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funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Maybe there IS a good reason to have extra pillows lying around?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Deportation
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
As much as I enjoy books with neurodiverse characters, Molly's seemed a bit inconsistent, which took me out of the story a bit. For instance, her ability to read facial expressions seems to come and go. Also, one minute she's being taken advantage of because she can't navigate social situations and the next minute she's skillfully handling a police interrogation or testimony in court. I don't buy that she learned all about police procedures from watching Columbo but can't recognize that she's being conned/used by some of the people in her life . But the plot was still engaging enough to continue.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Toxic friendship
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
TW:
-Assisted Suicide
-Bullying
-Murder
-Drugs/drug use
While I was entertained, I do have a problem with the way the author writes the characters. A bit too much stereotyping for me, in all honesty I wonder if the author has ever had interactions with any neurodivergent individual. It seems as though she googled "autistic behaviors" and threw them around to create'Molly the maid'.
-Assisted Suicide
-Bullying
-Murder
-Drugs/drug use
While I was entertained, I do have a problem with the way the author writes the characters. A bit too much stereotyping for me, in all honesty I wonder if the author has ever had interactions with any neurodivergent individual. It seems as though she googled "autistic behaviors" and threw them around to create'Molly the maid'.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Terminal illness, Violence, Abandonment
sad
medium-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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Gaslighting
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Violence
Minor: Physical abuse, Blood, Grief, Murder
I love how quirky Molly is! In some ways I do resonate with her, especially the times when she said that she's a little odd .
The overall pace of this book was great and I enjoyed the story although I do feel like the ending was somewhat rushed. It was interesting to read how everything turned out and reading it from Molly's perspective was unique, considering how quirky she is but I think that's what makes this book different in a way.
Overall, I'd say this book is unlike anything I've read before and I'm excited to read the next one in the series!
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-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:
Complicated
A refreshingly different kind of heroine who didn't find out the truth because she was witty, but because she had friends who she could trust.
Surprisingly wholesome for a murder mystery with a bullied mc, I look forward to listening to the next story about Molly the Maid.
Surprisingly wholesome for a murder mystery with a bullied mc, I look forward to listening to the next story about Molly the Maid.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, Murder
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The mystery wasn't very exciting and I couldn't get invested in the characters. It felt young in tone and writing style, but it was an easy read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder
Moderate: Deportation
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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:
Yes
I read a NetGalley ARC of this and rated it without realizing Molly, the MC, is neurodivergent. I wanted to read it with new eyes, so I picked it up when I saw it at my library this week.
Upon rereading, I found Molly's innocence endearing and her quirks to be charming. I love an underdog story, and Molly was easy to root for. I'm so glad I gave this book a second chance and absolutely loved the themes of friendship and found family. The second book in the series is waiting for me at the library, and I can't wait to be back in Molly's world at The Regency Grand Hotel!
Upon rereading, I found Molly's innocence endearing and her quirks to be charming. I love an underdog story, and Molly was easy to root for. I'm so glad I gave this book a second chance and absolutely loved the themes of friendship and found family. The second book in the series is waiting for me at the library, and I can't wait to be back in Molly's world at The Regency Grand Hotel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Murder
Minor: Death of parent, Abandonment
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Abandonment
Moderate: Death of parent
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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
Book: The Maid
Author: Nita Prose
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
The Maid is a fast-paced and compelling mystery novel that had me hooked right from the first chapter. It was Nita Prose’s debut novel and was the first book in The Maid series.
I was given the opportunity to read it and the second book in the series, titled The Mystery Guest, for a buddy read that was hosted by Tandem Collective Global.
It follows 25-year-old Molly Gray, the FMC, who is a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. Molly takes her job very seriously and knows that it is her duty to return each room she cleans to a state of perfection.
She unfortunately ends up in the middle of a murder investigation - after finding the hotel’s famous guest, Mr. Black, “dead is his bed”.
Molly discovers that although she insists she is innocent, she is wrongly accused of being the main suspect after trusting the wrong people.
With the knowledge that she carries with her from watching Columbo with her Gran (before she passed away), Molly realizes that she needs to employ her skills to clear her name and solve the mystery of what turns out to not just be a natural death - but a murder.
I enjoyed that the book was told through Molly’s perspective and that we got to see the world and story through her eyes. I thought that although the mystery was the main storyline, reading about Molly growing as a character and person was arguably just as interesting and ended up being incredibly heartwarming.
As a character, Molly was refreshing and easy to root for, and is a good representation of someone who is neurodivergent.
Additionally, the “secondary” (if you can even call them that since they all stood out) characters in the book add to the authenticity of the story and demonstrate that friends, allies, and found family can come along in the most unexpected of situations and ways.
Molly receives unexpected help while remaining true to herself, and the words of her Gran echo in her mind as her guiding compass throughout the entire time of working to clear her name.
I still can’t believe this was Nita Prose’s debut novel - as it was a great cozy mystery, delightful to read, and well-written. I laughed out loud more than once and quickly started reading the second book right away since I enjoyed the first so much!
Thank you to Penguin Books Canada for the copy of The Maid (and The Mystery Guest) and to Tandem Collective Global for hosting the buddy read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Grief
Minor: Infidelity, Physical abuse, Deportation