Thank you @celadonbooks #partner for the advanced copy - this one is out June 15!
When Mariana’s niece Zoe calls her from university to tell her a student has been murdered, Mariana wastes no time rushing to Zoe’s side to comfort her over her friend’s death. She had also attended Cambridge years earlier so upon her arrival she meets with some old friends to piece together what happened and who could be responsible.
What I enjoyed:
The short fast chapters made it easy for the story to progress and kept my interest. I enjoyed the academic setting of an old university as it was the perfect ground for a dark, twisty murder mystery. There is also a fun nod to The Silent Patient which I think fans of that book will really enjoy.
What didn’t work for me:
While the setting was perfect for the introduction of “The Maidens”, a secret on campus society, what actually happened wasn’t at all what I thought or what I think the book is marketed as. There are so many characters and storylines that I was waiting for an explosive finale like The Silent Patient and it just never came. The red herrings which are used to throw off the reader were wildly overdone in my opinion and didn’t lead to a satisfying ending.
Overall this one fell flat for me, especially because I really enjoyed The Silent Patient and was wowed by that ending.
When Mariana’s niece Zoe calls her from university to tell her a student has been murdered, Mariana wastes no time rushing to Zoe’s side to comfort her over her friend’s death. She had also attended Cambridge years earlier so upon her arrival she meets with some old friends to piece together what happened and who could be responsible.
What I enjoyed:
The short fast chapters made it easy for the story to progress and kept my interest. I enjoyed the academic setting of an old university as it was the perfect ground for a dark, twisty murder mystery. There is also a fun nod to The Silent Patient which I think fans of that book will really enjoy.
What didn’t work for me:
While the setting was perfect for the introduction of “The Maidens”, a secret on campus society, what actually happened wasn’t at all what I thought or what I think the book is marketed as. There are so many characters and storylines that I was waiting for an explosive finale like The Silent Patient and it just never came. The red herrings which are used to throw off the reader were wildly overdone in my opinion and didn’t lead to a satisfying ending.
Overall this one fell flat for me, especially because I really enjoyed The Silent Patient and was wowed by that ending.