The Maid

by Nita Prose

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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • “A heartwarming mystery with a lovable oddball at its center” (Real Simple), this cozy whodunit introduces a one-of-a-kind heroine who will steal your heart.

FINALIST FOR THE EDGAR® AWARD • “The reader comes to understand Molly’s worldview, and to sympathize with her longing to be accepted—a quest that gives The Maid real emotional heft.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)

“Think Clue. Think page-turner.”—Glamour
ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Reader’s Digest
WINNER: The Anthony Award, The Fingerprint Award, The Barry Award

In development as a major motion picture
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.
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, The Guardian, Glamour, Elle, PopSugar, Newsweek, Mental Floss, She Reads, Kirkus Reviews

Creators
- Nita Prose
  
  Author
Series

Molly the Maid
Publisher

Random House Publishing Group
Release date

January 4, 2022
Formats
- Kindle Book
- OverDrive Read
  - ISBN: 9780593356166
- EPUB ebook
  - ISBN: 9780593356166
  - File size: 7968 KB
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- Table of contents to all chapters of the text via links.
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Languages
- English
Reviews
- Library Journal
  
  August 1, 2021
  In this debut from a longtime editor in the publishing industry, 25-year-old maid Molly Gray has always had trouble reading social signals. She used to depend on her recently deceased gran to help her, but she's on her own when she finds a guest murdered in bed and is compelled to investigate; the police have tagged her as the most likely suspect. Subject to a blazing auction, this locked-room mystery has been optioned by Universal, with Academy Award-nominated Florence Pugh attached to star.
  
  Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
- Publisher's Weekly
  
  November 15, 2021
  Molly Gray, the 25-year-old neurodivergent narrator of Prose’s assured debut, has sought solace in her maid’s job at the Regency Grand, a boutique hotel in an unspecified city, since the recent death of the grandmother who raised her. Molly’s uniform makes her feel invisible, which is a relief given her difficulty reading social cues, and she derives great satisfaction from returning things to a “state of perfection.” When frequent guests Charles and Giselle Black check into one of Molly’s assigned rooms, she’s pleased; though tycoon Charles is imperious, Giselle tips well and treats Molly like a friend. To her dismay, upon entering the couple’s suite, Molly discovers that Giselle is out, and Charles is dead. The police find Molly’s stoicism suspicious, and someone seems determined to make her their patsy, but Molly thankfully has more allies than she realizes. Not every twist feels earned, but on balance Prose delivers a gratifying, kindhearted whodunit with a sharply drawn protagonist for whom readers can’t help rooting. Fans of fresh takes on traditional mysteries will be delighted. Agent: Madeleine Milburn, Madeleine Milburn Literary (U.K.).
- Booklist
  
  January 1, 2022
  Molly Gray is a hotel maid whom few hotel guests acknowledge or really even see. That's fine with Molly because what's most important to her is to be an excellent maid. But she is extremely na�ve and socially awkward. Abandoned by her parents as a baby, she was raised by her wise and gentle grandmother. Gran wanted Molly to become more than just a hotel maid, but that didn't happen, and the job suits her perfectly. She doesn't socialize much, especially after her Gran dies, but she does have a handful of friends at the hotel: bartender Rodney, dishwasher Juan Manuel, and the doorman, Mr. Preston. Normally, Molly follows the hotel rule that maids should not befriend hotel guests, but in the case of Giselle Black, the much-younger wife of an abusive business tycoon, she makes an exception. Then she finds Giselle's husband dead in his suite one day and is accused of his murder. Happily, there's more to Molly than meets the eye. She's rescued in a most unexpected way that's partly down to her own plucky ingenuity. Captivating, charming, and heart-warming, with deft writing and a clever, original plot, this unusual crime novel will leave readers with a warm glow.
  COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
- Kirkus
  
  March 1, 2022
  The shocking murder of a public figure at a high-end hotel has everyone guessing who the culprit might be. Twenty-five-year-old Molly Gray, an eccentric young woman who's obsessed with cleaning but doesn't quite have the same ability to navigate social cues as those around her, loves working as a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. Raised by her old-fashioned grandmother, who loved nothing more than cleaning and watching Columbo reruns, Molly has an overly polite and straightforward manner that can make her seem odd and off-putting to her colleagues despite her being the hardest worker at the hotel. After her grandmother's death, Molly's rigid life begins to lose some of its long-held balance, and when the infamous Mr. Charles Black, a rich and powerful businessman suspected of various criminal enterprises, is found murdered in one of the rooms she cleans, her whole world gets turned upside down. Before Molly knows what's happening, her odd demeanor has the police convinced she's guilty of the crime, and certain people at the hotel are a little too pleased about it. With the help of a few new friends (and while fending off new foes), she must begin to untangle the mystery of who really killed Mr. Black to get herself off the hook once and for all. Though the unusual ending might frustrate some readers, this unique debut will keep them reading. A compelling take on the classic whodunit.
  COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
- Good Reading Magazine
  
  I loved The Maid, a clever story that kept me guessing until the end despite my best efforts at working out ‘The Whodunit’. This book is a little bit The Rosie Project, a little bit Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and a little bit The Thursday Murder Club. With quirky characters and storyline this book captured my interest early on and I was drawn into the world of the ‘lowly’ housekeeping maid in a luxurious and elite hotel. Molly goes about her business and strives for perfection in every task she completes. She likes rules and likes the order they give her life. She loves her job and has made some friends she can trust through the job; this is particularly important as her treasured and beloved grandmother has recently died leaving her alone in the world. Molly’s world is thrown into upheaval when she discovers a dead guest – an extraordinarily rich dead guest! She is soon embroiled in a murder investigation, a situation with no set of rules for her to follow. She is soon flailing with uncertainty and without her grandmother to guide her who can she turn to, who can she trust? We follow Molly as she learns that not everyone who smiles is being nice and not everyone is as honest as she is. This story is well-paced with a variety of interesting and endearing characters. The resolution is a surprise. A wonderful modern story which is sure to appeal to a wide audience and delight many readers. Reviewed by Kathryn Eyre ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nita Prose is the author of The Maid, which has sold over 1 million copies worldwide and was published in more than forty countries. A #1 New York Times bestseller and a Good Morning America Book Club pick, The Maid won the Ned Kelly Award for International Crime Fiction, the Fingerprint Award for Debut Novel of the Year, the Anthony Award for Best First Novel, and the Barry Award for Best First Mystery. The Maid was also an Edgar Award finalist for Best Novel. Nita Prose lives in Toronto, Canada, in a house that is only moderately clean. She would love to hear from you at nitaprose.com.