The Maidens

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When Zoe and Mariana soon find the knife from the ceremony, Zoe reveals her intention to kill Mariana. Zoe admits that Sebastian was the author of the letter and that they were in love. Sebastian married Mariana for her father's fortune, and he was the one who formulated this elaborate plan to murder her. After his accidental death, Zoe decided to carry out his plan. Zoe intentionally involved Mariana in this investigation into these murders (all committed by Zoe for this purpose), framed Fosca and finally intends to make Mariana look like the final victim.

The one-paragraph version: Mariana is a young widow whose husband Sebastian died in a swimming accident last year. She goes to visit her niece Zoe at Cambridge after Zoe's friend Tara is found murdered. Zoe suspects Edward Fosca, a handsome and popular professor who Tara had been sleeping with. Mariana gets drawn into investigating Fosca as well as the Maidens, a cult-like group of women who idolize Fosca. Tara had been one of the Maidens and soon two more of the women are found dead. In the end, it's revealed that Zoe is the killer. Zoe had been lovers with Sebastian, who married Mariana for money. After his accident, Zoe decided to continue with his plan of murdering Mariana (to get her fortune). The plan was to involve Mariana in an investigation into a series of murders (all committed by Zoe), frame Fosca and finally kill Mariana. However, Mariana manages to fight Zoe off, and Zoe ends up arrested and taken to a psychiatric facility.Something beautiful, something holy, had died. All that remained were the books he read, the clothes he wore, the things he touched. She could still smell him on them, still taste him on the tip of her tongue.

Mariana glanced at a group of students, presumably firstyears, intently studying the posters attached to railings that There was no way I could guess who the murderer was because every man seems to have something that might point to him. Everyone speaks in circles and there is a sense of foreboding, as if more is going to happen (and it does). I suspect that there will be more of this world, where The Silent Patient and The Maidens intersect in a third book and I look forward to reading that story. Tara had just confided in Zoe, that their Greek Tragedy Professor, Edward Fosca, had threatened to kill her. But, the investigators do not believe what Zoe has to say. Mariana successfully inserts herself into the investigation, putting herself on a collision course with the undeniably charming, Professor Fosca.I actually think I enjoyed this more than The Silent Patient, and that's saying a lot. I cannot wait to see what Michaelides comes up with next. Elegant, sinister, stylish and thrilling, The Maidens answers the weighty question, how do you go about following one of the biggest thrillers of the past decade? You write something even better." Mariana prays to the goddesses (Demeter and Persephone) in Naxos, and Sebastian is then shrouded in darkness and dies the next day. Mariana assumes it’s because she offended the gods, but in the end you realize that (if you accept the superstitious take on things) her prayer protected her from him. Then, when she prays again, they reveal the love letter in Zoe’s bedroom. I thought this was one of the cleverer aspects of this book. When Zoe reveals that she, too, received a postcard (with the Ancient Greek quotes), Mariana decides it's time for them to get out of Cambridge. Before they head out, Zoe insists on fetching a knife from the ceremony (which she suspects was used in the murders) so they have it as evidence. Alex Michaelides’s long-awaited next novel, 'The Maidens,' is finally here...the premise is enticing and the elements irresistible."

A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy. now, you may well ask yourself why no one would give a little wait, what? about a female-student-collecting prof drinking behind closed doors with all these pretty little maidens, or find the optics of professor mcdreamy striding across campus trailed by an entourage of girls in flowy white dresses on their way to a memorial service...ill-advised? That’s how he spoke at just twenty: so ridiculously grownup. And so naive to assume they would spend the rest of

The Maidens, Explained!

Delicious Cambridge atmosphere, detailed depictions about the surroundings which takes us virtual vacation to this epic, historical place! the only thing that really bothered me about this book, though, are the interactions between the MC and men. honestly, there are four separate male characters who throw themselves at her. but of course, she ‘doesnt know how beautiful she is (this is mentioned more than once - major eye roll),’ so she declines their advances and they either A) get very angry and offended by it, or B) they wont take no for an answer and consistently pester her. not to mention all of these interactions could be removed from the book with no consequence - i have no idea what purpose they serve. one time i could overlook, but multiple occurrences is just very poor characterisation and bad writing. Fosca dropped his cigarette onto the path. He ground it into the earth with his foot. "You're determined to dislike me. I don't know why." That’s how it felt. Since Sebastian died, Mariana no longer saw the world in color. Life was muted and gray and far away, behind a veil—behind a mist of sadness.