Ughhh I thought I had learned my lesson with the first book so I was reading this one super thoroughly but I didn’t have enough evidence to guess the twist! With that said, there were some plot points that repeated The Silent Patient, even a line I noticed said by the supervisor to Mariana: “where’s your difficulty?” It was cool that Theo and Mariana met, confirming the “universe” of the books. I’m excited to read his next work!

Seit langem mal wieder ein richtig spannendes Buch! Ich fand the silent patient etwas besser, weil dieses hier manchmal schon so all over the place war hahahha. Außerdem hat’s der Autor echt auf schöne junge Frauen abgesehen (schon male gaze oft). Fand auch die Darstellung von Psyche und Therapie in the Silent Patient besser. Hier wird fast schon zu viel Empathie für Mörder gezeigt

Disclaimer: I am at a point in my life where I WILL consume every piece of dark academia media and this (sadly) has to be one of the worst ones (so far). I didn’t like the silent patient that much and this has to be even worse. Maybe Michaelides’ books just aren’t for me. While I - once again- enjoyed the initial premise, the plot twist, or rather parts of the plot twist became really apparent in the first third of the book so I was just curious about the remaining details. And those I didn’t like. There would have been roughly 20 better choices that could’ve been made concerning the motives of the culprit and yet the author chose the weirdest love triangle p*dophilia situation?? If there’s one thing I’m not asking for in my murder mystery dark academia book it’s THIS + grooming?? Also the whole Fred side plot felt so weird and unnatural? Like homeboy is obsessed with the most boring person in the book who doesn’t ever mirror his feelings or leads him on? There’s no background as to why he thinks so other than “he has a feeling they will marry at some point”??? And last but not least the inclusion of “the grove” and Theo is obviously a nod to “the silent patient” which I didn’t enjoy either. Feels kind of uncalled for and didn’t serve the plot either. I just hope michaelides continues using his writing skills but maybe starts adopting other peoples’ ideas plot wise. Also, PLEASE write a likeable woman for ONCE!! rant over and out

2,5: I had fun reading it, but there were a few questionable narrative choices. The whole narrative hinges on the mc believing something that the reader cannot possibly think is true, which may be the point, but also makes for a rather frustrating reading experience in parts. The writing style is a bit cheesy, like it's trying too hard to be profound and mysterious. Overall, however, the book is engaging and worth a read, I'd say.

The most boring thriller I have read. Granted I haven’t read many but this really isn’t it. Mariana is boring and wholly unqualified for the role of the protagonist of this uneventful and mediocrely written novel. What is the point of a group therapist being intimidated by a group of young women investigating the murders of said girls? Mariana even has to ask her supervisor and a colleague, who she is suspicious of, for advice because she is completely lost in her unprofessional investigation. Her supervisor, Ruth, gives her to groundbreaking advice that the maidens are a group and Mariana is a group therapist so it should be easy for her to talk to them, right? Wrong. Mariana is so out of her depth as a therapist and is intimidated by a bunch of 20-year-old women whose vocabulary consists of “This is so stupid” and whose behaviour is like that of 13-year-old bully in middle school. If you describe a group called the Maidens, a reference to Persephone’s old name Kore, as the most intelligent and promising students under Professor Edward Fosca’s care, but present them as these valley girls who could care less about studying and are only concerned with impressing and lusting over Fosca, you have completely missed the point as an author. About Fosca I can say that he was the most interesting yet underdeveloped character and pseudo-villain I have ever had the misfortune of reading about. Yet I would have much rather read the story from his perspective than Mariana, a woman hung up on her dead husband. Everything reminds her of Sebastian and I imagine her walking around Cambridge and London with constant tears in her eyes, because “Sebastian would walk this way every day” and “Sebastian always bought this exact chocolate from Tesco every Thursday”. Her husband was so perfect that consequently, she is suspicious of every man that crosses her path, whether he is a professional like inspector Sangha or a total sweetheart like Fred. Mariana’s incompetence is further underlined by the fact that she doesn’t even for a second suspect or really questions Zoe. Zoe, who has seen Tara last before she died and has no alibi. Zoe, who was a loner at university and only had Tara as a friend. Zoe, who hates the maidens and Professor Fosca, and wow would you look at that, two of those maidens are killed! But it can only be the young, handsome, American Greek tragedy professor, right? Mariana is so convinced that it’s Fosca that she even physically assaults him. This premise had so much potential, but writing mediocre at best female characters and only creepy men and making the most interesting group in this book a bunch of wannabe edgy but ultimately mean valley girls, completely missed the mark for me. One of the worst books I have read, maybe even THE worst because this has no redeemable qualities whatsoever.

I didn't hate the book. It was good, I enjoyed the story but the protagonist. She was probably the worst he could have chosen to narrate the Story. Mariana was not only boring but absolutely replaceable in the Story. She brought nothing to it and had so specific characteristics. She wasn't hateable nor likeable and I was glad when the book was over. The Ending I am confused about. It was predictable that the person who did it was the murderer. There were some false clues everywhere but more or less it was obvious those that were painted suspect weren't it. It just didn't make all that much sense to me that this specific person did it. I expected a lot more from this book tbh

*spoilers* The pacing was so darn slow. I was thrown information for no apparent reason. The whole concept of the main character was BS, if she couldn't see what her own husband was at fault, let alone her niece. She was feeling feelings? I MEAN HOW? I was so disappointed. :\