A review by readbyryan
The Maid by Nita Prose

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

In THE MAID, Molly Gray works at an upscale hotel in an unnamed city in housekeeping. She loves her job but has trouble reading social cues causing awkward interactions with guest and other employees. On a Monday, she finds one of the hotel’s most prominent guests dead in his bed. With difficulty navigating social situations, Molly becomes involved with a murder investigation. 

I enjoyed this novel of a neurodiverse character who is passionate about her job and who works hard. The author does a great job presenting situations that the reader understands while Molly doesn’t. The reader will want to yell at the page “Molly, you’re in danger, girl!” 

This book gave me vibes of “Convenience Store Woman,” the story of a woman passionate about her job and also socially challenged. And clearly this novel references Clue with last names like Gray, Black, Snow, Rosso, Green. The book is fast paced and a compelling murder mystery without much gore and a protagonist you can root for.

The ending was a little too tidy, a little too trite for me to find it believable. I can’t say more without giving it away, but I felt like it was too neat of an ending. However, I recommend this to any mystery lover who wants a low-violence book with a wonderful main character.