Book Review: Alex Michaelides - The Maidens (published in 2021)

 

My review for <b>The Silent Patient</b> actually still holds true. I think that means that Alex Michaelides is a very consistent author. 

I couldn't stop reading the books, because I wanted to know who was responsible for it all. I was quite shocked by the ending. I don't think everyone will like it, but I thought it was an enjoyable twist. 

The story is about Mariana, who travels back to Cambridge to console her niece whose best friend was murdered. Mariana is a group therapist and from the get-go she is convinced Edward Fosca, a charismatic professor with a group of "followers" aka Maidens aka secret society, plays a role in the murder. 

She decides to stick around, to help the police. 

I disliked a lot of this book, but keep reading because there's a positive twist as well. There is one narrator I thought was too presumptuous because he's the self-proclaimed "villain" of the story. I thought Mariana's involvement in everything was a bit ridiculous and the way she prosecutes people is outrageous. The characters weren't very strongly build and there are a lot of instances where I wish the author would've decided to show rather than tell. Mariana makes a lot of conclusions about people's emotions because she is a therapist, I found it hard to correlate those emotions with what I was reading. In other words, I didn't really believe her when she described a person. 

There are so many elements flowing through the pages that I did like though, and if they speak to you you should check this novel out as well. There's Greek Mythology and Greek Tragedy seeping through the pages and the narrative. Guessing how these elements play a role is fun. Secret societies with charismatic leaders are awesome. The mentions of Alfred Tennyson are also nicely tucked into the narrative. 

I thought the ending was surprising. I forget a lot of books I've read but The Silent Patient's conclusion is one that etched in my brain. I think The Maidens will have the same faith. As such I can recommend it to people who enjoyed Michaelides' previous novel or for fans of Greek tragedy/mythology. 

Many thanks to the publisher Orion Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with a review copy.