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The Maidens: Chapter Sampler
This excerpt from The Maidens by Alex Michaelides contains the first five chapters of the book.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient comes a spellbinding tale of psychological suspense, weaving together Greek mythology, murder, and obsession, that further cements “Michaelides as a major player in the field” (Publishers Weekly).
Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. 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.
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.
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?
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.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient comes a spellbinding tale of psychological suspense, weaving together Greek mythology, murder, and obsession, that further cements “Michaelides as a major player in the field” (Publishers Weekly).
Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. 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.
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.
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?
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.
Kindle Edition
Published May 4, 2021
175 people are currently reading
1469 people want to read
About the author
Alex Michaelides
14 books43.9k followersAlex Michaelides was born and raised in Cyprus. He has an M.A. in English literature from Trinity College, Cambridge University, and an M.A. 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 more than a year on the New York Times bestseller list and sold in a record-breaking forty-nine countries. Alex lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
June 15, 2021
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending this sampler in exchange for an honest review.
I've been very curious about this book. Now after reading the first few chapters, I'm thrilled to read the rest. I was captured from the first page. The characters felt real and the plot intense. I can't wait to read more.
I've been very curious about this book. Now after reading the first few chapters, I'm thrilled to read the rest. I was captured from the first page. The characters felt real and the plot intense. I can't wait to read more.
May 7, 2021
SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL!
What a delicious sampler— 50 pages of wonderful. I was so excited when I learned the author was publishing a second book, as I adored The Silent Patient. Now I can.not.wait to read the whole fab novel.
5 of 5 Stars
#The Maidens #NetGalley
Thanks to the author, Celadon Books and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
What a delicious sampler— 50 pages of wonderful. I was so excited when I learned the author was publishing a second book, as I adored The Silent Patient. Now I can.not.wait to read the whole fab novel.
5 of 5 Stars
#The Maidens #NetGalley
Thanks to the author, Celadon Books and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
May 15, 2021
Ever since I devoured The Silent Patient, I have been anxiously anticipating what Alex Michaelides would come up with next. He captivates from the first page and keeps the reader craving more as his psychological mind benders evolve. The first few chapters of the Maidens did not disappoint. Combining a troubled group therapist, a seemingly untouchable murderer and Greek mythology, Michaelides is pushing the limits of the common thriller makeup. I cannot wait to read it in it's entirety.
#netgalley #themaidens
#netgalley #themaidens
May 4, 2021
I enjoyed the tension of an introvert as therapist leading groups, of a therapist whose childhood and adolescence evoked classic separation and abandonment issues vis a vis a client whose childhood involved horrific enmeshed, and an opening scene of client crossing boundaries and very nearly going "too far." Whether this interest will carry through to the novel as a whole remains to be seen, though there are indications that this quiet introverted therapist may embark on a Hero's Journey to "slay the dragon" in the form of a Narcissistic sociopath killer..or possibly, a Bacchanalian killer tribe. Remains to be seen, but I am definitely intrigued.
May 13, 2021
This chapter sampler provides us with character background of Mariana before she is ultimately thrust into the mystery of The Maidens that the book centers around. It certainly is intriguing and I cannot wait to read the full book!
March 8, 2023
I’m not sure this is fair to say but the silent patient is one of my favorite novels of all time so I held this to a high expectation and it did not come close. That said, it is a decent book.
It took me a month to get through, although the last 75-ish pages were good. The connection to the silent patient plot was AWESOMEEEEEE!!!! Super clever. As a fan, I really appreciated that.
Thought it was so interesting how her thoughts of Sebastian ended up tying together to whom he really was.
Loved that Fred ended up actually being a well intentioned guy although a bit abrasive.
I’m not sure I understand the point of her client Henry still.
It took me a month to get through, although the last 75-ish pages were good. The connection to the silent patient plot was AWESOMEEEEEE!!!! Super clever. As a fan, I really appreciated that.
Thought it was so interesting how her thoughts of Sebastian ended up tying together to whom he really was.
Loved that Fred ended up actually being a well intentioned guy although a bit abrasive.
I’m not sure I understand the point of her client Henry still.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2021
I was given The Maidens: Chapter Sampler to read from NetGalley . It is challenging to review a book with just a few sample chapters. There is an intriguing start to the book and I would recommend that if you are interested in Greek mythology, this could be a great read for you.
December 29, 2022
Good! Has a bit of a twist, but did suspect the killer at one point, just because the other suspects seemed too obvious.
July 20, 2021
“A nervous, edgy energy was in the air. A monster with a knife was among them, unseen, prowling the streets, apparently able to strike and then melt away invisibly into the darkness … His invisibility made him into something more than human, something supernatural: a creature born from a myth, a phantom.
Except Mariana knew he wasn’t a phantom, or a monster. He was just a man, and he didn’t merit being mythologized; he didn’t deserve it.”
If you loved Alex Michaelides’ breakout debut thriller, The Silent Patient’, as much as I did then you know that the bar was set pretty high for the next book. But I’m delighted to share that ‘The Maidens’, a gripping tale of Grecian mythology, obsession and horror lurking beneath the towers of Cambridge, is even better, if such a thing is possible. I shut out the world for a day while reading, as I found it impossible to tear myself away from this engrossing psychological thriller. The characters’ personal stories will stay with you long after you put it down.
Mariana, a grieving widow and group therapist, cares deeply for her niece, Zoe. So when one of Zoe’s friends is murdered, Mariana travels to Cambridge to support her — and to prove the guilt of Edward Fosca, the enigmatic professor who seems to have captured the admiration of everyone but Mariana. She’s also determined to uncover what’s really going on with his cultish student followers who call themselves The Maidens.
A couple of things set Alex Michaelides’ writing apart from lesser thrillers. There are the twisty, compulsive, page-turner appeal, the cleverly placed red herrings and the ‘what the hell just happened’ moments, but also a wonderful sense of place and a rich depth of character. I cared hugely for our grieving heroine Mariana and her niece Zoe. I was fascinated by the mysterious Maidens and by their enigmatic leader, the byronic Edward Fosca with his sweeping dark cloak and long locks. I came away from reading this feeling richly sated and as though I had had my breath snatched from me by the thrilling roller coaster ride of the plot.
A huge thank you to @NetGalley and @CeladonBooks for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Except Mariana knew he wasn’t a phantom, or a monster. He was just a man, and he didn’t merit being mythologized; he didn’t deserve it.”
If you loved Alex Michaelides’ breakout debut thriller, The Silent Patient’, as much as I did then you know that the bar was set pretty high for the next book. But I’m delighted to share that ‘The Maidens’, a gripping tale of Grecian mythology, obsession and horror lurking beneath the towers of Cambridge, is even better, if such a thing is possible. I shut out the world for a day while reading, as I found it impossible to tear myself away from this engrossing psychological thriller. The characters’ personal stories will stay with you long after you put it down.
Mariana, a grieving widow and group therapist, cares deeply for her niece, Zoe. So when one of Zoe’s friends is murdered, Mariana travels to Cambridge to support her — and to prove the guilt of Edward Fosca, the enigmatic professor who seems to have captured the admiration of everyone but Mariana. She’s also determined to uncover what’s really going on with his cultish student followers who call themselves The Maidens.
A couple of things set Alex Michaelides’ writing apart from lesser thrillers. There are the twisty, compulsive, page-turner appeal, the cleverly placed red herrings and the ‘what the hell just happened’ moments, but also a wonderful sense of place and a rich depth of character. I cared hugely for our grieving heroine Mariana and her niece Zoe. I was fascinated by the mysterious Maidens and by their enigmatic leader, the byronic Edward Fosca with his sweeping dark cloak and long locks. I came away from reading this feeling richly sated and as though I had had my breath snatched from me by the thrilling roller coaster ride of the plot.
A huge thank you to @NetGalley and @CeladonBooks for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 24, 2023
Two stars because this book had a potential.
If only the author did not mess it up with that twist in the end. What a…blah.
Oh yeah and the main character was so hard to like.
Nevertheless, I couldn’t stop reading this book because I was enthralled by the maidens and the handsome brilliant psycho professor…or I thought he was.
If only the author did not mess it up with that twist in the end. What a…blah.
Oh yeah and the main character was so hard to like.
Nevertheless, I couldn’t stop reading this book because I was enthralled by the maidens and the handsome brilliant psycho professor…or I thought he was.
September 30, 2022
For all the hype, I thought this was a bit disappointing. Unpopular opinion, but this book is just ok. I found it hard to buy into the main character acting as a murder investigator….it felt cheesy. The twist ending was surprising but not super believable. Not my favorite….but not horrible.
July 10, 2022
i loved this book. i loved it. i loved the theme of greek tragedy and how it acted as both plot device and plot. i felt pretty stupid when i realized i’d failed to consider its pervasiveness within the plot.
despite the many red herrings planted within the book, none of them made me turn my head until right at the very end of sebastian’s letter to zoe- the use of the word “premonition.” i thought for absolute certain in that moment that it was fred all along, just a morbid stranger stalker with no real connection to the victims. besides that, i never would have guessed that anyone other than edward fosca had done it.
which was quite satisfying in the end! even if you were as dense as me, you weren’t wrong about edward fosca, guilty of the most absurd, abusive, and grotesque crimes. he was still absolutely the greatest villain of the novel, in my opinion.
and of course, i should have known sebastian had a bigger role in the plot just based on mariana’s observation of his lingering presence on campus. in a sense of course it was a manifestation of her grief, sure, but it was also a MASSIVE hint that sebastian was still, in that sick way, still living among the residents of cambridge. props to The Author for hiding his true purpose behind mariana’s grief (a very worthy red herring). and of course, we can’t forget about zoe, who, despite her crimes, i can only pity. i would love a short on the conversation between her and mariana in the hospital at the end of the book.
i would highly recommend this to anyone, especially fans of greek tragedy and whodunnits. because at its core that’s what this book is. though i did not annotate this book i would DEFINITELY recommend that to anyone who is a first, or even second time reader. there’s a lot to unpack.
despite the many red herrings planted within the book, none of them made me turn my head until right at the very end of sebastian’s letter to zoe- the use of the word “premonition.” i thought for absolute certain in that moment that it was fred all along, just a morbid stranger stalker with no real connection to the victims. besides that, i never would have guessed that anyone other than edward fosca had done it.
which was quite satisfying in the end! even if you were as dense as me, you weren’t wrong about edward fosca, guilty of the most absurd, abusive, and grotesque crimes. he was still absolutely the greatest villain of the novel, in my opinion.
and of course, i should have known sebastian had a bigger role in the plot just based on mariana’s observation of his lingering presence on campus. in a sense of course it was a manifestation of her grief, sure, but it was also a MASSIVE hint that sebastian was still, in that sick way, still living among the residents of cambridge. props to The Author for hiding his true purpose behind mariana’s grief (a very worthy red herring). and of course, we can’t forget about zoe, who, despite her crimes, i can only pity. i would love a short on the conversation between her and mariana in the hospital at the end of the book.
i would highly recommend this to anyone, especially fans of greek tragedy and whodunnits. because at its core that’s what this book is. though i did not annotate this book i would DEFINITELY recommend that to anyone who is a first, or even second time reader. there’s a lot to unpack.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2022
Thank you Netgally and Celadon Books for the chance to read the chapter sampler of The Maidens.
I have read Alex Michaelides previous mystery thriller, The Silent Patient, which was an amazing yet somewhat unbelievable read---The Maidens did not invoke the same feeling.
The initial mystery as to what was happening with Mariana after the loss of her husband becomes a spiraling mess with each chapter. Young women are getting murdered on Cambridge campus and Mariana is certain that it's one of the magnetic college professors surrounded by young women. However her suspensions, while believable at first begin to feel like a stretch as her own feelings of grief drive her further into searching for clues that may or may not connect.
I honestly wanted more from this novel and at the end, even the murderer wasn't a huge surprise.
3/5 stars
I have read Alex Michaelides previous mystery thriller, The Silent Patient, which was an amazing yet somewhat unbelievable read---The Maidens did not invoke the same feeling.
The initial mystery as to what was happening with Mariana after the loss of her husband becomes a spiraling mess with each chapter. Young women are getting murdered on Cambridge campus and Mariana is certain that it's one of the magnetic college professors surrounded by young women. However her suspensions, while believable at first begin to feel like a stretch as her own feelings of grief drive her further into searching for clues that may or may not connect.
I honestly wanted more from this novel and at the end, even the murderer wasn't a huge surprise.
3/5 stars
March 7, 2023
The first few chapters introduce you to Mariana, a group therapist in the London area. She had a lonely, isolated childhood and now hopes to give other people help with their problems while observing their interactions. She's very likelable, and you get invested quickly in wanting to know how everything works out for her.
The prologue sets up the mystery and her conviction that a local professor is a murderer. At the end of the sample, her daughter's friend is missing and she'll be thrown into the situation she alludes to in the beginning.
I also read Alex Michaelides' first book, 'The Silent Patient' and feel that this book has more promise than that as the writing seems greatly improved, and it might not be as unbelievable as a story as his debut novel.
I look forward to reading more when 'The Maidens' becomes available!!
--Susan
The prologue sets up the mystery and her conviction that a local professor is a murderer. At the end of the sample, her daughter's friend is missing and she'll be thrown into the situation she alludes to in the beginning.
I also read Alex Michaelides' first book, 'The Silent Patient' and feel that this book has more promise than that as the writing seems greatly improved, and it might not be as unbelievable as a story as his debut novel.
I look forward to reading more when 'The Maidens' becomes available!!
--Susan
June 25, 2024
4.5 I loved Michaelides' debut but have to admit it made me look for a turn throughout the story. In the end, I didn't guess anything, but that took some "spark" away for me. I thought the plot was developed nicely, but there were definitely some things I would have liked to see closed; however, it was a great book nonetheless.
November 3, 2024
I consumed this story with the knowledge that the author has a tendency to mess with his readers at the very end always in the back of my mind.
It was a wrenching plot twist, no doubt, but I liked it far better than I feared I would.
I don’t mind being made to revile a character I was wary about, only being forced to hate a character I rather liked.
It was a wrenching plot twist, no doubt, but I liked it far better than I feared I would.
I don’t mind being made to revile a character I was wary about, only being forced to hate a character I rather liked.
October 14, 2021
Some author's second books fail to stand up to the powerhouse of their first runaway novel but Alex Michaelides didn't suffer from this! The Maidens is full of twists and surprises. Wonderful writing and a trapdoor of a plot drops you in and doesn't let go until the final page.
August 13, 2021
Really a different book - good exploration of obsession and psychological issues. Not a favorite book of mine, but the end did have a good twist to it. I did not guess the secret.
September 8, 2021
Tease
Good tease to get you to buy the book but I'm not into these kinds of tricks! Will probably but the book anyway! LOL
Good tease to get you to buy the book but I'm not into these kinds of tricks! Will probably but the book anyway! LOL
September 15, 2021
Mind twist, im speechless! Alex is now my favorite author! I love how he manages to intertwined the silent patient into this book! He is just have an incredible mind!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2022
Amazing. Best book I’ve read in a long time. Couldn’t put it down.
October 14, 2022
When it all comes together at the end 🤯
February 1, 2023
living room - grouper
March 17, 2023
Good mystery. Pulled me in and kept me there.
March 23, 2023
This was a pretty good read. Not as good as silent patient but worth the read. Spoiler alert. Sad ending.
July 16, 2023
I think “The silent patient” is much better than “The Maidens”🙃
July 19, 2023
Great book!
July 29, 2023
Achei este livro brutal.
O final deixou me completamente WOW!!! Completamente inesperado.
O final deixou me completamente WOW!!! Completamente inesperado.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews