With Oxford University having broken up for the summer, I am free of my studies for now, until the autumn, so I have had more time to read fiction. Once again, I find myself drawn to the world of dark academia and since this novel has been waiting on my shelf for some time, I decided that now was the perfect moment to read it.
Set at Cambridge University, The Maidens is a dark and moody murder mystery, for there is a killer on the rampage amid these hallowed halls of learning. The Maidens of the title refers to an exclusive secret society at the university, made up of the brightest, most beautiful and highly privileged of the female students. The society is run by the handsome professor of Greek Tragedy, Edward Fosca and his Maidens will do just about anything to win and maintain his approval. This allegiance becomes all the more vital when one of their number is murdered and the society bands closer together to protect each other and their beloved American tutor.
Into this mix comes Mariana, a psychotherapist and aunt to one of the students, Zoe, who was best friends with the murder victim. Mariana is still grieving after the sudden death of her husband and she is determined to do what she can to protect her niece until the killer is found and brought to justice. She soon begins to suspect that Edward Fosca has a strange hold over the girls he has drawn into the Maidens society and that he is the most likely suspect for the murder, so she sets out to prove his guilt, using her skills as a psychotherapist to try and extract the Maidens from his influence and control. Being a psychotherapist myself, this psychological slant on the classic mystery novel intrigued me.
This story is written in the style of a good old fashioned who-dunnit. It reminded me of Miss Marple, in that Mariana seems to be able to get access to crime scenes and evidence which is totally beyond her jurisdiction as a therapist. She also has a habit of finding evidence that the police have missed, which she then holds onto without consequence, so it is a little fantastical in that respect. However, this didn't spoil the story for me because lots of fictional amateur sleuths seem to have a knack of being in places they shouldn't be, so it was in keeping with the genre and the classic mystery novels of Agatha Christie and Ruth Rendell.
The story swings along at a nice pace, with short chapters and great hooks that keep you turning the pages. The university setting is well drawn and you do feel as if you are in the halls of Cambridge University, or punting on the river, as you read. I also enjoyed that this book hinges on Greek mythology, most especially the myth of Demeter and Persephone, which is one of my favourite legends of the Greek pantheon.
My only gripe with this book is that it didn't go on for long enough and I felt like the story ended too soon. I would have preferred an additional scene at the end, because it didn't feel like a truly satisfying ending. It's good, but I wanted to know more. I would have preferred the novel to continue for one more scene to get a more satisfying denouement, as the ending feels too open and unfinished, though some readers will enjoy the open-ended conclusion.
Overall though, I really enjoyed reading this one. If you like dark academia novels, murder mysteries or classical mythology, you will probably enjoy The Maidens. It has certainly kept me entertained for the past couple of evenings. Happy reading.
BB Marie x
AD: This novel is published by Orion and is available now in all formats.
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