A review by orionmerlin
The Maid by Nita Prose

emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective medium-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? Yes

4.0

Characters – 8/10
Molly Gray is certainly a character—I’ll give her that. She’s quirky, endearing, and refreshingly different from the cookie-cutter protagonists we usually get in mysteries. But does the book always know what to do with her? Not really. Sometimes she’s hyper-competent, other times she’s oblivious to things so obvious even a goldfish would pick up on them. The supporting cast is a mixed bag—Mr. Preston and Juan Manuel add some warmth, but Cheryl is one-dimensional, and the villains? Straight out of a made-for-TV movie. The novel really wants you to feel sorry for Molly, but sometimes it tries too hard, turning her into a plot device rather than a fully realized person.
Atmosphere/Setting – 8/10
The Regency Grand Hotel is fancy, alright. Between Molly’s obsessive descriptions of its gleaming brass railings and perfectly fluffed pillows, it’s clear she’s in love with the place. And sure, the setting is immersive, but is it fully utilized? Not quite. The hotel has a lot of potential for some serious intrigue—secrets hidden behind pristine facades and all that—but we don’t get to see much of that. Instead, we’re mostly stuck in Molly’s head as she waxes poetic about cleaning supplies. The outside world barely exists, which makes the book feel oddly contained, but hey, at least the hotel smells nice.
Writing Style – 8/10
The prose is smooth, clean, and easy to read—much like a hotel room freshly sanitized by Molly. The writing keeps things moving and has moments of genuine wit and charm. But then, there’s the repetition. Oh, the repetition. Molly’s “state of perfection” mantra gets old fast, and the book has a habit of over-explaining things, as if the reader can’t be trusted to put two and two together. Some dialogue feels stiff, especially when characters deliver lines like they’re reading off a script labeled Exposition Dump: Please Read Aloud. Still, the writing does its job, even if it doesn’t always trust the audience to do theirs.
Plot – 7.5/10
A murder mystery in a posh hotel sounds promising, right? Well, the setup is solid, but the execution wobbles. The first half is compelling, but as the story unfolds, the twists become a little too predictable. And the ending? Neat. A little too neat. Everything falls into place with an almost laughable convenience, like a crime novel wrapped up in a bow for a made-for-Netflix adaptation. There are some great moments of tension, but the book pulls its punches, never really going for the knockout.
Intrigue – 8.5/10
Despite its issues, The Maid kept me interested. Molly’s narration is entertaining, and the mystery unfolds at a steady pace. I wanted to see how things played out, even if I had a sneaking suspicion about most of the twists well before the reveals. That being said, there were moments where the book seemed to forget it was a mystery and got lost in its own admiration of Molly’s eccentricities. It held my attention, but I wouldn’t call it edge-of-your-seat reading.
Logic/Relationships – 7.5/10
This is where things start to unravel a bit. Molly’s intelligence and social awareness fluctuate wildly depending on what the plot needs. One moment, she’s figuring out complex social cues; the next, she’s falling for the most obvious manipulation imaginable. The relationships are mostly fine—Molly and Giselle have a nice dynamic, but Juan Manuel deserved more page time. And don’t even get me started on the police investigation. It’s so laughably incompetent that it makes you wonder if the detectives were hired straight off a reality show.
Enjoyment – 8.5/10
Flaws aside, I had a good time with this book. Molly’s voice kept things engaging, and even when the plot took convenient shortcuts, it was still fun watching everything unfold. Would I recommend it? Sure, especially if you like character-driven mysteries with a unique perspective. Would I call it a masterpiece? Not a chance. But it’s a solid, entertaining read that offers something a little different from your standard whodunit.
Final Verdict: 8/10
The Maid is a charming and engaging mystery with a memorable protagonist and a sleek, polished setting. The writing is smooth, the plot is serviceable, and the intrigue is enough to keep the pages turning. But it’s not without its faults—predictable twists, occasionally one-note characters, and a tendency to over-explain hold it back from true greatness. It’s a great read, just not a flawless one. 
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