The Maid •::• Nita Prose •::• ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚍. 𝙸 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞. 𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚒𝚝: 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚖𝚎?

Thank you to @netgalley and @harpercollinsuk for this audio-book in exchange for an honest review!

I think when you listen to an audiobook you really rely on the narrator to bring the story to life! Lauren Ambrose did this for Molly… the way Nita pays such attention to detail with the way she wrote Molly really enabled me to ‘see’ Molly as I listened.

I found the whole story frustrating but at the same time so true. The innocence of Molly had me smiling and it was so honest and endearing.

I did feel like rather than imply that Molly was neurodivergent that it would have been refreshing to see this addressed and expressed by the author.

I’d definitely recommend the audiobook, maybe even listen along as you read!

This was such a good read, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters where very enjoyable. Molly clearly has high functioning autism and some traits reminded me of my husband. I would recommend this book, to all that love a good murder mystery.
Thanks to Netgalley

I’ve really struggled with this not so much the actual story or book mainly the reader. I didn’t gel with her voice so it was a stop go back job which kinda put me off sorts.

This is the most enjoyable audio book I've listened to in quite some time. The narrator does a great job - Molly is a lovely character and she is brought perfectly to life. I enjoyed the story itself - there is something very satisfying about crime novels set in a specific location such as the hotel. I found the details about the workings of a hotel really interesting and it was refreshing have a protagonist who isn't involved in the law - Molly is a breath of fresh air and I loved how much she loved her job. Recommended.

I really enjoyed this book and found the main character both loveable and heart-warming! I felt like I wanted to look after Molly and I found some of the book very funny. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and seeing how the story progressed with Molly and the situation she found herself in.

The twist at the end was not one I expected and was one I was shocked by. Overall I’d recommend reading this book if you enjoy a good thriller.

The story itself was a nice, pleasant, easy to read plot. I actually listened to the audiobook and I liked the narrators.

However, there are things that doesn’t sit well with me and made me really uncomfortable while listening to it.
That has to do with the way the characters are depicted in the book.

The plot is constructed in all kinds of bad stereotypes. Class stereotypes, illegal immigration, domestic abuse, drug operations, inclusion issues to name a few. And due to that I didn’t enjoy it as I would normally do this kind of books.

I think it would be a lot nicer if this has been addressed from a different angle.

What a amazing read.

This was a very disturbing but good read.

Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and could not get enough of.

This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good thriller!!
Absolutely loved the characters, the plot, the tension - impossible to put it down.
Certainly recommended!

I had heard a lot of good things about this book and decided to give it a listen because I was looking for something a little different to what I have been reading lately. I have to say I went into this thinking it was going to be quite a tense mystery but, whilst it has its moments, it is actually a pretty light and entertaining book.

Molly is an interesting character, she does not always understand social cues and tends to take everything very literally, but she knows what she likes and has a very unique and compelling voice. She is a character that I instantly warmed to and felt terrible when she gets taken advantage of, which does happen quite often.

I enjoyed the concept of the mystery at the hotel and had gotten the impression that Molly would be perfectly placed to help solve what happened as she can go largely unnoticed, but this isn’t entirely what happens and this is where the story falters a little in my opinion. Whilst it is never stated, it would appear that Molly isn’t neurotypical, even though this is something immediately obvious to the reader/listener it seems like a lot of the people around her are completely clueless which is very unrealistic. It’s hard to give examples without spoilers but her difference leads to her getting caught up in some trouble and from the first crisis point that Molly encounters, it was hard to take it too seriously because it seemed a bit ridiculous that nobody would account for that.

Whilst I had those feelings I still managed to enjoy the story and started to root for Molly when she starts to play a little dirty even though it goes against her nature, and I was also glad that she finds some support and expands her circle of friends. However, there were a few occasions toward the end of the book that I felt that Molly’s actions were exceptionally out of character, almost completely contradictory to what I had been told up to that point and that I found very frustrating.

I will say however that I found the narration of this story fantastic, Lauren Ambrose brought Molly and the other characters to life and managed to capture a unique voice for each one, I got a bit of an ear-worm on hearing the phrase state of perfection. I think that this is possibly why I still appreciated the story so much even though I could find a lot of faults with it because I enjoyed the style in which the story was told to me.

The Maid is definitely an entertaining book and I can see why so many people love it, whilst I did have some issues with it, it did also have some lovely heartwarming moments that kept me invested in the story.

4.5*

This was an impulse choice, based on nothing apart from the book’s regular appearance on Social Media over a couple of weeks. It’s location is lightly identifiable as being somewhere in North America, given some of the idioms and words used. Wherever it is set, however, it has a universal message, it is a gentle tribute to all the people quietly working away in hotels, unseen, keeping everything neat and clean for the clientele.

Molly (the eponymous maid of the title) works at the Grand Central, a stylish and luxurious hotel, and as the novel opens we are introduced to her grandmother, with whom she lives in a run-down apartment. Her grandmother has the measure of her granddaughter, an endearing, socially awkward and innocent 25 year old woman, who is happily defined by her job as a maid. It gives her purpose, satisfaction and kudos prepping each of her guest rooms “to perfection”.

She does, in fact, make my heart hurt, as she fumbles her way through social interchanges, storing people’s responses and expressions so that she may get better at understanding what people are asking of her.. Yes, I guess one could say she is a person with autism, who struggles to make sense of the world around her, beyond her dedication to her job. Wilbur breezes into her life and then in the hotel itself is Rodney, who manages the bar and on whom she has a crush.

There are some rather nefarious and dark things going on in the hotel, of which she is inevitably unaware and when she finds one of the hotel regulars dead in his room, her life takes a darker turn.

I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator – Lauren Ambrose – captures the essence of the novel perfectly. The writing is very good and the storytelling is simple (in a good way), so well paced and really enjoyable. There is dry humour and intelligence. I couldn’t wait to engage with Molly and her life and resume listening after a break. It also reminds us not to overlook maids as they go about their daily business, they are humans too. Just lovely and perfect for anyone who loves cosy crime.

A universal novel set in North America.

Rating: 4,5 stars

First of all thanks to @netgalley and @harpercollinsuk for this audio-book in exchange for an honest review!

Well, this was a full-blown #bookstageammademedoit! I saw so many good reviews on here that I couldn’t resist. And of course, when I heard that the setting was a hotel… that sealed the deal!
And I was not disappointed!

So before I start my review, let me say that there were two factors that made it 4.5 stars! The protagonist Molly is certainly the first! I absolutely loved her - and I want her as a friend! And second, but not least, is the narrator Lauren Ambrose, who I rate 5 stars! She was 💯amazing!

Molly the maid works at the Grand Regency Hotel and takes her job very seriously. She strives to restore each room back to a state of perfection and will hand you a tissue for your issue. She doesn't indulge in gossip and has difficulty reading facial expressions. But when she discovers a man lying motionless on the suite's bed, she has no doubt that he is stone-dead.

This was a cozy, slow-paced mystery centred around our protagonist Molly. She steals the show with her trusting nature and naive ways, almost bordering on the autistic spectrum. But so endearing you can’t help but chuckle at her old-fashioned language and mannerisms. I rooted for her from the beginning, feeling sorry for her and cheering when she succeeded in her endeavours.

I also loved how her grandmother was an integral part of the story (through vivid memories), even though she was long dead when the story begins.

Do yourself a favour and pick this little gem up! I can’t believe it’s a debut for crying out loud!
Once you’ve read this, you can be assured that Molly will stick with you forever!

And as Molly’s granny says:
’𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑜𝑘𝑎𝑦 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑑．𝐼𝑓 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑘𝑎𝑦， 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑑．’

I absolutely loved this book, I loved the story, the mystery of it, I loved the characters they completely create the storyline and bought it to life, would definitely recommend, A very heartwarming story where good prevales

3.5
The Maid is a cosy mystery following Molly the maid as she works at the Regency Grand hotel. Molly appears neurodivergent with a love for cleanliness and order. Whilst on her rounds one afternoon she finds the dead body of Mr Black , one of the long-term residents, in his bed. Unfortunately for Molly she becomes the lead suspect in the murder and must find a way to prove her innocence.

Although a tad slow to start the maid is an enjoyable read and I liked the final twist in the story. I didn't like the fact that it was implied but never stated that Molly is neurodivergent and how despite being set in modern times she is looked down upon for having social challenges.

Thanks to NetGalley for an arc.

#TheMaid by #NitaProse had me thinking about #TheFlightAttendant by #ChrisBohjalian Maybe it was a murder in a hotel room, but my mind kept going back there. I absolutely loved The Flight Attendent. This story highlights the story of invisible staff, people whose jobs enable them to get a snapshot into the lives of others almost unnoticed and just how important the minutia of life can actually be. I really enjoyed this #debutnovel Many thanks to #Netgalley and #HarperCollinsUKAudio for gifting me an #ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Meet Molly the Maid- she sees you but you don't see her. Molly lives by a very strict code of conduct. A code that her grandmother taught her and that Molly relies on to get by throughout the day. Molly struggles to understand people but living by her set of rules helps her function in a chaotic world where things aren't always what they seem. Molly remains mostly undisturbed at the hotel where she works until she becomes wrapped up in a murder. A murder, where she becomes one of the prime suspects.

I absolutely LOVED this book. Molly was sweet, kind, and logical. Her quirky personality and attention to detail captured my heart instantly. Nita did a fabulous job telling the story through the eyes of her meticulous maid. This story included all the classic elements of a whodunit and kept me on the edge of my seat. The narration was spot on and captured Molly perfectly. I thoroughly recommend this to any fans of Agatha Christie! Well done Nita Prose!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of the audiobook of The Maid.

Molly is innocent. Invisible in plain sight. Good at returning hotel rooms to ‘a state of perfection.’ Then she finds a body. And things go rapidly downhill, until she is rescued by some very special people.

I was looking forward to listening to The Maid, as I had seen good reviews. It was my first audiobook, so I don’t know if this made a difference in my enjoyment of the story. The narrator did a good job, and the story was okay. I definitely found myself getting frustrated over Molly, as she was very very gullible! The story moved along at a fair speed, though sometimes things were detailed too much for me. However, a solid 3 stars, and has kept me entertained while getting ready for work in the mornings!

This was an entertaining whodunit story told by "Molly, the maid", a girl with poor social skills. Whether she has mental health issues or her awkwardness is down to the fact that she was brought up by her grandmother, is unclear. She would be an original character if we had not met Eleanor Oliphant (E.O. is completely fine) or Keiko Furukura (Convenience Store Woman) before.

The story starts slowly but is overall built up nicely, and I appreciated the unexpected twist in the end.

The audio book is read by Lauren Ambrose, and she did a great job by narrating Molly's story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for an Advance Review Copy.

The Maid is a delightful and charming cosy murder mystery, with all the usual components of its genre. It’s a quick and easy read but there’s nothing particularly special about it and the main character of Molly is quite contrived. I have listened to some of the book on audio and the narration was excellent and really brought the characters to life.

So grateful to have had the opportunity to listen to this audiobook! This novel excels in the way that the story is told. I thought it was truly brilliant in that sense.

We’re all the same in different ways

Twenty five year old maid Molly makes the perfect protagonist in this addictive and unique murder mystery. Brought up by her spick and span gran, she prides herself on her attention to detail but often misses what is obvious to others.

Most of her colleagues at The Regency Grand Hotel find her strange, as she cannot always decipher social cues but for the most part she blends into the background and gets on with the job she adores - cleaning.

But during a normal shift of returning rooms to a state of perfection, when Molly stumbles on a very imperfect crime scene, even she can see that something is very much amiss.
Being the first to find the body, socially awkward Molly is high on the list of suspects, but can she convince those around her of her innocence, and maybe even solve the murder?

Brilliantly written in the first person in Molly’s unmistakable voice, we walk side by side in her world and can witness both her frustration at being misunderstood as well see why others take advantage of her naivety. A host of quirky characters make this a heartwarming, thrilling and at times laugh out loud read.

Excitingly a major film is also in the works! 🎬🏨

Molly Gray is a maid at The Regency hotel. It is the ideal job for her as she loves cleanliness and most of all order, order which she often struggles to understand in her daily life. She struggles with social skills and people's true intentions can seem like a mystery to her. Her Gran had a way of simplifying the world for her so that it didn't seem quite so complex, but since her Gran died Molly has been finding the world that much more confusing, especially when she stumbles across a dead guest during one of her shifts at the hotel. What ensues is a mystery to get to the bottom of Mr Black's death but also the most heart-warming story of connection and fitting into a world where you were born to stand out.

First of all, what a book! Truly an exceptional story and not one I was expecting at all. I thought I was going into a standard thriller set up and although it had plenty of twists and kept me guessing the whole way through, the real strength with The Maid is, the maid herself, Molly. She was an utter joy to behold, her eloquence, her turn of phrase and the delivery of her thoughts were so incredibly well presented. I felt like I knew her so well by the end of the book that I was slightly bereft that I would no longer able to listen to her musings and the way she would navigate conversations in her own unique way. Molly is different, but differences which are to be applauded. She is polite, conscientious and so unbelievably likeable. One of my favourite parts of the book were Molly's descriptions of her Gran and the time they spent together before her death. The rules she provided Molly to help her cope with life when she was no longer around and their total and utter devotion to each other would often make me tear up and I felt like she was such a big part of the overall story even though we only hear about her in Molly's memories.

There were a number of bad eggs in this book, each as detestable as the next and it becomes difficult to know who to trust, they prey on Molly's naivety and things soon begin to fall apart for her. Fortunately Molly has friends that she had not realised were so willing to help her in her time of need. These friendships made my heart swell with love, literally I felt like The Grinch with my heart growing three times bigger. They give Molly room to be herself and not to be afraid of her own mind and decisions and just because she thinks differently to other people doesn't mean that she is in the wrong.

I listened to the audiobook and I can't recommend it enough, in fact I suggest listening rather than reading the physical book. The narration was perfect, I was hanging on every word. It was as Molly would say, simply delightful.