Character List for "The Maidens"

Andros Family

Mariana Andros—a 36-year-old practicing group therapist in London; she was born and grew up in Athens, Greece, and moved to England when she was 18 years old

Sebastian—Mariana’s husband, who had died by accidental drowning off the coast of Naxos, Greece, the year before the events of the book; we never learn his surname, which would be Mariana’s married name

Zoe—Mariana’s niece, the daughter of her older sister, Elisa; Zoe was orphaned when Elisa and her husband died in a car crash in Greece, and when Zoe came to England to boarding school, Mariana and Sebastian “adopted” her; at the time of the events in the book, Zoe is a student at St. Christopher College, Cambridge, where Mariana and Sebastian had also gone

St. Christopher College, Cambridge

Edward Fosca—professor of classics at St. Christopher College whose prize group of students is known as “The Maidens”; he’s Zoe’s director of studies and also Mariana’s prime suspect for the murders

Tara Hampton-one of “The Maidens”; she is the first to be found murdered; she’s the daughter of Lord and Lady Hampton (of Scotland) and apparently a close friend of Zoe’s

Veronica Drake—one of “The Maidens” and the second to be found murdered; she’s the daughter of a U.S. Senator and has an ambition to become an actress

Serena Lewis—one of “The Maidens” and the third to be found murdered; she’s from Singapore but brought up in English boarding schools; Mariana believes she’s been having an affair with Morris

Carla Clarke—one of “The Maidens,” a tall blonde whose father is an actor

Natasha—one of “The Maidens” whose father is a Russian oligarch

Diija—one of “The Maidens” who’s described as an “Indian princess”

Lillian—one of “The Maidens”

Professor Clarissa Miller—Mariana’s director of studies when she was at St. Christopher College; Mariana has kept in touch with her since then

Morris—one of “the head porter at St. Christopher’s College, carrying on in his grandfather’s footsteps

Elsie—the “bedder” (makes beds, cleans rooms) for the court at St. Christopher College where Zoe lives

Other Cambridge Characters

Fred—a Trinity College student in theoretical mathematics who believes he has premonitions; he meets Mariana on the train to Cambridge and persists in trying to help her (or woo her?)

Conrad Ellis—thought by some to be Tara Hampton’s boyfriend and an early suspect in her murder because of his prior convictions for drug-dealing and aggravated assault

Characters Connected with Mariana’s Therapy Practice

Henry Booth—one of the members of Mariana’s therapy group who seems to have attachment issues

Ruth—Mariana’s training therapist and later her supervisor

Theo Faber—a forensic psychotherapist Mariana knows from her therapy-training days and whom she consults with about the murders at Ruth’s suggestion; his specialty is psychopathy

The Cambridge Police and Associates

Chief Inspector Sadhu Sangha—the lead detective on the murder cases

Julian Ashcroft—a forensic psychologist aiding the Cambridge police with the murder investigations; he and Mariana had studied psychotherapy together in London

Kuba—the police pathologist