My absolute favorite part was the little nod to The Silent Patient at the end. Louise Brealey’s voice was a perfect match for Mariana’s character, and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith gave the male narration an especially creepy vibe. The audio was amazing–thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC. Some suspension of belief is required as some of Mariana’s actions are a little unrealistic, but it made for scene after scene of suspense and intrigue. This book was chock full of red herrings, some of which I fell for. I loved the references to Greek mythology. I knew going into it that it would be very different from Michaelides’ previous book, and I was not at all disappointed! It was a much slower burn, but we got more into the characters and backstory. I adored this book, although it wasn’t at all like The Silent Patient. Thank you so much to Celadon Books for this advanced copy as part of their LFL drop program. I can’t believe I’m only just getting around to writing this review! It’s been a busy couple of weeks. But Mariana is determined to stop this killer, even if it costs her everything-including her own life.

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 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? And she becomes convinced that, despite his alibi, Edward Fosca is guilty of the murder. 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. 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. 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.

The maidens by alex michaelides summary