Mariana Andros is no stranger to loss. First, her mother when she was a child, her sister and brother-in-law and most recently, her husband. Working as a group therapist is a form of therapy for her grief. When her niece Zoe calls her to tell her a young woman's body has been found and she thinks it is that of her friend, Mariana rushes to her side in Cambridge. Mariana decides to find the murderer and launches her own investigation. What follows Mariana could never have imagined.
This thoroughly engrossing novel is populated with fascinating characters, several of which could be considered suspects. Themes of Greek mythology are interwoven into the narrative, adding depth. Well plotted and evocative, the story moves very quickly. Danger mounts as the number of victims rises. Mariana has skills, but will they help her accomplish her goal? Does her past get in the way?
Skillfully told, this profound novel takes readers to a shocking and memorable conclusion. Highly recommended.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient comes a spellbinding tale of psychological suspense, weaving together Greek mythology, murder, and obsession, that further cements “Michaelides as a major player in the field” (Publishers Weekly).
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.
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