The Maid by Nita Prose

I’ve been looking forward to reading The Maid since I was introduced to it through Good Morning America’s Book Club who selected it as their January 2022 pick.  It is a gripping tale featuring a protagonist with unique social skills.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it certainly lived up to my expectations.

From The Publisher:

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 demeanour 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 united with her in a search for clues to what 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.

Book Review:

Molly is one of the most sincere and vulnerable characters I can remember.  Raised by her dear Gran, she is ripe for others to take advantage of her.  One cannot help but root for this young woman as this mystery unfolds.

The author does a great job in the character development of Molly.  Her life is orderly, regimented and full of wise words that her Gran left her with. It was painful at times to see what others were capable of doing to such a lovely young woman and the choices she makes. As the story progresses, you might be surprised to see who turns out to be her friends.

Molly’s character is what makes this book as entertaining as it is.  While the mystery is central to the plot, it isn’t what kept me reading.  It is this endearing young woman who counts her blessings every day that captured my heart.

Audiobook Review:

I listened to the audiobook version of The Maid which was performed by Lauren Ambrose.  She does a fantastic job of capturing Molly’s spirit and brought another level of enjoyment to this book.

What I Liked:

• The level of character development
• The hotel setting of this mystery
• The performance of Lauren Ambrose in the audiobook version.

My Rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Add The Maid to your Goodreads shelf

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to HarperCollins UK Audio and Netgalley for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Similar Books I’ve Reviewed:

Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

Lucky by Marissa Stapley

Finlay Donovan Is Killing it by Elle Cosimano – A Book Review

Thanks for reading!  Do you enjoy books with vulnerable characters?  Are there any you would recommend?  Let me know in the comments.

As always, I hope you have a wonderful day! ☺️