The Maid by Nita Prose Published by Random House Publishing Group on January 4, 2022
Genres: Fiction / Literary, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy / General, Fiction / Thrillers / Domestic
Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover
Source: Book of the Month
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • “A heartwarming mystery with a lovable oddball at its center” (Real Simple), this cozy whodunit introduces a one-of-a-kind heroine who will steal your heart.
FINALIST FOR THE EDGAR® AWARD • “The reader comes to understand Molly’s worldview, and to sympathize with her longing to be accepted—a quest that gives The Maid real emotional heft.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)
“Think Clue. Think page-turner.”—GlamourONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Reader’s Digest
WINNER: The Anthony Award, The Fingerprint Award, The Barry Award
In development as a major motion pictureMolly 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.
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, The Guardian, Glamour, Elle, PopSugar, Newsweek, Mental Floss, She Reads, Kirkus Reviews
My Review
I have seen this book all over Bookstagram and Youtube which intrigued me and when I saw it was on Book Of The Month I thought why not and picked up a copy. I have to say this book did not disappoint the prologue had me hooked. Ok, so first off I have to say this might be a bit longer of a review because DANG I need to share this prologue with you in hopes you become hooked too or at least see why I was hooked.
Prologue:
I am your maid. I’m the one who cleans your hotel room, who enters like a phantom when you’re out gallivanting for the day, no care at all about what you’ve left behind, the mess, or what I see when you’re gone.
I’m the one who empties your trash, tossing out the receipts you don’t want anyone to discover. I’m the one who changes your sheets, who can tell if you slept in them and if you were alone last night or not. I’m the one who straightens your shoes by the door, who puffs up your pillows and finds stray hairs on them. Yours? Not likely. I’m the one who cleans up after you drink too much and soil the toilet seat, or worse.
When I’m done with my work, I leave your room pristine. Your bed is made perfectly, with four plump pillows, as though no one had ever lain there. The dust and grime you left behind has been vacuumed into oblivion. Your polished mirror reflects your face of innocence back at you. It’s as though you were never here. It’s as though all of your filth, all of your lies and deceits, have been erased.
I am your maid. I know so much about you. But when it comes down to it: what is it that you know about me?
Continued Review…
Do you see why I was hooked from the start? Well then again I used to clean hotel rooms as well so maybe it was a bit of a kindred spirit thing I can’t be sure. In The Maid, you follow a twenty-five-year-old female called Molly who works at the Regency Grand Hotel as surprise surprise… a maid. It is never said in the story but I suspect she is on The Spectrum based on her inability to read facial cues, reactions, and body language, and her taking everything so literally. Then again maybe I am wrong the author never makes it clear to the reader but she does drop little hints that Molly is not like the other characters. I digress though. Molly was raised by her grandmother who she calls Gran throughout the story. Gran passed away which is not a spoiler because you discover that from just reading the book flaps leaving Molly to navigate the world alone. When reading the story, you can tell that Molly misses her grandmother very much and often quotes things that she heard Gran saying while growing up. Something that now as an adult she understands. It is evident to see that she is still grieving which is heartbreaking in my opinion and I really felt for Molly.
Molly very much enjoys her job cleaning and its not just because it is cleaning in a fancy hotel but it also gives her the rules and boundaries she so desperately needs to feel comfortable navigating the world. Gran also used to clean but she cleaned for a private residence and not a place of business. Molly and Gran both share(d) a love of cleaning or shall I say returning things to a state of perfection as Molly often says throughout the book. It is sad though that some of the other employees at the hotel feel that it is ok to make fun of Molly for being so productive and efficient. Molly does not understand what they are referring to nor does she understand the teasing aspect of what they are saying. Molly’s inability to pick up on these cues makes her an easy scapegoat for others which you will definitely see once Mr. Black is found dead in the suite Molly is to clean. Molly will learn the hard way that people are not always what they seem to be. It does not take the police long to accuse Molly of this murder and take her into custody. Soon after Molly makes bail and gets together with some of the trustworthy people in her life to try and solve the case on their own. This may be a good thing though because who knows she might even learn some things along the way about ” real” friendship.
This book for me was such a joy to read and not just because of all the cleaning talk. I truly loved hearing Molly’s story and getting to know her. I love that she is so straight forward in the story and that she really loves her job and takes pride in it. I will say though that there were a couple of parts in this book that took me by surprise, like seriously by SURPRISE. I wonder if others were as shocked as I was during those two scenes. Please if you have read it let me know because I absolutely want your thoughts. If you have not read it please let me know what you think if you decide to pick this one up. I totally recommend it though especially if you love cozy mysteries with a great back story and seeing what the power of family and friendship can really do in a person’s life.
Trigger Warnings:
- Grief
- Death
- Drug Abuse
- Parental Neglect
- Murder