The Maid

A Novel

By: Nita Prose

Narrated by: Lauren Ambrose

Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

2023 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel, Short-listed
2022 Ned Kelly Award - Best International Crime Fiction, Winner

#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

©2022 Nita Prose (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

*WINNER OF THE NED KELLY AWARD FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL CRIME FICTION*
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE EDGAR ALLAN POE BEST NOVEL AWARD *

INSTANT #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • CITYLINE BOOK CLUB PICK • “A twist-and-turn whodunit, set in a five-star hotel, from the perspective of the maid who finds the body. Think Clue. Think page-turner.”—Glamour

NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE • ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022—Glamour, W magazine, PopSugar, The Rumpus, Book Riot, CrimeReads, She Reads, Daily Hive, The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, Stylist, Canadian Living

“Devotees of cozy mysteries, rejoice: Nita Prose’s debut, The Maid, satisfies on every level—from place to plot to protagonist. . . . The delight of reading The Maid lies partly in watching a hectic cast of characters unravel . . . as the crime is properly solved. It also lies in seeing Molly learn that thinking differently does not equal giving up friendship or high standards. What begins as a sprightly murder mystery turns into a meaningful, and at times even delicate, portrait of growth.” —NPR

“Excellent and totally entertaining . . . the most interesting (and endearing) main character in a long time.”—Stephen King

“An endearing debut. . . . Prose threads a steady needle with the intricate plotting, the locked-room elements of the mystery and especially Molly’s character. 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

cheap twists, unbelievable ND protagonist

I wanted to like this story because of the premise: detective story with a neurodivergent protagonist (guessing autistic, but not specified) who loves her job as a maid. But the 1st person narration felt like a bad choice to me. Having the ND protagonist constantly rattle off elaborate descriptions of her environment and what she's doing felt much too chatty and out of character. Separately, it takes place in a city in the modern day (she's 25 and has a smart phone), but we're supposed to believe she's never come across another ND person and suspected she, too, might be on the spectrum? After a lifetime of bullying and being called robotic?
But what really dropped this to low-3 stars for me was that the supposedly honest-to-a-fault narrator kept some bombshells hidden until the very end. Without going into spoilers, the big reveals show us she has been operating in seriously gray ethical space the *whole time*, but we don't get to see that character growth - it just gets tacked on as a cheap gotcha after the narrator spends the whole novel telling us she sees things in black and white. I get that she's a Colombo fan, and maybe the narrator is supposed to be trying to tell her own detective story (omitting key facts)? If so, that doesn't come across; she tells us she's telling "her truth."
The book wasn't a total loss, though. It has secret allies and varied, unique characters (I liked the wife of the murder victim). It was an interesting attempt at having an ND character share her perspective, not through a neurotypical lens.
The audiobook narrator did a good job switching back and forth between the other characters and the formal speech of the protagonist.

So good!

Great main character which makes this book really stand out compared to others. A lighter read from some of the other books in the mystery genre that can be pretty heavy. I highly recommend!

Magnifico

Just listened to this second time. In part because I’ve run out of credits!The narrator is perfect for the main character. The story is fast paced and engaging. If you listen while you drive you will be prompted to take the long route home to listen longer. The main character has something to teach us all.

Clever but improbable plot

Too repetitive. Could be shortened by 1/3. An abridged version would be better. Started out well but then dragged.

Loved, absolutely loved.

I loved getting to experience the world through Molly’s eyes. Such a wonderful character, and a beautiful story.

great book

loved it, had a great story with a twist at the end. it has endearing characters.

Quick to misjudge

I think that to often we are quick to misjudge no matter what our station in life is. This book shows that you can not judge a book solely by it's cover. Who is Molly the maid, perhaps not who you think?

Delightful read!

Loved it! it was easy to follow along and keep reading. It was a unique character, Molly the maid who made the story interesting.

Great story

One of the best books I have read in a long time. Narrator was amazing! Highly recommend!!

Dead In A Bed

This was the story of a sweet, unassuming character moving invisibly throughout her simple life and world. The Maid gets caught up in a murder & the mystery it becomes thereafter.
Honestly, it was difficult for me to get into the book & narration at first but it slowly came around for me. It did feel as though a few chapters were missing but again, was ended in a tidy manner. I'd recommend as a quick read to others.