The Maidens

A Novel

By: Alex Michaelides

Narrated by: Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Louise Brealey

2021 AudioFile Best Audiobooks
2021 Hudson Booksellers Best of the Year

"Between the three of them, author Alex Michaelides and narrators Louise Brealey and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith cast a spell that will have listeners glued to this suspenseful novel every chance they get." (AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award winner)

"The audiobook is narrated primarily by actor Louise Brealey, who has given life to complex female characters in the audio editions of The Girl on the Train and The Silent Patient, Michaelides’ first novel. Here, she does an excellent job of conveying Mariana’s confusion, courage and determination to solve the mystery at any cost. Actor Kobna Holdbrook-Smith’s nuanced performance as the killer reminds us that monsters are made, not born, and that within even the most heinous murderer is a shattered, lonely child." (Booklist, starred audiobook review)

"Listeners will not be disappointed with this suspenseful and intelligent thriller." (Booklist, starred review)

From the number one New York Times best-selling 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.

A Macmillan Audio production from Celadon Books

"Stunning.... The intelligent, cerebral plot finds contemporary parallels in Euripides's tragedies, Jacobean dramas such as The Duchess of Malfi, and Tennyson's poetry. The devastating ending shows just how little the troubled Mariana knows about the human psyche or herself. Michaelides is on a roll." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

"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 best-selling author of The Guest List)

©2021 Alex Michaelides (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

READ. IT. NOW.

This is the second book of Michaelides that I’ve read. I first read The Silent Patient. I was GLUED to that book, and the same rings true here. I finished this book in 2 days - starting it one evening and finishing the next. The writing is carefully crafted, descriptive, and compelling. All the characters are interesting and complex. If you love Greek mythology, you’ll enjoy this book simply because of it’s heavy mythological references. It’s a true mystery novel in the sense that throughout the story, you’re trying to solve the case just like the protagonist. But it feels more sophisticated than the average mystery book. This one is smart and creative, and it leaves you with an ending that you can’t quiet comprehend - but in a good way. A shocking way, just like The Silent Patient. Like that book, I had my jaw dropped in disbelief for what felt like 5-10 minutes of the climactic ending. Like The Silent Patient, I’ll be thinking about this ending for at least the next day. It gives you a sort of epilogue that leave you with many questions and wanting more details, but you don’t actually need them. The story is complete without those answers, and the questions you might have are purely for the characters because, just like life, things don’t end once a conflict or an event is over. You want to continue to follow their lives beyond the pages of the book. It’s written in a very real way, instead of in a perfectly packaged story that from start to end FEELS like just that - a story. Incredibly immersive. You want more but are also perfectly content with what you get. TLDR, read the book. You’ll love it.

Ps. Reading this back before I post it, I realize I wrote this with more of my author voice (I like writing fiction as a hobby) instead of speaking like an actual, normal human being on the internet 💀 so sorry if this all sounds really pretentious - I promise I’m not a book snob! I’m writing this review immediately after finishing the book, so if that doesn’t tell you how great and immersive this book is, then idk what does :) Enjoy friends!

Curveball End

Having grown up in the area that this novel is set, I got great joy from the memories this Author stirred through their scene-setting. I enjoyed the characters too, until the end which quite frankly seemed ill-fitting.

Another classic from Michaelides!

I really enjoyed this story, and the narration performances. My only critique is, I did feel like there were choices in the narration that gave a bit of the mystery away. I still enjoyed it a lot!

A page turner until the end!

So well narrated and beautifully drawn.
Uuuggg! Why didn’t the author consult with me:) I could have given him five other better ways to conclude the story.
So not happy with the ending….. but honestly up to that point I would have given it a solid five stars for everything else.

Stellar book

This book took me by surprise!! I love the scholarly ambiance with the tie in to Greek Tragedy. Completely worth your time.

Another beautifully written book

Even though I still love The Silent Patient more, i have to say this book was written as beautifully as the previous one. The characters were well developed. The ending was quite unexpected though not quite as credible. Alex Michaelides is, without a doubt, a very talented writer of our time.

Narrator is excellent

I hardly ever write book reviews, preferring to just give my stars and move on, this title and narrator, however are different and I felt compelled to write a review in case there’s some one else considering this audible listen.
The narrator’s accent was, IMO, pivotal to my interest and enjoyment. The plot seemed typical of many books I’ve read before, but hearing the narrator read this book made the listen much more authentic. I highly recommend this listen!

Mixed feelings

The author knows how to pace a story, taking it through twisting paths to an unexpected conclusion. As a Cambridge man myself I enjoyed the author’s first hand knowledge of town and gown and his use of literature. But the story left me dissatisfied, even irritated, that plot and character sometimes failed a plausibility test. I had an unsettled feeling that to reach its goal the plot needed strained solutions. Perhaps necessary to sneak in surprises but comes at the price of the story’s architecture. Nevertheless, many readers will romp through, more like white water rafting than a punt on the River Cam.

Excellent

The author doesn't fail to deliver.ota all I can say without giving to much information.

Good Read

I really liked the narrators, they really told the store well. I also enjoyed the book. Good story line, suspense, and a twist. I binged this one :)