The Maid by Nita Prose. Penguin Random House Canada, Viking, 2022.

A compelling, and for me unique and eye-opening story about a young woman who sees life just a little differently. Hotel maid Molly Gray expects everyone to share her high standards, work ethic and integrity. We see some supporting characters start out shiny, then tarnish as details of a crime emerge, risking Molly’s job and approach to life.

Well written and warmly recommended.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of The Maid for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley.

Thank you NetGalley and Nita Prose for an ARC of The Maid.
This book was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. There have been so many great reviews. For me, it fell short of my expectations.
No spoilers here. Molly is a well developed character you fall in love with, and the mystery started off strong but then became somewhat predictable. This is a quick read for a cozy night in.

I grabbed a biscuit and a hot cup of tea and sat down with The Maid, with no expectations except a light read.
I was enthralled from the first paragraph. The behind the scenes of a hotel has always fascinated me. Written in the first person, Molly, the maid, chronicles her daily routine (descriptive narration and ‘unintentional’ humour) …..all very regular and routine until she finds Mr Black, dead in suite 401. The Maid is beautifully written with amazing, descriptive sentences and light humour woven throughout. I loved it.
Thank You to Penguin Random House Canada, the author, Nita Prose, and NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy this ARC.

A clever tale about a hotel maid who, although naive and friendly, becomes a suspect in a murder investigation.

This novel is perfect for the holidays when you just want to cozy up with a lighthearted read.

I adored this book! Everyone will love Molly Gray! And her Gran was quite the wise woman indeed!

I generally don't read cozy mysteries, but I got sucked right into Molly's world, it was awesome! (Molly would be quite horrified at the state of my house. It is NOT in a state of perfection by a long shot!! haha.)

It doesn't say this explicitly, but I assume Molly is on the autism spectrum (because of her literalness and social awkwardness/cluelessness), and I always love where the main character sees the world a different way than most.

I wanted to know more about Molly's parents though!

My 11-year-old daughter may read this book as well. Besides the 3 F-bombs (which she can overlook, as she's heard worse unfortunately.), this book was very "clean" (HA, pun!) in terms of language and subject.

I was also thrilled to find out that the author is not only Canadian, but lives in a nearby city! Yay!

Murder and a complex whodunit are just the colorful wrappers of an insightful story about differentness, tolerance, loyalty, and the need for belonging.

Molly, the maid is viewed with disdain by other staff in the prestigious hotel in which she works, because of her difficulty understanding social ambiguities. Although she is able to wipe away her sadness, like wiping away grime left by hotel guests, it is nevertheless her emotional need as much as her naive interpretation of others that get her into trouble. Molly yearns for a friend, family, a human touch, but is unable to recognize falsehood. As a result, she is cruelly used by others and ends up accused of murder.

I loved Molly from the first page to the last! What I most admired about her was the staunch determination and inventiveness with which she navigated a world that she found incomprehensible in many aspects. She structured her life and surroundings, used scripts to manage interactions with hotel clients, and navigated situations with well-rehearsed, often repeated sayings by her deceased grandmother. In all that, she kept a naive faith in the goodness of others and a positive outcome in the end.

Nita Prose has written a wonderful story about what is important in life: tolerance, loyalty, and belonging. Whilst 'The Maid' has many layers, it is an easy,  pleasurable read that had me both chuckling and wiping away tears. I struggled to put this book down and was unhappy that there had to be an end to it. Quite obviously, others had a similar experience given that rights to this book have been acquired by at least 20 countries and Molly's story is slated for a movie before it has even been published! What more could possibly be said to recommend it?

My sincere thanks go to NetGalley and the publishers for granting me an eARC of this book and the opportunity to write an unbiased, voluntary review.

The Maid is a delightfully charming cozy mystery -- but there's depth here too.

I found myself absolutely enthralled with the character of Molly. The story is told entirely from her perspective and her voice is unique and refreshing. Molly takes things very literally and has a difficult time interpreting what others are actually trying to say. (Sometimes, Molly reminded me of a much more complex version of the Amelia Bedelia character I loved as a child.) With no one to bounce things off of after the death of her beloved Gran, Molly often feels adrift and misunderstood. And yet, she is always cheerful and conscious of being the woman her grandmother raised her to be. She's diligent, a hard worker with a good heart, and a loyal friend. And she's an absolutely endearing character.

Because it is told through the lens of a character who always sees the best in the world, the story does have a cheery and bright feeling sheen to it. But there are heavier layers here too. This story also touches upon those who feel invisible in the world, as well as subjects like friendship and family, identity and finding one's voice.

Readers will be able to put together much of the mystery before Molly does. However, there are a few surprises here too. The plot is well crafted and the story, beautifully written. I sincerely look forward to future books by Nita Prose!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance read!

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the ARc of this book. I offer my review freely.

In Nita Prose's debut novel, we meet Molly, a sweet maid at a fancy hotel who takes extreme pride in her work. She has a way of seeing the world that is all her own. She sees the best in people, she always expects things to go a certain way, and she has trouble reading social cues. When a murder happens in the hotel, her world - and world view - is turned upside down. She has a hard time figuring out who is genuinely trying to help her and who is taking advantage of her.

I wanted to love this a lot more than I did because Molly is incredibly charming and her friends were a bunch of very likable characters. I did, however, find it a bit too sickly sweet for my taste. It's definitely a cozy mystery with no sharp edges. It might not be perfect for me, but I know this will definitely be a hit with a lot of readers.

4.5 stars! Raised to 5. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this delightful mystery and heartwarming character study. Nita Prose has written an impressive, brilliant and original debut.

Molly takes great pride in her position as a maid at the posh Grand Regency Hotel. She has an obsession with cleanliness and takes pleasure in leaving each hotel room cleaned, tidied, and disinfected to a state of perfection. She greets each morning with joy in her crisp, clean uniform and her maid's cart newly replenished with towels and little bottles. Molly is charming but a literal thinker who misses nuances in conversations and social cues. She constantly searches for the best in people, which results in her being too trusting and naive, misinterpreting the intentions of others. She is a stickler for etiquette taught by her Gran, is always polite, and has an enchanting way of speaking with an extensive vocabulary and old-fashioned expressions.

She misses her Gran, who made up simple rules for Molly to live by, encouraged her love for cleaning and instilled in her the importance of good manners. Since her grandmother's death, she must learn to navigate her complex surroundings under conditions she doesn't fully understand. Molly has always seemed odd to others and was the target of unmerciful bullying at school. Since she lost her grandmother, she feels lonely but makes an effort to display a polite and positive attitude. Molly has lacked friends while growing up. Her first boyfriend stole her savings combined with those of her Gran's. Molly has lacked friends while growing up. She endures rudeness and name-calling at work, and the head maid steals her tips. She is thrilled to have such a prestigious hotel with its elaborate decor and high-end reputation as a workplace. Molly is unaware that criminal activities have infiltrated the Grand Regency Hotel.

She does seem to be making some positive relationships at the hotel. The fatherly, kindly doorman always greets her pleasantly and offers words of advice. Juan, who works as a dishwasher and kitchen- help, is an illegal Mexican immigrant. He sends his wages back home to support his mother and family members. Molly finds him an empty room each evening where he can hide and sleep and avoid deportation. They recognize her kind heart. She thinks she is in love with the handsome bartender and can't believe she has been so fortunate to have two dates with him already.

One morning she enters the hotel room of a frequent guest with her cleaning supplies. He is a wealthy man who has a much younger second trophy wife whom he abuses and intimidates. Molly is horrified to find him dead and forensic evidence concludes he was murdered. Molly and his widow strike up an unlikely friendship. Molly is the prime suspect in the murder. She is arrested but is released on bail posted by another. She learns she has placed her trust in the wrong people but has some strong supporters willing and able to help find the true culprit before she must go to trial.

Without her job, Molly is devastated, and her landlord is harassing her for rent that she has no way of paying. She has the upcoming trial on the horizon and may become homeless. She is determined to tell the truth but has no way of proving her innocence.

Will Molly find herself evicted from the modest apartment she shared with her loving Gran? How will she support herself now that she is jobless? Will Molly and her new supporters discover the true culprit in time to save her from prison? Will she find true love? Has she, in her innocence and naivety, been deliberately set up?

Readers should find this cozy but complex mystery enthralling and enjoyable. Recommended! The author has created in Molly one of the most compelling and unique characters in recent books.

I really enjoyed this novel. The main character was charming and believable, and I immediately started rooting for her. The mystery aspect and the eventual found family kept me reading, and I thought it was very well-written.

The only reason it wasn't a 5-star read for me was that I don't enjoy when books written in the first person reveal something near the end that the character has known all along. I felt there were ways that aspect of the story could have been handled differently. However, I will still wholeheartedly recommend it, especially to fans of books like When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald and Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata.

Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy!

3.5 stars.

The Maid was a very feel good story with a valuable moral message. I felt the characters and story were not particularly complex, but it was a satisfying read nonetheless. Molly has a very unique viewpoint that may not be for everyone – her naivety and meticulous narrative voice could be difficult at times – but is certainly unlike any I’ve read before.

I don’t think of this story as much of a mystery in the conventional sense; the characters remain who they always are and you can quickly categorize the roles they’re going to play. The narrator may not always be the best judge of character and her strained perspective makes a valiant effort of obscuring the reader’s own conclusions, but the characters’ intentions are laid out quite easily for even the most novice sleuth. Molly is often a victim of circumstance and her own inability to articulate herself in a way that would vindicate her character. If there were any big “surprises”, I don’t feel the groundwork was really put in for the reader, more dropped in at random to neatly tie loose ends.

It’s possible I let my own expectations get the better of me and found this a little underwhelming on the whole. Partway through reading I had to adjust my expectations and appreciate this novel for what it was. I do think it was a very charming story and was rooting for Molly’s growth and journey to proving her innocence. This is definitely a cozy light read, just not one you’d turn to for putting your mind to work.

Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for this pleasant read!

I start by thanking NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC in exchange for my honest review. A wonderful quirky read. Learning to enjoy unique stories of unique characters, to find joyin simple tasks done well, to see crime solved by mostly Invisible people. Truly fun.

Molly adores her job as a maid in a hotel. While focusing on bringing rooms back to their state of perfection, Molly discovers one of the hotel's most esteemed guests dead in his bed. Join Molly the maid in a cozy mystery where she uncovers the secrets of the hotel and its guests, as well as discovering who truly has her back.

Molly is a neurodivergent character who is just so charming and delightful! Prose's dialogue had me cackling but also kept the tension high when the more nefarious characters were using Molly's good nature. I'm not usually one to pick up a cozy (give me the darkness) but this is a quirky enjoyable read with a main character who just simply wants to follow the rules and etiquette of her employer. This is also Nita's Prose's debut novel!

4.5 stars rounded up

J'ai absolument adoré ce livre ! La personnage principale est attachante et très particulière, j'ai eu l'impression d'entrer dans un monde différent du mien. Je recommande fortement ce livre !!

The Maid by Nita Prose was suprisingly delightful. I had a hard time putting it down, and when I did, I wanted to get back to it anytime I had a spare minute. The main character, a slightly awkward and deeply conscientious hotel maid, was an absolute joy to meet, and I found my self caring very much about what happened to her. Her personality was so engaging and honest, that I just wanted her to be appreciated and taken seriously.
The book takes place in an opulent hotel where Molly (yes Molly) works cleaning rooms. One of the rooms she cleans houses a very important man who is unfotunately found dead by Molly herself. This discovery changes her life and she goes from being completely ignored by everyone, to being the centre of attention. Because she is so socially awkward, she has a hard time distinguishing between who she can trust and who she can't, which leads to many important lessons learned. In the end, she figures it our and shows that even though she is naive, she is strong as well.
The characters in the novel were well written and significant to the outcome of the story. The main character and her supporting cast were extremely rootable and the end was very satisfying. I love the character of Molly, and I wanted her to be alright and she was. I recomment everyone read this uplifting and wonderfully joyous book. You won't be disappointed

Twenty-five year old Molly Gray is a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. Molly is an unique individual. Not always the best at interpreting facial expressions and vocal tones Molly finds dealing with people a challenge. Molly’s Gran helps Molly navigate the social world and its’ mysteries. Sadly Molly’s Gran has passed away. All on her own Molly feels lost without her Gran’s guidance and is struggling to cope with all of life’s ins and outs.
Molly loves her job as a maid. Cleanliness and keeping things in order gives Molly a great deal of satisfaction. Mr. Black and his second wife Giselle are regular guests at the Regency Grand and Molly is their maid. Molly endures Mr. Black’s abrupt and often rude behaviour because she is a professional. Molly has a different relationship with Giselle. Molly comes to think of Giselle as her friend.
One day Molly returns to the Black’s hotel room to finish cleaning and discovers the lifeless body of Charles Black. Molly makes note of the disorder of the room and calls for help.
Being first on the scene Molly is questioned by Detective Stark. Molly’s responses to Detective Stark’s questions are thought to be unusual and sometimes inappropriate considering the circumstances. This leads to Molly becoming a suspect and not just a witness.
I was very anxious to read THE MAID. I have been hearing about it so my anticipation was high. THE MAID did not disappoint. I loved it from beginning to end and all the stuff in between. Molly’s innocence and uniqueness are endearing. With a subtle layer darkness Nita Prose gave us an entertaining and charming tale of a young woman trying to navigate the world as best she can under trying circumstances.
I think THE MAID will attract a huge following when it is released early next year.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for allowing me access to an advanced e-edition.