This was definitely a slow burning book. I thought it would be more about the academic setting then it was. I’m glad I finished the book as the ending was satisfying.

This is a really difficult review for me to write as although I tried hard to enjoy this read I just couldn’t get into it at all. The main problem I had was that the formatting of the book not the story it was not good at all it was full of large fonts and on almost every page the words Orion Publishing in large bold print in the middle of sentences. While I always accept that these are always ARC copies I have read others with some formatting issues and I am grateful to be able to approved in this one it really spoiled the flow of the read and it became just hard work to continue.
I didn’t finish the the book hence the 2 stars but will buy a copy when the book is published as I did enjoy what little I could read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Mariana Andres receives a call from her distressed niece Zoe who is studying at Cambridge University. There has been a brutal murder and Zoe fears it is her friend Tara. Mariana travels to Cambridge as quickly as she can and becomes drawn into the dark orbit of Professor Edward Fosca who has a cult like coterie of followers known as The Maidens. Mariana is convinced of Fosca’s murderous guilt and her obsession to prove it leads her down an incredibly dangerous path.

Wow! I absolutely love this book from start to finish. I love the way the author writes, he is so talented as he effortlessly pulls you into the storytelling and keeps you immersed in it. I read this oblivious to everything around me, utterly transfixed! Mariana and Fosca as central characters are polar opposites and are inspired choices. She lives uneasily on the edge and for the last year has been ‘behind the veil’ in a grey world of the grief of widowhood while he is mesmerising, dazzling, extremely confident and resembling a twenty first century Byron. The settings and descriptions of Cambridge and Greece (Mariana is half Greek) are wonderful and make you feel as if you are there witnessing the dreadful unfolding events and absorbing the atmosphere of life at this prestigious university.

The plot is very clever and complex, unravelling like the Greek tragedies that are a constant through the narrative, indeed, Mariana feels she is cursed as in a Greek myth and is melancholic like Demeter. Of particular importance in the novel are Demeter and especially Persephone and it makes me want to read more Greek mythology. The Greek Gods element lends a very chilling atmosphere, you get ripples of unease, a paranoid sense of being watched and fears build as the ghosts of the past and present merge. All the essential ingredients of a Greek tragedy such as by Euripides are present in the plot as characters pit themselves against each other with revenge and retribution duly following and leading to the ultimate betrayal. The images of the Maidens is spine tingling as these very privileged young women are tangled in the seemingly glittering web of Fosca.

The use of Tennyson as a thread throughout is also clever as his grief for the loss of Hallam and the poetry he write ‘In Memoriam’ mirrors Mariana’s grief. The tension escalates and you realise that the killer is very clever but also theatrical and this is very chilling. As all the layers build you have red herrings and distractions and so I do not foresee the truth which causes the veils in front of Mariana’s eyes to fall spectacularly.

Overall, I strongly suspect this book will be one of my top picks of 2021 as it is just my kind of book.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Orion for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

When Mariana's niece calls her from Cambridge University to tell her that her best friend is missing she is pulled into the charismatic orbit Professor Edward Tosca and his secret society of The Maidens. Mariana is convinced of his guilt but is she on the right track and will she be able to stop the killings?

After reading, loving and recommending The Silent Patient I was a little apprehensive to read The Maidens but I needn't have worried as it was a 5 star read. Both the characters and the story were gripping and I couldn't put the book down until the I knew that the killer would be apprehended.

The Silent Patient was one of my faves of last year so as you can imagine I was very excited to be given the chance to read Alex’s next book by Netgalley. Unfortunately it’s a bit lacking in many ways with none of the page turning suspense of TSP, it was just ok not great. I can only hope it will be third times a charm for his next book.

The silent patient was one of my favourite books I read in 2020 and so naturally I had pretty high expectations for the second book by this author. Whilst the book did keep me engaged and was pretty interesting I did feel that the ending was very disappointing and not very surprising. I was expecting a massive twist and I don’t feel like we really got that unfortunately.

Massive thank you to NetGalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mariana is a therapist and has her own troubled anguished past. When her niece urgently contacts regarding the murder of a Cambridge student, Mariana is pulled into a world of a secret society called the Maidens overseen by Edward Fosca.
What follows is the interwoven aspects of Greek tragedy amidst modern lives and the relationships that cause more harm than good - don’t confuse abuse for love.
The book reminded me somewhat of the Joan Smith “ Loretta Lawson” series from the 90s - also set amidst academia.
The pace is fast and the weaving of Mariana’s own childhood tragedies further pulls the reader into the psychological aspect of the tale.
Possibly more focus on the Maidens and how they were pulled into the society and and the deeper reasons to their blindness of the control over them and the subsequent consequences would have deepened the plot but overall an interesting read.

The Maidens is a thriller about the murder of young women at a Cambridge college, and a therapist trying to uncover the truth. Mariana is a group therapist dealing with the grief of losing her husband, but when her niece Zoe calls to say that Tara, Zoe's best friend, might've been murdered, Mariana ends up back at the Cambridge college where she met her husband to try and help. There she finds enigmatic Greek tragedy tutor Edward Fosca and the exclusive group of female students, known as the Maidens, who surround him. Mariana is convinced Fosca is the murderer, but nobody else seems to believe her.

The book combines classics, psychology, and love with a murder mystery, or at least, it tries to. Surprisingly given how the book is presented, the classical/literary elements of it are underplayed, and you don't actually get to see much about the Maidens at all (you barely get introduced to all of them). As I'd seen comparisons with The Secret History, I expected more about them, but actually that felt more like a 'isn't Cambridge weird' subplot that distracted the protagonist. Having finished the book and seen the twists in the narrative, this makes some sense, but it also means the atmosphere of the book—with a lot of references not just to revenge tragedy, but also Tennyson—is let down at the end.

The writing is quite classic thriller, occasionally too full of exposition but generally fairly tense and following the character investigating the mystery around to really focus on her obsessions. The characters feel a bit underdeveloped, or at least I didn't finish the book feeling like I knew much about them nor that that fact was intentional (but maybe it was). I did find myself wanting to read to the end though, at least to see how the different strands were wrapped up (though there were a few plot threads that were just dropped and not mentioned again). The twist ending will probably work for some people and not for others; for me, I wasn't expecting it, but it felt like it undercut some of the rest of the novel by discounting most of it as quite incidental.

I think fans of thrillers with an edge of twisted relationships and trauma will probably enjoy The Maidens, but if you come to it for the mythology elements you'll probably be disappointed, as it lacks the style and atmosphere of a literary thriller and doesn't really do much with the classics side of things.

Mariana is healing and grieving at the loss of her husband, her soul mate, her true love, the year before. She receives a call from her niece Zoe, distressed at her missing friend. When her friend’s body turns up, Mariana becomes embroiled in a murder investigation, but soon it turns away from who and into how she can try to stop him.

This book, just wow.

I was enjoying it most of the way through, although some parts I found a bit slow and struggled to get through. Some bits weren’t tip top writing either; something happened to one if the side characters but it happened so fast, over the space of two paragraphs basically, that I had to go back and read it again and again making sure I hadn’t missed something. There was a fair amount of telling rather than showing.

But that twist! There was a twist that blew my mind, so much that I had to flip back and back to check it and to see if I’d missed clues. OMG. That twist won it for me.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc. I LOVED The Silent Patient, so was super-excited to delve into this. In the same universe as having psychotherapists sleuthing around, this follows a group therapist who goes to Cambridge when her niece’s best friend is murdered, and she gets involved with the world of Professor Edwardo, who has his own group of female devotees he refers to as The Maidens.
This was faster paced than The Silent Patient, but this one does become a victim of its genre by succumbing to certain cliches, especially the antagonist. Nonetheless this was an enjoyable read, and I was absolutely hooked!

I was so looking forward to reading the follow up to The Silent Patient and was thrilled to receive a digital ARC of the Maidens. Based on the synopsis this book will inevitably be compared to The Secret History (my all time favourite book ) with the academic setting and references to Greek mythology. I was intrigued by the character of Mariana, a Cambridge graduate and therapist who is grieving following the death of her partner. I loved the academic setting and it has a gripping plot complete with an unexpected twist. However I did find the writing stilted and the Greek mythology references a little forced. Recommended if you enjoyed the author's debut.
3,5 stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC.

Wowza, another mind blowing book by Alex Michaelides! One that will glue you to the pages, keeping your attention from start to finish, and addicted! In love with his amazing use of Greek mythology! He is able to develop his characters flawlessly, which really makes sure and keep you addicted to the story! Unique anc realistic, which I find to be amazing in the psychological thrillers! A must read for mind blowing shocks, thrilling thrills, chilling chilling, and dizzying twist and turns!

Will make sure to buzz around platforms and use low Amazon reviewer number on release date!

This is one of the most anticipated books I’ve been waiting to read and it truly did not disappoint! MC Marianna, a psychotherapist and widow, is grieving the death of her husband Sebastian. She keeps herself busy with work until a phone call from her niece, Zoe, prompts her to leave town. Zoe’s friend, Tara, is found murdered on the grounds of the university they attend and fingers are pointed at Professor Edward Fosca. He has an arrogant flair that charms everyone especially a group of students known as The Maidens! Another female body is found and Mariana does her own investigation into Fosca. There’s a few red herrings, a bit predictable & cliche, but still an entertaining suspenseful mystery! Thank you Celadon Books, NetGalley, and to the author for a gifted copy. This is my honest review.

Stunning and atmospheric. The setting is the breathtaking Cambridge University, seeped in history, tradition and full of bright young minds but with a darkness and sinister undertone that is deeply disturbing and unsettling.
I really warmed to the vulnerability of the central character and the psychological themes combined with the connections to Greek Gods and mythology - it feels like a really well constructed and multi layered tale. I also loved the tie ins and connections to The Silent Patient, which I also enjoyed immensely.
The sense of threat builds up expertly and the twists and turns in the story were breathtaking and I didn’t see any of them coming. I’m still reeling from the ending and this book will stay with me for a long time.

Finally! I have read the much awaited dark academia book from Michaelides.
I have been waiting for The Maidens ever since it was announced. I could not put the book down. From the first page, we are aware that a therapist named Mariana Andros knows that the charismatic Greek Tragedy Prof at Cambridge uni is a murderer. His secret group of selected female students called The Maidens seem to be getting killed but Fosca has an alibi every time.

The best parts:
- the pacing. I could not stop reading
- the descriptions — tall buildings, architecture, dinner tables. It was a treat to read.

The cons:
- The psychological analysis and character sketches were weak. Mariana was the only person who was crafted in detail. Those who loved The Silent Patient would automatically be expecting good sketches.
- The Maidens who form an important part of the novel have very little page space. I would've loved to see them and their psyche explored in depth.

Twist filled, surprising, murdery mystery with too many secrets

I really tried with this book but my APC is absolutely riddled with printing issues. I have honestly never experienced anything this intrusive.
Large bold font repeatedly shouts Orion Publishing and the names of the section headings, interrupting sentences and thoroughly breaking the flow. I do apologise but it made it impossible to read for me. That being said the plot sounds brilliant and I'll be picking up, a copy from my local bookshop when it's released.

Fantastic! I could easily have read this book in one setting if left to my own intentions. I was a massive fan of The Silent Patient and had my doubts the author could enthral me to the same extent again but Alex Michaelides proved me well and truly wrong. Suspenseful, tense, clever, surprising and twisted in deliciously satisfying way. Five stars and I can’t wait for the next book by this author.

As a huge fan of The Silent Patient, I was really looking forward to The Maidens.

Marianna is a group therapist, dealing with the death of her husband and a difficult patient. When her beloved niece calls from Cambridge to tell her of the death of a friend, Marianna goes to her aid and gets caught up in an increasingly dark and sinister turn of events.

I raced through The Maidens and, for the most part found it thoroughly enjoyable. The mythology was a little pretentious, as were some of the characters, but I suspect that was a purposeful representation of a common (mis)perception of Oxbridge academics and students. For those who have read The Silent Patient there is a very satisfying crossover between the two books but both books can firmly be considered stand alones.

As it nears a conclusion, the pace increases significantly but there are elements of the final conclusion that left me scratching my head a little. A rounded up 3.5*

Thanks to Orion Publishing and Netgalley for an advance copy.

The Maidens - Alex Michaelides

Mariana is a young, widowed Psychiatrist living in London. Her niece Zoe is a student at a Cambridge University.

A young female student gets murdered, Marianna rushes up to see Zoe and quickly gets drawn in to attempting to solve the murder.

I thought the characters were the best thing about it, well formed, multidimensional, with personalities, motivations and memories. I was less impressed by the plot which was fairly conventional and rather slow moving.

There are a lot of references to Greek tragedy, which some readers will probably love.

It was always going to be difficult following up The Silent Patient, sadly, for me this falls well short in comparison.

Netgalley note: The ARC copy was full of anti-copying edits with the author's name, the name of the publisher, and the word 'maidens' added randomly, mid-sentence even mid-word on almost every page throughout the text, as well as frequently changing font size which definitely impaired my reading enjoyment, but hasn't impacted on my review. Definitely the most obtrusive I've experienced in an ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and Orion.

Alex Michaelides debut novel ‘ The Silent Patient’ was one of my reading highlights last year so I have been eagerly awaiting this follow up novel.

Short punchy chapters kept the plot racing along and the excitement mounting and I was not surprised that I raced through this novel in the same day. My only criticism was the authors insistence on repeating the characters names over and over again in the same sentence / paragraph all the time got a little tiresome for me. A good read but if I am honest not a patch on the authors first novel although it was a great start.

Mariana Andros is a group therapist who is struggling through her private grief of losing her late husband Sebastian. Her niece, Zoe, contacts her to tell her that a dead body has been found at Cambridge University and she suspects it is her friend. Marianna was once a student at the university and it is not long before she suspects the Greek Tragedy professor Edward Fosca is a murderer. The professor is an handsome charismatic man who surrounds himself with adoring young 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 she is determined to stop this killer, even if it costs her everything—including her own life.

This is an enjoyable read although there are plot holes and parts that will stretch the readers imagination and belief.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.