Synopsis

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.

This book releases January 4th, pre-order now!

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Review

What a debut book for this author! I always love a good mystery and this takes it to another level since the protagonist, Molly, is a maid in the hotel where the body is found and appears to have Asperger’s. However, this makes her a very efficient maid because of her attention to detail and following the rules, even though others do not. Molly is the kind of woman you would want as a friend because she is loyal, perhaps to a fault, and looks for the good in everyone.

Molly stumbles across the body of Mr. Black and at first, thinks he is just sleeping until she gets closer and realizes he is dead. The way her mind works, she takes in the scene around here which proves to be an attribute and a detriment especially when the police think Molly is the killer. I have to admit, there is a lot of circumstantial evidence that points her way because it is arranged that way by the killer. But Molly doesn’t let that slow her down and with the help of a few new friends, seeks to clear her name and get her job back.

I enjoyed the twists that this book takes the reader and I was quite surprised by a few turns of events. While I suspected some characters of being up to no good, I had no idea the depths of their deception.

I really enjoyed getting to know these characters and how some proved their merit to be a part of Molly’s world. I loved Mr. Preston and how he did his best to watch out for Molly per her Grandmother’s request. There is more to that story that is revealed and it was a suspicion I had that proved me right.

This book is to be made into a movie and I’ll be curious to see who is cast in these roles. It could be quite an interesting movie.

We give this book 5 paws up.

About the Author

Nita Prose is a longtime editor, serving many bestselling authors and their books. She lives in Toronto, Canada, in a house that is only moderately clean.

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