#BookReview The Maid by Nina Prose 📖⠀
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I buddy read this one with Tasha @alwaysgottimeforbooks & I think this definitely enhanced my reading experience.⠀
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🌟I thought this premise was fantastic!⠀
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🌟I adored the first half of the novel it was shaping up perfectly it had murder, humour & characters you really cares about whether you wished them well or you were eagerly awaiting them getting their comeuppance.⠀
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🌟The gang that came to the rescue in the second half warmed my heart (I can't say anymore without serious spoilers!).⠀
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🌟Molly is such a fantastic character it's impossible not to root for her. She has a 'unique' way of viewing everything & her neurodivergence goes unnamed and unexplained BUT does it need to be explained? It's not used derogatively or to cause offense. The clearly overarching moral of the story is to recognise we are different & how one person sees something isn't necessarily how someone else does. ⠀
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Having said that I'm very curious to know what people with neurodivergence think of the representation?⠀
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☆I wasn't a fan of the final twist & to be totally honest I'm very on the fence about the other big character twist. I just don't think they ring true for the character. ⠀
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Bottom line...⠀
Will I watch the adaption? Yes⠀
I'm I interested to read what Prose does next? Yes⠀
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Very funny and smart, a wonderful thriller with an original heroine. It's a fun take on the crime, murder mystery, and Molly's voice is unique and compelling.

This was an enjoyable read with a likeable main character. Its a bit of a cozy mystery, we follow Molly as she finds one of her guests dead in his hotel bedroom, and navigates the ensuing investigation.

The mystery was fairly straight forward with a few surprises thrown in towards the end, but enjoyable none the less. I found Molly's inability to see some of the things blatantly happening in front of her somewhat frustrating but she was a sympathetic character mostly.

Good for fans cozy mystery fans or fans of the Thursday Murder Club series.

The Maid took me somewhat by surprise. I expected it to be a bit of a bog standard read, enjoyable enough but forgettable.

Enter Molly. A unique character, entirely herself and I loved her for it. Social interactions and etiquette are often confusing for her, leaving her vulnerable. But this is not a sorry story about a poor young woman. This is a heart warming story of resilience and friendship. And I could not put it down.

I found myself completely gripped from the first page. First finding myself charmed by the endearing Molly and firmly placing myself in her corner, come what may. Seeing her misinterpret and misunderstand the actions of others is at times painful and I quickly felt protective over her. The character building is absolutely amazing, and I struggle to think of many characters I’ve taken to in this way.

And the Regency Grand Hotel. Far more than just a hotel. This art deco style hotel lives in these pages, the sense of place is incredible. I can see how this was picked up for screen so swiftly, as it’s such a visual read.

The story itself is fast paced and held my interest throughout. Though the murder and resulting investigation forms the primary plotline, the side plots balanced the dodgy happenings with some lighter relief; friendship and romance lending a softer side and fully fleshing Molly out as a character.

With the screen rights sold, I’m really looking forward to seeing how Molly translates on screen. In the meantime I’ll be shouting just how much I loved Molly the Maid!

Loved the character and the plot of this book! I was frustrated yet amused throughout. I imagine the film adaptation will be really good too. It's well written and a great idea and is a very enjoyable book.
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Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Nita Prose for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was one I was highly anticipating for a long time! Thank you so much for my advance copy. Molly Maid - My favourite protagonist. This gave me Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine vibes. Molly is very trusting. The set up definitely reminded me of a cluedo board. I did not see the murder mystery plot twist coming at all. There is an endearing and partly rage inducing cast of characters. Reading about Molly's Nan broke my heart, such a heartwarming story. I enjoyed the enclosed hotel setting.

This was a book that made me both laugh and cry in equal measure. It is a thoroughly enjoyable read that is quirky as well as fun.
Molly the maid works for the Regency Grand hotel and she just loves her job, cleaning up after the guests and restoring the rooms to a “state of perfection”. Molly is an unusual character, an old head on young shoulders and she talks in an old fashioned way, having been brought up by her beloved Grandmother. Molly finds it hard to make friends and her co workers consider her strange. Her Grandmother has to teach her how to act in certain social situations as she really doesn’t know.
She certainly reminded me of Elinor Oliphant, another unusual literary character-I would guess that Molly is meant to be on the autistic spectrum and at times she is described as “special” by several of the other characters.
Molly narrates the story which makes the book all the more interesting, particularly as the language she uses is quite archaic but forms a big part of her personality.
One day whilst cleaning Mr and Mrs Black’s suite she discovers Mr Black dead in his bed and the reader immediately suspects he has not died of natural causes. However, because Molly is the first person narrator it is not clear what has really happened and how deeply involved she is. Is Molly really innocent, simply someone caught up in a series of unfortunate events due to her naivety or does she know more than she is revealing to us, the readers?
This is such a cleverly constructed novel which gripped me from the very first page. Molly gradually reveals her back story even as she is caught up in her difficult current day situation. She really doesn’t know whom to turn to, whom she can trust or rely on. Her unusual way of looking at life does not help her judge people’s motivations or good or bad intentions- she’s definitely in a “bit of a pickle”.
The Maid kept me on my toes until the very last page and I thoroughly recommend it as a five star read.
It’s a bit different from books in the normal mystery thriller genre and it contains some fantastic characters, particularly Molly herself. In my opinion the first person narrative really made the book “special “
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for my arc.

I enjoyed the overall story in this. The characters were well rounded and everyone felt relevant. It wasn't quite as mysterious a I'd hoped and the only reason I think I liked it as much as I did was that Molly is clearly autistic. The neurodivergence rep, and the message Molly directly gives a few times about ableism were great to see... except it's never actually called those things. Molly is simply referred to as "different", "unique" and more negatively by other parties "weirdo". She is also based on complete stereotypes - the way she speaks and her obliviousness to social cues. Ultimately, I don't think the rep was harmful itself, but the fact it refused to say what it is, and we don't know if the author is autistic make it feel icky.

Where do I start with this? We’ll, first of all it brought back font memories of housekeeping in a hotel in Darwin in the early 2000s! I can’t ever remember being as committed and polite as Molly though!

From the very start I knew this experience was going to special. Molly the Maid is the perfect protagonist for this murder mystery and I fell head over heels in awe of her non-judgemental and introvert personality.

An unlikely heroine, Molly brings light to the shocking murder of Mr Black. I was desperate to find out who the villain was but Nita has a fabulous way of keeping you guessing right to the very end.

This book is pure escapism and the closing pages had me lost for words (and that rarely happens!). I felt bereft at the end!

As a writer and lover of the cosy mystery genre, I can’t wait to read more of Nita’s stories and I do hope that Molly makes another appearance!

Molly Gray is a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel and she cleans the guests’ bedrooms to perfection. One day Molly finds one of the guests dead in his room and she is accused of his murder. What will Molly do next?

What a wonderful book! I really loved Molly as a character. She’s quirky, endearing and definitely a little off centre. “We are all the same in our different ways.” There is a great cast of peripheral characters, too. I was gripped from the very beginning and found it difficult to put down, a real page turner. It’s well written with an engaging plot - it’s what I would describe as a cosy mystery. An excellent debut which I can highly recommend. Entertaining and fun. “Everything will be okay at the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” Life definitely does have a way of working itself out!

What a fantastic debut this was!

This was a classic cosy murder mystery with real old school Agatha christie / Poirot vibes . Usually I only like this sort of thing on screen (and yes i can't wait for the film!) but Molly Maid is such a loveable protagonist that as a reader you just want to read on..

Molly works at the Regency Grand Hotel , she struggles with social skills and is considered weird by her colleagues . After discovering the body of a guest in the hotel she becomes the centre of a murder investigation and the whodunnit begins......

The mystery is no great page turner and nor does it give us any twists or thrills but it is FUN! We meet such an array of colourful characters and you will find yourself just wanting to give Molly a hug. Its a light hearted read told with humour but with a poignant message about acceptance and society , perfect escapism.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and harper collins for my earc

Having seen and heard so much about The Maid, I went into reading it with a certain amount of trepidation, wondering if I would enjoy it as much as I was hoping. But I can happily report that I loved it - it is a fun cosy crime book that combines a clever whodunnit with plenty of humour and the most engaging protagonist, whilst at the same time offering an unexpected depth. It is an easy but incredibly engaging read and I raced through it over a couple of days.

Molly is a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel – she takes great pride in her job and loves it, keen to ensure she does it to the highest standards. It is a job that suits her perfectly as someone who enjoys structure and creating order. But she is someone who sees the world differently, struggles with social skills, and her inability to interact with people makes her stand out, not necessarily in a good way – and following the recent death of her grandmother, her guiding light who she lived with and helped her navigate tricky situations, life is even harder. And when she discovers the dead body of one of the hotel’s regular guests, life gets even more complicated – her way of seeing the world leads to inevitable misunderstanding and suddenly she finds herself at the centre of the investigation. How can she convince everyone that she has nothing to do with it?

I defy anyone not to fall in love with Molly, the perfect narrator, so sincere and yet so naive – the “invisible maid” who sees so much but falls prey to those who underestimate her. She is so much more than people give her credit for – and as a reader you just want to jump in and stop her being taken advantage of. Prose is be applauded for the little touches that for a debut author land with so much skill from beginning to end, starting with fact she gives her protagonist the surname Grey, with the blandness that suggests, while the murder victim is the larger than life Black. Molly is front and centre but there are some great characters amongst the supporting cast, both loveable and rogues. It is the little touches that makes this such an engaging and clever book, with a thought-provoking message about acceptance in a world where conformity is more often than not applauded.

Oh my god, I did not see that coming!

Molly the Maid is a little different.
But her story is riveting.
If you read only one book in 2022, make it this one.
It truly is a state of perfection!

Many thanks to Nita Prose, HarperCollins UK, and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I snuck this one into my trolley while doing the food shop as literally everyone I knew was doing the read along for it and I felt left out okay. Ofcourse I had to see what I missing out on the hype as they say. Now I’m going to be blunt and say I didn’t get the hype but don’t get me wrong it was still a brilliant read I enjoyed every minute of. Great plot. But what was the hype over? Hmm. Easy reading.

Loved the whole main character being a maid as the story says they are often overlooked within the hotel industry and they work hard. Well Molly sure does. I loved the whole hotel setting and how her true friends helped her out and came together in the end. She’s just a lovely character, works hard and keeps to herself to find herself under suspicion is just absurd. But plenty of unexpected outcomes here. Clever story. A well deserved four stars and I would recommend just didn’t get the hype.

This was a book of two halves for me, absolutely adored Molly's character, her backstory and the set up of the incident in the hotel.. Seeing how Molly was viewed and treated by others was alternately heart-breaking and wonderful, and how she knew her disability made her different from nearly everyone else. You knew the roguish bartender was a bad egg from the outset, and it was so difficult that Molly couldnt see that for herself
But then, when the second half of the story opened, it all felt a bit too easy and trite, handsome Mexican dishwasher who's not only empathetic but also appreciates all of Molly's quirks was a bit too obvious, as was her job at the end of the story. Not saying it couldnt happen, but it happened to be the only other male character in her life....
I started it thinking it would be a 5 star read but ended it as a 2.5 star, sorry

I was completely engrossed and charmed. Its like a cross between a who-done-it and Eleanor Oliphant. It quickly becomes apparent that Molly, the maid, is probably autistic. She sees the world differently and is unable to read social cues. But that doesn't stop her from being the best she can be, and she loves being a maid. And she is a good person, even though she doesn't get credit for this, because all anyone can see is her differences. Most of the time she is invisible, until she finds one of her guests "very dead". Now everyone wants to talk to her and she might even become the key suspect.

The murder mystery in incidental. Molly herself is fascinating - how she thinks and see the world - and the writer does a great job of portraying her and making her believable. Her journey unfolds beautifully, as she grows as a person, and finds her place in this world. Loved this book and would highly recommend.

The Maid is a quirky novel whose protagonist, Molly is on the autism spectrum. She works hard as a maid, but leads a lonely life since the death of her beloved grandma. When Molly finds the murdered body of one of the regular visitors to the hotel, she begins to realise not everyone is as good and rule abiding as she is.
I really enjoyed the plot and suspected there would be a twist at the end, but couldn’t quite put my finger on it. I did feel the ending could have been less drawn out, mainly because Molly’s character began to grate on me a little.

I really enjoyed this book. A little bit of Eleanor Oliphant meets a game of Clue. Who dunnit with a twist. You can't help but want to give Molly the Maid a big hug while she's entangled in an investigation at the hotel she works.
The book started a little slow and it took me few chapters to get used to seeing world through Molly's eyes but it was worth sticking with it.
It was a solid 5 🌟 up to very end when things has gotten a little too cheesy..

I actually found this book quite irritating. I found Molly to be almost a caricature and there were a lot of stereotypes portrayed in the book. Thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

I'm usually wary of any book that leaps straight to the top of best seller charts, but I'm systematically working through as many of my fellow 2022 debuts as possible, so this was on my list, and highly rated by many friends. I wasn't sure what to expect as I got an advanced reading copy to my kindle and it was ages since I'd read the blurb. But...

Wow. What a great book.
As a member of a family 'riddled with Aspergers' this book hit close to home, not just for its brilliant storytelling and strong-voiced characters, but for the roller coaster of fun moments coupled with the in-your-face reminders of just how easily those who see the world a little differently can become horribly abused and taken advantage of.
Molly will live in my head for very long time, but I will also be sharing her with other family members who've lived closely to a 'Molly' all our lives.
Congratulations, Nita Prose, this absolutely deserves all those top spots, and will be reread many a time. It's another where 5 stars seems insuffucient.