Book Review - The Maidens by Alex Michaelides Review by Andreia De Santos

“We all secretly hope that tragedy will only ever happen to other people. But Mariana knew, sooner or later, it happens to you.”

This novel follows a woman named Mariana, who is a group therapist. One day, she gets a phone call from Zoe, her niece, who tells her that something tragic happened and she thinks her best friend was murdered. Mariana goes to Cambridge University to help her niece cope with the tragedy and maybe, with the help of old and new friends, find those responsible for the murder.

Alex Michealides is a “mystery master”. When reading this genre, I often, successfully, read between the lines and guess who’s the villain. Not this time. I really thought I knew who did it. I really did. Every page made me believe that a certain character was the murderer. Until I reached the last 20 pages. It is amazing how the writer kept it all a secret until the end. He gives the reader several clues throughout the book, in the form of letter entries. However, he doesn’t prepare us for what is coming.

My favourite element of this book was its setting and the Greek mythology references. Michaelides paints a beautifully dark picture of Cambridge. The descriptions were so well written, that I truly felt like I was there, walking those streets, with Mariana and Zoe. The writer transported me to Cambridge, a place I, now, desperately need to visit.

Full of red herrings and a massive plot twist, if you’re looking for a fast paced, easy read that will make you skip supper because you need to read another chapter, this should be on your TBR.