In today’s world of mundane and one-dimensional characters, the narration of Molly in The Maid by Nita Prose is a desperately needed breath of fresh air.

About The Book:

★★★★

My Thoughts:

The beginning hooked me instantly. Molly is such a lovely character. She is a good soul as well as a very hard-working maid in the Grand Regency Hotel. She is very socially awkward and doesn’t understand social cues like the majority of the people do. This something causes people to make fun of her, underestimate her, take her for granted and hurt her. And she knows it, she doesn’t sugar-coat it either. However, throughout her life, she’s always had her Gran as her support and counsellor in social behaviour. But since her grandma died, there is no one else to tell Molly how to separate a good egg from all the bad ones.

When one of the hotel guests is found dead in the hotel and Molly is the one that discovers the body, her whole world turns upside down. Molly very quickly realizes that she cannot trust everyone, and that people are not always as trustworthy as they seem to be.

“I was just thinking how one day can be so utterly grim and the next such a blessing. In this life, you just never know what’s around the bend, be it a dead man or your next date.”

Honestly, very early in the book I really struggled with how naive Molly can be at times. At one point, I wanted to shout “How can you not realize what is going on in that hotel room?”. However, very soon it all starts to make sense, and my amazement for Molly only continues to grow. Her positive attitude and the ability to only see the good in others really humbled me at times. I was team Molly all the way through and loved watching her stand up to people in the end.

“As I cleaned, I fantasized about all the things I would do – spray bleach in her face, strangle her with a bathrobe tie, push her off the balcony – if ever I caught Cheryl red-handed, stealing tips from one of my rooms.”

Molly and Gran

The relationship between Molly and her Gran is so precious. Even though her grandma is not longer there, we can always feel her presence. She taught Molly amazing lessons as well as raised her in a lovely woman. As someone who spent a lot of time with my grandparents growing up, I really felt their connection. And also the emptiness when those people you so much admire are no longer with you, but their spirit and their lessons always remains.

“We’re all entitled to a bad day now and again, I heard Gran say in my head. But when they are all bad days, with no pleasant ones, then it’s time to reconsider things.”

The Mystery

The Maid would be considered as a cozy mystery. Although the murder is a big event in the book, it’s also a side story that helps Molly to develop her character, find her place in the world and learn so many new things about herself and the world around her. The entire hotel was also a place of mystery, suspense and intrigue for me. I loved Molly’s interactions with her coworkers and the guests, as well as her thoughts throughout her shifts. The writing is very fast-paced and very captivating. Before you realize, you’ll be 80 pages in.

“For the first time in my life, I think I understand what a true friend is. It isn’t just someone who likes you; it’s someone willing to take action on your behalf.”

The Maid is the perfect mix of suspense, friendship, trust, hard work and doing what’s right. There is a lesson that you should always be kind, and that sticking up for your friends is always worth it, as long as you know who your true friends are. No wonder this book is all people are talking about this January. Its recognition is very well deserved and I very warmly recommend it!

About The Author:

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