The Maidens.

 

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                      CONTAINS SPOILERS

Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. A handsome and charismatic Greek Tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students alike—particularly by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens.
Mariana Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist who becomes fixated on The Maidens when one member, a friend of Mariana’s niece Zoe, is found murdered in Cambridge. 

Mariana, who was once herself a student at the university, quickly suspects that behind the idyllic beauty of the spires and turrets, and beneath the ancient traditions, lies something sinister. And she becomes convinced that, despite his alibi, Edward Fosca is guilty of the murder. But why would the professor target one of his students? And why does he keep returning to the rites of Persephone, the maiden, and her journey to the underworld? 

When another body is found, Mariana’s obsession with proving Fosca’s guilt spirals out of control, threatening to destroy her credibility as well as her closest relationships. But Mariana is determined to stop this killer, even if it costs her everything—including her own life. 

 

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I love murder mysteries. In general, I loved puzzles since I read Nancy Drew in middle school. I can be picky when it comes to mysteries books; I want to keep on guessing who the killer is. I love the mystery aspect of it. I didn’t know if I would enjoy this book or not, The Maidens is the first book that I read by Alex Michaelides . When I read the synopsis of the book, it sounded like the book that I would enjoy. I wasn’t disappointed. The Maidens kept me on the edge of my seat until the end. There were few slow parts at the beginning of the book, but those did not last long. Before I knew it, I couldn’t get enough of the story and had trouble putting the book down. Greek mythology was always fascinating to me. I loved that The Maidens had some of the Greek mythology in the mix, making the book even more interesting to read. 

I loved the description, the imaginary in the book. The descriptions of Cambridge and how dark the atmosphere got as murders occurred. Like Mariana, I started to become suspicious of Edward Fosca based on how he acted. From the moment that he was introduced, I had a feeling that there wasn’t something right about him. The fact that he seemed to have a selected favorite student that should be a red flag. I had a feeling that he was involved when the girls from his group started to get murdered. However, I love the lengths that Mariana went to help her niece, Zoe. I did have a feeling that Zoe was hiding something, keeping it from Mariana. But the revelation wasn’t what I expected it to be. The ending, another shocking revelation. The murderer was the last person I thought it would, and that’s what I loved about the ending; the unexpected. 

I’m eager to read Alex Michaelides another novel now. I can’t help but be curious about it. If you love a murder mystery with some mix of Greek mythology, The Maidens is worth checking out. You will be on the edge of the seat until the end.