The Maidens: A Novel

Alex Michaelides

Jun 2021 · Sold by Celadon Books

About this ebook

**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER**

"Alex Michaelides’s long-awaited next novel, 'The Maidens,' is finally here...the premise is enticing and the elements irresistible."
—The New York Times

"A deliciously dark, elegant, utterly compulsive read—with a twist that blew my mind. I loved this even more than I loved The Silent Patient and that's saying something!"
—Lucy Foley, New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient comes a spellbinding tale of psychological suspense, weaving together Greek mythology, murder, and obsession, that further cements “Michaelides as a major player in the field” (Publishers Weekly).

Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. 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.

Mariana Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist who becomes fixated on The Maidens when one member, a friend of Mariana’s niece Zoe, is found murdered in Cambridge.

Mariana, who was once herself a student at the university, quickly suspects that behind the idyllic beauty of the spires and turrets, and beneath the ancient traditions, lies something sinister. And she becomes convinced that, despite his alibi, Edward Fosca is guilty of the murder. But why would the professor target one of his students? And why does he keep returning to the rites of Persephone, the maiden, and her journey to the underworld?

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.

Ratings and reviews

I really wanted to like this book but it turned out predictably in spite of multiple red herrings that could have lead to more interesting outcomes. The protagonist is wholly unlikeable in her blind, smug obsessinveness and bullheaded insistence that she's right. Other characters are flatly one-dimensional. Sadly, cannot recommend this one.

This book has been all over, and I was excited to get an early copy of it (thanks @bookishfirst and @celadonbooks). While it was exciting, and I got through it in an afternoon, but I didn't love it unfortunately. Synopsis: Mariana, a group therapist, is called to Cambridge University by her niece Zoe, who's in a panic because her roommate has been murdered, and she's positive a professor there is responsible. As Mariana investigates the murder, will she end up in the cross-hairs of the killer? Here are my quick thoughts! Things I liked: - Very short chapters, it absolutely flew by - The tie-ins to The Silent Patient - Greek mythology references were interesting - The cult vibe...I wish there'd been more of this - The twist at the end caught me completely by surprise Didn’t like: - The “cops are inept so I’ll investigate myself” trope - The man who refused to take no for an answer from Mariana, and then actually gets aggressive to force a relationship, being portrayed positively - Mariana’s characterization that all sociopaths emerge in the same way - The ending...I just don't get why, some of it didn't make sense... Sorry, please don't hate!

Thank you to the publisher and BookishFirst for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! I was so excited to receive this ARC in the mail! Although I haven't read The Silent Patient, I have heard the hype. And, I know that literally everyone wants to read The Maidens. In fact, The Maidens might be the most hyped-about book of 2021. In my book communities, almost every single wishlist includes The Maidens. So when I got approved to review this ARC ahead of its release date, it was a dream come true. I couldn't believe it. Thank you again to the publisher and BookishFirst for this opportunity! The Maidens is a twisty psychological mystery that blends serial killer fiction with dark academia. The protagonist is Mariana, a therapist getting over the death of her husband. She gets caught up in a series of murders at a local college when her niece Zoe's best friend is murdered. Using her experience as a therapist and her intuition, Mariana realizes that the murderer is Edward Fosca, a popular professor of Greek tragedies. Suspiciously, he has a harem of college girls who follow him around, who he calls The Maidens. Here is an excerpt from the first page of the book: (This is not a spoiler, because it's on the first page.) "Edward Fosca was a murderer. This was a fact. This wasn’t something Mariana knew just on an intellectual level, as an idea. Her body knew it. She felt it in her bones, along her blood, and deep within every cell. Edward Fosca was guilty. And yet—she couldn’t prove it, and might never prove it. This man, this monster, who had killed at least two people, might, in all likelihood, walk free. He was so smug, so sure of himself. He thinks he’s got away with it, she thought. He thought he had won. But he hadn’t. Not yet. Mariana was determined to outsmart him. She had to." After I read this prologue, I couldn't wait to continue reading and see how the story progresses. I love books that are set in colleges, and I am also a fan of thrillers with twists, so I thought that this would become one of my favorite books. For a while, the plot was engrossing. I was voraciously reading every single detail and looking for deeper meanings. I was very interested and could not put this book down. I even finished it in one sitting. Unfortunately, the ending was a letdown. Without spoiling anything, I would just like to say that it didn't really make sense for me. Even though it was explained, I totally did not understand the motivations of the murderer for committing these murders. In addition, a lot of the themes and threads in the plot ended up leading to nothing. I had been drawn into every detail of the story, because I thought that the references to Greek tragedies were the author's way of communicating a deeper message. I was expecting a work of literature. It turns out that those references were just "window dressing," and this book is just a typical thriller. There's nothing wrong with thrillers, and I did enjoy reading this book. I do think it is being over-hyped though. Overall, if you enjoyed The Silent Patient or if you're a fan of thrillers and/or dark academia, then I highly recommend that you check out The Maidens when it comes out in June! Don't go in expecting a masterpiece of literature. If you go in with the mindset that this is a thriller, you won't be disappointed!

About the author

Alex Michaelides was born and raised in Cyprus. He has an M.A. in English Literature from Trinity College, Cambridge University, and an M.A. in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. The Silent Patient was his first novel and debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It spent more than a year on the New York Times bestseller list and is sold in a record-breaking 50 countries. His second novel, The Maidens, was an instant New York Times bestseller and garnered rave reviews from The Guardian, Esquire, Entertainment Weekly, and more. After living in London for many years, Alex has recently moved back to his birthplace, Cyprus.