The Maid
A Novel
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The Maid
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Narrated by:
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Lauren Ambrose
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By:
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Nita Prose
About this listen
2023 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel, Short-listed
2024 Kobo Emerging Writer Prize, 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 AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
OVER 1 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE
*WINNER OF THE NED KELLY AWARD FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL CRIME FICTION*
SHORTLISTED FOR THE EDGAR ALLAN POE BEST NOVEL AWARD
SHORTLISTED FOR THE KOBO EMERGING WRITER PRIZE
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
One of:
Glamour’s “40 Best Books of 2022”
Amazon’s “Best mysteries and thrillers of 2022”
Book Riot’s “Most Giftable Books of 2022”
The List’s “Best Mystery Books of 2022”
Daily Hive’s “22 Best Books of 2022”
Washington Post’s “12 best thriller and mystery novels of 2022”
Business Insider’s “Top 20 mystery and thriller books of 2022”
Authorlink’s “Best Books of 2022”
Goodreads’s "Best Mystery and Thriller of 2022"
Loanstars’s “Best of the brightest – 2022 top pick”
Yahoo!’s “Mysteries, thrillers perfect for the spooky season”
Glam’s “15 Spooky Reads To Get Into The Halloween Spirit”
The List’s “Best Thrillers To Read On Your Weekend Getaway”
NPR’s “13 books full of thrills and chills for Halloween”
The Everygirl’s “18 Cozy Mystery Books to Curl Up with this Weekend”
Elle’s “Favorite Books of 2022”
CBC’s “Top 10 Canadian Books of 2022”
“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
Featured Article: Best of the Year—The 15 Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2022
This year was an amazingly fruitful one for mysteries and thrillers. As we tried to narrow this list down, a popular refrain among editors was: "Don’t forget this, don’t forget that, and what about this?" Some of us liked when the twists and turns began within the first few minutes, while others were happy to go on the rocky, thrilling rides the genre provides with a little guessing along the way. But we’re sure about one thing—this list is simply the best.
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- By Dorise on 02-01-19
By: Jessica Fletcher, and others
-
The Scoop
- Godmothers, Book 1
- By: Fern Michaels
- Narrated by: Natalie Ross
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 261
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 221
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 222
Teresa "Toots" Amelia Loudenberry has crammed a great deal of living - not to mention eight much-loved husbands - into her varied and rewarding life. Newly single, Toots is ready to taste life again, and fate has just handed her the perfect opportunity.
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5 out of 5 stars
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GREAT FUN
- By Linda Louise on 03-12-12
By: Fern Michaels
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To Have and to Kill
- A Wedding Cake Mystery
- By: Mary Jane Clark
- Narrated by: Isabel Keating
- Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 105
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 85
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 85
Piper Donovan never imagined that decorating wedding cakes could be so dangerous! A struggling actress with no immediate prospects and a recently broken engagement, Piper moves back in with her parents to take stock of her life. She steps tentatively into the family bakery business and finds herself agreeing to create a wedding cake for the acclaimed star of a daytime television drama. But soon someone close to the bride-to-be is horribly murdered.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Don't bother
- By Beatrice on 12-25-12
By: Mary Jane Clark
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About Face
- By: Fern Michaels
- Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo
- Length: 12 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 111
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 93
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 97
When Dr. Blake Hunter discovers Casey Edwards wandering along a Sweetwater, Georgia, road, she's a woman without a past, her memory stripped of the terrifying events that shattered her innocence a decade ago. The scrap of paper she clutches in her hand bears the address to Swan House, the magnificent mansion where Casey's mother lives with her mysteriously ailing husband. But "home" turns out to be anything but a safe haven.…
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Great book
- By susan bowser on 08-07-15
By: Fern Michaels
-
On What Grounds
- By: Cleo Coyle
- Narrated by: Rebecca Gibel
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,846
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,515
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 2,522
Clare Cosi used to manage the historic Village Blend coffeehouse…until she opted for quieter pastures and a more suburban life. But after ten years and a little friendly cajoling from the owner (a fresh pot of Jamaican Blue Mountain was all it took), she's back to the grind. With a sprawling rent-free apartment directly above the Village Blend, her cat Java by her side, and plenty of coffeehouse redecorating ideas, Clare is thrilled to return to work. Until she discovers the assistant manager unconscious in the back of the store, coffee grounds strewn everywhere.
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4 out of 5 stars
-
Stands out
- By Pam on 06-07-13
By: Cleo Coyle
-
The Cat, the Quilt, and the Corpse
- A Cats in Trouble Mystery, Book 1
- By: Leann Sweeney
- Narrated by: Vanessa Johansson
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 616
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 552
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 551
Recently widowed Jillian Hart is rebuilding a life for herself and her three beloved cats - Chablis, Syrah, and Merlot - as a quilter in a small South Carolina town. The quilts she makes are for cats as smart, special, and sweet as her own, and business is thriving. But when she returns from an overnight quilting show, she discovers Chablis sneezing - and since Chablis is allergic to humans, that can only mean one thing: Someone has broken into her house. When she realizes her Abyssinian, Syrah, is missing, Jillian suspects catnapping. Spurred by Chablis and Merlot’s mournful meowing, she investigates - and discovers more missing cats and a murder.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
WONDERFUL AUTHOR, AND VERY GOOD STORY LINE.
- By Linda Louise on 08-16-13
By: Leann Sweeney
-
Manhattans and Murder
- The Murder, She Wrote Mysteries, Book 2
- By: Jessica Fletcher, Donald Bain
- Narrated by: Beth Porter
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 599
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 552
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 548
Promoting her latest books brings best-selling mystery writer Jessica Fletcher to New York for Christmas. Her schedule includes book signings, chat-show appearances, department store shopping...and murder. But it all begins with a sidewalk Santa staring at Jessica with fear and recognition.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
A release of an older Donald Bain book in the series, thank goodness
- By Dorise on 02-01-19
By: Jessica Fletcher, and others
-
The Scoop
- Godmothers, Book 1
- By: Fern Michaels
- Narrated by: Natalie Ross
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 261
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 221
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 222
Teresa "Toots" Amelia Loudenberry has crammed a great deal of living - not to mention eight much-loved husbands - into her varied and rewarding life. Newly single, Toots is ready to taste life again, and fate has just handed her the perfect opportunity.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
GREAT FUN
- By Linda Louise on 03-12-12
By: Fern Michaels
-
To Have and to Kill
- A Wedding Cake Mystery
- By: Mary Jane Clark
- Narrated by: Isabel Keating
- Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 105
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 85
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 85
Piper Donovan never imagined that decorating wedding cakes could be so dangerous! A struggling actress with no immediate prospects and a recently broken engagement, Piper moves back in with her parents to take stock of her life. She steps tentatively into the family bakery business and finds herself agreeing to create a wedding cake for the acclaimed star of a daytime television drama. But soon someone close to the bride-to-be is horribly murdered.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Don't bother
- By Beatrice on 12-25-12
By: Mary Jane Clark
-
About Face
- By: Fern Michaels
- Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo
- Length: 12 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 111
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 93
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 97
When Dr. Blake Hunter discovers Casey Edwards wandering along a Sweetwater, Georgia, road, she's a woman without a past, her memory stripped of the terrifying events that shattered her innocence a decade ago. The scrap of paper she clutches in her hand bears the address to Swan House, the magnificent mansion where Casey's mother lives with her mysteriously ailing husband. But "home" turns out to be anything but a safe haven.…
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great book
- By susan bowser on 08-07-15
By: Fern Michaels
-
On What Grounds
- By: Cleo Coyle
- Narrated by: Rebecca Gibel
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,846
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,515
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 2,522
Clare Cosi used to manage the historic Village Blend coffeehouse…until she opted for quieter pastures and a more suburban life. But after ten years and a little friendly cajoling from the owner (a fresh pot of Jamaican Blue Mountain was all it took), she's back to the grind. With a sprawling rent-free apartment directly above the Village Blend, her cat Java by her side, and plenty of coffeehouse redecorating ideas, Clare is thrilled to return to work. Until she discovers the assistant manager unconscious in the back of the store, coffee grounds strewn everywhere.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Stands out
- By Pam on 06-07-13
By: Cleo Coyle
-
What Looks Like Crazy
- A Kate Holly Case, Book 1
- By: Charlotte Hughes
- Narrated by: Teri Clark Linden
- Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 144
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 126
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 127
Psychologist Kate Holly's own life has become the stuff of intensive therapy. She's divorcing her gorgeous firefighter husband, she has an eccentric secretary, her mother and aunt have erected a vaguely sexual sculpture in her front yard, and her psychiatrist ex-boyfriend won't stop calling to find out what color panties she's wearing. Now, Kate's being bombarded with mysterious threats, and the only person who can help her is the one man who always makes her lose her mind - and heart.
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3 out of 5 stars
-
Boring reader.
- By Kevin on 04-18-17
By: Charlotte Hughes
-
Inheriting Edith
- A Novel
- By: Zoe Fishman
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 236
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 197
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 200
For years Maggie Sheets has been an invisible hand in the glittering homes of wealthy New York City clients, scrubbing, dusting, mopping, and doing all she can to keep her head above water as a single mother. Everything changes when a former employer dies, leaving Maggie a staggering inheritance - a house in Sag Harbor. The catch? It comes with an inhabitant: the deceased's 82-year old mother, Edith.
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3 out of 5 stars
-
Narrator is distracting.
- By Onelove on 05-13-20
By: Zoe Fishman
-
Life of Lies
- By: Sharon Sala
- Narrated by: Emma Wilder
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 141
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 126
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 125
Sahara Travis is used to being worshipped by adoring fans, but now someone is fixated on her in a dangerous way. After multiple attempts on her life, she reluctantly agrees to hire a security specialist for her protection, though the last thing she wants is some burly bodyguard invading her personal space. With Brendan and her devoted assistant, Lucy, in tow, Sahara returns to her family estate in New Orleans to uncover the identity of her attempted killer before he can close in on his final target.
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3 out of 5 stars
-
Decent read
- By Diva Doll on 06-03-21
By: Sharon Sala
-
Hush Money
- Hush Money Mystery Series, Book 1
- By: T. E. Woods
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 246
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 223
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 223
Madison is booming with dreamers and drifters, visionaries and entrepreneurs. Among them is Sydney Richardson, the daughter of a cop who died on these streets and now the proud, stressed-out owner of Hush Money, one of the city's top new restaurants. Like everyone else in town, Sydney is shocked when Madison's popular mayor - a crusty, charismatic man of the people - is shot to death in his own home. But the news hits especially close to home for Sydney because one of her own stands accused of the brutal crime. Sydney's the one person that Wanda Fields, a quiet, hardworking waitress and single mother, can think to call after her arrest.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
T E Woods sure know how to write 'em!
- By shelley on 02-14-18
By: T. E. Woods
-
Every Time I Think of You
- By: Tracey Garvis Graves
- Narrated by: Kristin Condon, Chris Patton, R.C. Bray
- Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 73
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 71
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 71
Thirty-year-old Daisy DiStefano has two people she holds dear: the grandmother who raised her and her three-year-old son, Elliott. But when Daisy's grandmother is killed, Daisy must take steps to protect herself and her child.
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4 out of 5 stars
-
Cheesy but good
- By Amazon Customer on 11-07-16
-
Mistletoe Murder
- A Lucy Stone Mystery, Book 1
- By: Leslie Meier
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 174
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 160
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 159
As if baking holiday cookies, knitting a sweater for her husband, and making her daughter’s angel costume for the church pageant weren’t enough things for Lucy Stone’s busy Christmas schedule, she’s also working nights at the famous mail-order company Country Cousins. But when she discovers Sam Miller, its very wealthy founder, dead in his car from an apparent suicide, the sleuth in her knows something just doesn’t smell right.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
5 stars
- By Beatrice on 12-21-20
By: Leslie Meier
-
The Magnolia Palace
- A Novel
- By: Fiona Davis
- Narrated by: Karissa Vacker
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,920
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,698
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,687
Eight months since losing her mother in the Spanish flu outbreak of 1919, 21-year-old Lillian Carter's life has completely fallen apart. For the past six years, under the moniker Angelica, Lillian was one of the most sought-after artists' models in New York City, with statues based on her figure gracing landmarks from the Plaza Hotel to the Brooklyn Bridge
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3 out of 5 stars
-
This isn't my favorite but entertaining
- By Linda on 02-01-22
By: Fiona Davis
-
Magnolia Nights
- By: Ashley Farley
- Narrated by: Steven Menasche, Rachel Jacobs, Rebecca Gibel
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 291
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 239
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 239
Ellie Pringle has spent endless hours and countless dollars working with a therapist to remember the lost years of her childhood. She's baffled and more than a little intrigued when the grandmother she hasn't seen in 34 years dies and leaves her a fortune. The time has come to face her past in person. Still reeling from a recent breakup of a long-term relationship, and with nothing to keep her in San Francisco, Ellie packs her meager belongings and boards a plane for the South Carolina Lowcountry.
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4 out of 5 stars
-
Magnolia Nights
- By Kindle Customer on 01-18-19
By: Ashley Farley
-
The Eighth Commandment
- By: Lawrence Sanders
- Narrated by: Rebecca Gibel
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 52
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 47
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 47
When the Damaretion, the prized Greek coin from Archibald Havistock's collection, disappears and appraiser Mary Lou "Dunk" Bateson comes under suspicion, Bateson, a cop, and an insurance investigator set out to solve the crime.
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4 out of 5 stars
-
It was a nice listen
- By John on 10-01-12
By: Lawrence Sanders
-
A Crafty Killing
- Victoria Square Mystery, Book 1
- By: Lorraine Bartlett
- Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie
- Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 303
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 269
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 263
The last thing Katie Bonner wanted was to become the manager of Artisans Alley. But when her business partner Ezra Hilton is found bludgeoned to death, she has no other choice. Business under Ezra had been faltering - but was it enough to provoke someone to murder? Only Katie can find the answer.
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3 out of 5 stars
-
So-so
- By Kathi on 04-30-15
-
Cloche and Dagger
- Hat Shop Mystery Series # 1
- By: Jenn McKinlay
- Narrated by: Karyn O'Bryant
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 851
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 772
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 767
Not only is Scarlett Parker's love life in the loo - as her British cousin Vivian Tremont would say - it's also gone viral with an embarrassing video. So when Viv suggests Scarlett leave Florida to lay low in London, she hops on the next plane across the pond. Viv is the proprietor of Mims's Whims, a ladies' hat shop on Portobello Road bequeathed to both cousins by their beloved grandmother, and she wants Scarlett to finally join her in the millinery business. But a few surprises await Scarlett in London.
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4 out of 5 stars
-
Charming story. Disappointing ending.
- By happydisabledmom on 05-27-20
By: Jenn McKinlay
-
Dead Wrong
- Dead Series, Book 1
- By: Mariah Stewart
- Narrated by: Teri Schnaubelt
- Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 162
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 148
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 147
It was inescapably chilling, as if the murderer was methodically working his way down a page torn from the phone book. The three victims brutally killed in their own homes had one thing in common: They were all listed as M. Douglas. The fact that Mara Douglas is next on the list has her jumping at shadows, until FBI agent Aidan Shields shows up to make sure she doesn't become the fourth victim.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Good book
- By Angie on 09-22-22
By: Mariah Stewart
