Summary

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads people’s intentions. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, but since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. She throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. 

But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find Mr. Black dead in his bed. A body is definitely a mess Molly can’t clean up on her own, but before she can even contemplate what to do next, the police target her for murder. Molly is soon caught in a web of deception with no idea how to untangle herself. 

Both 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.

Why I chose to read this book
The synopsis makes it sound like the main character is neurodivergent, which will make for an interesting read, as it opens the readers’ eyes to how differently the world can be experienced. I also love murder mysteries so that’s definitely a plus.

Thoughts & Opinions

The Maid made me feel uneasy on several occasions. The main character, Molly the maid, seems completely lost and immature. It almost felt like the author wanted us to laugh at her. Molly often expressed how different she is and how everything is difficult for her (breaking the writing cardinal rule of show, don’t tell). Although she never explicitly confirms any specific diagnosis (the one thing I wish she would have “told”!), it is clear something is wrong with her. She is extremely socially awkward and oblivious to social cues; you can’t help but feel bad for her. 

Unluckily she is the maid that discovers a dead body in one of the hotel rooms she is tasked to clean. And unfortunately, due to her inability to act “normal”, she becomes a suspect. Not surprisingly, she gets taken advantage of by bad actors. Luckily, however, there is character development and she eventually learns who she can and can’t trust. And fortunately, she has good people in her life who support and care for her deeply.

Essentially, The Maid was somewhat odd but had its fair share of cute moments and I wanted the best for Molly in the end.

Check out my other mystery reviews:

Agent Running In The Field

Angels Flight

Autopsy

Big Little Lies

Desert Star

Eight Perfect Murders

End of Story

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone

Finlay Donovan is Killing It 

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead

Marple: Twelve New Mysteries

The Socialite’s Guide to Murder

The Sorority Murder

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

Where The Crawdads Sing

White Elephant