Mariana Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist. The minute she receives her niece, Zoe’s phone call regarding a missing friend, she rushes to Cambridge to be with Zoe.

When Zoe’s friend is found murdered, Mariana is certain that Edward Fosca is the murderer. But Fosca is untouchable. A handsome and charismatic Greek tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students alike - particularly by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens.

When another body is found, Mariana's obsession with proving Fosca's guilt spirals out of control, threatening to destroy her credibility as well as her closest relationships. But Mariana is determined to stop this killer, even if it costs her everything - including her own life.

I am not that familiar with Greek mythology, so it took me a while to get into the plot.

But once I adjusted my pace to the plot and understood what was happening, I just couldn’t put it down. It is quite complex and there is plenty of tension and suspense throughout that it keeps your attention. There were so many suspicious characters, all harboring secrets, that each one of them has a motive to be considered as a suspect.

The ending was certainly dramatic, it wasn’t a complete surprise but some parts of it were unexpected, so it worked for me!

Thank You NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for this ARC!

What a gripping mystery

This was a very disturbing but good read.

Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and could not get enough of.

This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good thriller!!
Absolutely loved the characters, the plot, the tension -  impossible to put it down.
Certainly recommended!

Sadly, this one was not for me. I could not really see the link between the investigation and main protagonist’s profession as the psychologist, nor the link between murder and the ancient mythology. Plus, I have found it very annoying that every single male character was calling the main character by her first name. Whereas all the male characters were called by their surnames or titles. The right pace was there but my heart was not, and I did not really cared about the plot or characters.

3.5 stars rounded up
Michaelides’s debut novel The Silent Patient was an amazing read and merits to be called a real bestseller, and the huge #WTF twist made this book so memorable that it went straight to my top 10 of 2019 (here’s my review). You can imagine how excited I was to read his next book The Maidens and how I jumped for joy when I was approved to read an ecopy on Netgalley.

The Maidens is a solid read but maybe my expectations were a little too high as for me personally it didn’t equal the first novel. One of the things I did however particularly enjoy about this novel were the references to Greek mythology, to the legend of the goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone who was abducted by Hades (to jog your memory: the turning of the seasons is liased to Persophone) and the Greek celebration of this legend (The Rites of Eleusis because Demeter went to look for her daughter at Eleusis). The (not quite so secret) little student club was quite intriguing and I could easily imagine secret rites among this group and there being someone who wants to share a message to the world. Mariana is quite hung up on the killer being the professor Fosca but the more she became obsessed, the more I became convinced that it couldn’t be him… even though I had no clue who was leaving intriguing calling cards.

Unfortunately the author doesn’t pull the line entirely through and The Maidens themselves were ultimately not as interesting as I expected. The characters of this group were not developed so I didn’t really care much whether they could be a next victim and if you ask me to describe them I wouldn’t really know what to say. I’m in two minds at times as well though because I’m not a fan of reading about cults and rites (remember my review of The Furies) so I was on the other hand quite happy I was spared having to read such scenes.

I did love that a few characters from the first novel are named in this novel too, they are intricately woven into this plot. Don’t worry though, you don’t need the first novel, it’s just a reference made at some point but it was cool!

I quite liked the big twist in the end, he tried to pull off another one of his unexpected twists and although it was for me partially successful, it was a bit radical. I thought the book was leading somewhere but it actually takes a whole different direction in the end, which is amazing, only I don’t deal well with such startling turnarounds.

The Maidens is a psychological thriller with a gothic edge. Don’t take your eyes off the first part is the only advice I can give you and maybe you’ll be more triumphant in discovering who did it than I was.

I haven’t read Alex’s first book but heard it got raving reviews so wanted to read this one. I enjoyed this book and thought it was a good thriller with very creepy characters but I also was confused most of the time and not in a good way. I’m not really sure how to explain it other than that. This made it quite hard to want to read so it took me a while to read but I still enjoyed it. I believe it followed a very typical template of a thriller and know a lot of people find this comforting.

What you need to know going into this: it is set in Cambridge University. There is a professor who has an entourage of young girls whom he calls ‘The Maidens’. There are murders. Our protagonist starts trying to put the puzzle pieces together and solve the murders.

I read The Silent Patient last year and I thought it was okay. It wasn’t the most amazing thriller I had ever read but certainly not the worst, and I definitely didn’t think it lived up to the hype. However, I did enjoy the psychological aspect of that book and that is what made me give Michaelides a second chance… and boy am I glad I did.

While I don’t think this is particularly different from The Silent Patient in the way that it involves a lot of Greek mythology references (although in this case these fit in very well with the plot of the story) and some slightly questionable portrayals of the female characters, and the focus of this book is definitely geared towards the psychology of the characters. While in The Silent Patient I wasn’t always convinced that this worked, in this one it certainly did! The writing throughout was gripping and had me guessing the whole way through. I had my list of suspects and I genuinely did not know who it was going to be until the big reveal. That, to me, makes a damn good thriller.

This was creepy too - there is something about the setting of a Cambridge college halls particularly at night with figures lurking in the dark that really gives me the chills. We are constantly being fed bits of information throughout that make us learn more and more about the characters the book focuses on and coupled with the fast paced writing made it incredibly hard to put down. I devoured this in 2 sittings because I legitimately couldn’t put it down!

There are a couple of things that disappointed me about this. The portrayal of the female characters in this book is annoying - almost every single one of them is shown as a ‘damsel in distress’ with some sort of issue which at points worked, but overall made some of them seem very one-dimensional. I felt with the backstory of our protagonist, it made sense, but why is it necessary for all? In addition, I wish that the ending was a bit fleshed out. While the reveal blew my mind, it did feel a little rushed and like the author was unsure how he wanted to end the book.

Overall, this is a solid thriller and I’m definitely glad I gave Alex Michaelides a second chance! If you’re looking for a fast paced, dark academia mystery thriller, this is going to be the book for you!

After loving The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides I was so excited to get a review copy of The Madiens with a mix of dark academia and thriller it was set to be an excellent read for me and I was not disappointed at all.

A thrilling psychological thriller with a hint of mythology woven throughout. this is one book you won't want to put down, and that ending wow!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for the arc of The Maidens by Alex Michaelides.

5 STAR READ IF YOU HAVE READ THE SILENT PATIENT BY ALEX THEN YOU MUST READ HIS NEWEST THE MAIDENS YOU WONT REGRET IT! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This follows Mariana has a phonecall from Zara her neice whom is studying at Cambridge University and fears her friend Tara has been murdered... So Mariana ends up travelling there to be with her but she becomes enthralled with Professor Edward Fosca whom has a cult... A CULT?!?! I say! with follwers known as "Maidens" This convinces her to do some investigating and digging that she comes up a theory that he is the murderer has murderous guilt as they say but it becomes extremeley dangerous for her as she obsesses and tries to find out... but is she in danger?!

Highly gripping, enthralling, page turner! highly recommend for all!

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

The story is about a grieving therapist who is lost in her world suddenly being thrust into a college where a cult of girls get murdered. The girls who follow around one professor who she believes is the psychopath!!

When Mariana is called by a crying Zoe to Cambridge University after the loss of her friends, she doesn't think twice to support her young neice. Once in, she realises that young girls are getting targetted and to protect Zoe, she must try to find evidence against a professor who seems to be the centre of attraction among everyone there.

I loved how the author weaves in the story with the right amount of literature and Greek tragedy references. I liked how Mariana had to come to terms with her loss and become stronger for someone she loves. The ending was well written to keep us gripping the book until the last line!!

What I didn't like was the slow, flat beginning of the book.. and how the lead character with no experience was able to spot the clues and track down the perpetrator and not the forensic team and the police detectives involved! It was totally her show because no one else saw anything ever!!

Overall a good, easy to read thriller where I surely didn't see the bad guy till the final reveal!!

Thank you netgalley and publishers for my copy

Having loved the silent patient, I feel I had high hopes for this book. This is totally different to the author first book and should not be compared.
At time I felt the plot was a little erratic however I still love the atmospheric way the author writes, the way the scene is set to make the reader feel they are there inside the story.
Overall the characters and plot were just not for me this time but it would never put me off picking up another book from this author.

I am still not 100% sure how I feel about this one.

Michaelides had so much pressure to live up to his incredible debut. And I just wonder a little bit did he try too hard.
On paper, the central plot works. There was a build up, yes, a good and likeable main character yes, multiple red herring, yes, twist ending, yes.
I just thought...I mean there was a lot of Greek mythology knowledge dumping in there. At one point I genuinely was wondering was the book going to take a fantasy-turn, particularly when we had a character claiming to experience premonitions etc.
I did enjoy the small tie-ins with Silent Patient. As a big fan of that book it was wildly entertaining to be re-introduced to Theo getting his job at the Grove to work with Alicia.

This definitely wasn't the best thriller I've ever read. But I did enjoy it. And I would still read the next release from this author.

Thank you publisher/author/netgalley for the arc.

I had read the previous book by Alex Michaelides The Silent Patient and loved it. This one just didn’t hold up in comparison. While there were numerous similarities to his debut, there were noticeable differences too. Worth a read just not as good in my opinion.

The Maidens is a strange thriller. There is a lot of info-dump on Greek mythology as the world-building derives its essence from there. But the plot in itself runs hay-ware. As expected of the author, there's a single plot twist at the very end. While I was okay with the plot, the writing style didn't sit well with me. It's exhausting because of a lot of beating around the bush. It's a vague and failed attempt to keep us away from the actual plot.

The Silent Patient was a lot better!

I really wanted to snout this!! After reading the silent patient last year, I was so excited to pick this one up. But unfortunately I have to say that I was disappointed. The story felt flat, and the mystery aspect lacked a lot of heart. As well as our heroine was really not my favorite at all.

Title - The Maidens

Author - Alex Michaelides

Genre - Mystery Thriller

Plot :

Mariana, a well known group therapist is pulled back into her old world when she finds out that her niece's best friend has been murdered. She picks up the next train that brings back her memories of her deceased husband. Mariana is convinced that Edward Fosca is the murderer and is hell bent on proving him guilty when more such murders takes place and there are obvious clues left behind. What follows next is a surprising twist that would shock you to your wits.

My Take on the Book:

For anyone who has read the author's debut 'The Silent Patient' would ofcourse expect the unexpected. Every character comes under the purview of guilt throughout the chapters and that's a sign of a good mystery novel. The author makes sure that you are gripped to the novel throughout and every character has been given equal importance from the mysterious Fosca to confused Mariana to infuriating Zoe.

The book though would surely be loved by the fans and readers who are experiencing the author's work for the first time but there are so many things that may put off the readers of the previous book. Though the final twist did turn out to be a surprise, there were a lot of elements that were similar to the previous book that one cannot help but compare and expect similar kinds of twists in future books which may turn out predictable.

I love the way the description of Greece and Greek Gods are put up in the story and that adds a lot of mystery to the characters. For me, the book though was enjoyable, the ending just wasn't digestable and felt forced. If you love a nice mystery thriller, pick this one up but beware if you have read many thrillers, you may be able to see the end from far off.

My Ratings - 🌟🌟🌟💫 (3.5 out of 5 stars)

I was worried that Michaelides second book wouldn’t live up to the hype but I needn’t have! In my opinion, The Maidens is better than The Silent Patient.

The Maidens features a group psychotherapist who is drawn into solving the death of a young woman at Cambridge University where her niece, and only remaining family, is studying.

I had some inklings about the twists but there were enough red herrings to an keep me guessing until the end! The writing is easy to read and the plot is fast paced, keeping me gripped throughout.

Cambridge works really well as the setting, it’s described in a way that really pulls you in. Most of the action takes place in just one college, really adding to the claustrophobia and tension.

I particularly enjoyed all the references to Greek mythology, it added another element to the book. I did find some of the psychological reasoning a bit crazy and I had to suspend disbelief at times when it came to how the main character was able to be involved in a murder investigation so easily but in many ways that’s also part of this books charm.

Michaelides comes across as a lot more confident in his writing and story in The Maidens compared to The Silent Patient, I’m looking forward to finding out what his next book will be!

Thank you to Netgalley and the authors for an ARC In Exchange for an honest review.

I loved the authors previous book ‘The Silent Patient’ so was very excited to receive and ARC.

Not sure if I was just expecting too much but I really struggled to get into this book. Maybe it was the Greek history elements that weren’t for me. I’m not sure.

Alex has lots of fans, including me, so am looking forward to his next book.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Orion Publishing Group & Alex Michaelides for allowing me to read & review The Maidens in exchange of honest feedback.

3.75 stars

Interesting crime stories but not that really amazed me.

Mariana is a very simple character and nothing from her that made me want to invest in her. Just her past story that attracts me. Her tragic past story of her losing her husband.

Love the Greek theme in this book. It added the spices in this book or else, it's kinda plain to me. I kept imagining Edward Fosca played by Jeremy Irons tho. It also interesting that Alex kinda highlighted current issue as the relationship of lecture-student is really controversy matters. Plus, this matters still exist as it is a part of sex-exploiting/manipulating students by giving higher marks to the student.

Alas, the plot twist was a thing that I don't expecting at all. Like Alex really got me and pinned me in the eyes/mind of Mariana where Fosca certainly guilty because of his unethical behavior towards female student. Plus, even the past got related to murders has gotten me like , why so twisted pls??? why why why oh betrayal is the most painful act in the world. Poor Mariana. Really wanna give a justice to her at least.

There's three more characters that I found out that why they are even there. First, Fred. Why he even exist???Annoying one I can say Plus, he's a creep that obsessed with Mariana and why he even pushed Mariana to accept his love like dude, she's freaking grieving about her husband's death. GO AWAY.

Henry? Harry? , one of Mariana's member of group therapy. I think his character can be build more like give some of his back story. Or keep making him creepier or obsessed with Mariana because this can be a new story/chapter in Mariana's life perhaps? His character is way better than Fred the lover lmaoo.

For Theo, I know he's making a cameo but I already can see that he's a way better investigator then Mariana and he has a proper and more systematic way to handle a case since he used to solve case of The Silent Patient. This made me want to get The Silent Patient as Theo looks interesting and professional to me.

*****reviewing in Goodreads separately due to technical issue.*****

Wholly absorbed by Alex Michaelides previous work, The Silent Patient, and currently on a Greek mythology bender, it seemed the perfect solution for me to delve into the world of The Maidens. All in all it was a good shout but maybe not as powerful an offering as I had hoped?

Mariana, a group therapist dealing with grief over the loss of her husband, comes rushing to the aid of her frightened niece Zoe at Cambridge, when one of Zoe's friends is brutally murdered. Great premise, great location, a really cosy feel reading this novel from a gifted writer. It ticks all the boxes. That alone makes this a worthwhile read. The atmosphere is comforting though tinged with a delicate menace - just enough to keep you hooked. But from here it gets a bit dicey.

Mariana is convinced prof Fosca is the man to blame and it all feels a bit amateurish from there. I nailed the killer straightaway which, for me, is not a positive. I want to be transported and enjoy some shock and awe by the unveiling and the rationale. There are some solid twists and though the writing is sublime I just couldn't believe Mariana could be as foolish as she was and that the course of the narrative should be so simple. I wouldn't be put off by this. As I said before, the atmosphere is palpable and immersive but the story just wasn't as strong as I would have liked it to be. Regardless, I am a fan and will be first in the queue for the next novel, I promise.

I feel like I'm missing something major here - Michaelides has SO many fans, and so many people I know loved his first novel, but I was really disappointed with this one.

Firstly, whoever wrote the synopsis for The Maidens should have just written the entire book. It would have been so much better! The synopsis made me DESPERATE to read it - I thought it would be an amazing thriller, with The Secret History vibes, and instead it was a plodding, mediocre read, with a "twist" at the end that could be spotted from space. The writing was almost painful in places, and the characters are ridiculous. Mariana is one of the most perfect examples of a Mary-Sue that I've come across in a long time. Of course, she's beautiful but doesn't know it, despite having men fall over themselves as soon as they meet her. Of course.

Definitely an author I'll be avoiding in the future.