REVIEW: Oh my goodness! I’m so excited about The Maid by Nita Prose. This was next on my schedule and became my Christmas Eve and Day read. It wasn’t a Christmas story but, it was perfect just the same. There are so many things about this debut novel to absolutely love. I can’t wait to read more from Nita Prose!

The main character was Molly and she is a maid in an exclusive hotel. She finds a man in his room, dead in bed and is eventually a suspect for his murder along with several other charges. Molly seems to have been born with a disorder that does not allow her to interpret facial expressions and social norms. She speaks in an old fashioned way because she was raised by her Grandmother. People often misjudge her as not being very smart but, she is.

I loved the characters in this book for who they were. Some were evil and some came to her defense. The character development by this author was superb. 

The story was narrated by Molly and I enjoyed how she presents her story. It was a nice ride. The story line was well developed and thought out. I don’t think I found anything that made me scratch my head. It all fit together like a perfectly cut jigsaw puzzle. Pick up a copy of this book and you will see what I am talking about. 

This was a well constructed detective/crime story story but, not told from the point of view of the detective. If you like these kind of stories or good old fashioned mysteries, you will definitely love this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from #RandomHousePublishingGroup-Ballentine via #Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. 

SYNOPSIS: A charmingly eccentric hotel maid discovers a guest murdered in his bed. Solving the mystery will turn her once orderly world upside down in this utterly original debut.

“Smart, riveting, and deliciously refreshing . . . a murder mystery with tremendous heart.”—Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Family Upstairs

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.