Have you read The Maidens by Alex Michaelides and have questions about the ending? Need a plot summary for The Maidens? Want to discuss the suspects? You are in the right place, because this is my Spoiler Discussion for The Maidens.
Written and edited by Jen Ryland. Last updated on:
Table of Contents for the Plot Summary and Discussion of the Maidens
- Plot Summary for The Maidens
- List of Characters in The Maidens
- Approximate Timeline in the Maidens
- Clues Left in the Killer’s Chapters
- List of Suspects in the Maidens
- Who was the Killer in the Maidens?
- Spoiler Discussion Questions
- A Link to My Post About Crossover Characters and Places in The Maidens and The Silent Patient
- Movie Adaptations of The Silent Patient and The Maidens (opens a new page)
Please feel free to skip to the parts that you need and PLEASE join the discussion!
And PLOT TWIST Mariana appears (briefly) in Alex Michalides’ 2024 book, The Fury. Check out my review of The Fury with protected spoilers!
Plot Summary for The Maidens – Mariana’s Narrative
Mariana Andros, a therapist, is mourning her husband Sebastian, who died about a year ago. After a group therapy session one day, she confronts a participant, Henry, who is disrupting the group and behaving strangely.
Mariana’s niece Zoe calls. The body of a woman has been found in the Paradise Woods near Cambridge University, where Zoe is a student. Mariana offers to come. On the train to Cambridge, a young man named Fred awkwardly flirts with her. On the train, Mariana reflects on all the tragedies she (and Zoe) have faced. Mariana’s mom died when she was young, her sister and brother in law (Zoe’s parents) died in a car accident, Mariana’s father died of a heart attack, and Sebastian drowned fourteen months ago during a vacation they took to Naxos, a Greek island.
At Cambridge, Mariana goes to her former college, St Christopher’s, to look for Zoe. She runs into Julian, a former classmate and fellow psychotherapist. Mariana learns the the victim is Tara, her niece Zoe’s best friend.
How Does Mariana come to suspect Fosca of murder?
Mariana finds Zoe, who blames herself. Tara told Zoe that she was sleeping with a professor, Edward Fosca. Tara threatened to tell the college, and Fosca threatened her. Mariana urges Zoe to go to the police with her suspicions, but they say Fosca has an alibi and Tara has a boyfriend with a criminal record.
Zoe and Tara run into Fosca who claims that Tara was failing classes and told Edward if he didn’t cover for her she’d accuse him of sexual harassment. He denies being involved with her.
Mariana asks around about Fosca. He’s new, and an American. Mariana meets with her former tutor, Clarissa. She hears gossip from Morris, the college porter, about Fosca’s entourage of women and the group’s wild parties.
Mariana talks to Elsie, Tara’s “bedder” or assigned housekeeper. Elsie dislikes Fosca’s group of women and says they bullied Tara. Elsie seems suspicious of Zoe. Elsie agrees to let Mariana see Tara’s room, where Mariana finds a postcard of a Titian painting with a quote from Euripides about the sacrifice of a maiden, a nobleman’s daughter, to Persephone.
Mariana meets Fred, the man from the train, for a drink. He doesn’t think Conrad killed Tara and offers to help her solve the murder. But when he mentions visiting Naxos, Mariana is alarmed and leaves. Someone follows her home and she hides in an alley. She runs into Morris who lets her into the college.
The Killer of the Maidens Strikes Again!
Zoe calls Mariana and tells her another victim has been found. Fred and Mariana go to the site and see Julian, who offers to let her see the body. It is Veronica, slashed and holding a pine cone. Julian tells her that Conrad was in custody and has been eliminated as a suspect. Mariana finds Serena’s postcard from the killer, with a quote from Iphigenia by Euripedes.
Mariana has dinner with Fosca. He serves her rare lamb (more on that!) Fosca tells her that he has an alibi for the night of the murder. He thinks the murders are ritualistic and the killer is a showman. He leaves to make coffee and she finds a copy of Iphigenia with Serena’s postcard passage underlined. She is convinced he is the murderer and is taunting her.
Fred Says There Could Be TWO Killers!
Mariana asks Fred to meet her. She tells him about Fosca’s alibi and he suggests the killer could have an accomplice. Fred tells her to be careful. She receives a threatening, anonymous call and assumes it’s her patient Henry.
As she leaves for London the next day, she sees Fosca giving an envelope to Morris. She follows Morris and finds herself in an abandoned cemetery. Morris arrives and Mariana watches him and Serena have sex.
Mariana goes to London to see Ruth, her supervising therapist. She wonders if Serena and Morris are blackmailing Fosca. She feels like someone is following her.
Mariana meets with Ruth, who suggests she treat the Maidens as a group. She also asks Mariana if Fosca reminds of her father. Hmmm… daddy issues, Mariana? This bothers Mariana, who denies it. She suggests that Mariana speak to Theo Faber, a psychopathologist who was another one of her students. (And the main character of The Silent Patient.)
Theo Tells Mariana To Find The Maidens Killer’s Motive
Theo doesn’t like Julian. Theo also says that Mariana needs to figure out the killer’s motive. That the postmortem violence is staged and that the killer is calm and in control. Theo is looking for a job and Mariana suggests he apply for an open job at the Grove, a London psychiatric hospital. They briefly discuss Alicia Berenson, an artist sent to the Grove after the murder of her husband (more The Silent Patient references – when you’re done with this post, be sure to check out my post about The World of The Silent Patient and The Maidens)
Mariana returns from London to find her room ransacked. Mariana asks Fosca if she can hold a group session with the Maidens. At the session the group mocks her for not inviting Zoe, as she is also a Maiden. Mariana is shocked at this revelation but decides to confront Zoe later.
Mariana runs into Fred. He proposes and she asks him to leave her alone. Fred leaves and Henry appears bloody and holding a knife. Morris comes and overpowers Henry.
One More Maidens Victim, and Mariana is Next!
The next morning Elsie comes to Mariana’s door. Serena was found murdered. Also there’s a postcard outside Mariana’s door with a quote from Electra in Greek. Mariana sees Fosca standing in the courtyard and goes over and shows him the postcard. He translates the Greek as “the gods have willed your death.” Mariana goes crazy and starts attacking Fosca. DCI Sanger shows up with Julian. Mariana explains that she thinks Fosca is the killer. The girls are under his spell. He was clearly involved with Tara and killed the others to cover. DCI Sanger says Fosca was given an alibi by Morris. The police seem to suspect Morris. Julian says that Mariana seems paranoid and unwell. DCI Sanger orders her to leave Cambridge or face charges for obstruction of justice.
The police take Morris away. Mariana meets with Clarissa and Zoe. Zoe denies being a Maiden. She says she went to the folly for the initiation and was given a drink spiked with GHB. Fosca touched her throat with a knife and then hid it, but she got away. Zoe announces she has now received a postcard (with an image of Iphigenia) from the killer. Mariana is alarmed and wants to take Zoe to London.
Mariana Finds The Main Clue to the Identity of the Killer!
Mariana is in Zoe’s room and finds a typewritten note hidden in her stuffed zebra. It’s a love letter to Zoe from someone who says he wants them to be together. Mariana is positive it’s from Fosca. Zoe shows up and tells Mariana she is ready to go find the knife she saw Fosca hide. They head to the Folly by boat, ending up at a building with a swan emblem. Zoe pulls out the knife and tells Mariana they are going for a walk. Mariana shows Zoe the letter she found in her room. Zoe says Fosca didn’t write the letter.
Who was the serial killer going after the Maidens?
According to Zoe, Mariana’s husband Sebastian is the one who wrote the letter to Zoe.
Zoe says she and Sebastian fell in love and consummated their relationship when Zoe was fifteen.
Sebastian killed Mariana’s father when he discovered that Sebastian was involved with Zoe.
Sebastian told Zoe that Mariana was in the way of them being together and had to die. Also, with Mariana out of the way, Sebastian and Zoe could have her money. But Sebastian said they needed a distraction from Mariana’s murder, something to throw the suspicion from them. Zoe told him about the Maidens and he planned the Maidens’ murders as cover. But then Sebastian drowned and Zoe decided to carry out the murder plan without him. Zoe threw suspicion on Fosca by getting Mariana to suspect him.
Zoe says she’s now going to kill Mariana and frame Fosca.
Fred shows up. Zoe rises up with the knife and Fred stabs him. Zoe is about to stab Fred again but Mariana hits her with a rock. Zoe falls on the knife, screaming hysterically . Mariana calls the police (finally).
DCI Sanger shows up and tells her that Fosca got fired for sleeping with all the Maidens. Morris was blackmailing him. Zoe and Fred get taken to the hospital.
Mariana is left completely shocked by the truth about Sebastian. Zoe has a complete mental breakdown and gets put into the Grove. Theo is her therapist. Mariana refuses to speak to Zoe. Mariana visits Fred and thanks him for saving her life. Months later she receives a letter from Theo, asking her to come to the Grove. Mariana tears up the letter. She finally agrees to go the Grove and see Zoe.
List of Characters in the Maidens
Mariana Andros – a 36 year old therapist who lost her husband 14 months ago. She’s been the guardian of her college-aged niece, Zoe, since Zoe’s parents died when Zoe was 10-12 years old. Mariana’s mother died when she was a baby and her father died of a heart attack five or six years ago. Lives in Primrose Hill, London.
Sebastian – Mariana’s late husband.
Zoe – 20 year-old student at Cambridge University and niece of Mariana.
Henry – Mariana’s troubled therapy patient.
Fred – 29 year-old theoretical physics student at Cambridge. (See more about Fred in suspect clues.)
Clarissa – Mariana’s former tutor at Cambridge
Mr. Morris – the porter at St. Christopher’s College, Cambridge.
Edward Fosca – a charismatic
Inspector Sangha – investigating Tara’s murder.
Julian Ashcroft – a forensic psychologist who studied in London with Mariana.
Ruth – Mariana’s training therapist
Theo Faber – studied psychology with Mariana, now a forensic psychologist
Tara – Zoe’s friend and the first murder victim
Conrad – Tara’s boyfriend, who is initially arrested for her murder.
Veronica – an American student and aspiring actress. Second murder victim.
Elsie – Zoe and Tara’s “bedder” or assigned housekeeper
Serena – the third murder victim
The Maidens – a group of female students who meet with Fosca. Natasha, Carla, Diya, Serena, Veronica, Lillian
Approximate Timeline for The Maidens
When I was going over the clues in The Maidens one more time, I found an interesting one: the timeline.
36 Years Ago – Mariana was born and her mother died.
17 Years Ago – Mariana met Sebastian at Cambridge when they were both 19. At some point they married.
7-8 years ago – Zoe’s parents died and Mariana and Sebastian took Zoe in. (Mariana says Zoe was away at boarding school when her parents died and that after her parents died, Zoe “finished her adolescence,” so I’m guessing she was 12-13 when this happened.)
5 years ago – Mariana’s father died of a heart attack (or murder) AND according to Zoe, she and Sebastian consummated their relationship when she was fifteen.
14 months ago – Sebastian drowned.
October 7 – the date of the killer’s chapters. Mariana says that Zoe calls her “that night in October.” If Sebastian did write the chapters and died 14 months ago, he would have had to have written them two years ago.
Clues Left in the Killer’s Chapters
The killer has left us a lot of clues (well, a few) in his chapters. Let’s run through them:
The journal/letter that makes up the killer’s chapters is dated October 7 and seems to be published in sections. I talk more about this in the timeline section above. The events in question also take place in October.
The killer is male – he says his parents wished for a girl
The killer says “there is more than one of me.” Does this refer to an accomplice, or a case of dissociative identity disorder? Perhaps the latter, as the killer also describes being “split in two” and wanting “to be whole.”
The killer kept a brown leather journal when he was twelve, the year he “lost” his mother.
The killer lives on a farm with lambs that are slaughtered.
His father is abusive to him and his mother. The killer says his father “punished” him – possibly sexual abuse.
His father killed his beloved dog.
When he’s twelve, his mother says she is leaving and will send for him. She asks him to keep her secret. He is furious, and dreams of cutting off her head.
The night his mother left, he wrote in his journal. Today he noticed two pages were missing. They were destroyed because they were dangerous. So he possibly killed his mother, or told his father she was leaving, and his father killed her.
He declares his love for Zoe and says he had a premonition they would be together and that she was his destiny.
The letter is signed “X.”
Who is the Killer in the Maidens? My Suspect List
Mariana Andros. Lately I’ve read a fair number of Big Twist thrillers in which an unreliable main character/narrator is the killer. Mariana has a) ties to Cambridge and b) seems little unhinged. But her bio doesn’t seem to match the killer’s. And she’s a woman.
Zoe. I was suspicious of her as she seemed like the last person I was supposed to suspect. Also, Elsie seems to suggest Zoe is sketchy. But Zoe’s bio/timeline didn’t match the details in the killer’s POV chapters, as she was orphaned as a young child. Plus, Zoe just seems to me to be too petulant and inept to carry out multiple murders without getting caught
Edward Fosca. I mean, Mariana TOTALLY thinks he did it, but he also seemed like an obvious red herring. He does tell Mariana that his father “brutalized” his mother. And serves Mariana rare lamb for dinner.
Henry. (Mariana’s troubled patient.) His father abused him, he self-harms with sharp objects, and he had a knife. But I decided he was also a red herring.
Theo. Mariana’s former classmate. As the main character in The Silent Patient, probably not! But maybe…
Conrad. He also seemed like a red herring and eventually was eliminated.
Morris, the porter. No real clues connecting him to the crimes.
SUSPECTS I WAS STILL CONSIDERING:
Julian. Mariana’s former classmate, also a psychotherapist who is consulting on the murder. But we aren’t told anything about him.
Fred. He seemed to pop up all the time and that definitely made me suspicious. There were a LOT of clues that pointed to Fred:
- He repeatedly says he has “premonitions,” just like the killer’s chapters.
- He is a strong swimmer and diver and visited Naxos, where Sebastian was killed.
- When Mariana visits his room, it’s filled with pages and pages of “scribbled writing.”
- He tells Mariana that he’s writing something about his mother who “left him” (then he says she died) when he was a young boy.
- He tries to give Mariana some sort of letter, but she refuses to take it.
Spoiler Discussion Questions for The Maidens:
I had a long discussion with someone who argued that The Maidens had WAY too many unresolved loose ends and red herrings. I can’t disagree, so here we go with some of my questions:
Was Sebastian really the mastermind?
Zoe says so. But we only have her word for it. Is she credible? I’m not so sure.
Clues that suggest that Sebastian planned the murders:
Mariana says her father hated Sebastian and didn’t want her to marry him. Did her father think that Sebastian was in love with Zoe? If so, why didn’t he say something?
Mariana also says that after Sebastian’s death, she found out that he had some major debts that he’d hidden from her. So he needed money, was hiding that from Mariana, and killing her would have been a way to resolve both problem.
Evidence against Sebastian planning the murders:
Mariana really seemed convinced that she and Sebastian were happy. She says Sebastian wanted them to have a baby during the time he was allegedly sleeping with Zoe.
Could Sebastian really have carried on an affair with Zoe for FOUR YEARS without anyone knowing? Sneaked to Cambridge repeatedly to be with her?
Could the Greek police really have mistaken Mariana’s father’s death by strangulation as a heart attack?
Did Sebastian really write the killer chapters?
Up until the part he declares his love for Zoe, the killer chapters fit Fred much better. Do we KNOW that the pages in the zebra are really part of the killer chapters and not just from some random secret admirer that Zoe had?
Mariana immediately thought the “letter” to Zoe was written by Fosca. But she was obsessed with Fosca, who (maybe) was the one who reminded her of her father.
Could Fred have written the killer chapters?
He does fit the profile of the killer chapters the best. Maybe the killer chapters (up to the ones in the zebra) were written by Fred and he tried to give them to Mariana to confess his mother’s murder to her.
Could Fred have killed Sebastian?
Wacky, but bear with me. Fred is 29 and is presumably doing an advanced degree at Cambridge. What if he:
While a student at Cambridge, saw Mariana and Sebastian visiting Zoe, and also saw Zoe and Sebastian cheating on Mariana
Killed Sebastian in Naxos.
Followed Mariana to Cambridge to protect her from Zoe/propose to her? And his confession is in the letter her tried to give Mariana? THE ONE SHE DID NOT READ!
Did Zoe and Sebastian really have an affair?
Again, we only have Zoe’s word for it, and after she says it she has a complete breakdown. Could it all have been in her head?
Did Zoe and Sebastian sleep together more than that one time? Mariana says she and Sebastian used to visit Zoe “often” n at Cambridge (though if Zoe has been at Cambridge only two years and Sebastian died 14 months ago in August, I’m not sure that’s even possible.) Was he sneaking to Zoe’s boarding school to sleep with her? Was he going to Cambridge to meet her? Did Elsie know about this and that’s why she seems to dislike Zoe?
Zoe DOES seem fixated on Sebastian. Mariana talks about how close they were. After the first murder, Zoe says “I wish Sebastian were here. He’d know what to do.” Mariana wants to go back to London but Zoe tells her “Sebastian would want her to stay.”
Elsie clearly does not like Zoe at all. She suggests that Zoe is arrogant and rude.
Loose Ends I Would Have Liked Tied Up:
- Some kind of independent confirmation of either Zoe’s confession or of the author of the pages.
- What happened to the killer’s brown journal? If Sebastian wrote the killer POV, did he kill his own mother?
- Why did Zoe and Sebastian decide to frame Fosca?
- What was the letter that Fred tried to give Mariana?
- What happened to the rest of the killer’s journal (besides the pages in the zebra.)
- More details/ confirmation on the Zoe-Sebastian relationship.
Check out my post on Crossover Characters and Places in The Silent Patient and the Maidens!
So Theo and two other characters from The Silent Patient pop up in The Maidens.
Are you wondering if Mariana and Zoe are in the Silent Patient? I am here to reveal all!
My World of the Silent Patient and the Maidens Post has all the answers: I list the crossover characters and places in The Silent Patient and The Maidens, plus I made a joint timeline showing you how the books fit together. It’s spoiler free!
Movie and TV Adaptations of The Silent Patient and The Maidens. What do we know? Will either of them make it to the screen?
Join our Spoiler Discussion for the Maidens in the comments!
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Thanks so much for stopping by my Spoiler Discussion and Plot Summary for The Maidens – if you love discussing thrillers, check out all my discussion posts here on my Armchair Book Club!
Love this!! I have been searching for ideas of who wrote the killers POV. But I thought Sebastian had a “normal” family that is what drew Mariana to him. The ending had me so lost with questions.
Hi Colleen, that is an excellent question. After finishing the book, I assumed the Killer POV was Sebastian (and in the audiobook they have a man reading those parts) though of course we are meant to think it was Fosca.
But why would Sebastian say that? Since I only have the audiobook I can’t easily look for clues. Maybe Sebastian lied and told her his childhood was normal. My only guess is that he was in the end a cheater and a killer so he lied to her OR told her what she wanted to hear.
Yes! Thank you for your perspective and clarity. I had questions also. I think Alex is going to write a series, don’t you? Since he tied them together a bit. I really liked this book. Not as much as Silent Patient but very close. I would like to see a third book.
Thanks! I liked that the books are loosely tied, set in the same universe but not closely related and I agree that I hope he continues to do that.
Who was the woman with the red hair sitting in the room at the end of the hall? Zoe or Alicia B.?
I don’t retain that well on audio but should have a physical copy soon and will take a look and tell you what I think. Unless someone else knows?!
Very end of the book
Oh right – when Mariana goes to visit Zoe. I need to go back and listen but it could be Alicia!
Yes I think it’s Alicia! I absolutely loved all the crossovers between the two books.
It is Alicia.
Alicia
I agree – I went back and listened and definitely Alicia because Mariana doesn’t seem to recognize her.
Who is the red head ? Also confused. Was Theo married to the deranged red head ?
Theo’s patient is Alicia from The Silent Patient, who had red hair.
I’m wondering the same thing!! Who was she? I’m so confused!
Definitely Alicia from the Silent Patient because I remember she had red hair.
I thought it was Sebastian’s mother!
Good point. But that scene was confusing and unnecessary to the book, in my mind, unless they red-haired woman was connected to the story. If I’d bought it on Kindle, I would have done a search on “red hair.” (Interestingly, Tara – the first victim- had red hair).
I’m rereading The Silent Patient. The lady with the red hair is Alicia, the artist accused of murdering her husband.
Was Zoe a patient in the Silent Patient? I can’t remember at all, but get the feeling that was Theo’s other main patient.
Hi Katie! I don’t think so. I went back and looked at The Silent Patient and didn’t see any mention of a Zoe. But if I missed a mention of her someone please tell me!
I think Fred was also a good suspect considering the amount of “coincidences”. Also there were so many hints in the books that pointed towards him. The major one for example was in the last letter the word “premonition” and Fred keeps on talking about it.
Hi Khushi – I can’t believe I forgot to put Fred on my suspect list and I’m going to add him. I was VERY suspicious of him from the minute he approached Mariana on the train. Then he just kept popping up all the time. I’m going to go back and look at that last letter!
He (Fred) became a suspect immediately. I still can’t place him to be part of the conspiracy though …
I know – he really should be more than a red herring!!
Also what was up with him asking her to marry him etc.
Also when she left him the last time he pressed a note in her hand and begged to to read it. Said it would explain everything. But she never read the note (although she stayed awake all night staring at the radiator?!), and the note was never mentioned again.
I hated so many sloppy aspects of this book.
You are right!! That’s so weird. I forgot all about the note. What was he trying to explain???
Me, too. Fred and Henry were supposed to be red herrings, but they’re so creepy, and one of them actually mentions a childhood dog!
Ooh I didn’t catch that!
I might have to buy the book on Kindle so I can do keyword searches!
I also find Kindle search very helpful. Unfortunately I have the Maidens on audio which is the worst possible for searching 🙁
I forgot about that!!! With the pictures in his room too I think Fred has a dark past. Maybe the author is setting up for another book.
Just finished the book. I absolutely thought Fred was sketchy, the farm/dog picture was a deliberate head scratcher. Another book coming with more SP overlap I hope. I’m leaning towards S being innocent and Zoe’s just nuts and made up the affair.
YES I agree that it’s definitely possible that Zoe made the whole thing up and I hope a third book includes that!
You do wonder why Mariana doesn’t recognize her husband’s writing.
Debbi!!! I thought of that too, but I checked and the pages were typed.
I didn’t pick up on that. Just listened to the end today. But of course when you are listening while driving, it’s probably a good thing that your not giving the recording 💯% of your attention.
I also listened (not driving) and had the exact same thought and went back to check the printed copy. Glad you are driving safely 🙂
Also when Mariana goes to Fred’s room at the college he has pictures of his parents on a farm and a picture of him and a dog-all like the murderer’s entries…
Ooh good catch! I guess we were supposed to suspect Fred to throw suspicion off Sebastian, who is dead and we knew nothing (at least that I can remember) about his childhood.
Until Julien acted as if he saw Fred waving at Mariana, I thought it was completely possible that Fred was a figment of her imagination. Like some hallucination to keep her company as she revisited this place that held meaning for her and Sebastian. He seemed to know things that she didn’t share in the exchanges with him.
Fred being Mariana’s imaginary friend would have completely made sense as Fred seemed to pop up so conveniently. I still can’t figure Fred out, honestly. He did claim to be psychic, didn’t he? Or have premonitions? Maybe that’s how he knew stuff. He was an odd guy for sure….
Up until the end I also thought Fred could be imaginary.
Yeah, I thought he was a suspect when he mentioned that going through the river is the faster way.
It is hard to believe that Marianna as a therapist could be fooled by Sebastian for so many years. Also would he have truly played such a complicated game to be rid of marianna to obtain her money? He could have just killed her abs made it look like an accident when they traveled or on any given day. I liked the story but found it all too far fetched
I agree. Not sure why the book made her therapist when she seemed to be such a terrible judge of people. Maybe for the Silent Patient connection? And yes I felt that the ending, while surprising, didn’t seem that supported in the text.
I think it’s because he remembered her dad so she wanted to believe that he loved her.
”We accept the love we think we deserve”, from how I see it that’s how blinded she was. She did not become a therapist because of her husband. She’s already blinded by love.
I also think that therapist doesn’t psychoanalyse people in their lives because it is mentally and emotionally draining. And if they apply their job in their private lives, it would definitely break the trust since the partner would raise that issue that “you’re always psychoanalysing me” or the therapist being paranoid with the action of their partners.
Agree
I read it in print and also thought it started off slow. I was suspicious of Zoe from the beginning (though I wasn’t sure she was the killer, just knew something was off).
I was disappointed it wasn’t a dark academia book, or a secret society book, as that’s what I thought it was (which is on me).
I thought it was well written, but I didn’t get the killer’s letters at all (or Sebastian’s?). Feel like I missed something there.
YES I also thought it would be Dark Academia and it did have the elements but yet … it wasn’t. I wish more time at the end had been spent explaining everything. She had no idea Sebastian did all this stuff? Why was Sebastian narrating if he was dead (were they letters?)
In the end I guess she thought she was cursed but actually she was just cursed by marrying Sebastian. Though he was punished for his crimes, I guess.
I think the letters throughout the book are the typed pages that Marianna finds in the zebra and assumes are written by Fosca! Still confused how they’d be from Sebastian though since they never mention his childhood
Oh, very good thought. You mean the papers she finds inside Zoe’s stuffed animal? Not sure why would Zoe have Sebastian’s diary or how that many pages would fit inside a stuffed zebra but that does make sense. However, that would also mean Sebastian had lied to Mariana about his entire childhood. Which definitely also makes sense.
Okay I just went back to read about Marianna and Sebastian meeting and it says that his parents “are divorced and he wasn’t close to either of them” so perhaps Sebastians upbringing was kept intentionally vague so the letters made more sense? So many red herrings in this book!
Also interesting. From what I remember of the letters, the killer was kind of close to his mother and hated his father. So I guess that sort of fits.
Omg please ignore my previous comment male narrator is totally Fred!
Hi Ren! I have unpublished the prior comment but if you change your mind let me know. There’s definitely a camp on here that is Team Fred!
What I liked a lot about the ending was how Marianna felt Persephone had cursed her, but in reality she had actually saved her. Also the side tie in with Fred that he had also been there and maybe he was Persephone giving her a better prospect than, you know, a serial killer…
The letters were definitely Sebastian, IMO. I was also a little out of left field that he had masterminded it, BUT, I think Marianna did have a block with her own personal life and gaining any affection of men going back to her issues with her dad and also she was busy with school and work to the point she didn’t want to have kids right away etc. he probably said all the right things and seemed accepting of Zoe (ick ick ick), and again she felt invisible before him, so I think it’s easy enough to just assume she didn’t see the signs or they were easy enough to ignore.
Agree The Silent Patient ending had me, but I did enjoy this follow up and the tie in with A Silent Patient was very well done.
Agreed the whole serial killing was a bit much for getting money but I think it also was that Sebastian really did want to see that violence play out because he was a sicko.
I was just talking to someone who read the book and I could have used more of Mariana’s background and her relationship with Zoe woven into the book. She had a HUGE blind spot concerning both Zoe and Sebastian (whom she absolutely idolized.) As a trained therapist she saw not one single sign that her husband was a murdering, cheating psycho who was sleeping with his own underage niece? Was Zoe really capable of carrying out the plan? I also didn’t understand Zoe’s relationship with the Maidens. Was she in or out? Did they trust her? Did they see through her? Did Fosca? I would have liked it if Fosca had tried to hint Zoe wasn’t who she seemed.
In retrospect, I wish the book had been streamlined a bit. There was Mariana’s psychology/group therapy stuff, there was all the Greek tragedy/mythology, there was the whole grief thing with Wordsworth which I actually loved but in retrospect didn’t really belong in the book. The ending had everything to do with her family. For me the Greek tragedy stuff fit well because that’s all about family drama/murder. I didn’t understand how the Persephone myth related to the story at all.
Thank you. All my questions have been answered Wonder if Zoe will make an appearance in his next book
I hope so! I think the crossovers are fun. Maybe it will be Mariana making an appearance.
I’m confused about Sebastian and Zoe’s relationship. Did Sebastian just want Marianas’s money so he coerced Zoe into it, or did he actually love Zoe?
To me that is unclear. Zoe says she and Sebastian were in love and Mariana was in the way of their happiness together, but that is just her opinion (and/or what Sebastian was saying to manipulate her.) I would have liked to know more. There could have been a final chapter from Sebastian’s point of view, after we know about his relationship with Zoe. Two scenarios if he hadn’t died: they carry out their plan and live happily ever after. OR they carry out their plan and then Zoe mysteriously dies in a tragic accident, leaving Sebastian with all the money, telling everyone a sob story about how that whole family was cursed and wasn’t he lucky he escaped it.
I think the second scenario
I think if Sebastian is alive, he’ll also kill Zoe. And keep all the money to himself. He definitely manipulated Zoe, and pretended to love her.
Ooh interesting. Dee, what makes you think Sebastian could be alive? I thought they found his body.