Edward
Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is
untouchable. A handsome and charismatic Greek Tragedy professor at
Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students
alike—particularly by the members of a secret society of female
students known as The Maidens.
Mariana
Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist who becomes
fixated on The Maidens when one member, a friend of Mariana’s niece
Zoe, is found murdered in Cambridge.
Mariana,
who was once herself a student at the university, quickly suspects
that behind the idyllic beauty of the spires and turrets, and beneath
the ancient traditions, lies something sinister. And she becomes
convinced that, despite his alibi, Edward Fosca is guilty of the
murder. But why would the professor target one of his students? And
why does he keep returning to the rites of Persephone, the maiden,
and her journey to the underworld?
When
another body is found, Mariana’s obsession with proving Fosca’s
guilt spirals out of control, threatening to destroy her credibility
as well as her closest relationships. But Mariana is determined to
stop this killer, even if it costs her everything—including her own
life.
There's
always a huge amount of anticipation on the shoulders of a writer
when their début novel is a worldwide bestseller. Like many, I've
eagerly anticipated waiting for The Maidens and for me, this is a very worthy successor to The
Silent Patient.
Mariana
Andros is a dedicated group therapist and widow. When her Cambridge
student niece Zoe, calls and tells her, her friend is missing,
Mariana's instinct is to go to her. Arriving at St. Christopher's
College she consoles Zoe after Tara's body is discovered but
something isn't right. In addition to helping find the murdered the
college backdrop reawakens Mariana's memories of her beloved husband
Sebastian; from the time they spent together as students at the
college. When she meets the charismatic professor, Edward Fosca, she
is sure he is guilty of murder as the evidence stacks up against him.
Only, why would he kill his students?
The
beginning was slow however, the pace and my interest soon picked up
as the narrative settles into a steady rhythm. Thanks to the short
chapters it's easy to digest the clues; mostly red herrings as they
crop up. Intertwined are references to Greek Tragedies and Alfred
Tennyson to add weight to the exposed evidence. The author's writing
is clear and succinct, again making it easy for the reader to keep
abreast of the proceedings. Therefore, I did manage to pick up on a
clue, silently patting myself on the back before getting blind-sided
with the reveal of the killer's identity.
With
the cameo appearance of two characters from The Silent Patient, I do
wonder if a third novel by the author may tie these two narratives
together… if so, I'll be the first in the clue to read it!
***arc
received courtesy of Orion Publishing via NetGalley***
