Thanks to Celadon Books and BookishFirst for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review!
This was the first ARC I have won in a very long time and I was beside myself with excitement to get an early look at Michaelides' new work! In my opinion, The Silent Patient was a solid 5-star read...the psychological twists abounding! So, I know The Maidens will be extremely popular. I couldn't believe I'd be ahead of the reading crowd on this one with an ARC from Celadon Books and BookishFirst! Let's just say...I could have waited.
The Maidens is a psychological mystery, blending a serial killer with an abundance of Greek tragedy in the academic environment. Mariana, a group therapist dealing with the death of her husband, gets involved in solving a series of murders after her niece's best friend is murdered. Mariana sets her sights on Professor Edward Fosca as the murderer: a sought-after professor of Greek literature with a harem of girls who follow him around (The Maidens).
I love psychological thrillers and I love books set in the academic environment, so The Maidens seemed like it was going to be a sure win. There were interesting aspects to the story: I enjoyed the tidbits about Tennyson's life; I mostly enjoyed the reminders of mythology and Greek tragedy from my youth (though after awhile this seemed to wear on). Avoiding a spoiler, I found the ending to be a letdown. Much of the novel's intricacies were a mask...
In the genre of psychological thriller, I'd say this was middle-of-the road. If this isn't your main genre, you may find it more interesting, but if that's your genre of choice, I'm not sure you'll be impressed...and you definitely won't be impressed like after The Silent Patient.
This was the first ARC I have won in a very long time and I was beside myself with excitement to get an early look at Michaelides' new work! In my opinion, The Silent Patient was a solid 5-star read...the psychological twists abounding! So, I know The Maidens will be extremely popular. I couldn't believe I'd be ahead of the reading crowd on this one with an ARC from Celadon Books and BookishFirst! Let's just say...I could have waited.
The Maidens is a psychological mystery, blending a serial killer with an abundance of Greek tragedy in the academic environment. Mariana, a group therapist dealing with the death of her husband, gets involved in solving a series of murders after her niece's best friend is murdered. Mariana sets her sights on Professor Edward Fosca as the murderer: a sought-after professor of Greek literature with a harem of girls who follow him around (The Maidens).
I love psychological thrillers and I love books set in the academic environment, so The Maidens seemed like it was going to be a sure win. There were interesting aspects to the story: I enjoyed the tidbits about Tennyson's life; I mostly enjoyed the reminders of mythology and Greek tragedy from my youth (though after awhile this seemed to wear on). Avoiding a spoiler, I found the ending to be a letdown. Much of the novel's intricacies were a mask...
In the genre of psychological thriller, I'd say this was middle-of-the road. If this isn't your main genre, you may find it more interesting, but if that's your genre of choice, I'm not sure you'll be impressed...and you definitely won't be impressed like after The Silent Patient.