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.
Comment: I saw this book has been hyped quite a lot and even won prizes or was nominated for them last year but for some reason I had not felt the pull, even though the setup would be something I might like. I've decided to read it because there it was, displayed at my local library and I thought, why not?
Molly is a maid at a classy hotel and she is proud of her skills. She knows most people don't pay attention to her, but she pays attention to what happens around her, especially since she has to clean rooms everyday and no one thinks about the maids who end up learning the habits of guests. Molly is not appreciated by everyone at the hotel and she is naive, so when someone is killed there and Molly is the person to find the victim, somehow things start pointing out to her. Molly doesn't have the means to defend herself, but will her friends help her prove her innocence?
In this novel we meet Molly, who was raised by her grandmother and whom we are led to believe is on the autism spectrum, although the author never uses that word. This has clearly shaped up Molly's life and her obvious need for organization and tidiness, also installed by her grandmother, who was a cleaning lady, helps Molly to be a very good maid at the hotel. However, Molly isn't easily aware of others' intentions and while I found it heartwarming that her grandmother tried to help and teach Molly regarding this, now that the older lady has passed, Molly is apparently navigating the world on her own.
The main plot revolves around a murder at the hotel, and Molly discovers the victim. Throughout Molly's eyes, we get to see what happens and how naive Molly truly is, for she can't understand some of the nuances that help people deal with others. I think the author tried to present things in such a way that any reader is left thinking about the struggles of those who can't conform to what society expects of them. In a way, this was successful, but there were times where it felt Molly was like a prop and she seemed to be easily used/manipulated and that left a bitter taste in my appreciation of this novel. I know that is the whole point of the set up to leave Molly in trouble, but it still felt unpleasant to read.
The tone of the story also feels a little childish, perhaps to better emulate the possible way Molly would describe things (she is the narrator) but I felt a little disappointed in this. I understand, but I wish Molly didn't have to sound as juvenile, especially because later on, when things are about to become too dire for her, she happens to discover true friends and they all come up with a way to expose the real culprits. Of course there is some vindication in this and it makes it all worthwhile because we do root for Molly and wish for the bad guys to be caught but the essence of the mystery is not that complicated for it's mostly based on Molly's lack of awareness and not on any serious clever plan.
I was also left quite sad and melancholic when I think about what we learn of Molly's childhood and her grandmother's youth, how life came to be what it is for them. Molly narrates this in a way which I assume is not meant to be heartbreaking but that is precisely the main notion I took from this novel, how unfair and sad their lives were at times and how what might be simple for some, is not for others, but still Molly's grandmother seemed to be a great character and an important influence for Molly.
In terms of reading experience, I've found the story fluid, very easy to read, one turns the pages almost effortlessly and since this is not a big and complex story, I've read it rather quickly too. The mystery at the base of this book isn't hard to guess at all, in fact, the culprits are obvious from the start, but I'm happy to say the author did manage to insert a little twist there.... I just think that, having this narrated by Molly might be a good choice for some parts of the story, but it's not the best for others so... definitely engaging but could have been much better, overall.
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