The Maid

 

By Nita Prose

Review

Socially awkward Molly Gray is a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel who prides herself on her strong work ethic and high standards. Having always lived with her gran, she's trying to come to terms with her recent death. Her work colleagues think she's a weirdo and an oddball who doesn't read situations properly or 'fit in' with everyone else. 

Molly's life is turned upside down when she enters the suite of wealthy businessman Charles Black and finds him dead in bed. Her strange behaviour soon has the police suspecting her of his murder. She must discover the identity of the real killer before time runs out to save herself.

Whilst I enjoyed The Maid, I wasn't blown away. It was a bit too 'cosy' for me. Molly was a lovely character with an endearing quirkiness that I'm sure other readers will love, but the repetitiveness of her 'difference' became too annoying the further I read and my feelings didn't change. The writing was excellent but I felt the plot and pacing suffered due to the main focus being Molly's peculiar personality. I liked the story but not enough to make me want to pick up the forthcoming second book in the series.

★★★☆☆

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication Year: 2022
• Author: Nita Prose
• Genre: Crime

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?