The Maidens follows Mariana, a group therapist, as she investigates a series of ritualistic murders of young women students at Cambridge University who are followers of a Greek literature professor, Edward Fosca. Mariana, still grieving the loss of her husband, becomes convinced that Fosca is the prime suspect and delves into uncovering the truth behind the murders. The plot is filled with allusions to Greek mythology, themes of love and abuse, and a psychological whodunnit thriller that keeps readers engaged with twists and red herrings.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Triggers and content warnings for The Maidens include murder, mental health issues, themes of grief, stalking, and references to sexual abuse.
From The Publisher:
**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER**
Ratings (90)
Incredible (7) | |
Loved It (33) | |
Liked It (20) | |
It Was OK (12) | |
Did Not Like (11) | |
Hated It (7) |
Reader Stats (191):
Read It (94) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (79) | |
Did Not Finish (2) | |
Not Interested (15) |
6 comment(s)
While the last part of the bookhad 4 stars qualities and reminded me why I enjoyed the silent patient so much the rest of the book did not live up to the hype that I had after reading the other book.
I love Alex Michaelides’ writing — there’s just something about it. This one wasn’t as good as The Silent Patient, but still really really entertaining. The MC had a few WTF moments — I kept wondering why no one was trying to rein her in. The twist here was so unexpected, and I love that Michaelides’ thrillers aren’t tropey or cheesy, which I feel is often the case with thrillers. We’ll get a corny villain or deranged lunatic, but the characters here were all layered and nuanced.
The audiobooks of both his books are really good, too! Excellent narration.
Good atmospheric read but with sudden and non satisfactory ending.
I read The Silent Patient by the same author and that was a excellent read. This also knocks it out the park with the surprise twist at the end. The writer is very good at making all of the characters suspicious with their dark hidden secrets and when it’s revealed it’s unexpected and Marvelous!
Has a great plot twist!
I read The Silent Patient by this author and I liked it, but I think The Maidens I enjoyed even more.
This is the second story of Michaelides inspired by Greek mythology. I like the way he uses the heritage of antiquity and more or less known myths. He doesn't pick the most clichéd myths, he doesn't do anything outright, that's not re-telling. There is always a lot of his own imagination in the story. This makes his stories fresh and unique.
Michaelides also managed to create a very interesting main character. I guess I come to the point where I appreciate men who can write credible female characters. Mariana is a strong and intelligent woman. I liked her tenacity, but also the fact that she was able to control her emotions. If she was taking a risk, she wasn't doing it out of stupidity. There are tons of intriguing female characters in this story, and in many ways it's a very feminine book.
The whole situation is very interesting. On the surface, this seems to be a clichéd story about a group of female students fascinated by a charismatic professor, but Michaelides is able to make this idea something truly unique and extraordinary. Sometimes you anticipate what will happen, but the author can always surprise you. Watching Mariana discover all the secrets was fascinating.
I also liked the way the author wink at the readers of his previous book The Silent Patient. The unexpected appearance of Theo, the main character from that book, in this story was an exciting element. It came out so naturally I didn't even notice it for a moment, and Theo had a hand in solving the story. It looked very consistent and well-thought out.
The ending was brilliant. I expected a part of it, but was surprised anyway. This is something I definitely appreciate about this book. I liked this ending more than the one in The Silent Patient. It was twisted and surprising.
It was an excellent book. I can't wait to see what else we will get from this author.
What can you read after
The Maidens?
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. It spent more than a year on the New York Times bestseller list and sold in a record-breaking fifty countries. He lives in London.
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