Also, Zoe is Mariana’s niece, and would presumable inherit the rest of her grandfather’s / Mariana’s father’s money, so… On Mariana’s half of the money, because I expect Mariana’s sister would get some too. Also, if his motive was her money, she was disinherited by her father when they got married, right? So it seems like he was playing an extremely long game, hoping that she’d be back in the will and he’d get his hand on the money. We’ve seen so much of Mariana’s memories of their romance, with nothing to make it seem like he manipulated his way into her life. But Zoe’s affair with Sebastian felt forced into the book for a Big Shock. She’s basically the only person Mariana hasn’t worried about, which often makes for the perfect thriller reveal. Well, I guess that was technically possible.”Īfter all the misdirections around Henry / Feed / Julian / Fosca, I wasn’t 100% shocked to find it was Zoe all along.

I prefer a surprise reveal that feels like “OMG, IT WAS THERE ALL ALONG!” to “Huh. And I mostly loved it, I loved reading it, just when a thriller does a huge surprise reveal, I enjoy it more when there was a hint or two before that.

I know I’m in the minority here - social media is just full of readers in love with this book. I have to admit that found the ending of The Maidens a bit unsatisfying. The Maidens is a story of love, and of grief – of what makes us who we are, and what makes us kill.If you haven’t read the book yet, please read my regular review instead! This page contains spoilers for The Maidens.

And the man who will become the prime suspect in Mariana’s investigation – an obsession which will unravel everything… A group under the sinister influence of the enigmatic professor Edward Fosca.Ī man who seems to know more than anyone about the murders – and the victims. For her niece, Zoe, it’s the tragic scene of her best friend’s murder.Īs memory and mystery entangle Mariana, she finds a society full of secrets, which has been shocked to its core by the murder of one of its own.īecause behind its idyllic beauty is a web of jealousy and rage which emanates from an exclusive set of students known only as The Maidens. St Christopher’s College, Cambridge, is a closed world to most.įor Mariana Andros – a group therapist struggling through her private grief – it’s where she met her late husband. I found it a bit too dark for my personal taste but I enjoyed branching out into a slightly different genre than I usually read.įrom the author of the global #1 bestselling debut The Silent Patient comes a spellbinding literary thriller which weaves together Greek mythology, psychology, and murder… I gave this book four stars because I think it is an excellent psychological novel that I enjoyed reading.

The maidens book