WARNING: unpopular opinion ahead!

I really enjoyed his debut The Silent Patient back when I read it in 2019, and I've been highly anticipating his newest title The Maidens ever since I first heard about it. I was intrigued as soon as I read the blurb, both because of the Cambridge angle and the promise of a Greek mythology element... Especially the second was a huge bonus for me as I always love a touch of mythology in my stories. I was fully expecting to have a fantastic time with this story, so imagine my surprise when I ended up having a completely different experience instead... I'll try to explain my mixed feelings briefly below.

First of all I have to say that I still like the premise of the story. The body found on the Cambridge campus, the secret society, the Persephone references... The story had a lot of potential and I especially liked the many descriptions of the Cambridge setting and its contrast to the brutal crime. That said, I have to say that I was actually rather underwhelmed by the execution of the plot, which was surprisingly dull. How can things be dull with such brutal murders, would you say? I'm surprised myself, but I had a really hard time staying focused and invested in a plot that never managed to grab me completely. The story starts out rather slow, and while the pace does speed up a little later on it was never enough for me. On top of this, the story throws in so many red herrings that you almost drown in them, and instead of adding suspense and tension it only ends up distracting form the story (as well as being highly annoying).

I can't say I was a fan of the characters either. Not only are they unlikeable, but they seem underdeveloped and quite one-dimentional too. I mean, all the male characters seem to be very unpleasant and instant suspects, and the female characters are pretty much despicable too. They mostly felt like cliches and weren't fleshed out enough for me to actually care about what happened to them. The main character Mariana wasn't really a believable character either, and it was especially annoying to see how she hides evidence from the police and seems to have too many psychological issues herself to function as a therapist to others.

The writing itself does feel solid, and I liked how the short chapters made it easy to read the story. I do have to say that I was again rather underwhelmed by the ending and how everything was wrapped up in general. As a whole, The Maidens sadly didn't manage to convince me, although I know that I'm in the minority so definitely don't give up on my account.

Mariana is a psychoanalyst and a group therapist. Recently widowed and bereft she throws herself into her work and her patients. That is, until her niece calls her from St.Christopher's college, Cambridge university to tell Mariana her friend has been murdered. She travels to Cambridge to support Zoe and finds the charismatic and mysterious Professor Fosca and his handpicked group of female students called "The Maidens". As more female students are found dead, Mariana becomes more and more convinced that Professor Fosca is responsible. She is determinded to prove it to keep her niece Zoe safe, even if it means risking everything.

If I had to summarise this book in one sentance, it might be this ; if you loved "The Silent Patient" you're bound to enjoy "The Maidens" too.

What I enjoyed most about this book was the short. snappy chapters, each one drew me in and kept me reading on, only putting the book down begrudgingly. The chapters alternative between Mariana's narrative and an anonymous voice..
The author sets the scene so well in the hallowed halls of the university, that I was craving a road trip to Cambridge to walk around the locations in the book. Ancient Greek myths are mentioned throught the plot which lent a real feel of magic and mysticism to the story. It was deeply atmospheric.

There are so many sinister characters in the book, I was constantly guessing and second guessing theories about who the murderer was.. I half guessed the answer so there was still a surprise in store for me but the twist didn't floor me like it did in "The Silent patient". Overall I found Mariana quite an irritating character, and even as a psychology graduate, the constant mentions of parental relationships determining personality was grating. The ending for one character is a little rushed and unsatisfying.

I enjoyed the book, I couldn't put it down from the beginning. but lacked something I can't quite put my finger on.
It's the book for you if you like Greek mythology, atmospheric reads, murder mysteries, a good whodunnit, psychological thrillers. psychology, twists, dual narratives with anonymous chapters, and the author's first book.

Skip this one if you roll your eyes at psychoanalysis, you're triggered by abuse , or you don't like psychological traumas where the protagonist is a bit of a busy body who quits their day to day life to insert themselves into an investigation and is obsessed with getting answers to the detriment of all else.

Thank you to the author, Netgalley and W&N for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I was not a huge fan of this book. The story was easy to follow and the writing was very quick to read, but the story was very "bitty", with conversations that just aren't realistic, and the ending left me with more questions than answers. The author's style is red herring after red herring, but not all subplots/questionable characters were explained by the end. Some of the red herrings were too forced and this took away from my enjoyment of the book. I don't think it is possible to work out the ending (which I enjoy doing whilst reading a thriller like this), as ALL of the clues are misleading and there are none that point to the real suspect.

The main character annoyed me to no end - she had no reason to investigate the murders, and no training to do so, and yet sticks her nose where it doesn't belong for no reason. As a psychotherapist she claimed that "therapy wouldn't help her" get over the death of her late husband, but surely as a mental health professional you would believe in what you preach?

I enjoyed the mention of the Silent Patient, as it helped with the world building.

Many thanks to Orion Publishing Group and Netgalley for my DRC.

I absolutely loved the author's first book, The Silent Patient, and I have been looking forward to reading the Maidens since I saw it on Instagram. Luckily for me, my request for a DRC was granted on Netgalley.

This book is dark academia at its core, and I haven't read a lot of adult thrillers set in colleges, so this was so refreshing. I absolutely loved the addition of Greek mythology and how it was woven into the story.

I loved reading this book. It's a bit of a slow burn but things are happening to move the plot along at a fast pace, at the same time. The first murder happens in the first couple of chapters, and the action takes off. However, the build up to the big reveal and the big reveal was so slow, and there were so many dots to connect.

There were so many suspects at different points towards the book and I had so many theories. As he did with The Silent Patient, he blew my mind with the big reveal because I did not see that combination of events happening. I guessed some parts, and some of my other guesses were totally wrong.

This was a fun read and even though it didn't hit me as hard as I wanted, it was worth the wait and worth the read.

The plot was solid, the mystery was intriguing, and the characters were very good. There was a Silent Patient cameo/crossover in there and I love that the two books are set in the same world. I hope to read more books from him that would flesh out this world a bit more.


I recommend this one for people who love Greek mythology, dark academia, and The Silent Patient.

I received a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review thanks to NetGalley and Orion Books.

I loved ‘The Silent Patient’ so this was an automatic must-read.

I really enjoyed this book! I honestly didn’t guess the twist at the end!

I wouldn’t say it’s fast-paced but it certainly kept me guessing. The author cleverly made every character suspicious expect for the MC and her niece.

I was constantly changing my mind on who the murderer was as little details were revealed. I certainly didn’t see it coming when the actual murderer was revealed!

I loved the ‘The Silent Patient’ easter eggs! I did have a moment where I was like ‘wait, what? It can’t be’ when I thought the easter eggs were revealing the who-dunnit by linking both books together.

If you loved ‘The Silent Patient,’ i’d recommend reading this!

When Mariana gets a phone call from her niece Zoe, whose friend has been murdered on their campus in Cambridge, she leaves London immediately to comfort her and soon finds herself entangled in the murder case.

I finished 'The Maidens' a week and a half ago and I already forget what the conclusion was. I think that says all I need to say about this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Orion for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Maidens was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021.
I lovedThe Silent Patient and couldn't wait to get my hand of another book from the same author, but unfortunately I was left a bit disappointed.

The plot has many holes and a lot of sub-plots with great potential are simply left there with no closure. Mariana start investigating the killings with no reason whatsoever (surely she was needed in Cambridge as a support to her niece, not to the police!), and in real life this simply wouldn't have happened. The characters are a bit flat and all incredibly interested in Mariana, although I found her a highly unlikeable character, rude with everyone and fast to judge, something that a psychotherapist shouldn't be.

The ending was disappointing. Yeah, it was unpredictable, but simply because there were no clues at all during the story and it came right out of the blue. So don't bother thinking of who could be the killer while reading, the clues just aren't there.

Sadly there was a lot of potential in the story, but in my opinion it was poorly executed.

Thank you NetGallery and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thankyou to Alex Michaelides & Celadon Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 5/5 Absolutely Amazing. I loved this book. Alex Michaelides is such an amazing writer. His stories are so intricately woven, and all the characters are tangled up in this web of their own creation. The story gave me dark academia vibes but not in an over done way. I was guessing the ENTIRE time what was going to happen, and who the killer was going to be. I also CANNOT begin to describe my excitement when Michaelides tied in The Silent Patient. This is a must read for fans of The Silent Patient, The Secret History and anyone looking for a good murder mystery.

Read: ATY 2021 book published in 2021.
I thank Orion Publishing, through Netgalley, for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I wanted to read it because I was blown away by The Silent Patient so this book had a difficult act to follow. The characters were excellent and like it’s predecessor it had a great mix of psychology and mythology. However it’s predecessor also stood out due to a brilliant twist. While this one had an excellent rug pulling twist ( I’d worked out part of it but not all) I felt it execution was difficult. Powerful on first impact but then felt quite convoluted and far fetched, even though a more believable explanation could easily have been produced. It also too much of its build up pointless in a way the first One never did. Nonetheless there is much to recommend it. Enjoy

Alex Michaelides’ second novel, ‘The Maidens’, is a chilling psychological thriller set in Cambridge University. Mariana Andros is a group therapist struggling to come to terms with the sudden death of her beloved husband. The only family she has left is her niece Zoe. When Zoe calls Mariana to tell her of the tragic death of her best friend, Mariana drops everything to go to Cambridge, her alma mater, to help her niece deal with her loss but also to find the killer. Mariana believes she knows who the killer is and will stop at nothing to prove his guilt. But nothing is what it seems and the killer has more victims in mind.

Michaelides’ mixture of psychology, suspense and theatricality creates an atmospheric and at times, creepy and disturbing read. The way that the characters interact with each other and the unfolding of the story is beautifully written by the author. The book is told predominantly from the perspective of Mariana but it is interspersed with letters/journal entries from the killer, giving a really interesting insight as to the reason why this individual has come to commit murder.

The pool of suspects that Mariana encounters are wonderfully written- Professor Fosca is super creepy and egotistical (I really ended up detesting him!!) and I have come across a few university lecturers like him in my time! Mariana’s obsession and desperation to prove that she has figured out who the killer is shows her to be a broken woman with tunnel vision, willing to put herself at risk to get the evidence needed.

I love the theatricality of this book- Michaelides exquisitely draws from the Greek tragedies which are at the very heart of his story. Along with the art works, Greek mythology and the stunning surroundings of Cambridge which are beautifully described by the author, the reader is left to feel as if they are standing off-stage, watching the events unfold before them in a mesmerising drama. The ultimate twist is delivered in the latter part of the story with a blow that you just do not see coming.

‘The Maidens’ needs to be made into a film – the cult-like young girls surrounding the god-like figure of the Professor and the desperate actions of an increasingly paranoid Mariana set within the beautiful surroundings of Cambridge is something I would love to see on the big screen!

‘The Maidens’ is out on the 10th of June published by Orion Publishing Group.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of the book in return for my honest review.

Mariana Andros is a group therapist who is a widow and has also lost a lot of her family. Her only remaining family is her neice Zoe. When Zoe calls her to tell her she's a murder suspect Mariana goes to help her. The Maidens are a group of students who are obsessed with Greek tragedies under the influence or lecturer Professor Fosca. Mariana believes he is behind the murders.

I found this book absolutely fascinating and the more I read the more I needed to know what happened next. I really enjoyed the ancient Greek vibe and with so many twists in the storyline I just couldn't put it down and ended up reading it in one go! A very enjoyable read.

I loved The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides very popular novel, so when I was accepted to read this by Netgalley, I was so excited and I got my hopes up...which is why I think I was disappointed with this one.

The blurb paints a certain picture and when reading The Maidens, I didn’t think I was reading what I’d expected.

Mariana’s niece Zoe, looses her best friend in a terrible way, and Mariana heads back to Cambridge to help...and that she does. She becomes overly engrossed in the case, that if this was real life (which I know it isn’t) she wouldn’t be allowed to do half the things she does!!

There are plot holes and the story jumps about an awful lot! The ending was mind blowing but not in a good way. The ending is wrapped up in the most random and left-field way! I didn’t like the ending and I think it was too overpowering compared to the rest of the book.

Sadly disappointed with this one.

Alex Michaelides follows the success of The Silent Patient with this chillingly atmospheric story that draws on Greek mythology and tragedies set in the beautiful city of Cambridge and the sinister and menacing events that occur at the fictional St Christopher's College with its ancient buildings, rituals and traditions.
Mariana is called to Cambridge when her niece Zoe's closest friend is brutally murdered. Mariana soon realizes that this idyllic campus of higher learning conceals something sinister lurking beneath the surface. The dead girl was a member of The Maidens, a secret society of beautiful female students led by the charismatic Professor Fosca. Mariana immediately suspects Fosca and becomes obsessed with proving his guilt, in the hopes that she can stop him before more innocent lives are lost.
The Maidens throws so many suspicious people our way that I suspected everyone of being a murderer. Still, this was an enjoyable story, even as I rolled my eyes throughout the book, as the main character made one irrational decision after another. You think that you know what’s going to happen in this book but honestly you don’t and that’s the best part. The plot twist in this book was so great. it literally made me gasp out loud.
While I preferred this author’s prior book “The Silent Patient” - I enjoyed “The Maidens” and will be on the lookout for Alex Michaelides’ next book.
I highly recommend this book, a great rollercoaster of I know what’s next – oh OK, maybe I didn’t.
Thank you to Orion Publishing Group and Netgalley for an eARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Mariana is a widowed Group Therapist, utterly engulfed by her grief following the death of her husband a year earlier.  She thinks of parts of her life as being like some kind of fairy tale, until it became a nightmare. When Mariana's niece, Zoe, finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation at college in Cambridge Mariana leaves her home and work in London to support Zoe and try to find out what has happened.   
The narration of this novel flows very nicely and it has some great atmosphere that depicts Cambridge and its colleges perfectly. I also liked the references to the Greek tragedies and mythology, and would have loved lots more of that. It is certainly an entertaining read but I just couldn't buy in to some of the plot, particularly the idea of a psychotherapist, barely hanging on to her own mind, essentially taking over a murder investigation.  It is a decent bit of escapism but, for me, the story is too unbelievable, with characters I found to be either outlandish cartoons or utterly boring. 
It's a quick, entertaining read but not a hit for me, sadly, although I am sure that the author has enough of a following to ensure the book's success.  3.5 stars

I was beyond excited when I was approved to read an advanced copy of Alex Michaelides’ follow up to The Silent Patient, The Maidens.

The Silent Patient was a stand-out novel, one of the best thrillers of recent times with an incredible twist. The Maidens certainly has a lot to live up to.

It didn’t disappoint.

The Maidens introduces us to Mariana, a group therapist who has suffered a lot of grief in her life. She’s lost her parents, her sister and brother-in-law and most recently her beloved husband Sebastian. Her only remaining family is niece Zoe, a current student at Mariana’s alma mater, St Christopher College Cambridge. Zoe calls her in distress after her friend Tara is found dead. What unravels next is an unsettling discovery of The Maidens, a group of students under the sinister influence of charming professor Edward Fosca, who has an inherent interest in Greek tragedy that extends further than his lectures...

Much like The Silent Patient, this novel starts off as more of a slow burn, and that’s not a bad thing. I found the Greek mythology woven throughout really interesting as I’ve always been fascinated by gods and mythology. That being said, if that doesn’t interest you I’m sure you will still find enjoyment here.

Short chapters encouraged me to read on so I seemed to fly through this, and there is a link to Michaelides’ previous novel that I wasn’t expecting either.

I was gripped throughout and though I did find myself comparing to The Silent Patient perhaps more than is fair, this is an excellent read.

The ending made this book for me. I was guessing throughout the narrative, and yet I did not see the twist coming and it was like a sucker-punch to the chest! Both sinister and unnerving, I felt the emotional repercussions for all involved intensely, despite this being fiction!

Don’t miss this great read!

thank you to netgalley & the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review

I need to preface this by saying I don't take giving something one star lightly. Despite being one of my most anticipated reads of the year, this was simply not good.

My biggest issue was how flat everything was, the writing style was so bare and lifeless and quite monotonous. I couldn't invest in the characters at all because of the aforementioned lifeless writing, it was all very one dimensional and any depth the characters were purported to have was only investigated in a very shallow way. I felt the same about the mythology included in the novel, one of the reasons I was drawn to the book, it was very surface level. The twists which I'd heard were good were just a slightly different take on the same twists I've read in almost every other popular thriller novel - and its a twist I'm beyond sick of personally. The red herring characters just get tossed aside and there's no conclusion, those storylines are just dropped. The wink to a character from another of the author's characters was a little cringey to me, though perhaps fans of that book will enjoy it. The characters, their relationships, the main characters supposed investigative skills - it was all very tell and not show which made for a very frustrating read.

Obviously this is all objective and many will love this, I'm just not one of them.

Oh my gosh, I really loved this book! It has all the aspects I seek when reading, including lots of mystery, intrigue & originality. I also loved The Silent Patient, so I can’t wait to see what Michaelides comes up with next,
As I read, I kept coming up with possible answers, thinking maybe I’d figured some things out. But I’m glad to say I was way off & very surprised with how the story came together and ultimately wrapped up. It is full of twists and makes you think, keeping you guessing throughout.
The Maidens is set up in a unique way in that there are six parts, each with their own chapters starting at one. I enjoyed discovering the way each part lended more detail to the overall story. I also liked how the different quotes presented at the start of the parts tied in to the narrative.
The main character, therapist Mariana, is convinced that professor Fosca is guilty of the murders of members of his group of Maidens (star, privileged students who are part of his elite study group) at the college he works at, and that Mariana herself once attended. We meet many interesting characters, including people close to Mariana now and those from her past. These characters add to the mystery of the book, and I liked working to uncover the significance each would have.

Thanks to Netgalley and Orion Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mariana is a widowed group therapist who rushes to her niece/unofficially adopted daughter, Zoe's side at university after Zoe's best friend is found murdered. Mariana is convinced that an American professor that has a group of female student followers, The Maidens is guilty.

I really liked the Silent Patient but this one not so much. This wasn't a long book but it took me far too long to get through. The mythology references were not my cup of tea. I didn't care about the main character and I found this hard to follow at times die to the author throwing in a first person point of view a few times. The end was relatively interesting but I didn't care by that point. I don't think this is a bad book, just not a good fit for me.

Being a huge fan of The Silent Patient, I was worried that the author wouldn’t be able to top the suspense and twists of his debut novel...I was very wrong! This was another gripping story which I devoured over a couple of days.

Mariana is a group therapist who receives a shocking call from her niece reporting the disappearance of her friend from her Cambridge college. In tracking down what has happened to her niece’s friend, we learn a lot about Mariana’s backstory, her dealings with her patients and her marriage, as well as the “frenemy” relationships between some of the students in the college. There are also references to Greek mythology which are very cleverly interwoven to make this far more than just a “whodunnit” story - and some of the twists and turns left me open-mouthed!

I really can’t wait to see what Alex comes up with next!

With thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group W&N for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Alex Michaelidis’ crime novel The Maidens is hugely entertaining and engaging - until it reaches its final twists which left me unconvinced. This spoiled it a bit for me – hence only three stars.

Mariana Andros, the main character, takes the reader to one of the Colleges at the University of Cambridge, when she responds to a distress call from her niece Zoe who, like Mariana many years ago, studies there and whose best friend Tara has just been brutally murdered. Although Mariana is traumatised by the recent loss of her husband, she rushes to Zoe’s aid. She feels compelled to solve the mystery of the death of the murdered girl and that of the others who were to share her fate. Mariana’s own grief and her deep worry about Zoe take her into a murder investigation in which she gets so ensnarled in her suspicions and theories that the official police investigators see her as a disturbance at best and unhinged at worst.

Her focal point is Edward Fosca, Professor of Greek tragedy; charismatic, good looking and admired by students and staff alike. As a professional therapist, Mariana probes into Fosca’s psyche, who in turn seems to be playing a game of cat and mouse with her. This part I really enjoyed, it reminded me of the dialogues between Raskolnikov and Investigator Porfiry in Crime and Punishment, only that Fosca, unlike Raskolnikov, seems to be able to retain the upper hand. These conversations also highlight how much Mariana still has to learn about herself, her own motivations and emotional drivers.

Interspersed within the crime detective story, are the reflections of a person we have to presume is the killer. These provide an insight into how an ordinary child can grow into a person that brutally destroys the life of others without conscience and who’s identity is only revealed at the very end.
Greek mythology, in particular the legend of Demeter and her daughter Persephone, is woven into the narration, this is a feature of the book that I really liked. It enriches the plot, offers many possible interpretations and gives ample food for thought.

The author also uses Tennyson’s poetry to give us an insight into the deep feelings of grief and loss experienced by both, Tennyson and Mariana, both in the process of coming to terms with the death of a loved one. It directly connects with the novel’s main themes of love, hurt and fate which give the reading a depth and flow beyond your standard crime detective novel.

All in all a very good read until its final twist, which I felt was flat and not terribly convincing in comparison with what the book offered throughout.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Weidenfeld&Nicolson/The Orion Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.