Shadowland

This wasn't horrible but it also wasn't amazing. The plot felt very jerky to me, the tone patronizing and disdainful, I think there was too much emphasis given on imagined symbolism, and I also think the author doesn't write women characters very well. There were certain things that I predicted that turned out to be right and others that I was wrong about so I can at least say that I didn't 'solve' the plot before the end. Basically I won't be highly recommending this to others but will still recommend The Silent Patient.… (plus d'informations)

The mystery begins when Mariana’s niece Zoe calls her from college about the disappearance of her Cambridge classmate and friend, Tara. By the time Mariana arrives to look after Zoe, the disappearance has been identified as murder, almost a ritualistic murder (it’s a bit gory). Zoe reports that Tara’s last words were a warning about Professor Fosca, who has an impressive academic reputation, an airtight alibi for the night of the murder, and a creepy harem of students who call themselves The Maidens. Naturally, Mariana gets drawn into investigating.

Of course, I wanted to see what would happen, but mostly I enjoyed the setting and feel of this novel so much. I went to a generic, perfectly-fine state school for my undergrad EXCEPT one summer when I read classics at Cambridge, which remains the highlight of all my education. Obviously the quality of the lectures was impressive, I still pick up classics books and recognize names of my lecturers. But I also lived in St Catz and had lectures in beautiful halls, small discussions in upscale living rooms tucked in all the old buildings, and ate in a beautiful dining hall, and just constantly felt like This is all for me? For every day? the whole time I was studying there. So of course I loved all the Cambridge scenes.

As a Cambridge grad with psych training, Mariana is uniquely suited for an investigation. I enjoyed following her through twists and turns as one person after another looked guilty at first.

This whole novel plays with academic characters so well. I wasn’t sure if Fred was an eccentric academic without a lot of social skills, or if he was evil. I knew Fosca was in love with his own brilliance, but was he also evil? Some of the Maidens are spoilt, entitled princesses, but were they actually evil or lying to cover up evil? Were certain bedders and porters up to something shady, or just messing with the academic nobs?

I found the ending a bit unsatisfying, but don't click for why unless you want The Maidens spoilers. I know I'm in the minority here -- social media is just full of readers in love with this book. And I mostly enjoyed reading gothic, mythic Cambridge.
… (plus d'informations)

Do you like Greek Mythology? Do you like mysteries? Do you like therapists who throw their job description out the window? If so, The Maidens by Alex Michaelides is the book for you! This new mystery from the best selling author of The Silent Patient is full of twists, murders, and red herrings. You will not be able to put it down!
Mariana is alone. Her niece, Zoe, is at college, and her husband, Sebastian, is dead. After a particularly difficult session with her therapy group, she gets a call from Zoe. There has been a murder on her campus in Cambridge, and it was Zoe’s friend Tara. Mariana drops everything to go comfort her. When she arrives in Cambridge, she meets the mysterious, Greek tragedy professor, Edward Fosca. He leads a small group of students, The Maidens, that had included Tara. Mariana is distraught when the police consider the case closed without interviewing Fosca, who seems immediately guilty to her. She decides to stick around and help Zoe feel better and figure out the case.
The mystery in this book had me on the edge of my seat. I knew that the story was leading the reader along the wrong way, but I did not figure out the true ending on my own. Unlike The Silent Patient, I did not feel betrayed by the ending. I still feel like I knew the main character and her needs the whole time.
At some points, it felt like Mariana was a bit obsessed with her dead husband, and I think that there was a fine line between grief and obsession. There were a few characters that felt extraneous and never went anywhere, but I think they were meant as distractions. Some of the setting was a bit confusing, but it’s due to my American understanding of university campuses. (I just have to say that Tara’s bedder seemed way more involved in her students’ lives than any hall director in the US I’ve heard of. She woke them up and made their beds? What?)
This book had a lot of short chapters that made the pace fly. I also greatly enjoyed the references to Persephone, Demeter, and other Greek stories that Fosca’s students were studying. Mariana is also from Greece, so the connections to her childhood draw her in even further. After a while, Mariana’s therapist code sort of went out the window, but that seems to be this author’s favorite thing to do.
Also, big fans of The Silent Patient are in for a fun surprise about two thirds of the way in. I had to tell my whole family about it--but they were all asleep. This book really did keep me up late!
Overall, this book is an enthralling tale of murder, mythology, and mysteries. I highly recommend this book! Bring it to the beach, and see if you can figure out who killed Tara!
… (plus d'informations)