Everyone keeps secrets, even from themselves. This statement sets the stage for a captivating and nerve-wracking experience, as described by Stephen Fry as “a thrilling, heart-in-throat ride,” and Lucy Foley as “an absolute jaw-dropper.” From the author of the worldwide bestseller The Silent Patient comes an enthralling literary thriller that combines Greek mythology, psychology, and murder.
The story takes place in St. Christopher’s College, Cambridge, a world that remains inaccessible to many people. Mariana Andros, a therapist who is struggling with her personal grief, met her late husband there. For her niece Zoe, it’s the tragic location of her best friend’s murder. As Mariana delves into her own memories and investigates the mystery, she uncovers a society filled with secrets that have been shaken to its core by the murder of one of its own.
Behind the college’s serene facade, there is a web of jealousy and anger emanating from an exclusive group of students known as The Maidens, who are under the sinister influence of the enigmatic Professor Edward Fosca. He appears to know more than anyone about the murders and the victims, and will ultimately become the primary suspect in Mariana’s investigation, becoming an obsession that will unravel everything.
The Maidens is a story of love and grief, exploring what shapes us as individuals and what drives us to commit heinous acts. It is an elegant, sinister, and thrilling work, answering the weighty question of how one follows up one of the decade’s most significant thrillers by writing something even better, according to bestselling author Chris Whitaker. Gripping from start to finish, it is a remarkable accomplishment that has been described by Harriet Tyce as “a page-turner of the first order,” and by David Baldacci as “a brilliant achievement.” It is the greatest campus novel since Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, with a climactic twist that will leave readers stunned, according to Tony Parsons. Finally, Publishers Weekly hails it as “a stunning psychological thriller,” adding that Michaelides is “on a roll.”
