A review by writingcaia
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Mariana, a grieving widow and talented group therapist with a bit of stalker patient, is called one night to help her niece Zoe in Cambridge when her best friend disappears after saying she was afraid her teacher, Fosca, and The Maidens group leader, that she’s a part off, would kill her.
Mariana goes to the rescue and once the body of Zoe’s friend is found stabbed to death she immediately sees the threat and attraction Fosca exudes and after what the murdered girl said to Zoe, he seems the only likely culprit to her.
The whole vibe of the book is amazing, it’s atmospheric, the history and setting of Cambridge really leaps from the pages, the pace and whole Greek tragedy vibe and dark academy aura puled me in and made me doubt everyone including the boy Mariana meets on the train to Cambridge, who ends up becoming  her ally of sorts when she decides to stay to help comfort her niece and investigate Fosca. Still, his mysterious and prophetic dialogues put me on edge. Who is he really?
I can say I wasn’t expecting that ending at all, that’s something I do love in thrillers, not to be able to guess the murderer, if I can than I rarely rate them high.
This was pretty good, but I felt the misdirections a bit forced sometimes and the characters somewhat one dimensional.
Still, super entertaining and hard to put down.
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