The Maid

by Nita Prose

Genre: Mystery

Date Published: January 4, 2022

Synopsis:

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.

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This was a quick, page-turner read. I was taken in by the character of Molly the maid. I loved how she had been etched out and how it gave rise to hilarious scenes. I loved Molly’s voice. The plot twists and mystery elements were great to begin with and it kept me turning page after page, late into the night.

The story and characters are supposed to tug at your heart but I felt all but sorry for her. I liked how confident and sure of herself she was. Give me strong female characters any day. Love them! I didn’t much care for other characters. They were a part of the background and none etched in detail.

The book did drag a little bit in the second half, with more unrealistic scenarios and a lackadaisical eye for detail on the author’s part.

All in all, it’s a quick decent read to get over a reading slump or for a weekend night reading. For a debut novel, it does make its mark.

Have you read the book? What did you think of it?

3/5 stars – I liked it.

About the Author

Nita Prose is a longtime editor, serving many bestselling authors and their books. She lives in Toronto, Canada, in a house that is only moderately clean.

Visit Nita at nitaprose.com, on Instagram @nitaprose or on Twitter @NitaProse.