By Mallory McGovern
As the figure of the tragic hero, a sympathetic but doomed character, engrossed Ancient Greeks thousands of years ago, author Alex Michaelides pulls his readers into a murder mystery. The story is driven by protagonist Mariana, a well-meaning London therapist haunted by loss almost to the point of madness. Unlike the typical tragic Greecian hero, Mariana narrowly escapes her downfall. Nevertheless, Mariana is plagued with unanswered questions. She fears her husband’s death to be the fault of the gods, specifically Demeter and Persephone, who she prayed to the day before his death at sea. When she arrives at Cambridge following the death of a young woman, she uncovers a secret society based around the Eleusinian Mysteries, a sequence of rituals performed in honor of the goddess of the harvest, Demeter, and her daughter, the goddess of death, Persephone, also known by the name “Kore,” a name which translates to “maiden.” Unsure who to trust and who to blame, Mariana becomes increasingly desperate to find the culprit and protect those she loves most.
Michaelides creates a setting enshrined in mystery and myth. From the seemingly anachronistic Cambridge University to the explanations of current events in reference to the Greek gods and goddesses, the lore of the novel almost becomes more fascinating than the crime at its center. Mariana finds herself drawn back to her alma mater, Cambridge, following the tragic death of the roommate of her beloved niece (and only living family member) Zoe following the untimely death of her husband Sebastian. She immediately finds herself suspicious of Professor Edward Fosca, an advisor of the victim and leader of a secret society of young, beautiful, and wealthy college women: The Maidens. Recovering from the death of her husband and fiercely protective of her niece, Mariana is a broken but driven individual, piloted by her conviction of Fosca’s guilt. The underlying feminist messages of the book are fairly clear. While suspicious, unethical relationships are conducted by the charming male professor, it is Mariana who becomes the ire of Cambridge—portrayed as unhinged and fanatical in her search for the truth. All the while, young women are brutally murdered with no end in sight.
As far as the book’s final twist (which I promise to try not to spoil), the reader is left surprised although not fully convinced. However, in a sense the absurdity does work, owing to the constant overlay of Greek mythology throughout the novel, particularly the story of Persephone, goddess of death, who was notably tricked by the crafty Hades, god of the underworld. As the reader questions Mariana’s reliability as a narrator throughout the novel, it seems more and more plausible that the gods have come back to life and are orchestrating Mariana’s misery and madness—or perhaps it is simply the work of an equally powerful and mystifying mortal being.
Want more from this author? Check out his first book, New York Times #1 Bestseller, The Silent Patient.
