The Maidens

By: Alex Michaelides

Narrated by: Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Louise Brealey

We all keep secrets. Even from ourselves.

YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN THE MAIDENS.

The Maidens are Cambridge University's most exclusive society, whose members are selected by the charismatic professor of Greek tragedy, Edward Fosca.

A SECRETIVE SET OF THE BRIGHTEST, MOST CAPTIVATING STUDENTS.

When one of the Maidens is murdered, grieving young therapist Mariana Andros is drawn back to the idyllic campus where she was once herself a student.

THE GROUP FROM WHICH EACH VICTIM WILL BE CHOSEN.

Because beneath the university's ancient traditions and beauty is a web of secrets, jealousy and lies. And when the killer threatens the person she loves most, Mariana will give anything to stop them - even her own life...

From the #1 global bestselling author of The Silent Patient comes a spellbinding tale of psychological suspense, weaving together Greek mythology, murder, and obsession...

©2021 Alex Michaelides (P)2021 Orion Publishing Group

Critic reviews

"A thrilling, heart-in-throat ride." (Stephen Fry)

"An absolute jaw-dropper." (Lucy Foley)

"Elegant, sinister, stylish." (Chris Whitaker)

I loved the Easter eggs

I adore this author. the plot is always stunning. and I love the reference to the silent patient

its addicting but has major flaws

spoilery revient.... I really enjoyed reading this book but it left a bitter sweet taste. many story lines were started and not tied up... the only explication I find is that its setting up a thirst book. but there was too much setting up that you thing its has something to do with the plot and nope... nothing at all... so I have a whole origin story of à caracters that really have no major rôle in the current plot. also why is everyone hitting on the main caracter.. like any man she speaks too wanna date her... unrealistic. also why she got her self involved in there murders and ignored her group thérapie patients is beyond me... quite unproffessional since she has no real reason or connection to the victims

Brilliant, flawed psychothriller

Almost all aspects one looks for in crime fiction are ticked deftly by Michaelidis - he really delivers well. Unfortunately the book is marred, as the genre often is, by the balancing device he chooses to give us enough clues while hiding his clever denouement: the hapless bumbling protagonist who keeps missing the obvious in one situation after another. It detracts a bit from the agnorisis she has at the end, though overall the book leaves one well satisfied. The performance of Brealey is fine, but a little unremarkable and perhaps gives Marianna too much of an anodyne persona in the reader’a mind.

Ok for a thriller

The book was fine. I enjoyed how it connected to "the Silent Patient" in that a few characters had crossovers. The story was ok, but not great; some of it was long, unnecessarily winding and frankly a little dull. The thing that pulled me out of the immersion most was the narrator's awful american accent. Made my ears bleed!

It is not bad at all but somewhat predictable

"Silent Patient" was totally mind-blowing. This one is not but very decent read anyway