BOOK REVIEW: THE MAID BY NITA PROSE

 

BLURB

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misinterprets 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 had to navigate 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 turned on its head 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 very 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.

My Thoughts

Original. Unique.

These are the words I would use to describe this book. The Maid follows a hotel maid named Molly, who because of her straightforward and direct manner is regarded as different, weird and a bit obsessive by most.

Molly finds herself lonely upon the death of her grandmother who was all the family she had known. While Molly buries herself in her work, her world is turned upside down when she discovers Mr. Black dead in a suite at the Regency Hotel where she works. This sets in motion a chain of events that places Molly in the spotlight.

I think this book was a work of art. I say this because it is very difficult for a writer to craft a character like Molly. Reading Molly places the reader into a world where people are socially awkward. Molly's character in the book shed some light to how to effectively deal with people who are different.

There were many twists and shocking revelations at the end which added an extra flavour to the story. In all the book lived up to the hype.