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In 'the maid,' a devoted hotel cleaning lady is a prime murder suspect.

Bethanne Patrick

The Maid by Nita Prose Ballantine Books hide caption

Devotees of cozy mysteries, rejoice: Nita Prose's debut, The Maid, satisfies on every level — from place to plot to protagonist.

In a fancy urban hotel, a guest lies dead, and the main suspect is Molly Gray, a member of the cleaning staff whose devotion to her work is matched only by her love for her deceased grandmother.

Let the locked-room hijinks begin!

The above storyline would be enough for a solid read, but Prose dials up the tension by creating a realistically different heroine. Molly Gray is neurodivergent, and may even have Autism spectrum disorder, not that Molly uses either of those terms. She tells us how she copes with the world. "I like things simple and neat," says Molly, who cleans "twenty-plus rooms" at the Regency Grand, "a five-star boutique hotel."

"Never in my life did I think I'd hold such a lofty position in a grand hotel," she says, also sharing that without Gran, "It's as though all the color has been drained from the apartment we shared." Work remains a respite, a place where Molly has responsibilities and a routine. "I love cleaning, I love my maid's trolley, and I love my uniform." Prose makes a wise choice in Molly's first-person narration, allowing readers to enter Molly's world, where a well-stocked maid's trolley is "a portable sanitation miracle." You'll nod at Molly's observations about the proper order in which to tackle a suite ("from top to bottom") and using different cloths for sink and toilet.

Molly knows that she sees things differently. "The truth is, I often have trouble with social situations; it's as though everyone is playing an elaborate game with complex rules they all know, but I'm always playing for the first time," she says. All of this information about Molly is important to have before the actual murder, because Molly's "trouble with social situations" will both complicate matters, and result in her eventual triumph.

A word about the location of the Regency Grand before we proceed. Nita Prose is vice president and editorial director at Simon & Schuster Canada (one reason why her mastery of voice and plot is so assured; she's clearly an excellent editor). We're never explicitly told that The Maid takes place in Toronto; understanding its author's Canadian background will help readers understand why Molly's Gran is decidedly British in tastes and diction, but no one ever questions those things.

One of the reasons Molly loves her job so much is that it allows her to bypass her social miscommunications and "blend in." Even the day after her beloved Gran dies, she heads into work. But nine months later, on one of Molly's shifts, she finds a Mr. Black "very dead in his bed."

Everything that happens next will occur because Molly follows her strict rules and does not clean the Blacks' bathroom, as Mrs. Black (Giselle) was taking a shower. Remember: Molly does not pick up on cues easily. The fact that Giselle Black hopped in the shower just after Molly arrived, and before Molly discovered Mr. Black dead, doesn't register. "I did not allow her behavior to interfere with the task at hand," says Molly.

While some readers may guess who the killer is immediately, it doesn't really matter, as the book is more about Molly — who does not. There are other things happening around Molly that she misses, too, including a crime ring that relies on an undocumented immigrant's fears of deportation. Molly takes things at face value, which costs her something. However, taking things at face value is also one of Molly's strengths, and it ultimately allows her to help authorities catch a killer and a kingpin. So what if her idea of haute cuisine is a Tour of Italy platter from The Olive Garden? Molly takes her pleasures at face value, too, and knows that something cheese-y isn't always cheesy.

The delight of reading The Maid lies partly in watching a hectic cast of characters unravel (take special pleasure in watching Rodney Stiles, the hotel head bartender on whom Molly has a crush) as the crime is properly solved. It also lies in seeing Molly learn that thinking differently does not equal giving up friendship or high standards. What begins as a sprightly murder mystery turns into a meaningful, and at times even delicate, portrait of growth.

The Maid will start your 2022 reading off right. Here's hoping Molly Gray, the smart and affecting hotel maid, appears in a new book soon.

Bethanne Patrick is a freelance writer and critic who tweets @TheBookMaven .

clock This article was published more than  5 years ago

From middle class to homeless: A mother’s unapologetic memoir

Jenny Rogers is deputy editor of the Talent Network at The Washington Post.

A nyone who has felt the white-hot humiliation of being caught in a weak moment of parenting — all eyes on you at the grocery store when you snap at your kid, another parent pointing out that the snack you’ve handed your toddler is a choking hazard — will cringe at one particular scene in Stephanie Land’s new memoir, “ Maid .”

Land had taken her young daughter, Mia, to the doctor once again for a hideous sinus infection, brought on by the mold in their dank studio apartment. After examining Mia and hearing about the mold, the pediatrician advised Land to move for the sake of her daughter’s health. Land told the doctor she couldn’t afford a move. “Well,” the doctor said, “she needs you to do better.”

Land withered under the admonishment, which was not wrong but also not particularly realistic. Of course she should have pushed her landlord harder to address the mold. Of course she should have found a safer place for her daughter to live. But could she? The rest of “Maid” pretty clearly answers the question: No.

Any policy discussion around poverty in America quickly devolves into a series of “shoulds,” and the facts of Land’s life dare you to judge her. She should have gone to college. She shouldn’t have gotten pregnant. She should have left that man. She shouldn’t have been with that other man. She should have done things differently.

“Maid” answers all of those unspoken shoulds in a plain-spoken rejoinder to everything one hears about poor people on cable news. Land’s story is not defensive, but it is a defense of sorts — an unapologetic account of how a smart, talented woman ended up a homeless mother, in and out of bad relationships, and reliant on public benefits and meager pay earned by cleaning houses. And she apparently does need to defend herself, mostly against the brazen shoppers who announce “you’re welcome” when they see her using benefits at the grocery store. But also against her relatives and even one of her oldest friends, who cruelly points out during a phone call that her tax dollars are paying for Land’s federal assistance.

“I wish I’d had the courage to speak up for myself,” Land writes. She blocked that friend on Facebook and tuned out comments and news stories disparaging poor people.

“‘Welfare is dead,’ I wanted to say. There was no welfare, not in the sense they thought of it as. There was no way for me to walk into a government office and tell them I needed enough money to compensate for the meager wages I needed in order to pay for a home.”

Land grew up in a middle-class home and was enjoying a sort of bohemian existence in her 20s, working in cafes and bars with plans to attend college and pursue a writing career, when she found out she was pregnant. She put school on hold to have the baby, a decision that caused her boyfriend to turn vicious. Things got darker after Mia’s birth, and ended with a call to a domestic violence hotline and then the police.

Soon Land was living in a homeless shelter and clinging to custody of Mia. One of her book’s strengths is illustrating the perverse incentives for domestic-abuse victims: Once she left, Land lost her home, her ex’s income and the status of being a two-parent family; she nearly lost her child. She and Mia ended up living with a new boyfriend, a hard-working farmer whose appeal quickly faded. Their strained and unkind cohabitation, which she couldn’t afford to end, was a cautionary tale about what romance can turn into for the financially broken.

Land wound up cleaning houses, the only work she could find. Despite hours of backbreaking labor, she was never quite able to achieve stability. The $250 she received each month in child support went almost entirely toward gas to drive Mia to and from her father’s house. She was often at the mercy of landlords who didn’t maintain their properties and didn’t return security deposits; employers who couldn’t give her the hours she desperately needed; her aging car; the touch-and-go generosity of friends; and the largesse of the United States government, which was not particularly large and required her to jump through humiliating hoops.

Her book is not, however, a treatise on public housing, labor or welfare policy. Land is an expert in her own story, and she wisely sticks to it. We see the little tricks Land used to make her daughter feel like a regular girl out to lunch with her mom — buying a sandwich on clearance at a food co-op, where Mia was able to get a free piece of fruit. As she reluctantly consigned Mia’s old baby clothes, she started to tell the sales clerk that she had been keeping them for another baby, but having a second child seemed impossible now. “I’d been saving it for no reason,” she ended up saying.

There are no jaunts to colorful destinations to eat, pray or love; no suspenseful moments on the Pacific Crest Trail to keep the narrative moving along. Not much actually happens in “Maid” except a lot of brutal hours scrubbing appalling bathrooms and some truly bleak scenes of relational discord.

Yet the book, with its unfussy prose and clear voice, holds you. It slows down when Land dwells on the houses she cleaned and nicknamed (the Sad House, the Sick House, etc., which I struggled to care about), but she doesn’t linger there long. Land doesn’t indulge in diatribes or bog the pages down with obligatory data. She sticks with small details that show the cost of being poor — forgoing treatment that might relieve her chronic back pain and instead relying on costly over-the-counter meds that only mask the symptoms; not being able to afford a day off when Mia is miserably sick. Though this isn’t a policy book, and doesn’t pretend to be, it does offer a personal indictment of the policies that govern the lives of the working and lower classes.

It’s also not a success story, though Land does find some just before the pages run out. “Maid” isn’t about how hard work can save you but about how false that idea is. It’s one woman’s story of inching out of the dirt and how the middle class turns a blind eye to the poverty lurking just a few rungs below — and it’s one worth reading.

By Stephanie Land

Hachette. 270 pp. $27

Book Review: Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will To Survive

Maid: Hard Work, Low, Pay, and a Mother's Will To Survive

Author Stephanie Land

Publisher Hachette Books

Genre Nonfiction

Release Date 2019

ISBN 978-0316505116

(Editor’s note: Read our review of the Netflix series Maid , which was inspired by this book.)

Review by Lisa Eible, DSW, MSW, LCSW

Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will To Survive, by Stephanie Land, foreword by Barbara Ehrenreich, Hachette Books, ISBN 9780316505116, New York, NY, 2019, 288 pages, $27.00, hardcover.

     Stephanie Land, in her memoir, Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive, tells her own story of  life in poverty. Land’s self-described work history is one of patching jobs together to survive as a young adult and as a mother. Land’s primary work is in housecleaning, and Maid outlines the intricacies of the emotional complexity and the extreme physical toll of this type of work. Further, the complexities of parenting a young child while working and the constant financial stress of never having enough, are well articulated by Land

     The strength of Maid is in the detailed telling of the complexity of social service systems, safety net programs, individual and childcare grants, and public healthcare (Medicaid). Land is specific in naming the manner in which these programs work to help and inadvertently hurt their recipients. For example, monthly income reporting to all benefit providers to ensure continued eligibility quickly becomes a time-consuming hardship. In a job like housecleaning where there is variability in the monthly income, earning just a few dollars more in a given month can result in the loss of benefits (i.e. childcare), which are serving to maintain a fragile life.

     Land is also articulate in writing about the opinions and  attitudes of others when one is receiving any type of public benefits - from the “you’re welcome,” as though an individual has personally paid for the benefits received, to the glares and comments that judge entitlement. Unsolicited responses are pervasive, demeaning, and have an emotional cost.

     Maid is in some ways a familiar read to social workers. Many of our clients live on the edge of survival, as Land did, one precarious job or benefit away from complete disaster and the familiar spiral of one loss or accident cascading into every area of one’s life. At some points in the memoir, Land comments directly on the experience with helpers – from worn out and unsympathetic case managers to those who listen carefully and are deeply compassionate. Land, in laying out the complexity of the social service systems, addresses the inefficiencies, the humiliations, time-consumptions, and the ways in which programs operate to keep the poor in a state of instability. 

     Reading Maid as a social worker, the challenge to social workers is clear. Kindness and respect are part of our core values, of course. The overwhelming nature of our jobs sometimes has us as attentive as we could be, and our attitudes make a huge difference to our clients. Additionally, social workers have a responsibility to be a part of repairing broken and fragmented systems. We can get involved in or create demonstration projects or other efforts that support the whole person in the situation, that have built-in flexibility for the ups and downs of life that are more easily absorbed by the non-poor, and that support and incentivize continued forward movement in job type and in education. For example, in many areas of the United States, a car is the critical component to finding and keeping work, yet programs that offer auto-related support are few and far between. 

     Finally, as Land articulates the vulnerability experienced with poverty and health status, the social work obligation is to advocate for universal types of health insurance, in which preventative, maintenance, and emergency health issues are appropriately covered and that do not result in further financial set back for low income workers. 

     Maid is a worthwhile read for social workers, to remind us again that however well we know our clients, we are only ever seeing a slice of their often-complicated lives, and our work is necessary and important in helping clients achieve the stability they desire for themselves and their families.

Reviewed by Lisa Eible, DSW, MSW, LCSW,  a consultant, writer, and educator with more than 28 years of social work experience. Lisa has advanced certificates in cultural competence and trauma. Professional interests include social work in healthcare, administration, leadership, supervision, Relational-Cultural Theory, and diversity issues. 

All material published on this website Copyright 1994-2023 White Hat Communications. All rights reserved. Please contact the publisher for permission to reproduce or reprint any materials on this site. Opinions expressed on this site are the opinions of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Maid : Book summary and reviews of Maid by Stephanie Land

Summary | Reviews | More Information | More Books

Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive

by Stephanie Land

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Published Jan 2019 288 pages Genre: Biography/Memoir Publication Information

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About this book

Book summary.

Evicted meets Nickel and Dimed in Stephanie Land's memoir about working as a maid, a beautiful and gritty exploration of poverty in America. Includes a foreword by Barbara Ehrenreich.

"My daughter learned to walk in a homeless shelter." While the gap between upper middle-class Americans and the working poor widens, grueling low-wage domestic and service work - primarily done by women - fuels the economic success of the wealthy. Stephanie Land worked for years as a maid, pulling long hours while struggling as a single mom to keep a roof over her daughter's head. In Maid , she reveals the dark truth of what it takes to survive and thrive in today's inequitable society. While she worked hard to scratch her way out of poverty as a single parent, scrubbing the toilets of the wealthy, navigating domestic labor jobs, higher education, assisted housing, and a tangled web of government assistance, Stephanie wrote. She wrote the true stories that weren't being told. The stories of overworked and underpaid Americans. Written in honest, heart-rending prose and with great insight, Maid explores the underbelly of upper-middle class America and the reality of what it's like to be in service to them. "I'd become a nameless ghost," Stephanie writes. With this book, she gives voice to the "servant" worker, those who fight daily to scramble and scrape by for their own lives and the lives of their children.

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Reader reviews.

"Starred Review. Heartfelt and powerful...Land's love for her daughter ("We were each other's moon and sun") shines brightly through the pages of this beautiful, uplifting story of resilience and survival." - Publishers Weekly "Starred Review. An important memoir that should be required reading for anyone who has never struggled with poverty." - Kirkus "Land has perhaps succeeded in having her story told by virtue of her eventual triumph in escaping the grind of poverty. Her journey offers an illuminating read that should inspire outrage, hope, and change." - Library Journal "Land's prose is vivid and engaging... [A] tightly-focused, well-written memoir... an incredibly worthwhile read." - Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author of Bad Feminist and Hunger: A Memoir "In Maid , Stephanie Land, a gifted storyteller with an eye for details you'll never forget, exposes what it's like to exist in America as a single mother, working herself sick cleaning our dirty toilets, one missed paycheck away from destitution. It's a perspective we seldom see represented firsthand - and one we so desperately need right now. Timely, urgent, and unforgettable, this is memoir at its very best." - Susannah Cahalan, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness "A sad and hopeful tale of being on the outside looking in, the author makes us wonder how'd we fare scrubbing and vacuuming away the detritus of an affluence that always seems beyond reach." - Steve Dublanica, New York Times bestselling author of Waiter Rant "As a solo mom and former house cleaner, this brave book resonated with me on a very deep level...This memoir of resilience and love has never been more necessary." - Domenica Ruta, New York Times bestselling author of With or Without You

More Information

Journalist Stephanie Land's work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Vox, Salon , and many other outlets. She focuses on social and economic justice as a writing fellow through both the Center for Community Change and the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.

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Booklover Book Reviews

The Maid, Book Review: Nita Prose’ emotionally astute debut

The Maid , Nita Prose’s clever bestselling cozy mystery is also a nuanced character study, emotionally astute and satisfying literature. Read my full review of our Book of the Month for January 2022.

The Maid Book Synopsis

I am your maid. I know about your secrets. Your dirty laundry. But what do you know about me?

Molly the maid is all alone in the world. A nobody. She’s used to being invisible in her job at the Regency Grand Hotel, plumping pillows and wiping away the grime, dust and secrets of the guests passing through. She’s just a maid – why should anyone take notice?   But Molly is thrown into the spotlight when she discovers an infamous guest, Mr Black, very dead in his bed. This isn’t a mess that can be easily cleaned up. And as Molly becomes embroiled in the hunt for the truth, following the clues whispering in the hallways of the Regency Grand, she discovers a power she never knew was there. She’s just a maid – but what can she see that others overlook?

Escapist, charming and introducing a truly original heroine,  The Maid  is a story about how the truth isn’t always black and white – it’s found in the dirtier, grey areas in between . . .

( Harper Collins Australia , January 2022)

Genre : Mystery, Drama, Literature

Disclosure: If you click a link in this post we may earn a small commission to help offset our running costs.

The Maid, Book Review

Nita Prose’ debut novel is one of the most highly anticipated 2022 new releases . Book rights for The Maid have already been sold in 29 territories and the film rights snapped up by Universal pre-release; Florence Pugh set to play the title character. And yes, I am very pleased to report that this title certainly lives up to the hype.

This novel has so many intriguing and intelligent layers.

“My uniform is my freedom. It is the ultimate invisibility cloak.” 

On one level this is a clever cozy crime mystery. On another, it is a compelling character study. Molly Gray, aka Molly the Maid, finds comfort and satisfaction in black and white rules, but is all at sea in the ‘grey’ of human interactions.

“Laughs are just like smiles. People use them to express an array of confounding emotions.” 

Her quirks and propensity to take things literally spawns light-hearted moments of course. But as we know, those that are different walk paths more difficult than most.

Emotional depth

What elevates Nita Prose’ The Maid from a great novel to an excellent one is its capacity to surprise even the most avid reader. It does this in many different ways, but principally in its emotional depth. As so beautifully described in the NY Times , this novel has “real emotional heft”.

“That’s the trouble with pain. It’s as contagious as a disease. It spreads from the person who first endured it to those who love them most. Truth isn’t always the highest ideal; sometimes it must be sacrificed to stop the spread of pain to those you love. Even children know this intuitively.” 

To discuss the story arc or secondary character set would invariably spoil the experience. Suffice to say though, Prose offers readers a compelling reminder that still waters run deep. And, of the value of old-fashioned goodness.

“One thing I’ve learned in my business is that you can hide dirt for a while, but at some point, it all comes to the surface.” 

The more I read, the less I wanted this story to end; such was my engagement with the character set. So my applause goes to Prose for pulling off such a thought-provoking, yet emotionally astute and satisfying conclusion to The Maid .

PS: What a great pseudonym for a writer… ‘Nita Prose’ is actually Nita Pronovost.

BOOK RATING: The Story 5 / 5 ; The Writing 4.5 / 5 ; Overall 4.75 / 5

Get your copy of The Maid by Nita Prose from:

Update: I have since also enjoyed this novel’s sequel The Mystery Guest .

More engaging quirky lead characters:

• Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
• The Helpline by Katherine Collette
• Geraldine Verne’s Red Suitcase by Jane Riley
• Addition by Toni Jordan
• The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

More The Maid book reviews

‘This cozy whodunit is a joy from the first page to the last.’ – Washington Independent Review of Books

‘Beautiful writing, an intriguing mystery, and a colourful cast of friends and sleuths ensure  The Maid  sparkles with wit and tension.’ – Lucy Clarke, The Castaways

‘Gripping, deftly written, and led by a truly unforgettable protagonist in Molly. I’m recommending it to everyone I know.’ – Emma Stonex, The Lamplighters

‘Fresh, fiendish and darkly beguiling.  The Maid  is so thrillingly original, and clever, and joyous. I just adored every page.’ – Chris Whitaker, We Begin at the End

Related Reading: 11 of Louisa Bennet’s Top Cozy Mystery Novels

About the Author, Nita Prose

Nita Prose is a long-time editor, serving many bestselling authors and their books. She lives in Toronto, Canada, in a house that is only moderately clean. Check out her website and connect with her on Twitter .

VIDEO: Watch the delightful Nita Prose on Good Morning America discussing how she came up with the idea for this book.

* My receipt of a review copy from the publisher did not impact the expression of my honest opinions above.

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A booklover with diverse reading interests, who has been reviewing books and sharing her views and opinions on this website and others since 2009.

Book review: The Maid

BY James Walton

10th Jan 2022 Book Reviews

This month’s pick is a thriller that has set both the publishing and film industries talking

Molly Gray, the narrator of Nita Prose’s startlingly good debut novel, is a young  woman who knows her place—and who rather likes it. For “approximately four years, thirteen weeks, and five days” she’s been working as a maid in the five-star Regency Grand hotel where she takes both pride and genuine pleasure in returning the guests’ rooms “to a state of perfection”.

As that very precise approximation indicates, Molly is on the autistic spectrum, not easily able to read social situations or understand metaphors. She does, mind you, know a dead body when she sees it—which she does one morning in Suite 410.

A business magnate by trade, the recently-deceased Mr Black was a regular guest, but not a well-liked one, given his hostility to more or less everybody. And that certainly included the trophy wife with whom he was often pictured in the society pages, where he was usually described as “a silver fox” (“though, to be clear,” Molly characteristically adds, “he is neither silver nor a fox”).

As you might imagine, Black hasn’t died of natural causes—and before long the police snap into action by following the not-unknown tactic of arresting the nearest oddball: i.e Molly. Much to her annoyance, this plays havoc with her room-cleaning schedules. But might it be that she knows more than she’s letting on?

"The Maid has already caused quite a stir in the books’ world, with six publishers bidding to have it and the film rights sold to Universal"

The Maid has already caused quite a stir in the books’ world, with six publishers bidding to have it and the film rights sold to Universal. Yet, however good the film might be, it will miss out on the novel’s real achievement.

True, the plot is neatly done—as are the below-stairs life of the hotel and Molly’s gradual and shocked realisation that not everybody is as they seem. Even so, what makes this such a thoroughly beguiling read is something that movies simply can’t do: the narrative voice.

In Prose’s expert hands, Molly’s account  of her experiences and inner feelings perfectly captures the mixture of bewilderment, comic pedantry and fundamental (if sometimes misplaced) kind-heartedness with which she regards the world. It’s also full of such offbeat charm that you will root for her all the way.

The Maid  by Nita Prose, published by HarperCollins, is out now

Reader's Digest Recommended Read:  Murakami T: The T-Shirts I Love

You know you’ve got some serious status as a writer when you can publish a lavishly illustrated book about your own T-shirts. Haruki Murakami began producing fiction in the late 1970s, but it was only with the 1987 book Norwegian Wood that he really hit the big time.

A nostalgic tale of young love, it became a global bestseller and led to a level of adulation that few authors have ever had. In his native Japan, he was mobbed at airports. In America, his subsequent novels were given Harry Potter -style midnight launches in crowded bookstores. And with the appearance of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle in the mid-Nineties, his star rose, if anything, even higher.

Indeed, one way of reading Murakami T is as a picture of what a successful writer’s life is like—which is to say pretty nice. Murakami hangs out in Hawaii, sees Bruce Springsteen in New York, watches iguanas in the Galapagos islands, buying (or being given) T-shirts wherever he goes.

The result is undeniably a somewhat eccentric book. But it’s also very likeable one. Having divided his shirts by theme—bands, cars, drink, animals and so on—Murakami provides short, chatty essays about how he came to have them.

He throws in various thoughts about whatever they depict, and ponders T-shirts more generally: which ones seem too boastful to wear (Porsche and BMW designs); and which, in his seventies, he now feels too old to be seen in (The Ramones).

At one flattering point, he writes that a T-shirt produced by The Economist magazine has “a very stylish message, as you might expect of something British”. The overall effect is not unlike sharing a conversation with a genial bloke in a bar.

Here he is, for example, discussing the crucial question of the best way to drink whisky…

“Do you like whiskey ? Put me down as a fan. It’s not like I drink it every day, but if the situation arises, I have been known to raise a glass.

Especially late at night, when I’m alone and listening to music, whiskey seems the perfect accompaniment. Beer’s a little too watery, wine’s a bit too refined, a martini too pretentious, brandy too mellow. The only choice is to bring out a bottle of whiskey.

"You know you’ve got some serious status as a writer when you can publish a lavishly illustrated book about your own T-shirts"

I generally am an early-to-bed, early-to-rise type, but on the rare occasion that I do stay up late, it’s usually with a whiskey glass in hand. Listening to old familiar LPs on the turntable. For me, it’s got to be jazz. And not a CD. Old-school vinyl records fit the mood better.

If a bar has particularly tasty ice, I might have it on the rocks, but these days, when I drink at home, I usually have it Twice Up. It’s easy to make. Just pour the whiskey into a glass (I prefer more formal stemware), and add an equal amount of water (at room temperature). Swirl the glass to get the two to mix and you’re good to go. Couldn’t be simpler.

When I visited the island of Islay in Scotland , the locals insisted that this is the best way to drink whiskey, and ever since, that’s the way I’ve enjoyed it. I don’t want to sound preachy, but if you drink whiskey this way, you can enjoy it without losing any of its innate flavour.

The local water in Islay has a special aroma that complements its single-malt whiskey. If you drink the same whiskey with Japanese mineral water, the taste is slightly different. Call it the power inherent in a place or whatever, but it’s something that can’t be helped.

Maybe it goes without saying, but this simple Twice Up way of drinking works even better the higher the quality of the whiskey, and the more robust the flavour. I mean, you’re not about to take a 25-year-old Bowmore single malt and make a highball with it and chug it down, are you?

I also stayed on Jura , a tiny island next to Islay. They have a famous single-malt distillery there as well, and the local water is equally tasty, though with a different flavour than Islay’s. Drinking it mixed with the local Jura whiskey made for a one-of-a-kind flavour. I stayed at the distillery’s lodge, drank as much whiskey every day as I liked, enjoyed the local cuisine… Just spending a few days there made it feel like life was worth living.

I have quite a few T-shirts made by whiskey companies at home, though wearing a whiskey T and walking around in the morning seems a bit much… People might take me for some old drunk. Which is why these shirts are ones that, unfortunately, I seldom wear.”

Haruki Murakami

Murakami T: The T-Shirts I Love by Haruki Murakami is published by Harvill Secker.

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Book Review: The Maid by Nita Prose

By doreen sheridan.

Molly Gray is a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel in addition to being quite an unusual young person, and not just in how much she loves her job. She gains a deep satisfaction from making things tidy and bringing order back to chaos. While seemingly bland and simple on the surface, she has a savant’s understanding of how her job isn’t just about physical cleanliness:

When I’m done with my work, I leave your room pristine. Your bed is made perfectly, with four plump pillows, as though no one had ever lain there. The dust and grime you left behind has been vacuumed into oblivion. Your polished mirror reflects your face of innocence back at you. It’s as though you were never here. It’s as though all of your filth, all of your lies and deceits, have been erased.

As a hotel maid, she’s well aware that she’s often cleaning up after people who are less than honest or upright or kind, even though the Gran who raised her from infancy taught her to always think the best of people until they prove themselves undeserving of such regard. Molly knows that others think her strange and awkward – she doesn’t understand social cues, for instance, and she speaks with an old-fashioned formality that comes from having your grandmother be your best friend – but she believes that everyone she’s in daily contact with nowadays gets along with her as well as she does with them. Until, that is, the day she discovers a dead body in one of the hotel rooms, and quickly falls under suspicion of murder herself.

Mr. Charles Black is a wealthy older man who often stays at the Regency Grand in the company of his young wife Giselle. He’s not a particularly pleasant person, but Giselle takes a shine to Molly, making sure to tip her lavishly and even offering makeup advice and gifts. One morning, after a particularly nasty fight between Charles and Giselle, Molly arrives in the Blacks’ suite to clean only to find Charles dead in his bed. She immediately calls Reception to ask them to contact the authorities, and stands ready to do her civic duty by the dead man by cooperating as fully as she can with any police inquiry.

So imagine her shock when the police, after taking her in for questioning, zero in on her as prime suspect in Charles’ murder. Sure, she and Giselle were closer than most maids and hotel residents might be, and perhaps money has been tight for her ever since Gran passed away nine months ago. But she would never kill for money, as the police detective assigned to her case insinuates, even if Giselle has been kinder to her in her grief than anyone else:

I truly am grateful for her guidance. With Gran gone, much of the time I feel like a blind person in a minefield. I’m constantly stumbling upon social improprieties hidden under the surface of things. But with Giselle around, I feel like I’m wearing a breastplate and am flanked by an armed guard. One of the reasons why I love working at the Regency Grand is that there’s a rule book for conduct. I can rely on Mr. Snow’s training to tell me how to act, what to say when, how, and to whom. I find it relieving to have guidance.

Molly’s neurodivergency would seem to make her the perfect patsy, not only for Charles’ murder but also for the other mysterious criminal machinations that seem to be lurking behind the respectable facade of the Regency Grand. But Molly isn’t just going to allow herself to be framed for the terrible crimes of others. Who can she trust, though, as she seeks to clear her name and bring the real criminals to justice?

For the most part breezy and readable, The Maid is an interesting meditation on the nature of “normalcy” and morality. While I didn’t agree with the underlying vigilante spirit of the denouement, I was thrilled that this book champions the voices of the unheard and ignored. Molly is a delightful, unusual heroine whose good nature is too often abused, but who learns how to turn the tables on her abusers, using their assumptions of her guilelessness to her advantage. If this book helps the neurotypical understand and be kinder to the neurodivergent, then it will have done a wonderful thing indeed, ambiguous viewpoint on murder regardless.

Learn More Or Order A Copy

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Book review: cheater by karen rose, cooking the books: a catered quilting bee by isis crawford, book review: how to solve your own murder by kristen perrin, doreen sheridan.

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يتم تنظيف الغرابيل ميكانيكيًا ، ويتم التخلص من المواد على الفور عن طريق الدفن في أرض النبات. يمكن استخدام أداة التفريغ لطحن وتمزيق الحطام الذي يمر عبر المصافي. تتم إزالة المواد المقطعة لاحقًا عن طريق عمليات الترسيب أو التعويم.

عندما تتطلب معايير المعالجة إزالة المغذيات النباتية من مياه الصرف الصحي ، فغالبًا ما يتم ذلك كخطوة ثالثة. يوجد الفوسفور في مياه الصرف عادة في شكل مركبات عضوية وفوسفات يمكن إزالتها بسهولة عن طريق الترسيب الكيميائي. ومع ذلك ، فإن هذه العملية تزيد من حجم ووزن الحمأة. يوجد النيتروجين ، و

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دين قروض الطلاب أمر شائع بشكل لا يصدق. في الواقع ، هناك 43.4 مليون أمريكي لديهم قروض طلابية اتحادية باسمهم ، تصل إلى إجمالي دين يبلغ 1.6 مليار دولار ، وفقًا لبيانات وزارة التعليم الأمريكية.

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خدمة القرض هي الشركة التي تقوم بتسديد مدفوعات قرضك لها. سيحتفظ مسؤول خدمة القرض الخاص بك بمعلومات حسابك ، مما يتيح لك عادةً إنشاء حساب عبر الإنترنت لهذا الغرض ، وتقديم بيانات منتظمة ومعلومات أخرى حول الوضع الحالي للقرض ، والتعامل مع جهود التحصيل إذا فشلت في الدفع على النحو المتفق عليه.

ما زلت أقود بعض المسامير حتى اليوم ، لكنني أستخدم المطرقة بشكل أساسي مع إزميل أو مجموعة مسمار. يمكن أن تكون المطرقة أيضًا أداة هدم أو لإجراء تعديلات تتطلب قوة أكبر مما يمكن أن توفره اليد العارية. اخترت نموذج مخلب منحني بمقبض فولاذي. الحجم يعتمد على المهمة ، ولكن 16 أوقية. مطرقة جيدة متعددة الأغراض.

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The Maid (Review, Chapter Summary & Spoilers)

By nita prose.

Book review, full book summary and synopsis for The Maid by Nita Prose, a heartwarming story wrapped up in a cozy locked-room-type mystery.

In The Maid , Molly Gray is maid who has difficulty in social situations, but who takes great pride in her work. She works at the upscale Regency Grand Hotel, taking pride in her neatly tucked bed corners and wiping every spot of dirt and dust from every surface.

Then, one day she finds the dead body of Mr. Black, a wealthy real estate tycoon, in one of the guest rooms, sending her life into disarray and revealing the messy, gritty activities going on beneath their noses that the hotel.

In this cozy murder mystery, Molly must find Mr. Black's killer or risk getting entangled in a dirty plot. And to do so, Molly must rely on those she trusts so they can clean up this mess.

(The Full Plot Summary is also available, below)

Full Plot Summary

The two-paragraph version of this: Molly Gray is a maid at a hotel who finds a the dead body of Mr. Black, a wealthy real estate tycoon, in a guest room. Meanwhile, Molly has been doing favors for Giselle, Mr. Black’s (second) wife, and the hotel’s head barman Rodney. When Molly is arrested for Mr. Black’s murder, Molly realizes she’s been framed.

She soon learns that Giselle and Rodney are lovers who were planning on running away together and that Rodney was working for Mr. Black by running a drug operation (which Molly unwittingly had assisted in) through the hotel. With help from others, Molly concocts a plan so that Rodney is caught red-handed with the drugs and is arrested for the murder (Giselle wasn’t involved, so Molly encourages her to run away). In the Epilogue, it’s revealed that Molly knew all along that the real killer was Mr. Black’s first wife, whose daughter Victoria had been trying to clean up his company.

Molly Gray , 25, is a maid at an upscale boutique hotel, the Regency Grand Hotel, where she’s worked for four years. Molly is socially awkward, has difficulty interpreting body language and social situations, and her Gran who raised her passed away 9 months ago. Charles Black , a real estate magnate, and his (second) wife Giselle Black are frequent guests of the hotel. Giselle is friendly and generous with Molly and has told Molly about her unhappy marriage.

On Monday , Molly finds the dead body of Mr. Black in his hotel suite. Giselle was upset earlier that day, and Charles’s company, Black Properties & Investments , has been in turmoil lately due to a tussle over ownership and control with his daughter, Victoria Black . Victoria’s mother is Charles’s first wife, and Victoria owns 49% of the shares of the company.

At the scene, Molly notices an open bottle of Giselle’s pills next to the body, money missing from the room’s safe, a flight itinerary for two one-way tickets to the Cayman Island in Giselle’s purse, and she had seen Mr. Black holding a deed of some sort earlier that day. The police question Molly, but Molly withholds a lot of information to prevent incriminating Giselle, who she considers a friend. Giselle has previously told Molly about Charles’s cheating and abusive behavior, but Molly keeps all of it to herself.

On Tuesday , Molly’s landlord Mr. Russo reminds her of her late rent payment. At work, the head bartender Rodney asks to meet up with Molly after her shift to talk about what she witnessed. Molly eagerly agrees since she’s infatuated with Rodney, and she views this as their second date.

Over a year-and-a-half ago, Molly had walked in to clean a room where she was stopped by two large men, and she saw Rodney and Juan Manuel (one of the kitchen dishwashers) in the room, too. Rodney had asked to talk with her afterwards, which Molly had interpreted to be a date. Over dinner, he’d asked her not to tell anyone else what she saw involving the men, a package and a duffle bag. Rodney claimed that he was helping Juan Manuel, an undocumented worker. He also asked for Molly’s help in getting keycards for empty rooms that Juan could use each night and to clean those rooms afterwards. Molly had agreed and had been giving Juan Manuel keycards each day since then.

In present day, Molly meets up with Rodney who asks her what she witnessed yesterday and how the police questioning had gone. She starts to get irritated and suspicious when he asks if the police said anything about him. However, she dismisses those thoughts when he asks to exchange phone numbers. Afterwards, Mr. Preston the doorman sees them together, and he warns Molly to be careful with Rodney.

Molly has only ever had one ex-boyfriend, Wilbur . Molly and her grandmother had saved up money so that Molly could attend college, and Molly had met Wilbur, a soon-to-be accounting student, at college orientation just before she was supposed to start her hospitality management program. They’d been dating until one day Wilbur went with her to deposit a check in her account and saw her key in her PIN number. He cleaned out her account, and she never heard from him again. Molly didn’t report it since she didn’t want her grandmother to know what had happened.

When Molly gets home, she finds Giselle waiting outside her apartment building. (Giselle is currently staying at another room in the hotel). Inside, Giselle fills Molly in on what’s been going on. She says that she and Charles had gotten in an argument yesterday when she asked to have a piece of property (a villa in the Cayman Islands) in her name because their prenup means she gets nothing. However, Giselle insists she didn’t kill Charles, and Molly believes her.

Giselle also asks Molly about what she saw and told the police. Hearing that Molly tried to be discreet, Giselle hugs Molly and gives her $200. Then, Giselle asks Molly for a favor. She says she left a gun in the bathroom fan in the crime scene suite and asks Molly to fetch it for her. Molly agrees to get it.

On Wednesday , the police are done inspecting the Black suite, and Molly is assigned to clean it up. Rodney suggests that Juan Manuel should stay there for a while once it’s clean since the hotel is unlikely to be renting it out for a while anyway. He gives Molly a duffle bag to put in there. That morning, Molly cleans up the suite, places the duffle bag there and fetches Giselle’s gun from the bathroom. Molly puts the gun in her extra vacuum filter to hide it.

Molly also finds Mr. Black’s wedding band in the room. Molly decides to pawn it at a pawn shop over lunch. When she returns back to the hotel, the police are there looking to question Molly again. They confront her about not having been forthcoming about what she knows about Giselle and Charles.

That night, Molly uses the money from the pawnshop to pay the remainder of her late rent. Afterwards, she’s feeling upset, and she calls Rodney. She confides in him about Giselle’s gun and about pawning Mr. Black’s wedding band.

On Thursday morning, Molly is arrested for Mr. Black’s murder and the police know everything that Molly had told Rodney. By now, it’s been established that Mr. Black died of asphyxiation. Molly calls Mr. Preston for help. His daughter, Charlotte, is a lawyer. Charlotte offers to represent Molly and helps to put up the bail so Molly can be released.

They review the details of what happened, and they talk to Juan Manuel as well. It turns out that Mr. Black had been running a drug operation through the hotel and that Rodney was working for him. The duffle bags that Rodney had asked Molly to place in the empty rooms that Juan Manuel was in every night were filled with cocaine. Rodney had also been forcing Juan Manuel to work for them. (Rodney had introduced Juan Manuel to a layer to get his work permit extended, but the lawyer had taken Juan Manuel’s money and left him with an expired permit. Rodney had then threatened Juan Manuel and his family unless he cooperated.) It also turns out that Rodney and Giselle were lovers, and Giselle had wanted them to run away to the Cayman Islands to start a new life.

In present day, the group discusses and comes up with a plan to help Molly. That night, they trick Rodney into going up into the Black suite to fetch a duffle bag of cocaine. When he does, the police apprehend him red-handed and he’s arrested for the murder of Mr. Black. Molly is cleared of all charges. (Giselle would have been arrested, too, except that Molly called her and Giselle swore that she knew about the drugs, but had nothing to do with the murder or framing Molly. Molly decides to tell Giselle to get her passport and run away.)

That night, Molly thinks about her Gran’s death and how her Gran (in her final days of dying of pancreatic cancer) had asked Molly to smother her with a pillow to stop the pain. Molly had done it.

On Friday , Molly’s boss Mr. Snow offers her and Juan Manuel their jobs back.

Several Months Later , Molly and Juan Manuel are now dating, and Molly has recently been promoted to Head Maid. Juan Manuel has recently moved in with Molly, and she is slowly rebuilding her savings so she can attend a hospitality management program while she works. Today, Molly receives a $10,000 deposit into her account from “Sandy Cayman”, who she realizes must be Giselle and that Giselle is now in the Cayman Islands by herself.

Molly also thinks back to the testimony she gave yesterday when Rodney was convicted of murder. She had told the court about how when she found the body, she’d fainted because she’d seen a shadowy figure holding a pillow. She says that she didn’t say anything before since she wasn’t entirely sure what she’d seen.

In the Epilogue , Molly explains that she really did see a shadowy figure. She fainted because the image of them holding a pillow reminded her of herself when she smothered her Gran (at Gran’s request). However, at court it was implied that it could’ve been Rodney. Instead, Molly knows exactly who it was — the killer was the first Mrs. Black (Charles’s first wife and the mother of Victoria Black).

Mrs. Black had helped Molly up after she fainted and explained that she’d gone there to talk to Mr. Black, but he had gotten physical with her. She told Molly about how her daughter Victoria had been trying to clean up the company, but Mr. Black had resisted. She suggested that Molly help her to “turn the tables” on bad men like Mr. Black by not telling anyone about her (Mrs. Black) being there. Molly had agreed.

For more detail, see the full Chapter-by-Chapter Summary .

If this summary was useful to you, please consider supporting this site by leaving a tip ( $2 , $3 , or $5 ) or joining the Patreon !

Book Review

The Maid by Nita Prose first caught my eye a few months ago because an author I follow on twitter had read an early copy of it and recommended it. I was immediately drawn to it’s colorful book trailer (see the video embedded above) and the premise of a cozy murder mystery set in a posh hotel.

The book has already been well-received, having been selected as a book club pick by the GMA Book Club. It’s also been optioned for a possible movie adaptation with Florence Pugh having signed on for the lead role.

While this is Prose’s debut novel, Prose is the vice president and editorial director at Simon & Schuster Canada. So, it should come as no surprise that the book feels highly polished and that that pacing of it is feels precisely right for the story that it’s telling.

The story opens with the discovery of a dead body in a hotel suite by Molly Gray, a maid who works at an upscale boutique hotel. Molly is trusting and good-hearted, with great passion for her work. She’s also someone who appears to be neuroatypical, and she has trouble reading things like body language, facial expressions and social cues. Her personality lends the book a lot of its charm.

In general, I felt like The Maid was well-paced and generally a solid novel. The message of the book is a well-meaning one — about being kind and accepting for people who are different from you. It’s the type of book that has plenty of mass appeal that most people can enjoy.

Some Criticisms

So, I feel like these criticisms are a little nit-picky, but I’ll point them out anyway, just because I think it’s helpful for potential readers to know what things they might not like about the book so they can judge for themselves if this is a good pick for them.

First off, I should mention that this was marketed as a closed-room mystery, though I’d say it’s questionable whether this would be considered a closed-room mystery. In terms of the plot, it’s fairly straight-forward and large parts of it guessable. Of course, it’s still a perfectly serviceable mystery that basically makes sense and doesn’t have huge logical flaws, so I feel like it’s still above average as far as mystery novel plots go.

A bigger issue that I noticed it that the characterization of Molly Gray, our protagonist, seemed a little inconsistent. In the first half of the book, Molly seems to act like a little bit of a simpleton, just blindly doing whatever anyone tells her to and seemingly incapable of exercising basic sense. To be honest, I found the first half of the book a little frustrating in this regard — I kept wanting to reach into the book’s pages and shake some sense into her. In the second half, she suddenly becomes much more mentally aware for no particular reason and displays much more cunning and individual thought. I found the shift to be a little jarring.

Of course, this is all fairly easy to overlook. Overall, Molly makes for a generally likeable and easy-to-root-for protagonist, and I imagine most readers will appreciate her guilelessness personality.

Finally, I’ll just mention that the resolution is possibly just a little bit too impossibly optimistic — but since this is a cozy mystery I feel like that’s to be expected. So whatever.

Read it or Skip it?

The Maid is a warm-hearted and very “cozy” book, and I think most people who like these types of novels will really enjoy it. It’s a well-meaning novel that’s free of cynicism, with a naïve but well-meaning protagonist and an uncomplicated mystery at its center.

The weather where I live has been dreary and chilly, and I’ve been getting over a cold, so for me this novel was precisely the comfy escape that I was looking for. It was fast read with a cute cast of characters. While I do wish Molly would’ve been characterized more consistently and that ending was a little too “neat” for my tastes (with everything wrapped up in a perfect bow), overall, I enjoyed this guileless and warm-hearted cozy mystery.

P.S. If you liked this book, you should also check out The Thursday Murder Club , which is a cozy mystery that I thought was excellent.

P.P.S. For more books with neuro-atypical protagonists, also check out Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and The Rosie Project .

See The Maid on Amazon.

The Maid Audiobook

Narrated by : Lauren Ambrose Length : 9 hours 37 minutes

Hear a sample of The Maid audiobook on Libro.fm.

The Maid, Explained!

SPOILERS BEGIN HERE . You’ve been warned!

Where can I find a full plot summary of The Maid?

Right here! You can find a quick recap and a lengthier version of the summary over here.

Where/what location is The Maid set?

The Maid is set in a fictional hotel called the Regency Grand Hotel. It’s not specified what city it takes place in.

Is the protagonist of The Maid, Molly Gray, autistic?

It’s not specified exactly that she is autistic, but there many indication (her needing help with social cues and reading expressions and body language, etc.) that she is neuro-atypical.

How does The Maid end? What’s the ending of The Maid?

In the end, Mr. Preston, Charlotte and Juan Manuel help Molly come up with a plan to ensure that Rodney is caught red-handed with the duffle bag full of cocaine that he asked Molly to place in Suite 403. As a result, Rodney was arrested, and Molly’s name was cleared. Later, Molly and Juan Manuel testified about what Rodney had done and Rodney was convicted of the crime.

In the Epilogue, we find out that the real killer was Mrs. Black and that Molly knew that all along since she’d seen her when she found the body.

Is Mr. Preston Molly’s grandfather?

This is left somewhat ambiguous, but the novel seems to hint that Mr. Preston is Molly’s grandfather. Mr. Preston explains that he and Flora (Molly’s Gran) had dated, but weren’t permitted to marry. Soon after, Flora had become pregnant. Mr. Preston offers up little details about the man who impregnated Flora except to say that the man has a family he loves very much. This seems to hint that Mr. Preston was that man, and in the book his daughter Charlotte looks at him funny when he says all this, which seems to imply that she picked up on it as well.

Book Excerpt

Read the first pages of The Maid

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In The Maid , 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?

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.

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Did Rodney get convicted of murder?

I think that Molly murdered Mr Black to help Giselle, because Mrs Black couldn’t kill him without anyone see her coming and leaving the hotel. Molly told us, readers, who the person reflected in the mirror looked like her and acted as Giselle. Giselle send $ 10.000,00 to Molly! Both acted collusion. Remember, Molly killed her grandmother asphyxiated.

This honestly makes more sense. I wasn’t happy with the ending.

It’s a cute mystery book… there are several moral issues to think about: Molly did a “mercy” killing of her grandmother. What a burden her grandmother out in Molly, who is a bit simple in the first half and suddenly cunning in the second half. She lets a msn get convicted for a murder she knew he did not commit! Granted her is a bad guy, but… She takes money from Mr Black’s second wife that came from drug sales and she did not turn in the first wife, whom she knows is the murderer! So the theme of friendship and love are only part of the story. Revenge is certainly one of the other themes.

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Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

Kirkus Reviews' Best Books Of 2022

New York Times Bestseller

IndieBound Bestseller

by Nita Prose ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 4, 2022

A compelling take on the classic whodunit.

The shocking murder of a public figure at a high-end hotel has everyone guessing who the culprit might be.

Twenty-five-year-old Molly Gray, an eccentric young woman who's obsessed with cleaning but doesn't quite have the same ability to navigate social cues as those around her, loves working as a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. Raised by her old-fashioned grandmother, who loved nothing more than cleaning and watching Columbo reruns, Molly has an overly polite and straightforward manner that can make her seem odd and off-putting to her colleagues despite her being the hardest worker at the hotel. After her grandmother's death, Molly's rigid life begins to lose some of its long-held balance, and when the infamous Mr. Charles Black, a rich and powerful businessman suspected of various criminal enterprises, is found murdered in one of the rooms she cleans, her whole world gets turned upside down. Before Molly knows what's happening, her odd demeanor has the police convinced she's guilty of the crime, and certain people at the hotel are a little too pleased about it. With the help of a few new friends (and while fending off new foes), she must begin to untangle the mystery of who really killed Mr. Black to get herself off the hook once and for all. Though the unusual ending might frustrate some readers, this unique debut will keep them reading.

Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-593-35615-9

Page Count: 304

Publisher: Ballantine

Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022

MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | THRILLER | CRIME & LEGAL THRILLER | GENERAL MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE | GENERAL FICTION

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PERSPECTIVES

SEEN & HEARD

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DEVLINS

by Lisa Scottoline ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2024

As an adjunct member says, “You’re not a family, you’re a force.” Exactly, though not in the way you’d expect.

The ne’er-do-well son of a successful Irish American family gets dragged into criminal complications that suggest the rest of the Devlins aren’t exactly the upstanding citizens they appear.

The first 35 years in the life of Thomas “TJ” Devlin have been one disappointment after another to his parents, lawyers who founded a prosperous insurance and reinsurance firm, and his more successful siblings, John and Gabby. A longtime alcoholic who’s been unemployable ever since he did time for an incident involving his ex-girlfriend Carrie’s then 2-year-old daughter, TJ is nominally an investigator for Devlin & Devlin, but everyone knows the post is a sinecure. Things change dramatically when golden-boy John tells TJ that he just killed Neil Lemaire, an accountant for D&D client Runstan Electronics. Their speedy return to the murder scene reveals no corpse, so the brothers breathe easier—until Lemaire turns up shot to death in his car. John’s way of avoiding anything that might jeopardize his status as heir apparent to D&D is to throw TJ under the bus, blaming him for everything John himself has done and adding that you can’t trust anything his brother has said since he’s fallen off the wagon. TJ, who’s maintained his sobriety a day at a time for nearly two years, feels outraged, but neither the police investigating the murder nor his nearest and dearest care about his feelings. Forget the forgettable mystery, whose solution will leave you shrugging instead of gasping, and focus on the circular firing squad of the Devlins, and you’ll have a much better time than TJ.

Pub Date: March 26, 2024

ISBN: 9780525539704

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024

SUSPENSE | THRILLER | SUSPENSE | CRIME & LEGAL THRILLER | PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE

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BOOK REVIEW

by Lisa Scottoline

A CONSPIRACY OF BONES

by Kathy Reichs ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 17, 2020

Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival.

Another sweltering month in Charlotte, another boatload of mysteries past and present for overworked, overstressed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan.

A week after the night she chases but fails to catch a mysterious trespasser outside her town house, some unknown party texts Tempe four images of a corpse that looks as if it’s been chewed by wild hogs, because it has been. Showboat Medical Examiner Margot Heavner makes it clear that, breaking with her department’s earlier practice ( The Bone Collection , 2016, etc.), she has no intention of calling in Tempe as a consultant and promptly identifies the faceless body herself as that of a young Asian man. Nettled by several errors in Heavner’s analysis, and even more by her willingness to share the gory details at a press conference, Tempe launches her own investigation, which is not so much off the books as against the books. Heavner isn’t exactly mollified when Tempe, aided by retired police detective Skinny Slidell and a host of experts, puts a name to the dead man. But the hints of other crimes Tempe’s identification uncovers, particularly crimes against children, spur her on to redouble her efforts despite the new M.E.’s splenetic outbursts. Before he died, it seems, Felix Vodyanov was linked to a passenger ferry that sank in 1994, an even earlier U.S. government project to research biological agents that could control human behavior, the hinky spiritual retreat Sparkling Waters, the dark web site DeepUnder, and the disappearances of at least four schoolchildren, two of whom have also turned up dead. And why on earth was Vodyanov carrying Tempe’s own contact information? The mounting evidence of ever more and ever worse skulduggery will pull Tempe deeper and deeper down what even she sees as a rabbit hole before she confronts a ringleader implicated in “Drugs. Fraud. Breaking and entering. Arson. Kidnapping. How does attempted murder sound?”

Pub Date: March 17, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-9821-3888-2

Page Count: 352

Publisher: Scribner

Review Posted Online: Dec. 22, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020

GENERAL MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE | MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | SUSPENSE | THRILLER | DETECTIVES & PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS | SUSPENSE | GENERAL & DOMESTIC THRILLER

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by Kathy Reichs

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New Best Sellers Run the Gamut From Escapist to Galvanizing

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• Jan. 13, 2022

CLEAN SLATE “I love books the way Lennie in ‘Of Mice and Men’ loved his pet mouse,” writes Nita Prose on her website. “For this reason, I don’t advise you ever to lend me your prized first folio edition of ‘Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories & Tragedies’ as I may return it dog-eared and enhanced with a shabby chic patina of Scotch tape.” The aptly pseudonymed debut novelist — her real name is Nita Pronovost — lands at No. 8 on the hardcover fiction list with “The Maid,” a rip-roaring mystery about a housekeeper at a five-star hotel who discovers a dead body in a penthouse suite. (Naturally, she becomes a prime suspect.) Our Crime columnist described the book as an “endearing debut,” with “real emotional heft” — but, for grounded travelers, it also provides a much-needed sojourn to the world of crisp sheets, room service and constantly replenished Crabtree & Evelyn shampoo. Remember the pleasingly generic smell of a bustling lobby? Prose captures it perfectly: “The mélange of ladies’ fine perfumes, the dark musk of the leather armchairs, the tangy zing of lemon polish that’s used twice daily on the gleaming marble floors.” It is, she writes, “the fragrance of life itself.”

METTLE OF HONOR In the dedication to his memoir, “Unthinkable,” Representative Jamie Raskin quotes Sophocles: “One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life. The word is love.” This is the only word that can adequately sum up what Raskin calls “two impossible traumas” — the “shattering death by suicide” of his 25-year-old son, Tommy, on Dec. 31, 2020, and the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, both of which had seismic personal and professional repercussions for the Maryland Democrat. “I was devastated and crushed,” Raskin writes. “And yet you will find this is not a story of unyielding despair and destruction.” Now at No. 1 on the hardcover nonfiction list, “Unthinkable” is a celebration of citizen activists, public servants, survivors, family and hard-won, against-all-odds optimism. As Raskin puts it, “I have learned that trauma can steal everything from you that is most precious and rip joy right out of your life.” But, when he rushed through dark passageways under the Capitol last year, there was one emotion he did not feel: fear. Raskin writes, “My trauma, my wound, has now become my shield of defense and my path of escape, and all I can think of is my son propelling me forward to fight.”

Elisabeth Egan is an editor at the Book Review and the author of “A Window Opens.”

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Our Coverage of the Capitol Riot and its Fallout

T he Events on Jan. 6

Timeline:  On Jan. 6, 2021, a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump raided the U.S. Capitol . Here is a close look at how the attack unfolded .

A Day of Rage:  Using thousands of videos and police radio communications, a New York Times investigation reconstructed in detail what happened — and why .

Lost Lives: A bipartisan Senate report found that at least seven people died  in connection with the attack.

Jan. 6 Attendees:  To many of those who attended the Trump rally but never breached the Capitol, Jan. 6 wasn’t a dark day for the nation. It was a new start .

The Federal Case Against Trump

The Indictment:  Trump was indicted on Aug. 1  after a sprawling federal investigation into his attempts to cling to power  after losing the 2020 election. Here is how the indictment was structured .

Trump’s Immunity Claim:  The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether Trump is immune from prosecution  on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election. The justices scheduled arguments for the week of April 22 .

The Trial:  In February, the federal judge in the case decided to delay the trial , which was set to start on March 4. In doing so, she acknowledged that time had run out to get the proceeding going, mostly because of the wrangling over Trump’s immunity claim .

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Samantha Kilford

Tech PR & Bookworm

Book Review: The Maid by Nita Prose

February 12, 2022 · In: Book Review , Books

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?

VILE AND EVIL ARE COMPOSED OF THE SAME LETTERS. ONE BEGETS THE OTHER.

Need a tissue for your issue? Molly, the maid, is at your service.

The Maid is murder mystery debut from Nita Prose. It’s cozy, with an excellent carousel of characters. Giselle was especially entertaining, but certain individuals could have been fleshed out a bit more by Prose. While I didn’t find it to be one of those immersive whodunnits where the reader gets to really play detective alongside our protagonist in real-time, it was interesting to sit back and enjoy the ride that Prose takes us on through the elegant Regency Grand Hotel and its shifty suspects. The prologue is perhaps a bit of a red-herring. For me, it set The Maid up to be a thriller, whereas the main body of the text is much more of a ‘fluffy’ mystery. Instead of an all-seeing, all-knowing maid unravelling a mystery, Prose delivers us hijinks more suited to Clue .

Molly is a sweet protagonist and I say that will all my heart. I saw a lot of myself in Molly and really warmed to, sympathised with and rooted for her. The sections that focused on Molly’s relationship with her grandma brought many a tear to my eye. Yet, Prose’s characterisation of Molly did leave a sour taste in my mouth and ruined what would have been a semi-decent read.

The Maid asserts time and time again that Molly is unlike the rest of society. She does not react to people and circumstances like normal people do, she doesn’t understand their facial expressions and their emotions and she sticks to a very strict routine. Yet, Prose is very inconsistent in this. Prose leans very heavily on autistic stereotypes to build the character of Molly, but not once does anyone mention the words ‘autism’ or ‘neurodivergent’. For some strange reason, Prose dances around explicitly saying it which makes her reliance on the traits commonly associate with neurodivergence mucky territory. Instead, we watch other characters label Molly as ‘different’, ‘weird’ or even a ‘freak’. Yet, everyone fails to outright acknowledge that Molly is on the spectrum or at the very least evidently displaying autistic traits. None of the promotional material even references autism. The only discussion I could find was from other readers who had picked up on this.

The story makes it plainly clear that Molly is on the spectrum but the avoidance to acknowledge it ouright and instead let ridicule run made the whole thing feel a bit gimmicky. The disgusting taunts and jibes from Molly’s co-workers about her social differences is an experience I’m all too familiar with. It was hard to sit through as even Molly herself couldn’t seem to understand their cruelty because of the reluctance to label her as ‘autistic’. It was a glaring elephant in the room that left me feeling uneasy as if autistic traits were being exploited to create a ‘quirky’, socially awkward character for amusement. If the intention was represent neurodivergent women, it fell far too short.

Much like with Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine , which I’ve seen The Maid compared to a lot, the reluctance of authors (and perhaps their publishing houses) to actually identify or ‘diagnose’ characters with autism is really disheartening and suggests an unwillingness to take responsibility for their depiction. By not being explicit about whether or not Molly is autistic, Prose can make her act however she wants even if it goes against the autistic traits and stereotypes she’s heavily relying on to make Molly who she is. For example, Molly is unable to read emotions and tell if someone is happy or not but she’s also perfectly capable of analysing someone’s behaviour to a T and can easily act and deceive her way to an Oscar. I worry The Maid has utilised neurodivergence as a ~quirk~ and I can already see readers tittering away at whoopsie-daisy Miss Molly who is framed for murder because she’s different and doesn’t understand social nuances.

Paired with the clumsy characterisation of Juan Manuel, the undocumented kitchen employee, and how Prose neatly skips over the abuse sub-plot, any enjoyment I derived from The Maid vanishes. The whole thing gives me the ick. Something about harnessing the struggles and stereotypes of minorities on a surface level to move the plot along, but not really diving into said struggle in depths is quite harmful.

There’s no real mystery thriller element to The Maid . It’s a premise full of promise, but let down by poor execution. Is it heartwarming at times? Yeah. It is cozy, camp and has a certain charm to it but its all just a bit too farcical and, by the end, I couldn’t move past Prose’s awkward attempt to shoehorn in traits of autism and the abuse of undocumented workers only to discard it all once the ‘culprit’ was caught and end with ‘they all lived happily ever after’.

Florence Pugh is expected to star in an adaptation. With how much I adore Pugh, I only hope that the movie addresses Molly’s neurodivergence in a more sensitive manner than depicted in The Maid and doesn’t turn it into a gimmick for cheap laughs. As for the book, as sweet as it was at times, I certainly wouldn’t rush to read something by Prose again.

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Book Review: The Stranger in Our Bed

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The Maid: The Sunday Times and No.1 New York Times bestseller, and Winner of the Goodreads Choice Awards for best mystery thriller (A Molly the Maid mystery, Book 1) Kindle Edition

*molly the maid returns in the mystery guest – available to buy now*.

_________________________________________________________________

Curl up with the million-copy bestseller . . .

*THE NO.1 NEW YORK TIMES & SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER *WINNER OF THE GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD FOR BEST MYSTERY/THRILLER *WINNER OF THE NED KELLY AWARD FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL CRIME FICTION *A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK AT BEDTIME PICK

‘An escapist pleasure ’ SUNDAY TIMES ‘An instantly gripping whodunnit’ STYLIST ‘Smart, riveting, and deliciously refreshing ’ LISA JEWELL _________________________________________________________________

It begins like any other day for Molly Gray, silently dusting her way through the luxury rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel.

But when she enters suite 401 and discovers an infamous guest dead in his bed , a very messy mystery begins to unfold. And Molly’s at the heart of it – because if anyone can uncover the secrets beneath the surface, the fingerprints amongst the filth – it’s the maid . . .

_______________________________________________________

Everyone’s getting swept away by The Maid :

‘Excellent and totally entertaining . . . the most interesting (and endearing) main character in a long time’ STEPHEN KING

‘This is phenomenal thriller. Maid or murderer or victim? Find out in the book’ READER REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Gripping, deftly written, and led by a truly unforgettable protagonist in Molly. I'm recommending it to everyone I know' EMMA STONEX

‘I loved everything about this book’ READER REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I didn’t think I could love a character any more than I loved Eleanor Oliphant but along comes Molly the Maid. God, I love her’ READER REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Fresh, fiendish and darkly beguiling. The Maid is so thrillingly original, and clever, and joyous. I just adored every page’ CHRIS WHITAKER

‘Felt like a modern day homage to Agatha Christie’ READER REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Lots of twists and turns and highly gripping’ READER REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Sunday Times No.4 bestseller for w/c 24/01/2022

A New York Times No.1 bestseller for w/c 31/01/2022

• Book 1 of 3 Molly the Maid
• Print length 349 pages
• Language English
• Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
• Publisher HarperCollins
• Publication date January 20, 2022
• File size 3049 KB
• Page Flip Enabled
• Word Wise Enabled
• Enhanced typesetting Enabled
• See all details
• Next 2 for you in this series $17.77
• All 2 available for you in this series $18.17

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com review, about the author, excerpt. © reprinted by permission. all rights reserved..

I am well aware that my name is ridiculous. It was not ridiculous before I took this job four years ago. I’m a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, and my name is Molly. Molly Maid. A joke. Before I took the job, Molly was just a name, given to me by my estranged mother, who left me so long ago that I have no memory of her, just a few photos and the stories Gran has told me. Gran said my mother thought Molly was a cute name for a girl, that it conjured apple cheeks and pigtails, neither of which I have, as it turns out. I’ve got simple, dark hair that I maintain in a sharp, neat bob. I part my hair in the middle—­the exact middle. I comb it flat and straight. I like things simple and neat.

I have pointed cheekbones and pale skin that people sometimes marvel at, and I don’t know why. I’m as white as the sheets that I take off and put on, take off and put on, all day long in the twenty-­plus rooms that I make up for the esteemed guests at the Regency Grand, a five-­star boutique hotel that prides itself on “sophisticated elegance and proper decorum for the modern age.”

Never in my life did I think I’d hold such a lofty position in a grand hotel. I know others think differently, that a maid is a lowly nobody. I know we’re all supposed to aspire to become doctors and lawyers and rich real-estate tycoons. But not me. I’m so thankful for my job that I pinch myself every day. I really do. Especially now, without Gran. Without her, home isn’t home. It’s as though all the color has been drained from the apartment we shared. But the moment I enter the Regency Grand, the world turns Technicolor bright.

As I place a hand on the shining brass railing and walk up the scarlet steps that lead to the hotel’s majestic portico, I’m Dorothy entering Oz. I push through the gleaming revolving doors and I see my true self reflected in the glass—­my dark hair and pale complexion are omnipresent, but a blush returns to my cheeks, my raison d’être restored once more.

Once I’m through the doors, I often pause to take in the grandeur of the lobby. It never tarnishes. It never grows drab or dusty. It never dulls or fades. It is blessedly the same each and every day. There’s the reception and concierge to the left, with its midnight-­obsidian counter and smart-looking receptionists in black and white, like penguins. And there’s the ample lobby itself, laid out in a horseshoe, with its fine Italian marble floors that radiate pristine white, drawing the eye up, up to the second-­floor terrace. There are the ornate Art Deco features of the terrace and the grand staircase that brings you there, balustrades glowing and opulent, serpents twisting up to golden knobs held static in brass jaws. Guests will often stand at the rails, hands resting on a glowing post, as they survey the glorious scene below—­porters marching crisscross, dragging suitcases behind them, guests lounging in sumptuous armchairs or couples tucked into emerald loveseats, their secrets absorbed into the deep, plush velvet.

But perhaps my favorite part of the lobby is the olfactory sensation, that first redolent breath as I take in the scent of the hotel itself at the start of every shift—­the mélange of ladies’ fine perfumes, the dark musk of the leather armchairs, the tangy zing of lemon polish that’s used twice daily on the gleaming marble floors. It is the very scent of animus. It is the fragrance of life itself.

Every day, when I arrive to work at the Regency Grand, I feel alive again, part of the fabric of things, the splendor and the color. I am part of the design, a bright, unique square, integral to the tapestry.

Gran used to say, “If you love your job, you’ll never work a day in your life.” And she’s right. Every day of work is a joy to me. I was born to do this job. I love cleaning, I love my maid’s trolley, and I love my uniform.

There’s nothing quite like a perfectly stocked maid’s trolley early in the morning. It is, in my humble opinion, a cornucopia of bounty and beauty. The crisp little packages of delicately wrapped soaps that smell of orange blossom, the tiny Crabtree & Evelyn shampoo bottles, the squat tissue boxes, the toilet-­paper rolls wrapped in hygienic film, the bleached white towels in three sizes—­bath, hand, and washcloth—­and the stacks of doilies for the tea-­and-­coffee service tray. And last but not least, the cleaning kit, which includes a feather duster, lemon furniture polish, lightly scented antiseptic garbage bags, as well as an impressive array of spray bottles of solvents and disinfectants, all lined up and ready to combat any stain, be it coffee rings, vomit—­or even blood. A well-­stocked housekeeping trolley is a portable sanitation miracle; it is a clean machine on wheels. And as I said, it is beautiful.

And my uniform. If I had to choose between my uniform and my trolley, I don’t think I could. My uniform is my freedom. It is the ultimate invisibility cloak. At the Regency Grand, it’s dry cleaned daily in the hotel laundry, which is located in the dank bowels of the hotel down the hall from our housekeeping change rooms. Every day before I arrive at work, my uniform is hooked on my locker door. It comes wrapped in clingy plastic, with a little Post-­it note that has my name scrawled on it in black marker. What a joy it is to see it there in the morning, my second skin—­clean, disinfected, newly pressed, smelling like a mixture of fresh paper, an indoor pool, and nothingness. A new beginning. It’s as though the day before and the many days before that have all been erased.

When I don my maid uniform—­not the frumpy Downton Abbey style or even the Playboy-­bunny cliché, but the blinding-­white starched dress shirt and the slim-­fit black pencil skirt (made from stretchy fabric for easy bending)—­I am whole. Once I’m dressed for my workday, I feel more confident, like I know just what to say and do—­at least, most of the time. And once I take off my uniform at the end of the day, I feel naked, unprotected, undone.

The truth is, I often have trouble with social situations; it’s as though everyone is playing an elaborate game with complex rules they all know, but I’m always playing for the first time. I make etiquette mistakes with alarming regularity, offend when I mean to compliment, misread body language, say the wrong thing at the wrong time. It’s only because of my gran that I know a smile doesn’t necessarily mean someone is happy. Sometimes, people smile when they’re laughing at you. Or they’ll thank you when they really want to slap you across the face. Gran used to say my reading of behaviors was improving—­ every day in every way, my dear —­but now, without her, I struggle. Before, when I rushed home after work, I’d throw open the door to our apartment and ask her questions I’d saved up over the day. “I’m home! Gran, does ketchup really work on brass, or should I stick to salt and vinegar? Is it true that some people drink tea with cream? Gran, why did they call me Rumba at work today?”

But now, when the door to home opens, there’s no “Oh, Molly dear, I can explain” or “Let me make you a proper cuppa and I’ll answer all of that.” Now our cozy two-­bedroom feels hollow and lifeless and empty, like a cave. Or a coffin. Or a grave.

I think it’s because I have difficulty interpreting expressions that I’m the last person anyone invites to a party, even though I really like parties. Apparently, I make awkward conversation, and if you believe the whispers, I have no friends my age. To be fair, this is one hundred percent accurate. I have no friends my age, few friends of any age, for that matter.

But at work, when I’m wearing my uniform, I blend in. I become part of the hotel’s décor, like the black-­and-­white-­striped wallpaper that adorns many a hallway and room. In my uniform, as long as I keep my mouth shut, I can be anyone. You could see me in a police lineup and fail to pick me out even though you walked by me ten times in one day.

Recently, I turned twenty-­five, “a quarter of a century” my gran would proclaim to me now if she could say anything to me. Which she can’t, because she is dead.

Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08R8SH69Y
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins (January 20, 2022)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 20, 2022
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 3049 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 349 pages
• #207 in Dark Humor
• #448 in Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Literary Fiction
• #681 in Contemporary Literary Fiction

About the author

Nita Prose is the author of THE MYSTERY GUEST and THE MAID, which has sold more than 1 million copies worldwide and was published in over forty countries. A #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestseller and a GOOD MORNING AMERICA Book Club Pick, THE MAID won the Ned Kelly Award for International Crime Fiction, the Fingerprint Award for Debut Novel of the Year, the Anthony Award for Best First Novel, and the Barry Award for Best First Mystery. THE MAID was also an Edgar Award finalist for Best Novel. Nita lives in Toronto, Canada, in a house that is moderately clean.

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Carnegie’s Maid Book Review – An Intriguing ‘What If’ Story of an Irish Immigrant & the King of Steel

(I received a free copy of Carnegie’s Maid from the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, to write an honest review. I was not financially compensated for this post and all opinions are my own.)

Official Synopsis of Carnegie’s Maid : Clara Kelley is not who they think she is. She’s not the experienced Irish maid who was hired to work in one of Pittsburgh’s grandest households. She’s a poor farmer’s daughter with nowhere to go and nothing in her pockets. But the other woman with the same name has vanished, and pretending to be her just might get Clara some money to send back home.

If she can keep up the ruse, that is. Serving as a lady’s maid in the household of Andrew Carnegie requires skills she doesn’t have, answering to an icy mistress who rules her sons and her domain with an iron fist. What Clara does have is a resolve as strong as the steel Pittsburgh is becoming famous for, coupled with an uncanny understanding of business, and Andrew begins to rely on her. But Clara can’t let her guard down, not even when Andrew becomes something more than an employer. Revealing her past might ruin her future — and her family’s.

With captivating insight and heart, Carnegie’s Maid tells the story of one brilliant woman who may have spurred Andrew Carnegie’s transformation from ruthless industrialist into the world’s first true philanthropist.

Carnegie’s Maid Review

The entire story rests on the shoulders of Clara Kelley. As a result, she is the most well-rounded, layered character in Carnegie’s Maid . As a newly arrived Irish immigrant, Clara’s gumption and resourcefulness quickly make her indispensable to the Carnegie matriarch. She hides her fear and her very identity behind a placid expression of servitude. There is no one that knows her secret. As a result, there is a sense of crushing loneliness that surrounds Clara.

Lifting this isolation is Clara’s natural curiosity. Her unconventional upbringing in Ireland gave her a broader view of the world. While her focus was typical of immigrants of that time period (sending money home to help her family), her approach to how she could help them was anything but typical. She listened to the conversations between Margaret and her son, Andrew. As a result, her inquisitive mind captures Andrew’s interest and he draws her out further.

An Unlikely Romance – A Wealthy Scottish Immigrant and an Irish Maid

There was a very real danger for Benedict to fall into the romance novel “master of the house falls for a servant” trope. Fortunately, Benedict handles the developing feelings between Clara and Andrew with the kid gloves it deserves. I found it to be a gentle, evolving regard.

There were no flashes of lightning or love at first sight narratives. Rather, it was sweet and a meeting of inquisitive minds. Andrew recognized Clara’s loneliness and he gently coaxed her into talking about herself. Further, Andrew saw something of himself in Clara; a reminder of his own humble beginnings.

“Our exchange was so fresh and natural, I nearly laughed and dissuaded him of his false beliefs. Nearly. Then I recalled the Clara Kelley I was meant to be and settled on a vague statement.”

Yet, Clara, while enjoying these easy conversations, never forgets what she is hiding. Nevertheless, she can’t resist Andrew’s allure. Soon, Andrew and Clara move from general conversation to discussing business. Benedict weaves Clara in seamlessly with Andrew Carnegie’s business history. Clara’s influence slowly begins to take root. The two grow closer as Andrew teaches Clara business. In turn, she provides another viewpoint. Even so, the social gulf between them never lessens. It’s this balance that keeps the romance in Carnegie’s maid from becoming cheap or “typical.”

Related Post | The English Wife Book Review: A Delectable Romantic Mystery

Keep in mind, this is not a historical romance but rather historical fiction. While there is old-fashioned romance appeal, it is not the point. However, there is one particularly swoon-worthy romantic gesture and moment that my heart did sigh over!

Adaptation Recommendation

I would love to see Carnegie’s Maid  as a television movie or limited series. Imagine the elaborate costume designs! As well as set designs recreating the bygone era of the novel. Also, adapting the novel to film would allow for more factual history about Andrew Carnegie and his rise as the King of Steel. Not to mention the contrast of his rise with that of the everyday Irish immigrant in 19th Century Pittsburgh. I’m thinking Angela’s Ashes meets The Age of Innocence . Just go with me here!

Final Thoughts on Carnegie’s Maid

I do wish we read more of Andrew Carnegie’s ruthless business side. The small glimpses from Clara’s perspective were just teased. I wanted to hear more of her thoughts on Andrew’s ruthless side and what that meant about her. Of course, as a Lady’s Maid, the glimpses we did see were likely typical of what a maid would see. It’s not like Clara was trotting off to the offices with Mrs. Carnegie.

I also felt the ending dropped on me unexpectedly. On the flip side, that very well could be because I didn’t want this story to end! In addition, enhancing Clara’s story were wonderfully developed secondary characters. From her cousins toiling in the slums of Pittsburgh to an escaped slave desperate search for his family, these smaller stories add depth as Clara begins to fully understand her place in America.

Carnegie’s Maid is an excellent book. It is a well-written story of “what if” that captures the imagination. Tuck this book in your commuter bag or carry-on and enjoy!

Carnegie’s Maid is available at your favorite bookstore or online retailer.

Content Warning: None – a lovely, clean read!

Have you read Carnegie’s Maid ? What did you think? Sound off in the comments below!

OVERALL RATING

“Hello, Gorgeous.”

ROMANCE RATING

“Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance.”

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Catherine is an avid reader and a self-declared professional binge watcher. It's not uncommon to find her re-watching a series or movie for the umpteenth time and still be crying into a box of tissues. When she's not hiding in her closet to read or watch a show or movie, Catherine is a wife, mother, and, in her spare time, a lawyer.

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1 thought on “Carnegie’s Maid Book Review – An Intriguing ‘What If’ Story of an Irish Immigrant & the King of Steel”

Carnegie’s Maid is an inspiring story that I will pass on to my daughters and granddaughters. It is a realistic story to me about the power of a female’s inspirations and goals. Thank you for sharing your gift of literary writing. I have also read The Only Woman in the Room and passed it on to my daughter. I look forward to reading all your novels. God Bless. Said a prayer to Mary for you.

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Carnegie's Maid

Marie benedict.

From the author of The Other Einstein , the mesmerizing tale of what kind of woman could have inspired an American dynasty.

Clara Kelley is not who they think she is. She's not the experienced Irish maid who was hired to work in one of Pittsburgh's grandest households. She's a poor farmer's daughter with nowhere to go and nothing in her pockets. But the other woman with the same name has vanished, and pretending to be her just might get Clara some money to send back home.

If she can keep up the ruse, that is. Serving as a lady's maid in the household of Andrew Carnegie requires skills he doesn't have, answering to an icy mistress who rules her sons and her domain with an iron fist. What Clara does have is a resolve as strong as the steel Pittsburgh is becoming famous for, coupled with an uncanny understanding of business, and Andrew begins to rely on her. But Clara can't let her guard down, not even when Andrew becomes something more than an employer. Revealing her past might ruin her future -- and her family's.

With captivating insight and heart, Carnegie's Maid tells the story of one brilliant woman who may have spurred Andrew Carnegie's transformation from ruthless industrialist into the world's first true philanthropist..

283 pages, Hardcover

First published January 16, 2018

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"This is precisely the sort of status-seeking, greedy thinking that Clara would have loathed. He had vowed to her that he would carve out a different path from those materialistic industrialists and society folk, and he would keep that vow, even though she was gone." This was what he think to himself.

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