Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine
Ballantine Books
Mystery & Thrillers | Women’s Fiction
Pub Date 04 Jan 2022

Description:

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.

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misinterprets 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 had to navigate 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 turned on its head 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 very 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.

Adele’s Review:

Wow! If you only read one mystery novel after the holidays, choose The Maid by Nita Prose. The book attracted major buzz and talk of a movie deal, and I totally understand why. If you read cozy mysteries, this book is for you. If you love mystery novels, but not necessarily cozies, this book is for you, too. It’s refreshingly unique, yet has the familiar feel of a traditional whodunnit.

The author of The Maid is Canadian (and a long-time publishing insider), who sets the story in a luxurious hotel in a city that could be Toronto, New York, or London. The diction and customs are sometimes British, sometimes American, and sometimes in between. The timeframe is current day, yet the setting feels like a bygone era. The author creates a modern world outside the doors of the Regency Grand Hotel. Inside, the hotel seems as quaint as those from a long ago past we’ve only read about in books or seen in movies. The story heroine, Molly The Maid, dressed in her crisp uniform, and ready to serve her customers, fits the setting like a hand in a glove.

I absolutely loved this novel and recommend it to all mystery lovers. I predict this book will win major awards across the board. The Maid is likely first in a series and I can hardly wait for Book Two. Many thanks to Random House and NetGalley for providing an ARC to read and review.

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Maid-Novel-Nita-Prose-ebook/dp/B091Y4KGFH/

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4042301114