Book review: The Maid by Nita Prose [blog tour]

Happy New Year! I took a break on here during the holidays as I was with my family in the Netherlands for over a month, away from all my books, but I'm back now and ready to get stuck in. I've only been in the U.K. for two weeks but I was so excited about all the new books that were waiting for me (both upcoming releases and those I bought online in the end of year sales) that I've already raced through four incredible new reads, including The Maid. In 2021, I got really into murder mystery reads, and while they were mostly of the classic Agatha Christie style variety, Nita Prose how done a fantastic job creating a compelling contemporary story with this 'cosy crime' vibe.

Molly is a maid at the prestigious Regency Grand Hotel. She's meticulous in her cleaning efforts and takes pride in her work, unlike her manager, but that's besides the point. And ever since her grandmother passed away, her job at the hotel is the only thing that is important to Molly. It gives her structure in her life and a way to connect with her friends, including dishwasher Juan Manuel, bartender Rodney, doorman Mr Preston, and one of the guests: the new Mrs Black. Socialising and communicating doesn't come easy to Molly, who can't really read social cues and always takes words literally, but these are the people in her life that know her and have the patience to explain things when she doesn't quite understand the underlying message. 

But everything changes when one day Molly enters the Black's hotel room, and finds Mr Black dead in his bed. Molly's meticulous eye for detail comes in handy, as it can give the police officers the information they need to determine whether it was foul play. However, things don't quite add up and since the investigators don't know Molly and the unique way in which she observes and communicates her thoughts, she soon finds herself in more trouble than she could've ever imagined...

The Maid is a book that everyone is already talking about, even though it was only published last week. It's THE debut of the month and has already been picked up for a movie adaptation with Florence Pugh taking on the role of Molly. Needless to say, my expectations were very high for this one, which is always very tricky as a book very rarely lives up to such a hype. I'm very pleased to say though, that this one does. It's such a grippingly told and charming story, I ended up finishing it in a single sitting, that's how engaging it was. 

Of course Molly is the star of the show. She is charming, quirky, and despite putting her foot into it on more than one occasion, she's the kind of protagonist you can't help but root for (even though she starts doing some very dubious things of her own...). And Nite Prose has assembled a wonderful cast of characters around her protagonist. I particularly loved Mr Preston and the flashes we got to see from grandma before she passed away, but everyone has an important role to play in making this such a compelling read – especially as the plot starts to thicken towards the end. 

And what a plot it is. I didn't think it'd be possible to create that truly complex 'murder mystery' vibe in a contemporary setting, without it veering into the popular psychological or crime thriller genre, but I was wrong. This book perfectly balances the whodunnit with character development, steering well clear of the grittiness of modern crime and instead weaving together a clever tale of deception and red herrings. 

The Maid is a truly remarkable debut novel by Nite Prose. Well-written and well-plotted, both the protagonist and the setting ooze charm and character. And with the opulent Regency Grand Hotel providing the perfect backdrop for a 'locked hotel' mystery, it is making me hopeful that maybe this isn't the last we've heard from Molly the maid. 

The Maid by Nita Prose is published by HarperCollins Publishers and you can purchase your copy now from your favourite book shop.

Blog tour stops for 'The Maid' by Nita Prose

This review for 'The Maid' is a part of the official blog tour for the launch of the book. Make sure you check out the other stops too!

Disclaimer: This book was gifted to me by the publisher, but this has not impacted this honest review.