The Maid

This book turned out to be such a pleasant surprise. I heard mixed reviews before reading it, but I am happy to report that I thoroughly enjoyed it. The setting and characters make this story engaging and memorable.

Molly the maid works at a posh hotel and lives a simple, structured life that she loves. While making her rounds one morning, she discovers that one of the guests is dead. Molly becomes entangled in the investigation of the death, which has been designated as murder, and learns some unpleasant truths about the people at the hotel.

Molly struggles with social interactions. Her grandmother used to help her navigate situations, but she passed away. Now Molly has to adjust to life without her Gran. When she finds herself in uncomfortable interactions, she reminds herself of her Gran's advice and sayings, mostly centered around cleaning and etiquette. I found her character to be endearing and lovable, even though some characters in the story find her off-putting. She is honest and straightforward, which many characters mistake for coldness. It is frustrating as a reader to witness how she is mistreated and used by other characters just because she is different.

Some people complain that this book is mislabeled as a mystery/thriller because it is more a character driven book about Molly. While I agree that it is very character driven, it is definitely a mystery. The entire story revolves around how the death in the hotel and the investigation into are impacting Molly's life. The killer is not revealed until near the end.

I like this book mostly because I like the main character. I would highly recommend it to readers who enjoy character-driven mysteries.