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Book Review: The Maid by Nita Prose



Book: The Maid

Author: Nita Prose

Pages: 346

Read on: Kindle 

Read in: ~3.5 hours 

Plot Summary: 

I am your maid.
I know about your secrets. Your dirty laundry.
But what do you know about me?

Molly the maid is all alone in the world. A nobody. She’s used to being invisible in her job at the Regency Grand Hotel, plumping pillows and wiping away the grime, dust and secrets of the guests passing through. She’s just a maid – why should anyone take notice?
 
But Molly is thrown into the spotlight when she discovers an infamous guest, Mr Black, very dead in his bed. This isn’t a mess that can be easily cleaned up. And as Molly becomes embroiled in the hunt for the truth, following the clues whispering in the hallways of the Regency Grand, she discovers a power she never knew was there. She’s just a maid – but what can she see that others overlook?


Things I Liked:

1. I always look forward to reading books centred around non-cookie cutter characters. Our protagonist- Molly the Maid (that's what she refers to herself as) is neurodivergent (possibly on the Autism Spectrum, but we are not told so very clearly by the author) and, I think, it is so great that we get to experience the world from her perspective! I'd really enjoyed Elizabeth is Missing- a story told from the perspective of a senior citizen in the early stages of dementia and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine- a story about the life of a neurodivergent young woman. So, I was quite excited to read this book, which, also promised to be a murder mystery!  


2. Molly is just so, so lovely! She is smart and organised and has an innocence with which she views the world and those around her. She is proud to be working as a maid in the prestigious Regency Grand Hotel. She is sincere about her job and does it so earnestly with a lot of perfection and pride. She is also heartbreakingly lonely and was taken advantage of by an ex-boyfriend. She knows she is not good at communicating with people but does the best she can! You'll immediately love her and root for her! 


3. The murder mystery in itself is quite nicely done. Mr. Black, a real estate mogul, is found dead under suspicious circumstances in his regular suite at the hotel and it is Molly who discovers his body. Who killed Mr. Black? Why is someone out to frame Molly? And will she be able to save herself? These are questions that keep you gripped as you make your way through the book. 


4. There are a good mix of characters in this book. You can see some people blatantly lie and take poor Molly for a ride while she falls for their lies and you want to scream and ask her to not trust them! However, there are also some lovely people, who step up to help Molly when she needs it the most! A good study in human nature- those who understand Molly is different and love and respect her for it and those who want to exploit her simplicity and frame her for a crime she didn't commit. 


5. The Maid is also well written and fast paced and there is never a dull moment, which is always a good thing for a thriller book! 


Things I Didn't Like: 

1. I wish the author would've told us more about Molly's grandmother's past. We are given some of the details but not everything and it would've been nice to know if Molly has some other family out there in the world. 


Rating: 4/5 


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