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avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Molly, a neurodivergent maid, finds the rich and mean Mr. Black dead in his bed. It turns out he was murdered. And Molly ends up under suspicion for his murder. But some of the people at the hotel are not who they seem. And they may have used Molly's neurodivergence to their advantage.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I know some said it was inconsistent, but I find that, as a neurodivergent person, I can see how her seemingly very shifting rules don't shift as much as they seem to do to some people. I know that certain rules in my mind are different than how a "normal" person may have their rules. And once you get to the end it all makes sense, at least to me.
I didn't guess the killer, though I guess another one of the "plot twists" (the one with her grandmother.)
Narrator Rating: 3.5 stars
She did a decent job but for most of the book she had kind of pout to her voice which was childlike and annoying for a 20-something woman.
Elemental Levels: Fluff-3.5/5 Heartfelt-3/5 Helpful-NA Horror-NA Inspiration-NA
Love aka Romance-2/5 Mystery-5/5 Predictability-2.5/5 Spice-NA Suspense-2/5 Tear- 3/5 Thrill-1.5/5 Humor-1/5
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I know some said it was inconsistent, but I find that, as a neurodivergent person, I can see how her seemingly very shifting rules don't shift as much as they seem to do to some people. I know that certain rules in my mind are different than how a "normal" person may have their rules. And once you get to the end it all makes sense, at least to me.
I didn't guess the killer, though I guess another one of the "plot twists" (the one with her grandmother.)
Narrator Rating: 3.5 stars
She did a decent job but for most of the book she had kind of pout to her voice which was childlike and annoying for a 20-something woman.
Elemental Levels: Fluff-3.5/5 Heartfelt-3/5 Helpful-NA Horror-NA Inspiration-NA
Love aka Romance-2/5 Mystery-5/5 Predictability-2.5/5 Spice-NA Suspense-2/5 Tear- 3/5 Thrill-1.5/5 Humor-1/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Cursing, Misogyny, Trafficking, Alcoholism, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Violence, Classism, Mental illness, Alcohol, Death, Gaslighting, Racism, Grief, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Deportation, Ableism, Cancer, Sexism, Chronic illness, and Confinement
Moderate: Torture, Gun violence, Murder, Drug abuse, Suicide, Body horror, Addiction, Police brutality, Slavery, Blood, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Xenophobia, Medical content, Death of parent, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Excrement, Pregnancy, and Medical content
norwegianforestreader's review against another edition
dark
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Gun violence, Abandonment, Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Classism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Deportation, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Cancer, and Murder
madamenovelist's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
fast-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Cancer, Classism, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Physical abuse
The heroine has overt autistic traits (and possibly OCD traits? it’s unclear what the author’s intent was) but the manner in which her neurodivergence is handled was vaguely… flat. Like a caricature rather than a real person. I’m not sure if the author had a sensitivity reader/discussed what it’s like to be autistic with actual autistic people. Fantastic premise that would have made 5 stars if neurodivergence was handled with better care.afi_whatafireads's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.0
"There are times when a good person must do something that's not quite right, but it's still the right thing to do."
Gosh yall, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would!!! The story was wrapped-up perfectly! It was concise, without unnecessary fillers with a character that really grows on you!
Personal Ratings : 4🌟
A cozy-thriller book that has every element in it. It was character-centric, with a character that is peculiar but lovable and showed how not every person can be judged by its cover.
Short Summary
For anyone who has met Molly Gray, they will call her robotic, weird and out of the world. She's socially awkward but nice to a fault, and stuck to a routine. Her world turned upside down when one day, she found one of the hotel guests that she was familiar with to be found dead. A story of a girl who is trying to live her life to the fullest with a mix of a crime mystery that is witty, heartwarming and also gratifying.
Personal Thoughts
For any murder mystery book, I would always advice the same thing, go into the book blind. Its best to not know much. But I would say, if you're looking for a crime-mystery thriller that is plot-centric and revolves around the crime and solving the mystery, this book is definitely not it. But if you're looking for crime thriller that is light and very character-centric and heavily revolves around the specific character, this book is the right one for you!
I would say the Epilogue had me stunned. The Writing of the book was easy to read without too many fillers. It lets us into the life of Molly and as readers, we will get attached to her as a character. We will feel her compassion, her character and also the way she is so very socially awkward. The author had managed to bring me into the life of Molly and it was pleasant to be in her head.
The Pacing of the book was quite fast in my opinion. With the chapters divided into the Days of the crime, it was something that was quite like reading a script of a movie ,which I didn't mind. The transition to one scene to another was good and I liked the progress of the story.
Whilst there were things like certain parts that I didn't feel fit into the story, at the end of the day, I still enjoyed this book. I liked that the author highlighted how important it is to be good to everyone and that every voice matters, be it a maid or just your ordinary handyman. I also liked how the author brings forward a character who is eccentric and peculiar but has people who will love her as she is, and being that accepting differences in this world matters.
"What's obvious for you, isn't always obvious for everyone else. We're all the same in different ways."
Overall I really enjoyed this book! It was a read that showed a "goody-two-shoes" unraveling, interlaced with a crime mystery with a heartwarming end. Definitely one that I would recommend for a light read or something to take to a beach with!
Thank you to Times Reads for generously providing me a review copy of the book.
Disclaimers: All my reviews are my thoughts of the book and according to my personal preferences. Even though I had received a review copy, it does not affect my review and honest thoughts for the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Body horror, and Murder
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