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The Maidens: The instant Sunday Times bestseller from the author of The Silent Patient by [Alex Michaelides]

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Alex Michaelides

The Maidens: The instant Sunday Times bestseller from the author of The Silent Patient Kindle Edition

by Alex Michaelides (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

12,819 ratings

in Poetry About Death, Grief & Loss

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We all keep secrets. Even from ourselves.

'A thrilling, heart-in-throat ride' STEPHEN FRY
'An absolute jaw-dropper' LUCY FOLEY
'Elegant, sinister, stylish' CHRIS WHITAKER
'Grips from start to finish' HARRIET TYCE

* * * * *

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...

* * * * *

'There's definitely a flavour of The Secret History to Alex Michaelides's second novel ... The Maidens is a compelling read, and delivers its Hellenic thrills in style.' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

'A book which screams 'make me into a TV series' ... his writing, especially his characterisation, possesses a unique sparkle and more promise than most other writers.' DAILY MAIL

'Nothing short of genius.' WOMAN & HOME

'How do you go about following one of the biggest thrillers of the past decade? You write something even better.' CHRIS WHITAKER, bestselling author of WE BEGIN AT THE END

'Grips from intriguing start to horrifying finish ... A brilliant achievement.'
HARRIET TYCE

'A page-turner of the first order'
DAVID BALDACCI

'The greatest campus novel since The Secret History by Donna Tartt ... with a climatic twist that you will NEVER see coming.'
TONY PARSONS

'A stunning psychological thriller ... Michaelides is on a roll.'
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Print length

369 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Publication date

10 June 2021
File size

1775 KB
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Product description

Review

Elegant, sinister, stylish and thrilling, The Maidens answers the weighty question, how do you go about following one of the biggest thrillers of the past decade? You write something even better. ― CHRIS WHITAKER

Alex has achieved the almost impossible and surpassed The Silent Patient in this compelling literary thriller, which grips from intriguing start to horrifying finish ... A brilliant achievement. ― HARRIET TYCE

What a thrilling, heart in throat ride. A great triumph. ― STEPHEN FRY

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

Alex Michaelides hits a home run in his sophomore effort. The Maidens is a page-turner of the first order. ― DAVID BALDACCI

A stunning psychological thriller ... 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

The greatest campus novel since The Secret History by Donna Tartt. Packed to the dreaming spires with mystery, murder, emotion and a yearning, heart-aching nostalgia for all that we leave in the past - places, lovers and ourselves when we were young. The millions who loved The Silent Patient will be delighted to hear that Alex Michaelides once again mugs you with a climatic twist that you will NEVER see coming. ― TONY PARSONS

Michaelides' stage-setting skills are as masterful here, as they were in The Silent Patient - another tense, cleverly twisted winner. ― Booklist

Nothing short of genius. ― Woman&Home

[Michaelides'] writing, especially his characterisation, possesses a unique sparkle and more promise than most other writers. ― Daily Mail

The Maidens is a compelling read, and delivers its Hellenic thrills in style. ― Sunday Telegraph

Stylishly written with a great sense of place, bestselling author Michaelides' second novel is a compelling and complex psychological thriller of the highest order. ― Irish Independent

A thriller that deftly weaves psychology, murder and an understanding of Greek mythology - where do we sign up? ― Belfast Telegraph

This atmospheric mystery speeds along at such a pace, Michaelides' genius for storytelling is clear. ― Woman

Michaelides is a stylish writer who seamlessly weaves Greek mythology, psychology and murder into his writing and this atmospheric thriller keeps you guessing till the end.

― Independent

It's a tense, original story set against the luscious backdrop of the ancient university.

― Daily Mail, Summer roundup

The Maidens ticks a lot of boxes, particularly if you like a good thriller. It has a fast pace, lots of misdirection, and intriguing backstory and a damaged protagonist. ― Sunday Life

Tautly plotted and impeccably paced , it's an intelligent and propulsive second novel.

― The Observer

When Alex Michaelides' first psychological thriller, The Silent Patient, debuted in 2019, it skyrocketed to the top of best-seller lists. His follow-up is just as twisty-and involves another suspicious killing.

― Time Magazine, European edition --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

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. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

From the Publisher

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. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Review

Elegant, sinister, stylish and thrilling, The Maidens answers the weighty question, how do you go about following one of the biggest thrillers of the past decade? You write something even better. - CHRIS WHITAKER

Alex has achieved the almost impossible and surpassed The Silent Patient in this compelling literary thriller, which grips from intriguing start to horrifying finish ... A brilliant achievement. - HARRIET TYCE

What a thrilling, heart in throat ride. A great triumph. - STEPHEN FRY

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

Alex Michaelides hits a home run in his sophomore effort. The Maidens is a page-turner of the first order. - DAVID BALDACCI --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Book Description

The highly anticipated second thriller from the record-breaking, international bestselling author of THE SILENT PATIENT. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From the Back Cover

From the author of the global #1 bestselling debut The Silent Patient comes a spellbinding literary thriller which weaves together Greek mythology, psychology, and murder...

Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. A 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 when one of The Maidens, a friend of Mariana's niece Zoe, is found murdered.

Mariana, who was once herself a student at the university, suspects that behind the idyllic beauty of the spires and turrets, 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.

One of the most highly anticipated books of the year, THE MAIDENS is sure to become your new obsession...

* * * * *

Praise for Alex Michaelides and his #1 global bestseller THE SILENT PATIENT:

'Absolutely brilliant' STEPHEN FRY

'Excellent' JOANNE HARRIS

'Terrific' THE TIMES, Crime Book of the Month

'Smart, sophisticated suspense' LEE CHILD

'Compelling' OBSERVER

'An absolute jaw-dropper' LUCY FOLEY

'Hugely impressive' STEVE CAVANAGH

'Totally original' DAVID BALDACCI

'The pace and finesse of a master' BBC CULTURE

'Genuinely chilling' SHARON BOLTON

'Unforgettable' ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

'Impossible to put down' MARK EDWARDS

'Shocking, mind-blowing' BLAKE CROUCH

'Highly recommended' C. J. TUDOR

'The definition of a page turner' JOHN MARRS --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08R18D45M
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Weidenfeld & Nicolson (10 June 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1775 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 369 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1250304466

Best Sellers Rank: 2,260 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
12,819 ratings

About the author

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Alex Michaelides

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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.

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2 star		7%
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Top reviews from Australia

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margaret visciglio

The Maidens fails to fulfill early promise

Reviewed in Australia on 5 July 2021

Verified Purchase

The premise of The Maidens was excellent. Beautiful young ladies murdered in a manner inspired by Ancient Greek ritual, in the picturesque setting of Oxford University, the crime investigated by a bereft widow who mourns her husband who also died mysteriously while on holiday in Greece. Alas, the story is peppered with purple prose and the plot drifts this way and that if indeed it ever existed. Who is the murderer? We are offered a choice of three suspects but after two chapters the reader no longer cares. The characters are cardboard and it is impossible to bond with any of them. The writing is abysmal. How this book won what is purported to be a major award and became a best seller is the only mystery that gives one anything to puzzle over and is the only thing that intrigued me. The author has also written another book, which I will avoid like the plague. I regret having purchased The Maidens. I must have had one glass of red wine too many when I did so.

4 people found this helpful

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sandy

Silent Patient it ain’t

Reviewed in Australia on 1 July 2021

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I loved the Silent Patient by the same author, one of my favourite books, but this one doesn’t match up to it.

3 people found this helpful

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Lesley Porter

The story kept me interested

Reviewed in Australia on 25 August 2021

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There is a catch at the end which I didn't see coming. Were there clues to this? I will skim over the story again to see if I missed any but I doubt it. Enjoyable...

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Audrey

Good if you're patient

Reviewed in Australia on 6 August 2021

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I really liked this book. The reason I didn't give 5 stats was I did think it was a bit slow in parts but the overall story I thought was interesting and well written

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Inoffensive would-be thriller for teenagers

Reviewed in Australia on 14 January 2022

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Strangely unthrilling, especially the suspense passages. Take out the cliches, and the wooden prose, and all that would remain is some Greek quotes and a silly twist.

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I loved the characters and suspenseful atmosphere in this novel

Reviewed in Australia on 30 June 2021

Mariana, a group therapist, is still coming to terms with her own private grief, after the loss of her husband. But when her niece, Zoe, calls her from her college at St Christopher's, saying her best friend has been murdered, Mariana knows she has to go to her. While it doesn't help Mariana's grief, as it's where she met her husband, she needs to help Zoe. As the story goes along we meet Professor Edward Fosca and his elusive group of female students at the college, The Maidens and question his involvement in the murder investigation. Mariana has her own suspicions about Fosca and won't stop until she gets some answers.

I loved the Silent Patient so must admit that I went into this one with such impossibly high expectations. I enjoyed the way this one started out and the mystery and intrigue. I loved the characters and their backstories and honestly could not figure out which way this one was headed. However, I needed to suspend belief in this one a little more than I am usually willing and that was the downfall. 3.5*

Thanks so much to Hachette Australia for this gifted advance review copy.

2 people found this helpful

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It is a slow burn but one that kept me intrigued right until the very end.

Reviewed in Australia on 11 June 2021

The Maidens was one of my most anticipated reads for 2021 after loving The Silent Patient so much. I had heard mixed reviews but I was going to make up my own mind. A psychological thriller, a murder mystery and so much more. I have never read anything quite like it to be honest and the ending still has me reeling.

What is it about? Not going to say too much as I am sure everybody knows all about it by now. Mariana is a psychoanalyst who is still grieving the death of her husband. Her niece, Zoe, calls her from her former college of Cambridge and tells her that her best friend, Tara has been murdered. Mariana drops everything to be there for Zoe. Going back to Cambridge is hard for her, it is where she met her husband and there are memories everywhere. She promises Zoe that she will help find who killed her friend. A suspect is arrested but then another young girl is killed, opening up the suspect pool again. The 2 murdered girls were both Maiden's, a group of handpicked female students who study with the very handsome and charismatic Professor Fosca and Marianna's attention is focused on him.

This is a really atmospheric book and is written so well. I felt like I was walking the grounds of Cambridge with the characters. There is alot of talk about Greek Mythology which at times did lose me but for the most part it made sense to me. I loved the tie in with The Silent Patient as well.

It is a slow burn but one that kept me intrigued right until the very end.

2 people found this helpful

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Rina P

A bit disconnected, unfortunately

Reviewed in Australia on 28 February 2022

This book had such a promising concept. Dark academia, the involvement of Greek gods and myths hence The Maidens, and the group therapy aspect of psychological thriller. Unfortunately, I have to agree with the reviews that say this wasn’t executed well.

Mariana was an interesting character. She was a successful group therapist who was dealing with grief after her husband’s death. So when her niece called her with a murder mystery problem, she jumped to the opportunity to get away from her own life.

First of all, I really liked that the main character was a career woman (and not another drunk, depressed, jobless, clueless woman). However, for all the monologues Mariana had about her loss, I didn’t actually feel the chemistry between her and her husband. The Sebastian stories from Mariana’s point of view weren’t impactful enough for me to feel her grief. Similarly, I didn’t feel any strong connection between Mariana and Zoe that made her feel like she had to abandon her job and helped her solve the murder mystery, especially when no one actually asked her to do so - she even had to lie to multiple authorities (the people who actually had to solve the case) just to stick her nose in.

The background setting was quite interesting. Edward Fosca as a charismatic, intelligent, and arrogant professor made a good archenemy. The Greek gods and goddesses plus The Maidens set the scenes strongly. I also thought that the mention of father complex was an interesting notion. Unfortunately, the way these details were woven with the murder mystery itself wasn’t strong enough. I still didn’t understand how these gave Mariana motivations to do a lot of the things she did. For example, the group therapy session with the girls.

All in all, not strong enough but still quite enjoyable. There were some creepy scenes that were done well. I also went through this really fast, and the audiobook narrator was good so I enjoyed the listening experience.

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Top reviews from other countries

The Cookster

Very disappointing. A run of the mill mystery hiding behind an intellectual façade.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 June 2021

Verified Purchase

Rating: 2.0/5

Having missed out on Alex Michaelide's debut novel, "The Silent Patient", which received overwhelmingly positive feedback, I was keen to make sure that I got my hands on a copy of his follow-up. Having read the accompanying synopsis my anticipation was only heightened further: A murder mystery set in the world of academia within the appealing environs of Cambridge University. In addition to murder, the plot was said to combine psychology and Greek mythology, as legendary tales from the time of ancient Greece seem to bear an uncanny resemblance to events taking place now. My appetite was suitably whetted ... but unfortunately it wasn't to be too long before severe disappointment set in.

Frustratingly, some sections are nicely written and quite prosaic. This, in combination with an appealing backdrop and an engaging premise, could and should have been a recipe for a successful story. Unfortunately, there are just too many elements that simply don't pass muster: The characterisation is simplistic and lacks any depth. Descriptive language tends towards the melodramatic. The dialogue is often stilted, clunky and unnatural. Some of the mechanics used to move the plot forward are convenient to the point of being inane and reminiscent of the kind of thing you might expect to find in a children's adventure story. The frequent references to Greek mythology are, no doubt, intended to give an impression of worthiness and of being profound, but it is little more than a veneer. Ultimately "The Maidens" is a run of the mill mystery hiding behind an intellectual façade.

In his notes the author states that this novel is his fond homage to the classic female crime writers: Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, Margaret Millar, Margery Allingham, Josephine Tey, P.D. James and Ruth Rendell. A nice gesture perhaps, but those ladies really deserved something better than this.

32 people found this helpful

Peliroja

Unbelievable tosh

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 July 2021

Verified Purchase

This has to be the stupidest story I've ever read. Absolutely stupid. I cannot believe I finished it, though I did scan the last 50 or so pages, once it became obvious who the perpetrator was. And trust me, you'd better clear away all your precious ornaments once you near discovering this as you will hurl the book across the room in total disgust. Absolutely stupid. I almost never give one star to a book I actually finish, but this deserved minus one star.

I mean. Mariana is an intelligent woman. The way she goes for a Cambridge lecturer she's never met, based on hearsay - one comment made by the dead girl to Mariana's niece before she was murdered - is bizarre to say the least. Then we have Mariana agreeing to meet up with this lecturer in private several times and also meet up with a stranger/stalker she met on a train. The whole thing is just weird. She even attacks one of the above in public - it's completely laughable.

Mr Michaelides' writing is morose. There's no light and shade to it whatsoever. So it wasn't even fun reading up until the stupidest denouement in the entire bookshop. Oh, I can't be bothered to write any more. It doesn't deserve another minute of my life.

25 people found this helpful

R. White

It’s just not very good

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 June 2021

Verified Purchase

I really wanted to like this book. Having read ‘The Silent Patient’ which was an entertaining thriller, I was hoping this would be in the same vein. But it’s just not very good. The plot is ridiculous and the characters are so two dimensional that you find yourself scoffing at the wooden dialogue. Any references in the plot to therapy feel as though they’ve been lifted directly out of a text book. What most annoyed me was one of the reviews which compared it to ‘The Secret History’ - this is a long long way from being anywhere near as good as Donna Tartt’s writing. Most disappointing.

25 people found this helpful

Hilary Scannell

Absurd and perfunctory

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 June 2021

Verified Purchase

A hackneyed and silly plot, sloppily written. Clearly rushed out under pressure and I get the feeling even the author was bored and couldn’t be bothered to take the time needed to wrap it up.

22 people found this helpful

book lover

Was glad it came to an end

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 June 2021

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The only thing I like about it was the interwoven bit about the silent patient characters otherwise I wouldn’t recommend it

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The Maidens: The instant Sunday Times bestseller from the author of The Silent Patient Kindle Edition

We all keep secrets. Even from ourselves.

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

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