A group therapist, Mariana Andros, still grieving the tragic loss of her husband, gets a desperate call from her niece, Zoe, who is frantic and distraught over the disappearance of her college roommate.

Mariana leaves immediately to join Zoe at Cambridge University to offer her support. Mariana is immediately suspicious of a popular Greek tragedy professor, Edward Fosca, and his elite group of female students, dubbed ‘The Maidens’.

When another student is murdered, Mariana steps up the pressure on the elusive Professor Fosca. Her actions begin to border on obsession, making her appear more and more unhinged…

This is Alex Michaelides follow up to his wildly successful debut novel, ‘The Silent Patient’.


I enjoyed that novel, not quite as much as most others, but I thought the author had probably established himself, and was on the way to a very promising career as a writer.

Unfortunately, lightening didn’t strike twice… at least not for me.

The plot, in general, didn’t have enough cohesiveness to pull off another stunning, shocking surprise twist at the end. The atmosphere was creepy- the feeling of foreboding and dread was thick with apprehension, but it wasn’t enough to hold the story together.

Once I made it to the halfway mark, I had already figured out the main piece of the puzzle, despite the author's attempts to divert my attention away from what was all too obvious, with too many smokescreens and devices.

Mariana’s characterization became so overwrought, shrill, and annoying, implausibly overstepping her bounds at every turn, I was tempted to just skip to the end to see how everything was wrapped up.

Well, in truth, it was taking me way too long to finish the book, and I was growing so weary of it, I was afraid if I put it down, I might not pick it back up again- so I did skim some parts to get to the big reveal at the end.

For me, this book wasn't anything I had not seen before. It was good enough- average- but not up to the author's previous standards. It could be a case of nerves, the author feeling pressure to live up to the hype and anticipation for this follow up to his massive sleeper hit. So, maybe he was working a little too hard, or overthinking things a little.

All that said, despite my underwhelming experience with this book, in all honesty, it’s not terrible, terrible- It’s just ordinary, like many others in this category, and way too predictable for me. I see the book has been generally well- received, so you may have much better luck with it than I did!

DNF at 22%. I was quite excited to read this thriller after hearing so much praise about Michaelides' debut novel. Unfortunately, I wasn't enjoying this one. I didn't like the writing, I found the plot quite boring and the characters very flat.

Unfortunately, I did not like this book at all.
I was looking forward to reading this so much but it ended up being a disappointing read. I don't think I've ever read such a boring novel. The characters weren't compelling, the mystery was weak and the writing style wasn't impressive either. Unfortunately, I also did not like the ending. I didn't find it surprising at all and I actually figured out the mystery quite early in the novel. I didnt mind that, but overall I wasn't a fan of the ending. To me it didn't really fitthe narrative and I wish the book had ended in a different way.
The novel had so much potential, but unfortunately it was wasted a lot on the main character's past that didn't really add anything to the narrative. I wish we had also focused a lot more on the academic side of the narrative.

I requested The Maidens because I thought maybe I’d miss the mark with this author after his debut book The Silent Patient, a book I didn’t care for, had garnered so many rave reviews. Things I liked about this book are the short chapters, the creepy atmospheric Cambridge setting, and the inclusion of Greek mythology literature and art. What I didn’t like were the over the top dramatic characters, the implausible plot, and the reasonings of the characters behind the twists. It just was too farfetched for my liking.

After his debut psychological debut The Silent Patient, he had the hard task of writing a book of either the same or better book and I am delighted to say - he has done it and done it in an amazing fashion!
Compelling and fast paced so much so you won’t want to stop reading until you reach the conclusion!

I read The Maidens on the bus as the trains weren't running. I enjoyed it, and it was enthralling enough that the only time I picked up my phone was to check I hadn't missed my stop!

The Maidens is a murder mystery set at university, with danger apparently lurking around every corner. Our protagonist is not experienced in police work so it was interesting to see how they addressed each clue, leading the reader round and round (much as
they do within the story!)

I would definitely recommend this book for a cosy evening in or a long bus ride - it's easy to get lost in with a plot that makes the ending that much more interesting!

Loved!

The dark academia vibe was so engaging to this book and I was just absolutely hooked. I loved the subtle nods to the authors previous books and I really felt like I was part of this world!

Ok so I loved the silent patient, and I went into this with low expectations as a few fellow bookclub members really didn’t gel with this, and I have to agree with them. There was no satisfaction on the end and so many unanswered questions about what happened to so many people and I just don’t feel like it flowed very well.

The pace was also quite confusing, one minute it’s giving you details of the surroundings and within two pages some thing huge and dramatic has happened, and the start of the next chapter is giving details of the main character going to bed…

I didn’t really like the characters, it ended very abruptly and I just didn’t really enjoy this one.

I can’t say that I really loved this book. I did enjoyed the more subtle hints and the hidden thoughts as well the idea of a cult and how everything evolved .

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

I’m not sure where to start with this book as it just wasn’t what I was expecting and found it very underwhelming compared to the author’s previous novel.

As I was reading, I kept waiting for the big twist to happen and something that would shock me, but I just found it all a bit lacklustre and unbelievable.

I found it hard to like any of the characters and felt they were all quite annoying - which can work in some books but it just made this all the more harder to read.

The premise behind the book was great and I loved the inclusion of Greek tragedies in it but this one fell far from the mark for me.

I was looking forward to reading this after loving the silent patient and it did not disappoint. I loved the concept of this and the link to greek mythology. I loved the intrigue and the setting, and the characters. I did not guess what happened at the end which is always a bonus, and thoroughly enjoyed the entire book.

I read a lot of crime fiction and it takes a lot for me to not work out the ending within the first quarter, but this one kept me guessing. I really enjoyed the links to his other novel. Dark and twisty and a lot of fun to read!

I was after an immersive cat and mouse thriller, and The Maidens definitely delivered. I was hooked from the start. As well as having an immersive plot which kept me on the edge of my seat, the heavy use of Greek mythology was ultimately my favourite aspect of this book.

I loved the pacing, and the fact that it kept me guessing till the very end. The suspense built up perfectly, till the twist was revealed. The author did a great job making me suspicious of all the characters. Every time I was sure of the murderer, I was thrown off again by another character or event. I love being kept on my toes and this book did exactly that.

In amongst the themes of death and loss, questionable fathers, and missing mothers, it was the reoccurring theme of stories and literature, along with the references to Greek mythology, that added another layer of mystery to the story. These aspects helped to create the haunting atmosphere that kept me feeling uneasy for the entire read.

I did come across a few instances where some characters acted unnaturally, (none of the maidens seemed to be fazed by the murders?) and I think some needed to be fleshed out more. Despite this, I still found the book to be fast paced and entertaining.

Even though I have a LOT of questions, the ending did take me by surprise. Overall, it was a thrilling read that kept me guessing. I can’t wait to read more works by this author!

dnf @ 30%.

I truly regret writing this review because I feel obligated to finish the story, let alone review it. But before I write my review, I would like to thank the publisher for giving me an opportunity to read this book.

How do I even begin? For start, the premise is something that catches the eye and sparks curiosity. Dark academia books are either hit or miss for me, but since I've read the Silent Patient last year, I am somehow confident that Alex Michaelides could deliver a thrilling and interesting plot with the Greek references. However, in this book, the mystery is lackluster. I wasn't that invested in continuing the story because it was slow and the motivation of the main character didn't make sense to me.

This was a bit of a slow burner for me but I'm glad I kept going. It did pick up as it went along and I did enjoy the storyline. Sadly this will be compared to The Silent Patient and it just wasn't as good or as gripping. Still worth a read though.

Thank you Netgalley.

I thought this was sooooo good. I’ve never had much interest in Greek mythology but considering how many really well-liked books on the topic have come out in the last few years I’ve been wanting to get into it, and this was the perfect entry point. I loved the mix of mystery with mythology so much. I enjoyed this just as much as The Silent Patient, can’t wait for Alex Michaelides to bring out something new 😊

Mariana gets a call from her niece that her best friend has been murdered at their university. She goes to comfort her niece, but it seems it's not the end....

I truly felt like I got a great understanding of Cambridge from the beautiful descriptions in this book. However, the ending and revealed culprit came very much out of left field, and there were too many random potential suspects. It also irritated me that in a city where people keep turning up dead, Mariana was so careless about her own personal safety. Dining with a person you're convinced is a murderer?! I also felt there was too much of a focus on the literary aspects of ancient Greek tragedies. A great nod to The Silent Patient towards the end though ;)

Having absolutely loved THE SILENT PATIENT, I jumped at the chance to read Alex Michaelides' second novel, THE MAIDENS.

Mariana is just trying to get used to life without her late husband Sebastien when she received a phone call from her niece that changes everything. Young female students are being brutally murdered at her old college, and there is no knowing when the killer might strike again!

This is a gripping premise, and I was gripped by the plot of the novel. However, knowing Michaelides' reputation for a fantastic twist, I was a little hesitant of what seemed to be a rather too obvious candidate. I must admit, I was beginning to doubt the plot line for a while, as I thought I knew what was coming, but I wasn't to be disappointed! Another strong twist! And I also loved the link to THE SILENT PATIENT in the novel, linking up the universe that the author has created - a lovely Easter egg for fans, but nothing to put off new readers either.

Not as gripping as his first, but certainly a strong second outing from Michaelides!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy of this ebook. I really enjoyed this page turning thriller which had a real dark academia feel. If you enjoyed The Silent Patient this won't disappoint!

It is a fast paced read. Didn’t take me long to read at all. I think it’s because it’s a classic ‘who done it’ and you can’t help but want to find out the answers.

I could at times feel the tension growing when it came to the chapters between Mariana & Fosca. This made me want to read on so I could find out if she had the right opinion of him.

For me, the Greek mythology added another level to this read, mainly because it’s not a topic I know much about however this didn’t take anything away from the overall story, it linked very well and wasn’t too heavy.

I did however like the little nod to his first book, The Silent Treatment. I thought that was very well done.

The ending surprised me, definitely not how I thought it was pan out. Also left a sort of cliffhanger too which left me wanting to know ‘what happened next’

Overall, worth a read, especially if you enjoyed The Silent Patient