I’m absolutely delighted to share my review of The Maid by Nita Prose for the blog tour today. My enormous thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inviting me to participate.

Published by Harper Collins on 20th January 2022, The Maid is available for purchase through the links here.

The Maid

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 . . .

My Review of The Maid

No-one notices Molly.

The Maid is utterly wonderful and I loved every moment of being in Molly’s company.

Molly’s narrative voice is glorious. Her attention to detail is so vivid that she places the reader in the room with her in a visual manner that is refreshing, entertaining and engaging. Her literal approach, especially to language, is witty, intelligent and innovative, making her such a memorable individual. Whilst some of the plot outcomes are obvious to the reader, the joy in The Maid is finding out how Molly finally understands what is happening to her. I found myself berating aloud some of the other characters in their treatment of Molly, cheering for her when events went her way and shedding a quiet tear at a particularly poignant moment or two. Her difference is what makes her so endearing.

Set over a working week the structure is perfect because it illustrates just how quickly lives like Molly’s can change. The ending to The Maid could not be better. I loved how the plot raced to its conclusion, leading me on so that I could not put this book down, savouring every moment.

Although The Maid is set predominantly in the Regency Grand Hotel, the cast of characters is relatively small so that the reader truly gets to know them. This has the effect of creating an intimacy between the reader and the narrative and enhances the plot brilliantly. Perhaps it is Gran who is the most pivotal character even though she is not physically present in the story. Her guidance for Molly is touching, endearing and pitched to perfection through Molly’s memories.

Nita Prose’s style is absolutely absorbing, and so diverting. I found myself reading with complete joy. However, The Maid might be quirky, funny and thoroughly entertaining – indeed it is all of those things – but underpinning the story are themes that made my blood boil. Molly’s exploitation by those she works with, Cheryl’s dishonesty, and the bullying, lack of understanding and unfairness directed at Molly made me seethe, so that reading this story had a depth and gravitas belied by Molly’s cheerful, direct persona. Identity and coercion in many forms, the blurred lines between right and wrong, justice, cowardice and bravery and so on are all present. All these elements make The Maid so much more than the cosy mystery I was expecting.

I adored The Maid. I hope this isn’t the last we hear of Molly. This dear girl is delightful. She feels like an old friend and I’d really rather like to enjoy her company further.

About Nita Prose

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.

For further information about Nita, visit her website or follow her on Twitter @NitaProse. and Instagram.

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