“The Maidens” by Alex Michaelides
“Michaelides has written another book you won’t be able to put down. Once you think you’ve guessed the ending, you’ll realize you haven’t! My prediction? “The Maidens” will be another best seller for Michaelides!”-Green Gables Book Reviews
New release by Alex Michaelides
My thoughts on “The Maidens“- I liked this book a lot. I was a bit confused by one of the people from Mariana’s therapy group’s role in the book, but I understood as I kept reading. I felt bad for Mariana, as I felt she had a lot to deal with emotionally in the book. I felt that some of the people she dealt with on-campus were rather sinister-I think I wouldn’t have been nearly as brave as Mariana! I think this book is very well written and it kept me guessing. I was surprised by the ending. I recommend “The Maidens“.
My Overview- When recently widowed group therapist Mariana gets a call from her niece, Zoe, that Zoe’s friend at Cambridge University has been murdered, Mariana knows she needs to get to Zoe right away. Zoe is more like a daughter to her, as she and her husband, Sebastian raised her, as they would have their own child.
On the journey there, Mariana thinks about her younger years and her and Sebastians’ time at the University. Memories are all she has now since Sebastian’s accidental death and she knows being the places that they were together years ago will be hard for her. She hopes she can also find comfort in those memories.
When she arrives, Zoe starts to fill her in. Her friend, Tara was scared and knew something was going to happen to her, then she was found murdered. Zoe and Mariana talk and Mariana learns about Professor Edward Fosca . Zoe seems to be uncomfortable around him. Mariana feels that she needs to find out more about him, especially when she hears about his “special study group” at Tara’s memorial service. This group is called “The Maidens” and as Mariana learns, they will do anything to protect him. They are also his alibi for the time of the murder.
The more questions Mariana asks and the more observing she does, she becomes certain that the murderer is Professor Fosca. She just needs to prove it. And, she feels Zoe is hiding something from her.
Mariana takes a huge risk and accepts an invitation to dinner from the Professor. While she’s there, she feels uncomfortable, even threatened. But, she also finds evidence to prove he is the murderer.
Then, another person, one of The Maidens is found murdered.
Mariana will do whatever she can to prove the Professors guilt. Even if it means upsetting Zoe and putting her own life at risk.
Thank you to Celadon Books for sending me a copy of this great book in exchange for my honest review.
If you would like to read “The Maidens” you can order it here, through my affiliate link. (An affiliate link means that I will earn a commission through your purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for considering purchasing your book here!)
Also by Alex Michaelides-“The Silent Patient“. Also highly recommended!
About the Author (from his bio on Amazon)-Alex Michaelides was born and raised in Cyprus. He has a MA in English Literature from Trinity College, Cambridge University, and a MA in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. The Silent Patient was his first novel. It spent over a year on the New York Times bestseller list and sold in a record-breaking 49 countries. He lives in London.
