by Nita Prose
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 . . .
REVIEW
Molly works as a hotel maid. Socially awkward and not always able to pick up on other people's real intentions, she relied heavily on her Gran to explain how to behave and react in certain situations. A few months after Gran died, Molly is devastated but determined to carry on with her daily routines, perfection at home and in her job at the hotel. Anything less would be unsatisfactory.
But for Molly everything is about to change. As she begins to clean the suite of a rich businessman Charles Black, she finds him dead and knowing that he treated his wife badly, decides to cover for her, making sure that she doesn't come under suspicion. The pair had formed an unlikely friendship while Charles and Giselle were staying in the hotel and as someone with very few friends, Molly is fiercely loyal to those who make time for her.
As the police investigation gets underway, Molly is questioned along with other members of staff who might have any insight into what happened. However, as she was completely oblivious to what had really been happening in the hotel, the other members of staff are more than happy to point the finger at Molly. Forced to try and clear her name, Molly must quickly work out who she can trust as she hunts for the real killer.
Molly Gray is such a quirky character but she was so believable and endearing, I was absolutely captivated by her. Her manner and behaviour could be incredibly frustrating at times, but for the story to work this was exactly how she needed to be. The Maid is not your typical crime novel but I loved everything about this highly entertaining whodunnit.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nita Prose is a longtime editor, serving many bestselling authors and their books. She lives in Toronto, Canada, in a house that is only moderately clean.
Visit her at nitaprose.com or on Twitter: @NitaProse
Thanks to Anne Cater - @RandomTTours, Nita Prose - @NitaProse and Harper Collins UK - @fictionpubteam @HarperFiction for the opportunity to read and review.
Fiction: Cosy Crime / Mystery
Publisher: Harper Collins UK
ISBN: 978-0008435721
Pages: 352pp
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