Entertaining and kept me guessing right to the end. Mariana, a group therapist living in London Is grieving her husband who died in a tragic accident a year before when her niece, Zoe calls and asks her to come to Cambridge because a close friend has been brutally murdered. Mariana soon becomes determined to solve the murder especially after 2 more girls who are members of a secret society called The Maidens are killed in the same manner. She is convinced that the professor who teaches Greek tragedy and formed the group is the killer and that the remaining Maidens are lying about his alibis. Many characters come in and out of Mariana’s investigations, each with quirks and backstories to also bring them under suspicion. But Mariana is too focused on the professor to consider any other possibilities.
I loved the author’s debut novel, The Silent Patient and was anxious to read this one. While I love thrillers with unexpected twists, this book was over the top for me with just too many “rabbit holes” and suspicious characters. I am generously rating it 4 stars for the entertainment value. When my friends tell me that certain thrillers are “too unbelievable”, I reply “it’s fiction; it’s not supposed to be entirely believable” but this book pushed even me to the end of my tolerance with outlandishness. The ending was rushed and even though there were hints along the way, it seemed spun out of control. I did enjoy the references to Greek mythology which is very popular in many current works of fiction.
I loved the author’s debut novel, The Silent Patient and was anxious to read this one. While I love thrillers with unexpected twists, this book was over the top for me with just too many “rabbit holes” and suspicious characters. I am generously rating it 4 stars for the entertainment value. When my friends tell me that certain thrillers are “too unbelievable”, I reply “it’s fiction; it’s not supposed to be entirely believable” but this book pushed even me to the end of my tolerance with outlandishness. The ending was rushed and even though there were hints along the way, it seemed spun out of control. I did enjoy the references to Greek mythology which is very popular in many current works of fiction.