My Rating

“I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids — and I might even be said to possess a mind.
I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me.”

Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man

Thank You Nita Prose for an exceptional debut.

Thank you for the most lovable and endearing character called Molly Gray.

And now dear readers, believe in all the hype about his book and dive in without worry, The MAID will surely not disappoint you.

I would like to say this is an extraordinary story but that would be wrong, it is not the story but the characterization of Molly that is extraordinary. She is adorable, someone who I wish as a friend for a lifetime. Used to taunts and bullying all her life for her difference, Molly has always found it difficult to understand the nuances of social interactions. Facial expressions fly by her with no clue as to how to interpret them, idioms and the street colloquialisms are maddening to her coz for Molly, words are to be understood “literally”. There is a scene in the book where a lawyer friend advises her to be quiet and when she is asked a question by the said person, she refuses to answer coz of course she has to be quiet. That is purely the essence of Molly Gray who is proud to be a maid devoted to her job and conducting her life with the dictums of her beloved granny.

“Just because it takes someone so long to see you, doesn’t mean you were invisible all along.
Some people can’t appreciate greatness until someone else notices it.
Never allow the blindness of other people to dictate your worth.” – @Google

The mystery surrounding the death of a guest and all the bewildering happenings inside The Regency Hotel are puzzles to be put together by the readers, for MOLLY, it is just a way to help her friends who are in trouble. The ending had a surprise or two as we get to know Molly thoroughly and realize she has more depth than initially portrayed. The secondary characters are wonderful, there are those who are kind and help Molly see the world for what it is, and then there are others who take advantage of her. The author’s compelling narration touches on some strong subjects of invisibility self-worth and the identity of the millions who work behind the stage to keep an establishment running. It is however described in a heartwarming way and not at all preachy which makes for excellent storytelling by Nita Prose.

“Love the people who saw you when you were invisible to everyone else.”

― Laura Jarratt, Louder Than Words

Highly recommended!

A charmingly eccentric hotel maid discovers a guest murdered in his bed. Solving the mystery will turn her once orderly world upside down in this utterly original debut.

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misinterprets 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 had to navigate 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 turned on its head 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 very 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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