The Maid: The Sunday Times and No.1 New York Times bestseller, and Winner of the Goodreads Choice Awards for best mystery thriller: Book 1 (A Molly the Maid mystery)

The book keeps one's interest, as it slowly reveals information about the main character as she relates what she is doing and how she interacts with others. At first she seem simple, then the realisation that she is autistic makes sense of everything. A picture is drawn in a realistic way and the truth about characters is revealed during conversations between them and her. You find yourself willing her to realise the truth and not to be so literal. It is a mystery story but the main enjoyment is following the story through her eyes.

I had got confused between this and a book called The Housemaid - both are the first of trilogies and have very similar names. I had a recommendation but couldn't remember which for so bought them both. I've read the Housemaid trilogy and enjoyed it so thought I would give this one a go. This novel was first published in 2022. There are 370 pages split into 27 chapters and they cover a week (Monday - Friday). It's clear from the start that Molly is going to be a strong character. She narrates in the first person so the reader sees the world from Molly's perspective which is always straightforward - Molly appears to have some sort of neurodiversity - she likes order and doesn't always understand emotional cues. On hearing Molly's narrative it is then up to the reader to fill the gaps. Molly had been brought up by her Gran who has died recently and remains a huge influence - Molly regularly recites phrases that her Gran used to say. This is a really easy book to read and the pace encourages you to read it fast. The speed at which I read a book usually shows how much I've enjoyed it and this one was less than 24 hours. The character of Molly is pushed into stereotype but I couldn't help but enjoy her company and she makes the novel fun to read. There are some serious themes (murder and drugs!) but they are dealt with using a light touch. While I was reading this fast pace adventure story, I couldn't help but think about the Enid Blyton adventure stories of my youth - this book is an innocent having an adventure in an adult world. Not deep and not too thought provoking but great fun.

Molly works as a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, excelling at and loving her job of 'returning rooms to a state of perfection'. In a world where Molly sometimes struggles to fit in, finding it hard to always decipher peoples' meanings and intentions, and also struggling after the loss of her beloved Gran, her job at the Regency is a source of comfort to her. However, even her life at the Regency Hotel is thrown in disarray when renowned long term guest, Mr Black, is discovered dead in his suit by none other than Molly. Caught up in a web of lies and attracting attention from the police, Molly must put her faith in those she can truly trust to help her expose the truth. I had heard a lot of praise for this debut novel by Nita Prose, and certainly it was an easy book to get into. Molly as the lead character has a strong and unique voice, and overall this makes for a somewhat quirky and cosy detective story. A fair amount of time is spent at the beginning getting to know Molly, and though it is never stated overtly, it is hinted at quite strongly that she is likely somewhere on the autistic spectrum. This plays into the plot, with Molly often struggling to read the people around her, especially now with her Gran gone, and her awkwardness often leading others to misinterpret her as well. As a reader it was easy to like Molly and to root for her, and I loved some of her turns of phrase and her rather old-fashioned and very polite mannerisms. She also had an innocence to her that was very endearing, and which some other characters exploited. However, as with some other books with characters on the autistic spectrum, I did sometimes get the feeling that aspects of Molly's traits were exaggerated to elicit humour, and as such did feel contrived at times. Also there wasn't always consistency shown with regards to Molly's traits and social awkwardness, which seemed to disappear when it suited plot convenience, and as such I didn't at all buy the twist at the end. The book has had quite a lot of hype around it, and I do think a lot of this is to do with the character of Molly, however, whilst I did like her, I did also for the reasons mentioned see flaws in the writing of her character. The actual mystery itself is probably one of the weakest aspects of the story, and I didn't like the end, as I don't think the clues were laid out, and as such it felt rather a cheat to me personally. One of the stronger themes of the book for me was dealing with grief and loneliness. The thread regarding Molly's deceased grandmother was actually very engaging and well told I thought, with the bond between them well realised and with some genuinely emotional scenes rendered. We see Molly clearly struggling in the aftermath, and how isolated her life is without her gran. There are quite a few colourful characters in the story, including Mr Black's second wife, Giselle, who Molly has a friendship with, Rodney, the bartender who Molly has crush on and Mr Preston, the doorman at the Regency to name a few. The struggle for Molly is deciphering which of these characters she can truly trust. The friendships that evolve as the story goes on are rather sweet, and there are some fun dynamics. Overall, this was a pleasant read, but did not quite match my expectations going into the book based on all the hype around it. Also it began to lose some of its charm for me as it went on, due to some of the contrivances and inconsistencies in Molly's characterisation and the weak thread of the mystery itself.

good story everyone in the bookclub gave it a good score

Book came with yellow stains at the corners… looks very used.

La storia e' originale ed avvincente. L'inglese scorrevole, molto utile per fare pratica.

This novel by a veteran of the publishing world is charming and well-crafted. What sets it apart is that it is narrated by a protagonist who, though it is never stated, would be identified as neuro-divergent or on the autism spectrum. Prose uses her early-life experience in direct care to create a sympathetic heroine, and despite the challenges of such a daring approach, she is convincing and authentic throughout the story, which is a testament to her sensitivity as a caregiver and her skill as a writer. Her other characters are no less interesting and developed, the plot has enough twists and turns to keep us engaged, and the setting itself, a smallish but grand hotel in an unspecified city in an unspecified country, plays an outsized role. There is a warmth to the storytelling that adds to the experience, but the characterizations, and in particular the inclusiveness of spirit, make this an exceptionally gratifying read.

This is an excellent book which I enjoyed reading. Cleverly put together. I would recommend it.

Very good reading. When you think you found the vilan, you are taken to another character. At the same time, a light reading.