The Maidens – Alex Michaelides

Summary

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.

Review

“Mariana decided to investigate,…” resumed, this is the main problem with The Maidens.

I said this on my initial Goodreads review, but my god, I literally cannot believe I guessed the twist although it actually turned out to be less outlandish than what I thought.
The writing, from my honest perspective, went in a cheesy direction in which movie scripts do. Just like Riley Sager, it felt like the book was written with the intensions to be turned into a screenplay.

I didn’t care for any of the characters at all, they had no depth and no development, the Theo and Ruth cameos were so cheesy (again) and just.felt.like.a.movie.

The Greek mythology aspects were so interesting and I really wished they would have ACTUALLY been used in the plot instead of just being there, literally just mentioned whenever the author remembered to and to describe the campus’s surroundings.

This book had so, so very much potential but it fell as flat as the characters were and for it to be called “The Maidens” the girls were barely there at all, I literally just remember 2 instances were they were present.

Don’t fall for pretty covers.