The Maid by Nita Prose

This is a book that has gotten a lot of attention lately. It was featured in multiple book clubs this past month! I’m excited to get the chance to share my thoughts with you.

Thank you Ballantine Books for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: 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?

I thought this was a great cozy mystery. Does it live up to the hype? Not so much. It didn’t grab me in as much as I wanted it to. While I think it’s great to have a neurodivergent character in a story, I’m not sure it’s a great idea to push it to be something so cool just to get people to fall in love with the story. At least, that’s the vibe I got from reading it. It was a slow start, and a bit of a predictable finish. I think there are other locked room mysteries that deserve a read over this one.

3.5/5 Stars