The Maidens: A Novel
**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.
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Community Reviews
I was so excited to read this book after The Silent Patient. I have to admit it felt a little stretched out but it ALL came together at the end. I really thought I had the answer before I got to the end and that is why I love Michaelides's writing so much! I was definitely wrong! SHOCKING!
2.5 stars rounded down because it deserves it
And seriously people, lots of spoilers to follow, if you haven't read the book and you read this I probably completely spoil it.
I really enjoyed The Silent Patient. So when BOTM had this book by the same author I immediately chose it for that month without question. 😶 I'm really wishing I hadn't.
My biggest issue, is the main character Mariana. We're told that she's super intelligent but grieving a dead husband. And her grief apparently makes her very dumb. 🤦🏼♀️ She has a very creepy stalkerish patient (she's a therapist) but doesn't notice it, and feels sorry for the man. When she arrives at Cambridge she's dazzled by another creepy sob. On the way to Cambridge she met another creepy guy who keeps insisting that they'll one day get married because of "visions". 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️ Not once does this woman tell any of these men to leave her alone, and she actively entertains their creepy personalities. Going so far as to attend a dinner in somebody's private rooms (someone that she is convinced is a murderer), that was the least creepy while attempting to be the most creepy setting in a book I've ever read. 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️ I know zero women who would do this. Especially now, especially once we've all started talking about the way we're assaulted on a daily basis.
Women, from the time that we are born, are trained to not trust anybody, and to be wary of our surroundings. Mariana is definitely a woman who has been written by a man who doesn't understand any of the daily precautions women take. Yes, women are also taught that while we're not to trust anybody and to not trust our surroundings, that we're also supposed to be lady like and not make anybody else feel sad or uncomfortable about it, but this is not what's happening in this book. There's no internal dialogue for Mariana saying that she doesn't trust these people but that she feels like society is making her treat them in a certain way. She actually tells us that the one creepy sob "dazzles" her. I just feel like this author needs to sit down with a real woman and run some of these things past her before he writes them in his books.
Then this woman who is not a woman but a cliche, literally stumbles into her own death at the end knowingly. And has to be saved by a man/boy character, remember the creepy one who had visions that they would one day get married? 🙄 Yeah it gets ridiculous
Other than that, the novel wasn't horrible. Although I do think the main character ruined the whole thing (if that wasn't already obvious from my review). Not only was she a cliche, she was so annoying. In no universe is a random woman going to be able to stumble around crime scenes just because she happens to know somebody who's working with the cops. I think the whole book just needed a lot more fleshing out. I read another review that said It felt more like an outline than a fully formed novel, and that hit the nail on the head.
I definitely wouldn't automatically discount another book by this author, but I'm definitely not just going to go and purchase it either like I did with this one.
This just felt a bit flat to me. There were so many plot points that felt important, but were left untouched. However, I loved the English dark academia atmosphere and the whole life-imitates-mythology aspect.
Terrible writing, very chopping and the ending was weak. Such a disappointment after The Silent Patient.
We chose this book based off loving the authors first book the silent patient. This big was a bug disappointment with many holes in the plot.
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