The Maidens by Alex Michaelides (2021)
A dark academia murder mystery with a sprinkle of Greek mythology.
Laura’s Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Plot: Group therapist Mariana heads to Cambridge after her niece Zoe calls with news that one of her friends has been murdered. Mariana is convinced that the mysterious and charismatic professor Edward Fosca is the killer, but the staff and students of Cambridge adore Fosca. Mariana is faced with an uphill battle to prove the professor’s guilt while attempting to keep herself and Zoe out of harm's way.
Analysis: I could not put this book down. Coming out of a bit of a reading slump, I literally read it all in one day. It reminded me a lot of The Secret History, but it was an easier read. There were the usual aspects of dark academia including a mysterious college setting, many references to the classics, and studious, intellectual characters.
The cast of characters were interesting and textured. Mariana was well fleshed out and Professor Fosca was a fantastic character that fit this type of story perfectly, although some of the other characters could have used more development. The plot definitely contained some red herrings, but they were well thought out and the book kept me guessing the whole time. The end was maybe not the most believable scenario but I still enjoyed it.
If you’ve read The Silent Patient by Michaelides (which you should), you’ll also notice a couple references to the other book, which is a fun bonus. I’d highly recommend The Maidens to thriller and dark academia fans.
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