The Maid by Nita Prose: Book Review

The Maid is Nita Prose’s debut novel, which will be released in January 2022. Published by Ballantine Books, The Maid is a mystery and thriller that introduces readers to the 20-something Molly Gray. Molly is grieving the loss of her grandmother and trying to figure out her place in the world. One day at work, she discovers a hotel guest dead in his bed. And Molly becomes suspect number one! She didn’t do it, but who did, and will they be caught before it’s too late for Molly?

I want to thank Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Maid. All opinions presented here are solely mine.

CW/TW: drug use, bullying, murder, domestic abuse (off-page)

Synopsis from Goodreads

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?

Positives

The characters were wonderfully developed. You understood that you were to dislike Rodney and love Mr. Preston.

Molly as a whole is an intriguing character. She is used to disappearing into the background, being virtually invisible. As the story progresses, she finds herself more and more pushed to the front to be more visible. She grows and develops but stays true to who she is as well.

Negatives

There are parts of the story that feels disjointed. Molly is the person telling the story, and it’s hard to tell when she’s part of the present situation and when she remembers something that happened. It is unclear what is happening until she is suddenly brought to the present by an outside presence.

I find it hard to believe that Mr. Snow was as oblivious to the goings-on in the hotel as he claims to be. I understand that managers can’t see everything, but there are times it appears that Mr. Snow sees nothing!

My Opinions

I was excited when I first learned about The Maid. Why? Because the synopsis I read states it is a Clue-like, locked room experience. I love the game Clue; it’s possibly my favorite game of all time. That said, this book did not deliver on that promise, and I feel let down. I did not guess who the murderer was. Honestly, I had no inkling as to who it was. And the reveal surprised me. But the book does not live up to the comparison to Clue. I can’t explain more, sorry.

Those around her describe Molly as being robotic and overly literal as other people’s emotions are hard for her to understand. Others have trouble understanding Molly, as she doesn’t act like a typical 20-something, nor does she speak like one. This causes problems with the police, as her actions make her appear more guilty in their eyes.

Molly felt like she was alone and had no family throughout much of the book. And the people she thought she could rely on to be there for her used her for their gains. By the end of the book, though, she had discovered a group of friends upon whom she could rely and consider them family. And that is something that I liked about the book.

One thing I did not like about Molly is that she is an unreliable narrator. I don’t think this is the first time I’ve come across this in a book. But I can say it is not something that I like, and at least not how it was written here. Sorry, I am vague about this, but I can’t say more without some spoilers.

Something else that I do not like about the book is the theme or thought throughout it that says how sometimes you have to do something bad for something good to happen. In my mind, that’s the opposite of two wrongs don’t make a right. It also goes against the do unto others as you’d have them do unto you philosophy. As you can see, I don’t know how doing something bad can lead to something good happening.

Do I recommend the book? Sure, because I am not a gatekeeper. Did I enjoy the book? Honestly, no. It is one that I could have done without reading. That said, I do offer Nita Prose all the best in her writing career moving forward.

Looking for some more books to read? Check out my other book reviews and my monthly reading wrap-ups.