by Nita Prose
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
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
Reviews-
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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.
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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.). -
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.
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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.
