Totally original and utterly compelling, with a voice all of its own, this is the outstanding new thriller from the no.1 internationally bestselling author of The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides.

On a small private Greek island, former movie star Lana Farrar - an old friend - invites a select group of us to stay. It'll be hot, sunny, perfect. A chance to relax and reconnect - and maybe for a few hidden truths to come out.

Because nothing on this island is quite what it seems.

Not Lana. Not her guests. Certainly not the murderer - furiously plotting their crime . . .

But who am I?

A shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband―and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.

Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.

Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations―a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....

A shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband―and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.

Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.

Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations―a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....

It begins with a phone call. And it ends with a murder . . .

Seven friends gather on an idyllic Greek island.

Among them: the actress, the playwright, the housekeeper, the second husband and the wayward son.

There’s jealousy, betrayal, unrequited love, a handful of secrets and too many lies.

Thirty-six hours after they arrive one of them will be dead.

You’ll never guess who. You’ll never guess why.

We all keep secrets. Even from ourselves. 'A thrilling, heart-in-throat ride' STEPHEN FRY 'An absolute jaw-dropper' LUCY FOLEY 'Elegant, sinister, stylish' CHRIS WHITAKER 'Grips from start to finish' HARRIET TYCE * * * * * YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN THE MAIDENS. The Maidens are Cambridge University's most exclusive society, whose members are selected by the charismatic professor of Greek tragedy, Edward Fosca. A SECRETIVE SET OF THE BRIGHTEST, MOST CAPTIVATING STUDENTS. When one of the Maidens is murdered, grieving young therapist Mariana Andros is drawn back to the idyllic campus where she was once herself a student. THE GROUP FROM WHICH EACH VICTIM WILL BE CHOSEN. Because beneath the university's ancient traditions and beauty is a web of secrets, jealousy and lies. And when the killer threatens the person she loves most, Mariana will give anything to stop them - even her own life... From the #1 global bestselling author of The Silent Patient comes a spellbinding tale of psychological suspense, weaving together Greek mythology, murder, and obsession... * * * * * 'There's definitely a flavour of The Secret History to Alex Michaelides's second novel ... The Maidens is a compelling read, and delivers its Hellenic thrills in style.' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'A book which screams 'make me into a TV series' ... his writing, especially his characterisation, possesses a unique sparkle and more promise than most other writers.' DAILY MAIL 'Nothing short of genius.' WOMAN & HOME 'How do you go about following one of the biggest thrillers of the past decade? You write something even better.' CHRIS WHITAKER, bestselling author of WE BEGIN AT THE END 'Grips from intriguing start to horrifying finish ... A brilliant achievement.' HARRIET TYCE 'A page-turner of the first order' DAVID BALDACCI 'The greatest campus novel since The Secret History by Donna Tartt ... with a climatic twist that you will NEVER see coming.' TONY PARSONS 'A stunning psychological thriller ... Michaelides is on a roll.' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Totally original and utterly compelling, with a voice all of its own, this is the outstanding new thriller from the no.1 internationally bestselling author of The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides. "The king of all unreliable narrators, [with] enough twists and turns to power two novels" DAVID BALDACCI "A proper, grown-up thriller that exudes class from every page... A very special book" JANICE HALLETT "A classic, twisting, brilliant murder mystery. Clever, and fiendishly fun" CHRIS WHITAKER ***** 'There were seven of us in all, trapped on the island.One of us was a murderer . . .' On a small private Greek island, former movie star Lana Farrar - an old friend - invites a select group of us to stay. It'll be hot, sunny, perfect. A chance to relax and reconnect - and maybe for a few hidden truths to come out. Because nothing on this island is quite what it seems. Not Lana. Not her guests. Certainly not the murderer - furiously plotting their crime . . . But who am I? My name is Elliot Chase, and I'm going to tell you a story unlike any you've ever heard. PRAISE FOR ALEX MICHAELIDES 'A deliciously dark, elegant, utterly compulsive read - with a twist that blew my mind' Lucy Foley 'I read it in two nights and savoured every luscious word, every grim encounter, every startling twist' David Baldacci 'The perfect thriller. I quite literally couldn't put it down' A. J. Finn 'One of the best psychological thrillers I have ever read... one of the most shocking, mind-blowing twists in recent memory' Blake Crouch 'Absolutely brilliant . . . I read it in a state of intense, breathless excitement' Stephen Fry