Molly works as a maid in a hotel, and she’s not having a good day she finds a guest dead in bed .
Molly works in a very specific way and takes things in a literal way she is not labelled as autistic but certainly seems to be on the spectrum.
I found Molly to be a fascinating character and felt a little protective over her and felt relieved that she had friends who were there for her.
The story was easy to listen to and moved on at a fair pace .
The narrator did a great job and really brought the story to life .
A different and enjoyable read .
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio.

What a little gem of a book!

I absolutely adored this one as it had just the right balance of cosy and mystery.

I loved the main protagonist and wanted to protect her fiercely like a mama bear. The message about finding friendship and support in curious places was just lovely!

It’s one of those books that I now point out to everyone when I walk through the supermarket.

I feel sure I reviewed this book!
I thought this was a terrific mystery with a strong character. I listened to it very quickly as I really wanted to know what had happened to the protagonist and how she would resolve the situation.

*3 Stars!!

This book follows the quiet unassuming and sometimes naive Molly Grey who works as a maid in the prestigious hotel. Molly has lived a very sheltered life and who more often than not struggles to understand the world and the people in it. Her Gran used to translate the world for her until she passed away recently leaving Molly to navigate the world on her own. When Molly finds the body of a wealthy client Mr Black in his room she soon finds herself a suspect because of her demeanour. With very few friends its up to them to prove that Molly isn't responsible for the murder.

This book was different from any book i've read before and whilst i did like it there was parts that i felt were really boring and i found the pace to be a bit slow and the mystery was a bit flat. I would have personally prefered for it to have a bit more action and suspense. It did start to pick up towards the end of the book and became much more interesting. I found throughout the book that Molly began to grow on me a bit more i just wish she had a bit more of a character development and personality because at times i found her to be a bit boring and dull.

*Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.*

This was such a brilliant read. Its not often that you find a main character molly who is obviously autistic and it was a joy to read. I could also relate to molly being autistic myself. It was such a fantastic story line that I could not put this book down so I read it all in one sitting. This book was so well wrote that I was hooked from the first page. The characters were wonderful in depth and realistic. The descriptions, development of characters and plot just had me on the edge of me seat and I felt so involved in the stories development. The ending wow! It was so unexpected. I thought the author created the most perfect , interesting and most fulfilling book that I have read in a long time. Only a few little bits in the book was easy to work out the rest I had no idea they really surprised me. My jaw nearly hit the ground at times. This book is brilliant for those who like lots of twist and turns it will definitely keep your mind very busy. I just can't recommend this book enough. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did an amazing job at getting the tone and flow correct for molly as this was a very important detail. This book is definitely in the running for ladyreading365 audiobook of the year.

Only the highest of praise goes out to the author and publishers for creating such an amazing precise and intricate story. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this amazing author. 

The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/the-maid-by-nita-prose-harpercollins-5-stars either under my name or ladyreading365

This has everything you want from your crime thriller and so much more. Our protagonist Molly is a maid at The Regency Grand Hotel and finds one of the guests dead in their bed. We follow Molly as the police try to unearth the truth of Mr Black’s demise. Molly is neurodivergent and it is fascinating seeing the investigation and goings on at the hotel from her point of view. I really loved Molly as a main character and thought this was a wholly unique and amazing read! I can’t wait to read more from this author!

The Maid was a quick and enjoyable read. I couldn't help but root for the main character. It was quirky and odd but that is what made me enjoy it.

Molly Gray is in a pickle. She is a maid working in a hotel, and when the hotel becomes the scene of a crime, she is unfortunately questioned and disbelieved. Molly is a fresh and enjoyable character – and is as important to the the story as the actual plot – and she was my favourite part. I was less interested in the crime itself, and more frustrated with the way she was treated by the characters surrounding her.

There’s an interesting discussion online about whether Molly is neurodivergent. To me, it felt as if she very clearly is, perhaps autistic rather than simply ‘eccentric’ or ‘quirky’. There is a chance she may not know that she is neurodivergent. It’s not uncommon to be diagnosed as an adult, and since she’s not close to anyone except her Gran (who passed away), she doesn’t have anyone that understands her. When I first read it, it felt odd that nothing was mentioned, but I’m undecided now. Either way, Molly is a strong, honest and memorable character.

Disclaimer: I received an e-Arc of the Audiobook from HarperCollins UK Audio, HarperCollins, via NetGalley in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own.

Plot
Molly is working at the Regency Grand Hotel as Maid, she is struggling to make ends meet following the death of her grandmother. Molly is socially awkward, and often misses social queues as a result. When Molly discovers the body of a rich guest of the hotel, she becomes involved in the investigation.

Thoughts
I love Molly the Maid, she is such a sweet character and the absolute definition of a cinnamon roll character! Her social awkwardness adds to her sweetness, as she takes everyone at face value - which leads to her getting into trouble.

While the mystery is kind of obvious at times, due to Molly not picking up on things the readers must follow along with her as she figures out the truth.

My main issue with the book, which almost made me drop the rating was the ending. I felt like the book could have been cut two chapters short - there was a 'several months later chapter' - which I loved, and then an epilogue after that which felt unnecessary. However, my love for the rest of the book outweighs my dislike the epilogue/extended ending.

Audiobook
I would highly recommend the audiobook, I feel like the narrator did a great job at capturing Molly's innocence and her little mannerisms.

Representation
Molly the Maid is coded as neurodivergent, however, nothing is explicitly stated in relation to this.

Mollys life is full of routine and order, just how she likes it. Since her gran died a few months ago, she lives and breathes her work as a hotel maid where she takes pride in cleaning and tidying after the guests. When she stumbles upon the body of a dead guest, she becomes involved in the murder investigation in a way she never could have imagined.

First off, I really recommend the audiobook version of this if you’re planning on reading it.

Secondly, I loved Molly as a character. I found her interesting and perfect for carrying the story. I felt for her as she recalled losing her Gran, struggling with forming relationships with those around her, and not understanding aspects of life that most people take for granted.

That being said, I didn’t love how most other characters reacted to Molly. I know I’m no expert but it was clear Nita Prose was at least trying to write Molly as having autism and/or other neurodivergences. Why she didn’t actually write those words into the book I don’t know, but I think it’s clear from a mile off that Molly isn’t being stupid or that it means she’s guilty, just because she’s acting a little ‘oddly.’ I find it particularly unrealistic how the main detective had apparently not had any training or interacted anyone like Molly before and so immediately thought she was suspicious.

That aside however, I thought this was well written and I found the mystery to be gripping and interesting. I enjoyed reading it and recommend it!

This was the first fiction audiobook that I have listened to and I loved it!

The twist was fantastic, the characters and development of the story had me enthralled. I loved the portrayal of neurodivergent characters and found that they were endearing. I think the setting was really interesting too. I would have loved to read the actual book, although the narrator was great at telling the story

This books story line was good! I appreciated the unique investigation.
However, for me I didn't like how the main character was portrayed stereotypically neurodivergent... but without the author actually labelling it. It forces the reader to assume or question, which made me uncomfy.

The Maid by Nita Prose Narrated by: Lauren Ambrose and the narrator was 'delightful' she really brought Molly, the main character, to life. and I enjoyed the book more as I listened to it than reading it. Molly Gray is a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel and she a specific routine how she cleans rooms, she does things on a daily basis and plans journeys down to the second. Molly's main figure in her life is her grandmother and she is always there to give her guidance throughout her young life. Until sadly her grandmother dies and she has nobody to advise her. Molly is too trusting which leads to her being taken advantage of by others.

This lovely book is told by Molly (Lauren Ambrose) and how she found a dead body whilst cleaning a room at the Regency Grand Hotel. This is when all her troubles start to get worse!

I highly recommend this book

Big thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I missed the opportunity to listen to the copy I requested here before the archive date, but have since listened to it through Scribd. I enjoyed the narrator of this audiobook - she brought Molly to life, along with each of the supporting characters, and brought something more to the story.

Overall, The Maid was a 3 star read from me - enjoyable, especially to read a mystery from a neurodivergent perspective, but the plot itself didn't excite or surprise me. Additionally, being so ahead of the main character, able to clearly see the villainous manipulation from those around her, was incredibly frustrating. While I understand why this was done, it wasn't an enjoyable experience to read, simply for the novel to end when the character comes to realisations I already came to as a reader.

I had this on audiobook through Netgalley and I did enjoy it. It was not a hard read, no complex characters, a slight feeling of Eleanor Oliphant... But it was enjoyable and it all worked out for the best which was nice. Not earth shattering but a good book

Thanks to @netgalley for the audio copy of The Maid. This book is perfect for those who prefer their mysteries gentle and who are fans of Eleanor Olliphant is completely fine. You will come to love Molly the maid.

I listened to this audiobook and found myself slowly but surely drawn into this charming story of Molly, a hotel maid, who finds a dead body in one of the rooms that she is busy “returning to a state of perfection”. I gradually grew to adore Molly the Maid, with her ridiculously formal and often hilarious use of the English language, complete lack of social grace and ongoing battle to interpret others’ feelings or behaviours. Molly is awkward, inflexible and often invisible to her work colleagues. She lives with her Gran, an absolutely wonderful character who looks after Molly when her mother abandoned her. Totally empathetic, Gran acts as coach, interpreter and guide to her beloved Molly. We learn how Molly is bullied and manipulated by those who use her naivety for their own nefarious purposes. Molly gets caught up in the murder inquiry following her discovery. This is a charming, heart-warming tale that might well steal your heart too.

I enjoyed the narration however the story fell a little flat for me. It's more of a cosy mystery but there wasn't any suspense and it could've used a few twists to keep readers engaged.

3 starts for the audio as the narrator was one of the only reasons I kept going with it.

At first I was really into this book. The main character Molly Gray, comes across as a sweet, naive and hopeful woman who always sees the best in people. The story is partly character driven and partly plot driven. It felt more like a fiction book rather than mystery/thriller. The pacing is very slow and the book is riddled with flashbacks which make the story non-thrilling. Like many other readers, I too thought that the protagonist is implied to be neurodivergent. I'm not neurodivergent, but I thought that Molly's personality changes as per plot convenience. One moment she's as naive as a five year old and can't seem to recognize that a guy is manipulating her and not flirting with her. And next page she's overly astute and instantly recognizes signs of domestic violence jn a woman. The mystery part is certainly unappealing. Since the protagonist is unable to comprehend social cues, the fact that XYZ is the culprit escapes her when it's very obvious to the reader.

This book had an interesting premise but failed in execution.

I received this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I listened to the audiobook and I enjoyed the narration. Unfortunately that was the only thing I really enjoyed about it. The plot was boring and the main character was inconsistent. It was written well enough.