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? (Pub Date: Jan 04 2022)
Molly is socially awkward and her grandmother had been her only support her whole life. Now with her death, along with the grief, she needs to deal with debts and being alone against the world. Or so she thinks. All changes when she finds the body of one of her most important tippers in the hotel where she works as a maid.
I think the writing in this book was a little innocent. I understood the author would have these heartwarming scenes of people together to show the contrast with how lonely Molly's life had been until then. However, everyone of them reminded me of stories I'd write for class back in Elementary school and had to include my whole group of friends. It was more silly than heartwarming in my opinion.
Molly was a great character, though. Her way of thinking, the way she spoke, her actions, they were perfectly developed. At least from my layman's eyes, I can't diagnose her for I'm no mental health worker. But talking about it, I liked how the book never tags her. She's just different and consistently so.
The death of the rich guy was also an interesting story when I think back. There are lot of small clues we don't put together until way after, which made the book less predictable. However, I think with a little more organization, the story could have been more thrilling. We had a little bit of action, but I feel great plot twists come to us without much bang, which is a waste. Thrill, that bang, mindblowing moment, they make the reading more exciting. But the execution in the book may have been more tell than show and made it look like a report instead.
Nita Prose is a promising author and I look forward to her maturing. Although The Maid has its flaws, it is worth reading, especially for those who like less conventional characters, or are looking for characters in the spectrum, not limited to them. It may lack thrill, but the plot twists are still good enough to make up for it.
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
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