The Maidens

Author: Alex Michaelides
Published by: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Pages: 369
Format: Hardback
My Rating ★★★★

 
St Christopher’s College, Cambridge, is a closed world to most.
 
For Mariana Andros – a group therapist struggling through her private grief – it’s where she met her late husband. For her niece, Zoe, it’s the tragic scene of her best friend’s murder.
 
As memory and mystery entangle Mariana, she finds a society full of secrets, which has been shocked to its core by the murder of one of its own.
 
Because behind its idyllic beauty is a web of jealousy and rage which emanates from an exclusive set of students known only as The Maidens. A group under the sinister influence of the enigmatic professor Edward Fosca. 
 
A man who seems to know more than anyone about the murders – and the victims. And the man who will become the prime suspect in Mariana’s investigation – an obsession which will unravel everything…

 
My thoughts:
 
The Maidens is a psychological thriller steeped in Greek mythology. 
 
It tells the story of London-based psychotherapist Mariana Andros, who is trying to come to terms with the death of her beloved husband. When a close friend of her niece, a student at the University of Cambridge, is murdered, Mariana becomes entangled in the mysterious activities of a group of elusive students known as the Maidens and their enigmatic professor, Edward Fosca. 
 
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?
 
The author brilliantly wove themes of grief and loss, Greek tragedy, secret societies and relationships, life and death and life at Cambridge into an ever-intriguing psychological thriller that constantly had me guessing. 
 
 I really enjoy the way Michaelides weaves just the right amount of literature, art, and Greek tragedy references into his murder mysteries. In particular, the exploration of Greek mythology elements and how lines from myths and tragedies were stitched into the very heart of this book. Not only did it connect directly to the murder mystery feel, but these references also allowed the novel to cross into dark academia and add an additional layer of suspense and uncertainty.
 
In all honesty, in terms of plot there were moments I had to suspend the need for a believable, realistic investigation, as Mariana does things in ways that she would never actually get away with in real life. 
 
However, this made for a constant sense of moving from one scene to the next, which really ramped up the addictive factor for myself as a reader. The culprit might not come as a surprise to many seasoned suspense readers, although I will say it took me longer to figure out this reveal than usual, which was exciting. 

Overall, well written and impeccably paced, The Maidens is an intelligent and entertaining novel. With a suspenseful plot, some good character development and plenty of unexpected twists, I was in book heaven.
 
Overall reaction: