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A review by christinecc
The Maid by Nita Prose
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.25
Wow, what a great little mystery.
"The Maid" has a simple premise: our main character Molly works as a maid at a grand hotel. She is, for lack of a better word, particular about efficiency and propriety. In any case, Molly really loves her job and takes a lot of pride in keeping her head down while she works. Professional and invisible perfection, that's the key.
So when she stumbles on a dead body in a hotel room, you can imagine what a wrench that throws in her day-to-day routine. Is Molly ready to deal with the unforgiving chaos that comes with a police investigation? And who could have done this? Molly's not a natural-born detective, but once she's drawn into the mystery, she's not going to get out of it easily.
What could have been a fairly nondescript mystery with a nondescript main character has been turned into a strangely human story about a lonely young woman with, since the death of her grandmother, very few friends in the world. As we get to know Molly, her coworkers at the hotel, the guests, the manager, and even her landlord, we get this really compelling portrait of life with its ups and downs. It's like someone took Gail Honeyman's "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine," gave it a completely different authorial voice, and then sprinkled a mystery on top. It works beautifully and stands on its own.
Recommended if you like a character-driven story layered with a mystery plot and an intriguing setting at a grand hotel.
Thank you to Penguin Random House, Ballantine books and NetGalley for granting my wish for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"The Maid" has a simple premise: our main character Molly works as a maid at a grand hotel. She is, for lack of a better word, particular about efficiency and propriety. In any case, Molly really loves her job and takes a lot of pride in keeping her head down while she works. Professional and invisible perfection, that's the key.
So when she stumbles on a dead body in a hotel room, you can imagine what a wrench that throws in her day-to-day routine. Is Molly ready to deal with the unforgiving chaos that comes with a police investigation? And who could have done this? Molly's not a natural-born detective, but once she's drawn into the mystery, she's not going to get out of it easily.
What could have been a fairly nondescript mystery with a nondescript main character has been turned into a strangely human story about a lonely young woman with, since the death of her grandmother, very few friends in the world. As we get to know Molly, her coworkers at the hotel, the guests, the manager, and even her landlord, we get this really compelling portrait of life with its ups and downs. It's like someone took Gail Honeyman's "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine," gave it a completely different authorial voice, and then sprinkled a mystery on top. It works beautifully and stands on its own.
Recommended if you like a character-driven story layered with a mystery plot and an intriguing setting at a grand hotel.
Thank you to Penguin Random House, Ballantine books and NetGalley for granting my wish for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.