It’s not often a murder-mystery can be described as refreshing and upbeat! However, Nita Prose’s debut, The Maid is winningly original. It’s no surprise that it was an instant bestseller and is currently being developed as a movie.
At the centre of the story is Molly Gray, a charmingly eccentric hotel maid who discovers a guest murdered in his bed. Twenty five year old Molly is not like everyone else, she struggles with social skills and misinterprets others. Her Gran used to interpret the world for her, coding everyday life into simple rules that Molly could live by. Since her Gran died a few months ago, Molly has had to navigate life alone.
Molly’s work at the Regency Grand Hotel is an ideal fit for her. The routine of donning her freshly laundered uniform, stocking her cart with amenities and returning guest rooms to a state of perfection reassures her. She’s used to being alone, plumping pillows, tidying, dusting and cleaning. However, when she discovers the infamous guest dead, it isn’t a mess that can be easily cleaned up.
Molly is a unique character whose orderly world is turned upside down when Police target her as their lead suspect. She protests that she’s just a maid no one ever notices as she goes about her daily work. But what can she see that has been overlooked by others?
The Maid deftly explores what it means to be the same as everyone else, but also entirely different. Nita Prose is an editor and lives in Canada. Read an excerpt of The Maid and follow Nita Prose online.
Reviewer: Andrea Molloy HarperCollins, RRP $32.99