The Maidens | A Worthy Second Thriller from Michaelides

4.75/5 stars

The Maidens, a secret society comprised of female students at Cambridge University. They particularly admire one professor, Edward Fosca. Mariana is certain Fosca is a murderer but doesn’t know how to bring him to justice. As Mariana begins to investigate Fosca and The Maidens, her life begins to spiral. How far will she go to catch a killer?

How does Michaelides do it? I thought I could predict the ending after getting a sense of his writing style from The Silent Patient. I predicted half of the twists and was still shocked by the ending. The book was full of suspense and had fairly disturbing material. For the most part, it was paced well. The ending felt rushed and was a bit confusing regarding characters’ motivations. I’m still curious about Mariana and had hoped to see more character development following the main events. 

I enjoyed the easter eggs and how there are The SIlent Patient references and characters making appearings in this book. It’s a nice treat for readers and helps add extra context to this book’s universe. Overall, another stellar read from Michaelides. I am excited for his next works. He has definitely become a go-to author for me.