

Her trial for her husband's murder was a hotbed of rumors, innuendo, and media sensationalism, but no one ever finds the answers they seek, no one understands what would have made Alicia kill her husband so brutally and then try to take her own life. Moments later, he was shot five times in the face and killed, and the police found Alicia covered in his blood, as well as her own, as she attempted to slit her own wrists.įrom that moment on, Alicia hasn't spoken a word. One night, her husband came home late from a shoot. Married to a handsome photographer for whom she is consumed by love, they seem to be the picture-perfect couple, at least to anyone on the outside looking in. I really enjoyed the way he kept me guessing and was completely hooked on this story of murder, infidelity, psychological instability, and the desire to be a savior.Īlicia Berenson was an artist of some renown, but these days she's more infamous than anything else. While I had some suspicions about the way things in Alex Michaelides' terrific debut, The Silent Patient, might go, I will admit he pulled one over on me at one point. Because, as I've mentioned, I have this tendency to suspect every single character that appears in a thriller, I'm often not as surprised as many others are when authors throw in twists and turns, or when the perpetrator is finally revealed. Prepare to devour this novel thanks to a twisted plot, intricate characters, and an ending that you'll want to rehash with any fellow mystery-lover.I read a lot of thrillers, so I tend to be pretty hard on them.

The Sweet Spot SummaryĪfter his hit The Silent Patient, author Alex Michaelides is back with a Cambridge University-set psychological thriller centered on Greek mythology, a secret society, and a woman set out to prove a charismatic professor has blood on his hands. It's a good book club book if you want to read something thrilling, and it'll lead to some interesting discussions about therapy, mythology, and (not surprisingly) death. It's 333 pages, but thanks to the dramatic story and compelling writing, you'll breeze through it in no time. Since this book is really good, it won't take you longer than a couple days to get through it (or just one weekend, if you're a binge reader!). A book by an author who shares your zodiac sign (Michaelides is a Virgo).This novel can check off more than one 2021 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge prompt just pick the one that fits best for you. It's thrilling without being too scary, and it has just the right amount of believable twists and turns. Additionally, if you like Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, and Sleeping With the Enemy, this book features a similar psychologically gripping style. There are also some cross-over nods to the The Silent Patient, so keep an eye out for those. With similar page-turning cliff-hangers, this utterly compulsive read will make you question which book you like better. If you liked The Silent Patient, then you already know Michaelides's new book will be up your alley.
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If you're a seasoned thriller reader, we trust that you know how to handle a book like this. There are some gruesome details about murder in here, so be sure you're equipped to handle those. She was absolutely certain: she was looking into the eyes of a murderer." MindsetĪs with any psychological thriller, you need to be in a stable headspace to read this book. "As she looked into his black eyes, Mariana no longer had any doubts.

She was absolutely certain: she was looking into the eyes of a murderer." Standout Quote Against her will, Mariana goes back to the campus, only to discover that the murderer is hiding in plain sight. After months of suffering this heartbreak, things only get worse when Mariana's only lasting family member, her niece Zoe, calls her to tell her that her best friend was brutally and horrifically murdered at the same college Mariana and Sebastian had once found so much joy.

Their happiness is unparalleled, until one day, during a trip Mariana suggested on the island of Naxos, Sebastian winds up dead. Despite being lonely, quiet, and always on the outskirts, Mariana meets and falls in love with her future husband, Sebastian. After reeling from a rough childhood in Greece, Mariana goes to Cambridge University to complete her education as well as leave her past behind. The Maidens revolves around a group therapist named Mariana whose past has consisted of more death than life. Enticingly dark and compulsively pageturning, this chilling novel takes readers on a suspenseful journey that's both terrifying and twisted. What do Greek mythology, a secret society, and two brutal murders all have in common? They set the scene of The Silent Patient author Alex Michaelides's brand-new thriller (out today!), The Maidens ($17).
