Thank you @netgalley and @orionbooks for a free copy of #themaidens in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve seen many mixed reviews for this book so was rather impatient to read it myself!
Now that I have, I can tell you that I enjoyed it without finding it outstanding! After reading The Silent Patient, which I absolutely loved, the expectations were very high for this. But honestly, what were the odds that Michaelides would deliver another such spectacular book?
So although I had expectations, I somehow knew it couldn’t ever be as good as his first book.

That being said, this is a great whodunnit mystery thriller à la Agatha Christie-style, where our MC Mariana (a group psychotherapist) turns into a detective to discover who killed her niece’s friend at Cambridge!
Although the characters were rather one-dimensional I did love the psychological aspect of the story and the glimpses of Theo Faber from The Silent Patient. For those of you who haven’t read TSP, this book seems to be set a few months before the first, so there are no spoilers here.

Another thing I loved was the location and the atmosphere. The Greek mythological aspect of the story was very fascinating too!

The book is written in six parts and we also get snippets of a diary written by an invisible hand and telling the story of a young boy in an abusive household! Could it be the murderer?

Let me tell you...I did not guess who the murderer was. So although the solution was a little far fetched it managed to surprise me which hasn’t happened for a very long time!

Although not a fast-paced book I didn’t find it boring and would definitely recommend it to any thriller lovers out there!

A gripping atmospheric gothic thriller. Group therapist Mariana revisits her old Cambridge University college when a friend of her niece is murdered in a ritualistic manner. She instantly suspects a creepy but charismatic professor, who controls a group of female students known as 'The Maidens'. A slow-burn, tense page-turner.

I did want to love this book...I can say I enjoyed it at least. I have possibly read too many books with a similar theme lately as I failed to engage fully with any of the characters.

Book- The Maidens

Author- @alex.michaelides

My rating – 5/5

Suggested reading age according to me- 13+

REVIEW- The Maidens will be a Timeless classic. The Author weaves such a intriguing tale that I promise you, once you begin you will forget about your real life worries, then your sole focus and attention will be on Mariana. The characters are written in such a way that the pacing of the story does not gets disturbed, whether it’s the protagonist or the antagonist the maidens is extremely fast paced with the plot in centre. I was deeply involved with the plot, sometimes more than the characters. The chapters are short, it will always create a feeling of wanting to know more about the characters, that’s what makes the book a crime classic! That’s also how I was in pain, wanting to know more about Fred but at the same time I was glad that there were no over descriptions and the author has focused the book, story and plot wise.


The book is divided into many parts which makes the the reading experience extremely smooth as in a way the chapter ending gives you a second to relax after the intense stuff. Trust me, you will need several moments to take a breath and relax while reading the book.

Let me tell you all about the beautiful hidden themes in the book, don’t worry there are no spoliers. The book gives out a subtle message that we should take care of ourselves and a Psychology student myself I loved how the Freud references were spot on. And my my, the ancient and modern day greek references were Brilliantly reasearched. The author also tells us to be careful of the people around us, to be vigilant and smart.

At times the writing is so philosophical, it blends so well with the greek, mystery, thriller, heart is legit beating so fast writing.

Your heart might stop beating for a lot of moments at the ending……

I this one better than his debut novel „the silent patient“. Alex Michaelides books are getting better like a fine wine 🍷.

I really enjoyed the setting of the at first pristine Cambridge, but later on the far more dark and scary campus. The characters were each diverse, well crafted and interesting. The main character Mariana was believable in her acts. There were a lot of plot twists that I couldn’t have guessed. This was a fast paced, compelling and intense read. I‘m looking forward to his next thrillers - will definitely put my hands on those 🙌🏼 📚.

Thank you NetGalley / Orion Publishing Group for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This...is not something I would recommend. The writing is beautiful and compelling. The plot, however, is definitely flawed.

Here are some issues I encountered with this book:

- The profession of the protagonist - a group therapist - has nothing whatsoever to do with the main mystery. This woman introduces to us - in detail - everyone of her patients in the first 10%, and then we never hear from them again. It all felt startlingly disjointed; the first few chapters sounded as if they belonged to an entirely different book.

- The author then introduces a character who has psychic abilities, someone who "sees things that others don't". This fully piqued my curiosity, but then again, this character's storyline is NEVER followed up on.

- The multiple Greek references throughout the book are just...there; they've absolutely no purpose in regards to the murder in question, other than to occasionally intrigue and fascinate.

- The final reveal? It's completely guesssable. But by then, I had already lost interest because the mystery itself wasn’t exciting enough to keep me invested.

To conclude, these are only my personal opinions; and as much as I was letdown by Michaelides' "The Maidens", I'm sure that there are readers out there who will enjoy it more

This...is not something I would recommend. The writing is beautiful and compelling. The plot, however, is definitely flawed.

Here are some issues I encountered with this book:

- The profession of the protagonist - a group therapist - has nothing whatsoever to do with the main mystery. This woman introduces to us - in detail - everyone of her patients in the first 10%, and then we never hear from them again. It all felt startlingly disjointed; the first few chapters sounded as if they belonged to an entirely different book.

- The author then introduces a character who has psychic abilities, someone who "sees things that others don't". This fully piqued my curiosity, but then again, this character's storyline is NEVER followed up on.

- The multiple Greek references throughout the book are just...there; they've absolutely no purpose in regards to the murder in question, other than to occasionally intrigue and fascinate.

- The final reveal? It's completely guesssable. But by then, I had already lost interest because the mystery itself wasn’t exciting enough to keep me invested.

To conclude, these are only my personal opinions; and as much as I was letdown by Michaelides' "The Maidens", I'm sure that there are readers out there who will enjoy it more.

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides is based at Cambridge University and a professor, Edward Fosca, who has his own gathering of female students, The Maidens.
Young women are being murdered and Mariana, a group therapist,only recently widowed is convinced he is the murderer. She has come to the university at the request of Zoe, her niece and her only living relative.
Events move quickly and Mariana ends up finding out more than she ever wanted to know.
Highly recommended

After his debut became one of the most popular thrillers of the year in 2019, the pressure was high for this author’s follow-up release. This one follows the thriller with a killer twist format but it’s set in the world of dark academia, weaving literature and Greek mythology against the backdrop of the traditional Cambridge University.

And it worked for me. For the most part. I loved it almost as much as The Silent Patient.

Let’s get something straight: I don’t mind a slow-burn thriller at all. I like it. In this book Michaelides paints a beautiful picture of Cambridge University, and a sinister picture of elite study groups and suspicious professors. Top it off with some mysterious notes littered with Greek mythology and a string of ritualistic murders of young, beautiful girls. It’s a recipe for a deliciously dark thriller.

Mariana is our protagonist, a recently widowed group therapist who finds herself returning to Cambridge University, her alma mater, to help her neice Zoe when Zoe’s friend is found murdered. She thinks she’ll just visit briefly to provide some support, but she soon finds herself drawn into the mystery. There’s more to it than meets the eye. Her friend said some strange things the night before the murder – and she’s part of elite group of girls, the Maidens. They’re a study group with the professor Fosca, and she won’t be the last maiden to die.

This book does have a slow build, with an atmospheric and authentic depiction of college life as Mariana reflects on meeting her husband there years before while she dives deeper into the current mystery. There’s red herrings and twists a-plenty (and even a familiar face making an appearance), as our plucky therapist-turned detective has no idea who to trust.

The ending is what lets it down just a little. We know this author is the king of twists, but this is a little far. I did start to connect the dots near the end and wonder where it might be going, but the ending isn’t something that could be worked out easily and comes a little out of nowhere.

But, I enjoyed the ride. The writing is great, it kept me reading. I liked Mariana as a character and the different themes woven into this story. There’s a lot to enjoy about this neat little thriller, and I’ll be reading whatever this author does next.

I enjoyed The Silent Patient and was was keen to see where Alex Michaelides would go with The Maidens. Regardless of my overall rating, I do really enjoy his writing style and the found the blend of Greek Mythology somewhat interestIng. However, Personally I found the main character, Mariana to react rather oddly in certain situations and to make rather questionable decisions that didn’t really resonate as authentic. Having said this I stuck with the read wanting to know how it all came together at the end.

"ᴡᴇ ᴀʟʟ ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴛʟʏ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʀᴀɢᴇᴅʏ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴ ᴛᴏ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ." The Maidens, Alex Michaelides.

☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5 stars

I got dark academia vibes when reading the synopsis of this and immediately knew it was one of my most anticipated releases of 2021! However, I did not expect to find my new favourite book of 2021 so far!

Our main character is strong and fearless but I really like how she is not afraid to show that sometimes she can be vulnerable and fragile. That being said, Michaelides has a way of developing characters which draw me in and I quickly become invested in all relationships, both long term and short term.

I have to admit, my intuition was correct when it came to the killer but the twists and turns, even the reveal, had my mind absolutely blown. The constant second guessing my intuition, was similar to that of when I read Silent Patient, also by Michaelides.

On that note, what solidified this books place as best read, was the way the book referred to Silent Patient in regards to one character being involved in both books.

If you haven't read either books, I strongly advise that you pick them up soon!

I... really enjoyed this! I wasn't expecting a lot from The Maidens because while I liked The Silent Patient, I had heard that The Maidens was Dark Arcademia which is, in my humble opinion, the most overrated sub genre. I just... can't.

Anyway, The Maidens was really good! The pacing was quick (I read it in 4 hours), the mystery was intriguing, and I liked the main character. I very much enjoyed all the red herrings, and the throwback to The Silent Patient was so much fun. I think Michaelides might be building a world here like Jane Harper and her Dry series!

You may find that the ending is rushed, but I think it worked well with the pacing of the rest of the book.

One thing that really did annoy me was how many men were into the main female character. You can tell a guy wrote this. I don't understand why everyone was so obsessed with her. There were men all over the place fawning over her and wanting to get in her pants. Just... nope.

I was so looking forward to this - I loved Michaelides previous book and I'm a Classics grad - but I was very disappointed by the standard male-gaze tropes employed here. The plot was sadly predictable, the women were perpetually objectified and had little autonomy outside of men.

Such a fantastic, gripping and thought provoking story! I absolutely loved The Silent Patient and The Maidens made it near to the top of my favourites of 2021! Would definitely recommend!

Absolutely loved the silent patient so was v excited to read this. I did prefer Alex's first book but this was a real page turner and kept me accusing different characters throughout!

The Maidens is an intriguing and engaging read.

When a friend of her niece, Zoe, is murdered, Mariana ( a group therapist) returns to her old university to comfort her. Beginning some detective work of her own, she suspects the charismatic tutor, Edward Fosca. Especially when his special students, The Maidens, are targeted. The subject of Greek mythology is carefully woven through the narrative and I really enjoyed this aspect.

All is not as it seems and the clever ending worked very well.

This book was very well written and it was only afterwards that I realised the author had also written 'The Silent Patient'- another excellent read.

Thanks indeed to netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

This is the second of Alex Michaelides books and most certainly didn't disappoint. Similarly to his first novel, he relates part of the plot and makes parallels with certain characters from Greek mythology and plays. We are first introduced to the main character Mariana, a group therapist working from home, who has recently been widowed. She receives a call from her niece, Zoe, who is in distress that one of her good friends at Cambridge University has been murdered. Travelling to Cambridge at once to be with her niece, Mariana finds herself drawn into the world of the University, where she has studied herself previously and so knows many of the places and fellows that teach there. One of the Professors Mariana is not so sure or trusting of, Edward Fosca, who seems to have a following of a group of 'Maidens', and so she sets out to try and unveil him for who he truly is and to find out who has murdered the poor student. The plot had me gripped the whole way through, with various characters being introduced at various points to make you question who could be guilty of such a charge and who can and can't be trusted. This alongside the references to Greek mythological characters and the iconic setting of Cambridge, adds to the sense of art that surrounds not just the writing itself, but also an indication of what type of murderer we may be dealing with. Whilst I suspected many people throughout the book I didn't guess the end until it was revealed by the author. A great thriller that kept me guessing and turning the pages throughout, would definitely recommend this. My thanks go out to netgalley and Orion books for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

After reading The Silent Patient I was waiting with anticipation to get my hands on The Maidens. I had high expectations for this second novel, and whilst it didn't reach the same level of twists and turns I wasn't completely disappointed. I just think the predecessor had set the bar too high.

The story was extremely intriguing, Psychotherapist Mariana, a tragic young widow gets drawn into investigating a murder at Cambridge University after a desperate call from her niece, whos' friend was the first victim.

The narrative was full of Greek Myth references and tragedy. The prime suspect from the perspective of Mariana is the charismatic but odd professor of Greek tragedy; Edward Fossa. As highly respected as he is with colleagues and students Mariana can't help but think there is something sinister behind his group of favored students, all beautiful, intelligent young women, aptly known as 'The Maidens'. All who seem to want to protect their beloved professor..

This is definitely a slow builder, but the tension builds to a climatic end, and whilst it wasn't the twist of the silent patient I didn't guess the entire ending and I couldn't help but devour the book to uncover the entire plot. It was cleverly built and executed.

The twist is clever, and the writing is beautiful, you can really feel the atmosphere and conjure vivid pictures.

Thank-you for my ARC Copy..

I was really excited to read this, however the proofcopy that was sent to my kindle was almost unreadable due to the fact it randomly said the words Orion, Publishing or Group, throughout, meaning it drew away from the focus. I will however be purchasing this book as I loved the silent patient and I really want to read it.

I had really high expectations of this book. I am a sucker for a book set in an academic institution, as I have said on the blog before, so I was pre-disposed to like it. I did enjoy the book, especially the thriller aspects and found the suspense compelling in keeping me reading. I loved the weaving of the Greek mythology and literature through the book, and the atmosphere of the colleges that the author invoked. However, I did have a few problems with it. The character of Mariana was unbelievable naive throughout. She took a strong dislike to Edward Fosca early on based on practically no evidence, yet kept meeting alone with him. She also had private meetings with another man she knew nothing about, despite there being a violent killer on the lose and her personal knowledge of how troubled souls operate. I found this hard to swallow. The ending also seemed hasty and quite a stretch. It needed more development of minor characters and plot lines that didn't really go anywhere.

A good effort but not as great as I'd hoped so it is a three star from me, and this is why I haven't shared this review on the blog.