The Maid- A Novel by Nita Prose

3.8 (14)
$18.00

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. 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. ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR- The Washington Post, The Guardian, Glamour, Pop Sugar, She Reads, Kirkus Reviews In development as a major motion picture produced by and starring Florence Pugh 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.

  • Suggested age range - Adult
  • Format- Paperback
  • Dimensions- 7.8" W x 5.3" H x 0.9" D
  • Genre- Mystery & Thriller
  • Publisher- Random House Publishing Group, Publication Date- 01-03-2023
  • Page count- 320
  • ISBN- 9780593356173

Web ID: 15413996

Ratings & Reviews

3.8/5

14 star ratings & reviews

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5 months ago
from TN

Not for me

I'm starting this review with just a large exhale, haha. This was a rough read for me. Though this is a work of fiction and meant to be more heartwarming or a romp than an actual murder mystery - it was still difficult for me to connect with this on any level. Most of the book felt much more like watching a train wreck because I couldn't stop reading (even when I was physically cringing and yelling at the main character.) The last act of this book was what saved it for me. The characters and plot came together well, and the ending was very endearing. Overall, I'm rounding up my review to 3 stars. Authors put so much work, effort, time, and heart into their books and I don't want to discredit that. This book just wasn't for me.

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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

7 months ago
from Massachusetts

Disappointed

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own. It's always a disappointment for me when I don't enjoy a book that gets rave reviews and awards. Despite getting this book from NetGalley, I also bought the book because of all the hype! While it was a well-written book, I just didn't find it very believable. Main character, who I know was neuro diverse, just didn't seem authentic to me. I am the mother of an autistic child and I was cringing at some of the scenes. Sorry to say, I wouldn't recommend.

Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

8 months ago
from Texas

3.5 stars

I gave this one 3.5 stars. I struggled to read this story. I found it hard to like Molly at many times. While I can appreciate a unique character, at some points, her naiveness and her quirks made her hard to relate to. The mystery itself was intriguing and I stuck it out through the story because I wanted to know who dun it.

Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

10 months ago
from MD

Intriguing plot and believable characters

Although it is never mentioned in the book, I believe that Molly Gray is on the spectrum. She was raised by her grandmother, who taught her everything she knows, and helped her get her current job as an excellent maid at a fancy hotel in NYC. Gran died about 8 months ago, and since then Molly has felt sad and listless. When a special fella shows interest in Molly by inviting her to dinner and asking for special favors, Molly begins to open up again. She takes everything literally and doesn't understand sarcasm or kidding. These traits cause her much distress and sorrow as the story progresses into a murder mystery. It is an intriguing plot, with skillful writing and believable characters. Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballantine Books for providing an ARC.

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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

10 months ago
from St. Louis, MO

Fantastic!

This was fantastic! I have had this book on my shelf since it was released and I am so glad I finally got the chance to pick it up. I fell in love with Molly almost immediately. She sees the world a little differently and often struggles in social situations. She always relied on her grandmother but is alone now that her grandmother is gone. She takes her position as a maid very seriously. I knew that Molly was most likely in over her head as soon as she found the body of one of her regular hotel guests in his room. This starts a chain of events that will throw off Molly’s routine in quite a few ways. There were quite a few players in this mystery that I didn’t completely trust and I couldn’t wait to find out what really happened in that hotel room. I loved the fact that there were some surprises worked into the story. I listened to the audiobook and thought that Lauren Ambrose did a phenomenal job with the narration. She quickly became Molly in my mind which really helped to bring the entire story to life. I believe that this was the first time that I have had the chance to listen to this narrator’s work and I was very impressed. I am certain that her performance added to my overall enjoyment of this delightful story. I would recommend this book to others. I found this to be a refreshing mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. I loved the cast of characters and look forward to reading more of the series very soon. I received a review copy of this book from Penguin Random House Audio.

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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

11 months ago
from Lake Oswego, OR

Sneaky Great

This debut (for the series) novel is sneaky good. Molly is a delight - I presume she's on the spectrum (it's never definitively stated) of which she has a degree of self-awareness, with an underlying, and dominant, core of innate goodness. Supporting characters are reasonably-well fleshed out, but Molly is the undeniable focus and the reader (at least, this one) never tires of learning her thoughts and feelings. The main mystery isn't that mysterious, but the various revelations made throughout of Molly's life, which keep coming up to the very end, only serve to further endear her to the reader. More books to come - yes, please!!

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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

11 months ago
from Baden, Pennsylvania

Wowza!

You've heard of still waters running deep? Well, get ready for Molly! She is one of the most quirky, unusual characters you'll ever read. This was a fantastic whodunnit that kept me reading late into the night. I could picture each character and the setting and more than once, I found myself wishing I could be a friend to Molly and her Gran - actually, to all of them (maybe not Cheryl). What a great first novel!

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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

11 months ago

Enjoyable but also frustrating

3.5 stars. After all the hype, I wanted to like this novel more than I actually did. However, I did enjoy reading it and was interested in learning how the plot would resolve itself, and what would become of each of the characters. ***spoiler alert*** From the outset it becomes evident that the main character, Molly, is on the autism spectrum but has carved out a life for herself in routine and hard work, even after the death of her beloved grandmother who was her guardian. Molly's lack of guile gives an interesting perspective to the events surrounding the death of a guest and the interactions with those immediately involved and we want her to succeed, even as others take advantage of her. Most of the characters were interesting and well drawn. However, there were several aspects of the novel which I found frustrating. Charlotte's character feels very much contrived as someone who conveniently becomes a savior. Mr. Preston alludes to knowing Molly's grandmother very well and knowing more about her family, yet this is never explained or brought up again, and Molly shows no great interest in finding out more, in spite of this absence of family being such a factor in her life. The character of Juan Manuel also feels somewhat contrived and I did not really buy into the romance. In short, I enjoyed the novel and Molly's character, but had to look past some of the plot/character elements.

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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com