The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
We all keep secrets. Even from ourselves.
'A thrilling, heart-in-throat ride'STEPHEN FRY
'An absolute jaw-dropper'LUCY FOLEY
From the author of the global #1 bestselling debutThe Silent Patientcomes a spellbinding literary thriller weaving together Greek mythology, psychology, and murder...
* * * * *
St Christopher's College, Cambridge, is a closed world to most.
For Mariana Andros - a group therapist struggling through her private grief - it's where she met her late husband. For her niece, Zoe, it's the tragic scene of her best friend's murder.
As memory and mystery entangle Mariana, she finds a society full of secrets, which has been shocked to its core by the murder of one of its own.
Because behind its idyllic beauty is a web of jealousy and rage which emanates from an exclusive set of students known only as The Maidens. A group under the sinister influence of the enigmatic professor Edward Fosca.
A man who seems to know more than anyone about the murders - and the victims. And the man who will become the prime suspect in Mariana's investigation - an obsession which will unravel everything...
The Maidens is a story of love, and of grief - of what makes us who we are, and what makes us kill.
About the author.
Alex Michaelides was born and raised in Cyprus. He has an MA in English Literature from Trinity College, Cambridge University, and an MA in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. The Silent Patient was his first novel, and was the biggest selling debut in the world in 2019. It spent over a year on the New York Times bestseller list and sold in a record-breaking 50 countries. Alex lives in London.
Review
I was a big fan of The Silent Patient and I jumped at the chance to be a part of this blog tour. Once again, it's a finely crafted work that seamlessly blends Greek mythology with an action-packed thriller that has misdirections aplenty. If you have read Alex’s previous book you will pick up on the few nods to it in this one but I would class this as a standalone! So fear not.
Mariana is a group therapist who is struggling with her own grief as her husband had drowned the year before. They had both met whilst at university and then moved to London and had a perfect life. Her niece Zoe is now at her old college in Cambridge and calls Mariana upset as her friend Tara has been murdered. Mariana heads up there straight away to support Zoe but soon ends up investigating the crime herself. She suspects the enigmatic Professor Edward Fosca who has a god-like status in the college as he keeps a group of intelligent, powerful and attractive girls around him known as the ‘maidens’. Tara had been a member of this group and it all feels very cult-like! But as we know things are never that simple.
I thoroughly enjoyed this mysterious and captivating narrative, but then I'm a sucker for a bit of greek mythology. Plus, it has all the hallmarks of a great crime novel. I can't say I particularly liked any of the characters - the bedder downright terrified me! I just felt a bit of coldness towards Mariana for some reason. However, I can feel empathy for the ‘maidens’ as I know how easily it can be to be captivated by a tutor. I respected my very sane lecturer and because we were her chosen evening class and we all went for drinks etc I can imagine how a manipulator could take advantage.
What I also respect is that Alex doesn't dumb down his books. All the mythology is presented in an accessible way but there is an academic feel to it still. I love that I learn from books in this vein as despite having these works on my bookshelf doesn't mean I have always read them!
This book doesn't need promoting as it will end up being a bestseller on the back of The Silent Patient but it deserves to be on merit as it's a great book. Thought-provoking, entertaining, fast-paced - I can definitely see this being made into a film!
