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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
Multiple murders depicted; the violence is brutal in the tradition of literary thriller
Language
Some
Some strong language
Sexual Content
Some
Sexual manipulation between a professor and students is a central theme
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The psychological game between Mariana and the professor — and the question of her own reliability as an investigator — creates sustained tension
What this book is about
Alex Michaelides's follow-up to The Silent Patient follows Mariana, a group therapist who travels to Cambridge after her niece's friend is murdered. Mariana becomes convinced that a charismatic Greek tragedy professor — who leads a secret society of female students called the Maidens — is responsible. The novel draws heavily on Greek mythology and the tradition of academic thrillers. The murders are brutal and the psychological manipulation is sophisticated. A compulsive if somewhat polarizing read.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Multiple brutal murders
Sexual manipulation by authority figure
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