio. Give it a try if you enjoy thrillers or are a fan of this author! Although this wasnt an all time favorite for me, I still really enjoyed my time with it and flew through it as Maryann tried her hand at playing amateur detective! Its definitely a recommended read!

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for the audio arc of The Maidens.

Narrators Louise Brealey and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith do a wonderful job of conveying the atmosphere and intensity that this novel required. I believe Louise’s performances helped me in forming a connection to Mariana. She portrayed Mariana’s emotions in a believable way which added to the story and my enjoyment.

The Maidens is written in a way that makes it difficult for the reader to solve the mystery. The story was well laid out and paced perfectly. I listened to this over several days in order to absorb the plot and details fully.

I recommend The Maidens for anyone lookin for a thriller with twists. .

As Marianna is processing her own grief after losing her husband, she gets horrible news about her niece's friend being murdered at University. She is forced to revisit the place she met her beloved husband while being there for her niece Zoe, while also investigating the murder. Soon, more young women are found dead and Professor Fosco is a suspect, at least to Marianna.

This book was really surprising! I kept switching my mind as to who the killer was, and I didn't guess it correctly which I appreciate. I really enjoyed how this book intersected with The Silent Patient's world!

I think a bit more description of the Greek mythology would have been helpful. As someone with no knowledge of Greek mythology, it was hard to follow.

Overall, this book took a bit for me to get into but I ended up really enjoying it. The end was really unexpected, but I didn't rate five stars because it was a tad far fetched for me. I wish the ending was a little more drawn out so I can get some more clarity on the situation, like more about Sebastian's other life. The fact that it was Zoe the whole time and that Sebastian was involved was wild, and a great twist, but not super feasible in my opinion.

I would definitely read another book by this author though! Thank you so much for the advanced copy!

Everything seems fine in a London bustling college in the 21st century. That is, until word spreads fast that Tara has been murdered. Mariana is a therapist proving her point that the beloved professor murdered three women, Tara included, without the blink of an eye. But a secret society of women, “the Maidens” and all else are against Mariana. So, who really stabbed the three women? Alex Michaelides writes a thrilling follow up to the 2019 bestselling Silent Patient.
Readers will not be disappointed with the did he or didn’t he thriller that unfolds in The Maidens. Mariana is a highly believable, well written character. The backup characters, although numerous, gain importance throughout. Too many details and not enough mystery solving make this read a slow one until around the halfway mark. However, the end is unbelievable with a resolution that you won’t be guessing.
Both narrators tones matched the mood of Michaelides’ novel. The female voice’s British accent matches the setting and allows the listener to better understand the setting. The male’s voice has depth and emotion that filled the novel’s purpose.
Readers will want to listen to this thriller when it is released June 15. Be ready to crack the case of The Maidens.

Thank you so much to author, Alex Michaelides, Celadon Books (for the physical, advance reader copy) and Netgalley and Macmillan Audio (for the audio advance reader copy) of my most anticipated thriller of 2021, “The Maidens”.

This was a 4.5 star read for me, and I’ve rounded up to reflect that.

After reading “The Silent Patient” I knew I would want to read more from Alex Michaelides, in the future. I really feel like his writing is set apart from other thriller writers, and especially when I think of other male writers (writing women) - even well established authors like Stephen King or Riley Sager - there is a noticeable difference in descriptions and care in telling their stories. So when a “dark academia” thriller was announced I immediately started trying to get my hands on an ARC. I mean, SIGN! ME! UP!

The descriptions are lush and atmospheric. As if the setting, Cambridge, arguably the perfect academic setting, wasn’t enough... as if the promise of a secret society and Greek Myth weren’t enough... this book has so many fun twists and turns that will have you guessing till the end.

Some technical things I loved were the short chapters and the sectioning off into parts. The short chapters propel you forward so that you can really binge it in sections. And the parts breaks come at the best time for taking a minute evaluate your thoughts or even stop for the day or night of reading. It’s the kind of structuring that makes it ideal for a mini-series adaptation. Which, if someone wants to get on that, let’s get it going!

This book had all the makings of a perfect thriller for me, and it absolutely delivered. As I was reading to took note of things that could be handled in a problematic way, and those things, to my delight, were handled quite well. The entire novel deals with the fact that all of us have trauma. It looks at the ways we grieve. It allows us to dissect the characters through the eyes of a therapist, and even use what we’ve learned to look at the main character. Mental health is not villainized, rather looked at in the complex ways trauma and mental health effect people, no matter our actions or bias or perspective, we are all shaped by it. Rather than use it as a device the author invites us to perceive the actions of others with empathy and complexity. I appreciated the sympathetic way Mariana (the MC) looked at others because of her career as a therapist. I also loved the Greek Mythology throughout. There are constant references to two, specific goddesses and to specific lines from tragedy, there are professors who are well versed in the myths and tragedies. The way the myths are discussed, for someone like me who is obsessed with myth, it just made me want to re-read the plays mentioned, or find novels based on the goddesses. I love when a book inspires you to read.

The rest of my review and the reason I docked it .5 stars as well as the trigger warnings that I think are important is below.

I docked a half star, mostly because of the villainous monologue at the end. I never like these, although I fully appreciate that there isn’t a great way to do a reveal without one. I did think that the way it was given was exciting and interesting, and so in the end, I didn’t mind too much.

The trigger warnings I noted while reading are for;
>grief
>abuse
>self harm
>infertility
>murder of a pet (part 4, chapter 1)

All in all, I highly recommend this novel and can’t wait to see more people read and discuss this book! What a treat!

Edward Fosca is a handsome and charismatic Greek Tragedy professor at Cambridge University but Mariana thinks he is a murderer. Fosca is adored by staff and students. The members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens are intrigued by him. Why would the professor target one of his students? Why does he keep returning to the rites of Persephone, the maiden, and her journey to the underworld? Mariana is determined to find out. This book kept me guessing until the very end. I enjoyed the writing and the Greek tragedy references. There are a lot of twists and the ending was a complete surprise. I would recommend this book and I am looking forward to Michaelides next book. I would like to thank McMillian Audio and Celadon Books and NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy for an honest review. I listened to the audio and read along with the book. I enjoyed the narrator and it was a great experience.

When a young student is killed at her niece’s school, Mariana drops everything to help. As she gets closer to the truth, she fears for the life of not only her niece but for all the girls included in her study group.

The twists were only mildly surprising but the story was a quick one and I enjoyed it.

I’m thankful to NetGalley for an arc of the audio book in return for an unbiased review.

Mariana is a group therapist that becomes entwined in a cluster of murders, at her former university, when her niece’s friend is found dead. The mysterious Maidens society, overseen by Professor Edward Fosca, also seem connected due to the fact that the members are the ones found up murdered. Mariana decides to help her niece by trying to solve the mystery and help identify leads, but all suspicion points to the cult leader.

The style of this novel is very similar to the author’s other work, The Silent Patient. It keeps you guessing and even makes you question the authenticity of the narrator at times. I really enjoy the ties between the two novels – how many of the characters in The Silent Patient make an appearance. Mystery/Psychological thrillers are not my typical genre, but I really like this author and his style. There seems to be a huge, believable twist at the end that leaves your head reeling; in my case… did I hear that right?!?!

The female voice acting is well done. I believe it is the same woman that did the Silent Patient. She is easy to understand and switches between character voices well; each character is distinct. The male voice actor is not heard often, but he has a deep gruff voice that is rather… I would describe as alluring.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC. We have done Alex Michealides’ other book for book club, would consider this one as well. It always leads to interest discussion. We will not purchase the audiobook for our library, but will definitely get a copy of physical book – probably in several languages once it is released in them.

The Maidens was pretty "meh" for me. I should note that it takes me A LOT to really enjoy thrillers (I'm not really sure why except that I typically go for more character-driven books than plot-driven ones), but I've certainly found a few that I've really loved.

For me, this one didn't feel very special or unique. I like that it takes place on a college campus and has aspects of Greek mythology in it. And I did enjoy the main character, Mariana, a group therapist in England. I felt like I connected with her and was invested in her story. She's still grieving for her husband who passed away the previous year when her niece (of whom she's the guardian) calls from her Cambridge college to tell her that her best friend has been murdered. Mariana immediately goes to her and basically ends up staying in an effort to solve the murder.

I thought it was a bit strange that the police weren't doing a better job and Mariana seemed to discover more clues than they did. Of course, there are lots of suspects throughout, but I mostly figured out what was happening about halfway through. And honestly, even that felt a little odd and unrealistic to me.

The narrator does a great job in the audiobook and I found the book to be enjoyable to listen to, even if I wasn't totally captivated. I'm still happy I listened and I'm glad that many others have been really enjoying this one!

A secret society of all female students and a murder? Sign me up immediately. I love the premise, it pulled me right in unfortunately the story fell short for me.

Mariana seemed well thought out but a lot of the other characters felt one dimensional. I think if I could see them all as more fleshed out people, I may have enjoyed it more. I really would have loved more of The Maidens and their secret society, I was really intrigued by them. I enjoyed the mystery throughout and trying to figure it all out but I was not a fan of a big twist..

I wasn't huge on The Silent Patient and I'm not huge on The Maidens, I think this author just may not be for me.

Let me start this review by making a confession...I was not a fan of The Silent Patient. However, I decided to give the author another chance when I received an ALC from MacMillan.

Thrillers are not my normal genre, but I will read them from time to time. The Maidens did capture me right from the start. It tells the story of group therapist, Mariana, that is still reeling from the death of her husband last year. When her niece at Cambridge calls to tell her that one of her classmates has been brutally murdered, Mariana rushes to Zoe's side to offer her support. At Cambridge, Mariana discovers the secret world of the Maidens and grows suspicious of their ring leader, Professor Edward Fosca. As more girls wind up murdered, Mariana is in a race against the clock to prove Fosca's guilt before she turns up dead herself.

I listened to the audiobook for most of the book, then finished up reading the last 30% of my physical copy, because I wanted to know how this would all unravel a bit faster than my ears could listen. The story kept me entertained and I enjoyed the narrator's cadence and how she characterized her voice to fit different people. The bonus male narrator for some of the chapters gave the audiobook a fun change of pace. There are also passages written in Greek and the narration provided a great listen into what the language actually sounds like (which is far more eloquent than it was in my own head).

The part of the book I enjoyed the most was how Mariana tried to analyze who committed the murders and got into the mind of the killer. It was fascinating trying to find the motive of the killer, not the who did it, but the why they did it. The nods to Greek mythology was also fun. It's been a hot minute since I've studied them (hello middle school).

The story has a lot of red herrings along the way and I definitely had my theories of what really was happening. I wanted to love this book. I wanted to give this author another chance, but sadly, the ending made me not like the book as much. For me, it was a little far-fetched, and a bit disturbing, to be honest. I get that thrillers need to have shock value, and the ending definitely did have shock value, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. Had the ending been just a tad different, it would have been a 5 star read for me.

3.5 stars. This novel was riveting. I was hooked from the get-go. I think I was really disappointed by the ending. I'm not really salty that I didn't figure it out; I think I was just expecting better from Alex Michaelides.
Marianna Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist. Her niece, Zoe, calls her from Cambridge where a friend has just been murdered. Marianna is convinced that Professor Edward Fosca is to blame. She becomes convinced, despite his alibi, that he is the murderer. Her obsession with proving Fosca's guilt spirals out of control and ultimately Marianna's own life is endangered.
I also want to point out that more than halfway through, there is a tie-in with the Silent Patient, Micaelides, 1st novel. It also follows up at then ending as well.

*Special thanks to McMillan Audio and NetGalley for an early audio file of this novel.*

I loved The Silent Patient, and I was eager to read this follow up, especially once I heard that there were connections between characters in this book and characters in The Silent Patient.

This was a slow burn thriller steeped in Greek mythology. Past and present events were expertly woven together, and my interest was piqued throughout.

The audiobook narration was crisp and fluid, even as the voice actor switched between English and American accents. I was impressed.

Thank you, Macmillan Audio, for an advance listening copy of this title!

The premise for The Maidens immediately piqued my interest. A ritualistic murder on a prestigious college campus, with a Classics professor and his select group of all female students, known as the Maidens, at the center of the intrigue? Yes, please. I love dark academia, especially when combined with the study of Ancient Greek and classical literature. I went in hoping form something along the lines of The Secret History, which I absolutely adore. But I liked what this book pretended to be far more than what it actually was. If that makes sense. Alas, The Maidens fell a bit flat for me.

I actually groaned out loud at the twist. I was so disappointed with where it went. I felt played, and not in a fun way. There was some truly great setup for something else here, but the twist came out of left field with absolutely no breadcrumbs leading to it. It felt forced and false, and reminded me of the problems I had with Michaelides’ previous novel. But while I didn’t love how things turned out, the rest of the story was interesting enough to make my experience with it vaguely positive overall.

There is a brief reference to the author’s previous novel, The Silent Patient, and the case around which that story centers. This was a fun addition, I suppose, but it actually served to pull me out of the story. I thought it was unnecessary and distracting, but that’s a personal opinion. I’m sure there will be other readers who love this little nod to The Silent Patient.

Something random that bothered me through the entirety of the book: why does every single man who crosses our perspective character’s path seem to have the hots for her? I know she’s evidently a beautiful woman, but having 4 different men pursuing her to varying degrees over the course of the novel was a bit much. And elicited more than a little eye-rolling. What I will say, though, is that the audio for this is stellar, except for the voice given to one particular character. If you’re a fan of BBC’s Sherlock, be aware that Louise Brealey is the main narrator here!

The Maidens wasn’t a bad book. But it didn’t live up to its potential. If you’re in the market for a mystery, this one might be refreshingly different. However, if you go into this book looking for dark academia along the lines of The Secret History, I’m afraid you might be disappointed.

The Maidens centers on Mariana, a group therapist in London. Her niece's best friend is murdered at Cambridge University, and Mariana goes to be with her niece. Soon Mariana inserts herself into the murder investigation. She is sure that Greek tragedy professor, Edward Fosca, is the murderer. A few more students are murdered before Mariana finds herself in danger. In true Michaelides fashion, there are unexpected twists and turns before we get to the answers.

Mariana's character was multi-layered and had depth, and I really enjoyed being in her thoughts. However, there were several characters (Mariana's former professor, her therapist mentor, and a former fellow student) whose characters were very flat. They seemed to be inserted into the story simply to move along to the next plot point. If more characters were as well thought out as Mariana, it would have made for a much better flow and believable story.

I don't know a lot about Greek mythology. I enjoyed the references to it, but I would have felt more engaged if there was more explanation and background about them.

I listened to the audiobook. I loved the narrator except for her voice for Edward Fosca, an American professor. Her accent for him was inconsistent.

Overall I enjoyed the book, but it is not a favorite. Thanks to NetGally for the review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Alex Michaelides has done it again. I could not put this down! The blend of ancient mythology, peer pressure, and mystery was so exciting. Mariana was a great main character, completely driven by the desire to catch a murderer who is targeting a clique of young women. Great twists and character development. The male narrator is truly creepy. Thanks @netgalley for the e-ARC!

I was looking for a good thriller and I mostly got it. This is a campus novel that really had me guessing who was the murderer throughout. I thought I had it figured out several times, but I did not. However, the dramatic reveal at the end was not one that I liked at all. I found it quite off putting. The audio was very well done, though.