The Maid: A Novel by Nita Prose


The Maid: A Novel by Nita Prose
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Supsense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

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.

It’s a whirlwind of a story.

I picked this book up for a book club read and it was highly recommended. There is a mystery here and there is a fascinating character in Molly. I wanted to know what would happen to Molly and how the mystery would unravel, so I kept at it. The writing was good and I kept going to the end.

I have to admit the portrayal of Molly had some issues. I liked that she’s potentially neurodivergent, but this is told through her point of view, so it wasn’t necessarily explained, and I wish it had been, so I could’ve identified with her a bit more. She’s also been through a lot and needed someone. So, it was good that she found the people she did.

The mystery aspect of it was a bit muddy and didn’t hold my interest as much as I’d have liked. I kept finding myself skipping pages or having to reread to get caught back up. Maybe I wasn’t the right reader for this book. Others will no doubt find this book fantastic.

That said, there is a mystery here to unravel, there is a life Molly has that is fascinating and this book had moments it shined. If that’s what you’re looking for, then pick this book up. It just might be for you.

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