I wanted to get my hands on The Maidens as soon as I read the synopsis. As soon as my Book of the Month box came in I picked it up. It was addictive. Let’s talk about it.
Mariana is sure that Edward Fosca is a murderer. But this charismatic professor is adored at Cambridge University. He even has his own female exclusive secret society call The Maidens. Mariana puts her career as a group therapist on hold to help her niece, Zoe, after her friend is murdered. She suspects Fosca despite his alibi. When another student is murdered, Mariana risks her reputation and life to prove Fosca’s guilt.
My THoughts on THE MAIDEN
The Maidens is stunning from the beginning. The dark, moody atmosphere is a perfect setting for this story. I love the fact that this combines dark academia with a murder mystery. It gives me everything I want.
Mariana makes for an interesting character. She is a group therapist, but I could tell from the beginning that she had problems of her own. She’s great at her job, but her stability is easily questioned. She wants to help Zoe, but her obsession with Fosca starts to put her own life in danger.
Marianna was also a student at Cambridge, so some of her knowledge is used throughout the story. There is a heavy focus on Greek tragedy embedded in the narrative. The use of literary devices and themes added a depth to an otherwise straight-forward murder mystery.
Lastly, let’s talk about shock factor because The Maidens has it. While I did guess the perpetrator there was no way I would have guessed the motive. It was believable, and there were subtle clues built in, but it still took me by surprise.
I will say there was a section that didn’t seem to fit the story. I don’t remember it being wrapped up, but I could have missed it. That disappointed me a little, but I still really enjoyed The Maidens.
My Rating: 4/5
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