Reviews with content warning for Torture - The Maid

This was a quick listen, although I'd call it slower paced. The main character has a strong voice and perspective, which was nice, and it was interesting to see the world through that strong perspective. Was a little shallow for me, and I'm curious to hear more ND perspectives, but could be right up your alley if you like slow "mysteries" (would not call this anything close to a thriller...).

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now_booking's review against another edition

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dark emotional lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

I’m not entirely sure what I expected going into this- based on buzz and blurb, I’d imagined some sort of Eleanor Oliphant cozy mystery and in some ways, this is that-ish. But I think to call Molly an Eleanor isn’t quite right or fair to either character. Molly is sort of her own sort of socially awkward, neurodivergent character- I’d say she’s kind of Pollyanna meets Keiko (from Convenience Store Woman) meets Mary Poppins all at once with a sprinkling of her own uniqueness. Many times in the first third of this book, I was gasping because it was like unleashing an innocent babe out into the world to be taken advantage of, but Molly had grit and personality and ultimately she was a delight.

The premise is that Molly, a maid at a luxury boutique hotel, has always struggled with social cues and making friends. After losing her grandmother and being betrayed by a loser boyfriend, she is determined to keep her head down and make enough to pay her rent, but she can’t resist the seduction of the possibility of new friends at her hotel job. Unfortunately, this leads her into danger and suddenly, in trying to help her friends, she comes under suspicion of murder.

I really enjoyed this novel. It’s kind of a cosy mystery but it’s also about friendship and found family and responsibility and grief and dealing with terminal illness and loss. I felt emotionally-engaged in the story even though Molly as a character had obviously been trained to control her emotions and suppress her feelings out of politeness. I enjoyed Molly’s voice and observations as a character and I would say this was gently humorous. I think that while this was great and enjoyable and I even liked the twist at the end, there was sometimes a bit of detachment I felt from Molly that sometimes made this feel a little unbelievable or very dramatic in the way of movies from the 50s and 60s. I suppose this could be an intentional choice as Molly’s habits and language and behaviour WERE inspired by that period thanks to her grandmother. I loved the supporting characters and was curious about Mr Preston and his daughter and his relationship with Molly’s grandma. In all this was a really enjoyable read and I recommend checking it out if you’re looking for a gentle but really engaging read with light humor and Cody mystery vibes.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Ballantine Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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travelseatsreads's review against another edition

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emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

The Maid is a compelling, enjoyable and twisty mystery which kept me hooked until the very end. From the opening lines it is very clear that there is something a little bit different about Molly the maid and it was fantastic to see her little quirks and character develop as the book went on.

The storyline feels a little bit predictable at times but I enjoyed that aspect in a way because I could almost see what Molly was about to do or say and wanted to dive in ahead of time and stop her. It made me really invested in Molly and her adventures.

I listened to the audiobook and really loved Lauren Ambrose as the narrator, her voice and mannerisms really captured Molly and brought her to life for me.

A fun, gripping whodunnit which also makes you think about how about how easily we often jump to conclusions and misconceptions and little too quickly about people, their personalities and their abilities.

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taria's review against another edition

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challenging funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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