I didn't know what to expect from this mystery. The premise is what drew me in and I am really glad I enjoyed it. The story revolves around a maid who while cleaning hotel rooms discovers a dead body. She becomes a suspect for the murder and she works to prove her innocence. I have never read a cozy mystery as I have found the premises to be over the top and campy. This is considered a cozy mystery but I didn't find it over the top it was really charming. Our main character Molly has a very distinct personality, and struggles with social interactions. This mystery is very character driven and focuses on the relationships Molly has built at the hotel. If you do not like Molly as a character or get along with her quirky behavior you will not enjoy this book. The plot is pretty straight forward and not very unique. The highlight and star of the story is Molly's relationships and her character growth.

If you enjoy character driven stories about love, found family, loyalty, challenging the social perception of what is "normal" with a side of murder then I would give this debut work a try!

Fun quick read. Molly was a great character and the mystery kept the pages turning. The writing was smart and respectful of Molly differences and challenges. The author handled them with understanding and creating empathy without pity. Light mystery with a lot of heart!

The Maid by Nita Prose

“We are all the same in different ways”. Molly the Maid.

And Molly was different. She was exuberant about the smallest pleasures. She could be described as naive, but wasn’t really. She was more matter of fact, perceived every thing in black and white, almost rigid in her ways.

Molly lived with her elderly gran, who brought her up and taught her rules to live by. Gran was also a maid. They lived in what what most would consider a shabby apartment. But it was very, very clean. Every morning they arose, had breakfast and went off each to their own jobs. Molly to a grand hotel and gran to a private home. They we’re each other’s best friends.

Then gran got very ill and died and Molly was devastated.

But Molly carried on and stuck to the prescribed daily routine. She had friends at work whom she greeted each day before starting her assignments. But first she got into her beloved uniform, and prepared her cleaning cart. Molly loved her job and the hotel.

Then, in the same order every day, she greeted Juan, a kitchen worker, then Rodney who was the manager of the bar. Molly had a crush on Rodney.

One day Molly’s daily routine was totally turned upside down. She found a man dead in his bed. He and his young wife stayed in this suite at the Grand regularly. There were many who might want this miserable man dead. But Molly, who wouldn’t hurt the proverbial fly, was charged.

I truly enjoyed this mystery novel. It’s written in Molly’s voice. That’s perfect because you see inside her brain, see how it works. You feel her innocence, her kindness, her loyalty and her way of traveling through life AG. (After Gran)

Many thanks to Penguin Random House for allowing me the pleasure of reading and reviewing this delightful novel.

The Maid is a charming character study of a determined but socially awkward young women who gets entwined in a web of murder and deceit. Nita Prose brilliantly paints a protagonist easy to emphasize with, and the things her main character has to go through and endure are so well written and laid out that it's hard lay this novel out of the hand even for a brief while. I enjoyed every page.

“𝑴𝒚 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚. 𝑾𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔.”

This book is everywhere on Bookstagram, and I read it as part of THREE book clubs! From the cover alone, I knew that I had to dive into The Maid.

The Regency Grand Hotel is a great setting; it naturally leads to meeting a ton of different people from all different walks of life. I really enjoyed Nita Prose’s writing - she has created a world and characters that you cannot help but be immersed in. Molly the Maid is such a unique person; although doesn’t always understand social interactions, she is loving, hardworking, and kind. I loved her life lessons from her Gran, and that she tried to look to her advice to lead her through hard decisions. Molly’s love of Agatha Christie and Columbo was a fun touch that ended up giving Molly some very useful knowledge! The love for Olive Garden also reminded me of another similar fun read with Panera and Finlay Donovan. Molly’s chosen family of Mr. Preston, Charlotte and Juan Manuel were loveable, and some of the not so lovely characters were just as enjoyable in their wickedness. My two big complaints are the stereotypes and the marketing. I didn’t love the Mexican drug cartel stereotype that was presented, and I don’t think this is a locked room mystery, rather an exploration of life, with some comedic moments and a mystery thrown in.

I’ve heard The Maid described as “Eleanor Oliphant solves a mystery” (thanks @jordysbookclub) and I couldn’t agree more. This book made me think about judging other people, and remembering to get to know someone’s story. The Maid is a mystery with a lot of heart. Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for both the digital and physical ARC and to NetGalley for the access to the digital ARC!

Was happy to include this quirky throwback yet topical mystery in my January Novel Encounters column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction. In Zoomer magazine’s Zed Book Club section.

“Mr. and Mrs. Black? May I complete my sanitation visit? I would very much like to return your room to a state of perfection.”

How do I love The Maid? Let me count the ways? I love Molly Maid’s precision with her words and with her work. I love her total self-awareness of her strengths and weaknesses. I love her confidence in her own thoughts and ideas even as she struggles to understand other people’s intentions and meanings. I love Molly’s practical kindness to those in need.

I love how many times she points out that assumptions are bad. Assumptions make an A-S-S out of you and me. I love that Molly sees something that unlocks the entire mystery when she comes across Mr. Black’s corpse, and then just doesn’t refer back to that moment again until the epilogue. Molly has simply decided that it’s not something she needs to share. I love that even as Molly keeps reminding people not to assume, they continue to do so. And I love that she takes advantage of that.

Nita Prose, write us some more stories, please.

Molly’s dominant traits (at least in her mind) are a love of cleaning and cleanliness, meticulous wording, a love of rules (especially rules about social comportment), a desire for human connection, practical kindness, and difficulty understanding nuances in human communication. She needs honest, direct language which is probably why she’s so intentional with her own.

The way Molly speaks absolutely makes my day! The quote opening this review is perfect. Perfect! Throughout the story I relished both Molly’s perspective and the way she explains how she sees herself and the world around her.

Highlights include:

“How any woman would like a hairy man is beyond me. Not that I’m prejudiced. I’m just saying that if a man I fancied was hairy, I’d get the wax out, and I’d rip the strips off him until he was clean and bare.”

“I’m blessed with this ability – to clean my mind as I would a room. I picture offensive people or recall uncomfortable moments, and I wipe them away. Gone. Erased, just like that. My mind is returned to a state of perfection.”

“With Gran gone, much of the time I feel like a blind person in a minefield. I’m constantly stumbling upon social improprieties hidden under the surface of things.”

“I’ve learned to doubt myself and my perceptions of the world around me. I do realize I’m different, you know, different from most. What I perceive isn’t what you perceive. Plus, people don’t always listen to me. I’m often afraid I won’t be believed, that my thoughts will be discounted. I’m just a maid, a nobody.”


Molly is also clever. She’s learned to turn her weaknesses into strengths. Her struggles with understanding people has taught her to not only take extra care with her own words, but how to discreetly withhold information. Others don’t even realize she’s done it, which is aided by their assumptions (A-S-S) around her disability and how she appears to them: simple, dumb, naïve. (She’s none of these.) She only has words to protect herself and she has learned to wield them well.

Molly’s personality and how she chooses to deal with Mr. Black’s murder, Mrs. Black’s friendship and request for help, her trust in the wrong and right people and what she chooses to disclose to whom when… Molly drives this whole mystery and I couldn’t imagine a more enjoyable ride with anyone else.

What happens when a neatnik discovers a dead body? The Maid by Nita Prose centres around the well-ordered life of Molly, The Maid, who is good at her job. Maybe a little too good. After landing her dream job as a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, Molly insists on returning each suite to, “a state of perfection” each and every day. When Molly discovers the body of a wealthy hotel regular, she is soon among those suspected of his murder. Seen as an easy target, Molly’s friends are not what they seem. Molly’s character leaves the reader heartbroken at times as she navigates her life after the death of her beloved Gran, navigating the social nuances of friendships and relationships, often vulnerable as she misinterprets the true intentions of others. Those who truly care about her emerge to help Molly claim victory over those who chose selfishly to abuse their relationship with her and allowing her to prove once and for all that you should never underestimate her. Full of mystery, endless twists and turns, and a lot of heart, this book is a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was different than the typical thrillers. It was a cute story with a quirky character, I found the story to drag and didn't love this book at all.

This is the book that saved Christmas 2021 for me. Instead of having a pity party because most of my plans got ruined, I picked up this book and simply devoured it over the course of one weekend. There's been a lot of (well deserved) hype around this book but I know that it's sometimes a double edged sword because hype also tends to raise people's expectations. So what can you expect with Nita Prose's debut novel? Memorable characters, entertaining plot-line, a not so typical heroine and overall the kind of story that just makes you want to keep reading.

Molly Gray loves being a hotel maid. She simply loves cleaning, order and takes pride in her work. After losing her only family member (her grandmother) Molly finds herself even more focused on her work as the work rules and expectation make sense to her unlike ordinary social interactions and cue which often leave her stumped, confused or misreading things. Her orderly life gets turned upside down after she finds a dead body of a wealthy hotel guest in one of the rooms and then becomes a suspect in police investigation. As Molly tries to navigate her new life circumstances and discover what really happened, she might also discover new ways to relate to people that surround her, as well as a few new things about herself.

This is one of those books that I will continue recommending to readers in my life simply because it transcends genre expectations and is just a well-written, well thought-out story that was such a pleasure to read. I really hope that this won't be Nita Prose's only book. And I most certainly hope that there will be more literary adventures involving Molly Gray.

Very grateful to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book from the first page. Molly is such a delightful person and it was hard to read how people took advantage of her naivety and used it to further their own needs rather than hers.

The author captured Molly’s spirit and her goodness and I loved how her friends rallied around her in the end and make everything turn out as it should.

“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” — Flora (Gran)

My Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Maid 📖
By: @nitaprose
Publisher: @penguincanada
Download: @netgalley
Bookstore: @indigo
Book Club: @gmabookclub

Thank you @penguincanada and @netgalley for this ARC.

The Prologue starts off with this eerie tone where the maid reveals how much they know about the people they clean up after, yet how much do we really know them? Molly Grey otherwise referenced as Molly the maid, is very socially awkward and takes great pride in working for the Regency Grand five-star boutique hotel. Molly appears to be very naive and seems to be working on her ability to read people and their expressions. Somehow, Molly ends up implicating herself to be a suspect for the murder of a hotel guest named Charles Black. This whodunit mystery kept me entertained and engaged the whole way.

Loves:
- How Gran’s spirit stayed alive throughout the book.
- Although some of the chapters are long, I kept wanting to read.
- This reminded me of a soap opera. It was predictable, yet so addicting.

Keep in mind:
- if you are looking for a challenging mystery to keep you on your toes, this read may not be for you.
- there is a slight twist in the end, but is still not surprising.
- I did notice some stereotypical ethnic and gender roles but was overall unbothered by it. For instance, did all of the cleaning staff have to be women? Did few of the best maids (minus Molly) have to be women of colour? I did, however, notice some challenge in gender roles with some of the men being more domestic such as Mr. Preston making the tea in the kitchen and Juan Manuel loving to do cooking, cleaning and work around the kitchen. There are also successful career women such as Detective Stark and Charlotte as a lawyer.

I enjoyed this ARC so much that I had to go into @indigo to purchase their exclusive copy, which has a letter from the author @nitaprose and as @bettys_book_club pointed out, it has a gold trim. I already feel like this will be one of my favourite reads this year. I am really looking forward to this book coming to screen.

#GMABookClub #TheMaid #NitaProse

“Both a Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit” are some of the descriptions I’ve seen for this book. And because of that I had a certain expectation when reading the book that was not fulfilled. It was definitely a heartwarming journey of the spirit, shadowed by dark thoughts from time to time. But it was not a “Clue-like locked room mystery.” That description should be removed from summaries describing the book or from marketing materials. To me it sets the tone for a certain kind of mystery that this story does not achieve and that was a big disappointment . It took 1/2 way through the book before I realized it was just a mystery and for me to try and reset my expectations.
Actually if I had not read any of this marketing material I probably would have enjoyed the book a lot more. I enjoyed the red herrings littered throughout though. And once 1/2 to 3/4 way through the book things pick up to an interesting and satisfying conclusion.
3.5 stars because of the mis-direct (in my opinion) of the marketing material and resulting let down. If that was cleaned up I would have had a more neutral start on the book and would have provided a full 4 star rating.

I absolutely loved this book. At first I wasn’t sure I would enjoy this. The characters were great and I loved the development. Molly had to be the sweetest character ever. I loved her trusting self. I love how the characters became a family in the end and justice was served. A great first novel.

This is one of those books that you instantly fall in love with.
Molly is a maid, and is very proud of her work.
She is a very quirky and different individual, as well as very trusting.
Unfortunately for her she trusted the wrong person and ended up being a main suspect in a murder.

I could not put down this book, it was a rollercoaster of emotions. It had me laughing out loud, it had be getting very nervous, and angry, as well as very happy.

If you are looking for a murder mystery that is more uplift I would recommend this book!

I would like to thank netgalley for the arc of this book.

Molly Gray is a twenty-five-year-old maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. She often struggles to read social cues, but she is meticulous about cleaning. One morning, she walks into a suite to find the wealthy Charles Black dead. Because of the unusual way that Molly behaves, misreading social cues and taking everything to have a literal meaning, she is targeted as the main suspect in the murder of Mr. Black. Molly must find support in some surprising friends to untangle the mystery that she has become involved in.

I knew this story was going to be great before I read it, and it didn’t disappoint! It is told in an unusual style. Molly is an unreliable narrator because she misunderstands a lot. She doesn’t recognize when other people are sarcastic or lying to her, though it was obvious most of the time. The narrative would go back and forth throughout time, depending on what needed to be told in the moment. This was an unconventional style, but it left clues for the reader and filled in gaps in time where they were needed.

The story was fast paced and very difficult to put down. I was certain that I knew what had happened, but I was still excited to read the story. However, I was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong. This story had a great ending that was surprising yet made sense.

The Maid is an amazing debut mystery!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book.

Thank you to Net Galley, Penguin/Viking, and Nita Prose for giving me this opportunity to read this book.
Molly Gray is a 25 year old maid at a swanky hotel. She takes pride in her work and makes sure that the rooms she cleans are in pristine condition for the next customers.
She lives with her Gran, and she is somewhat awkward with meeting new people. To some of her co-workers she may come off as being snobbish due to how her gran has raised her.
Molly's live comes tumbling down when her gran dies and she has to navigate the world on her own.
Molly enters the room that a wealthy Charles Black is in. She goes in to clean the room but, low and behold she finds Mr. Black dead in the bed.
She gets caught up in a web of deception. As she tries to untangle the mysterious death of Mr. Black she finds that she does have friends that are willing to help her.
I found the book a bit boring at the beginning, it started to get good at about chapter 7. I had a lot of empathy for Molly as I found her somewhat naive. I wish the book was just a little bit longer.

The Maid is witty, charming and down to earth.

Molly, the maid, yes she is named Molly, works at the Regency Grand Hotel, which she loves. She is one of the top maids at this hotel and takes great pride in her work. On one of her shifts, she enters Mr. Black's suite not only once but twice before realizing Mr. Black is deceased..

Upon the discovery of the body, Molly is thrown into a world wind of deceit and is in a race against time to figure out whodunit!

A great, fast paced, witty and at times funny novel that will have you playing clue!

The Maid is a Clue-like, heartwarming mystery that explores the art of deception, morality, and what it means to be accepted.

Molly the Maid takes comfort in order and completing tasks to perfection. Being a maid compliments her personality and gives Molly the comfort of being invisible as she often misreads social cues and situations. With her innocence and eccentricities, Molly is an endearing, likeable, and standout character that readers will find themselves rooting for from start to finish.

With elegance and flair, this character-rich whodunnit is flawlessly paced and intricately plotted—it is as perfect and polished as one of Molly's hotel rooms. The writing is rich in such a way that you can smell the lemon wax and hotel soap as well as feel the crisp sheets and plush seating.

Prose's highly original and stunningly clever debut will both delight and charm mystery lovers. Check in to this book and enjoy your stay.

It took me a bit to get into this book but I did end up reading the last half of it in one evening.

As all of the many reviews out there have said - Molly is one of those characters that you’ll remember. She’s endearing, charming and beyond sweet.

The murder mystery was good, definitely a cozy mystery type of read. I wish there was a bit more suspense, but that’s probably just related to my own tastes.

3.5⭐️