I am well aware that my name is ridiculous. ~ Opening of The Maid
The Maid by Nita Prose
Ballantine Books, 2022
Crime Fiction; 304 pgs
Source: NetGalley
Molly Gray takes great pride in her job as a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. Before her grandmother’s death, Molly relied heavily on her grandmother to help her understand the world around her. She has her memories and holds on tight to the lessons her grandmother taught her. Molly is neurodivergent and does not see the world the way most others do. She struggles with social skills and reading facial expressions. She likes routine and having rules to follow. Her life is disrupted in a big way, however, when she finds the body of Charles Black, a wealthy and influential businessman, in his hotel room, his young wife Giselle absent from the scene. A police investigation ensues and, much to Molly’s surprise and consternation, she finds herself at the top of the suspect list.
The novel is written from the perspective of Molly, and so the reader gets a firsthand glimpse into what she is feeling and thinking. I loved the references to the old Columbo television show, which I have fond memories of watching when I was a child. Molly is such a wonderful character and there is so much more to her than at first the reader may think. There were moments I wished I could wring the neck of some of the other characters who had taken advantage of Molly’s naivety. But I also think it was their assumptions about her that made them underestimate her. There were also the characters I was so glad Molly had in her life.
I thought the overall characterizations and story were multi-layered and well-developed. I had a hard time putting The Maid down once I started reading. I found it to be a witty, charming and heartfelt novel that I hated to see come to an end if only to spend more time with Molly.
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Its good to see characters such as Molly featuring in book, this sounds like a lovely read.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this one a lot as well. It really held my interest, Glad it was a good one for you as well.
ReplyDeleteI've thought this book sounded quite interesting and have had it on hold for a while. It's very popular! Can't wait to read it!
ReplyDeleteI really want to read this one!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting the info the maid holds back that is the key to everything. I'm not sure I understood her character or the way her mind works.
ReplyDeleteI loved The Maid too. Your review is so good.
ReplyDeleteMy IRL book club is planning to read this in November. I'm glad to hear that you liked it and didn't want to put it down. I hope I like it just as much.
ReplyDeleteI've heard so many good things about this book, and I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it too. Someday I will find time for it!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found a good one to read.
ReplyDeleteWonderful review, Wendy. I also enjoyed this story, but had some niggles. I did love Mollie's character.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked this one, too. I agree that Molly is a character whom I enjoyed and that many of the other characters around her were horrible people that I wanted to smack.
ReplyDeleteI really thought about reading this one! I'm so glad you liked it! I also like books that are hard to put down. :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this book as well, but it's not my favourite. Molly was a great character and her moments/interactions with her grandmother always make me smile.
ReplyDeleteI had this one as well. Molly was an interesting character!
ReplyDeleteMolly sounds like an interesting and lovable character, thanks for the great review!
ReplyDeleteI heard this one is good! Sounds fun and I hope to get to it. Glad you liked it - Molly seems like a good character.
ReplyDeleteExcellent review! I finally managed to read this one on audio and it was as you described. The characters! I was so glad Molly had some of them at her back, as she did some stupid things in the name of friendship. It's great she ended up with a better circle of friends in the end. (I can't believe how Mr. Snow was willing to let her be thrown under the bus, as well as keeping the odious Cheryl (Sheryl?))
ReplyDeleteAnne - Books of My Heart