The Maid (Molly the Maid, #1) by Nita Prose
Pages: 289
Published by Ballantine Books
Publication Date January 4, 2022
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An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.
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.
Review
Molly is an endearing character, with her OCD for cleanliness and decency, her love for The Olive Garden, and despite better judgment, Molly trusts everyone. However, like Ted Mosby’s former girlfriend, I consistently heard myself saying “Oh honey” to the schemes she unknowingly got involved in.
I got the impression that Molly was slightly on the spectrum. Therefore, there was some reading between the lines when it came to the investigation. Because of this, there was a lot of focus on character development which I enjoyed.
The plot was clever, and fun, and had a Cluesque twist at the end that was far from Colonel Mustard in the library with the revolver.
Overall, it was a unique quick read and, I am so very happy that Nita Prose has decided to continue Molly’s story by making Molly the Maid a series. I think there is so much more to uncover with this original, amateur sleuth
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