Happy Holidays and The Maid by Nita Prose

 Happy Holiday Season All! 

If you are in the US, I hope you had a great Thanksgiving Holiday. We did. 

And as I predicted, when I went to the grocery store today, just to pick up a couple of basics, the Christmas candy was out and ready to do it's worst. Where did the Halloween candy go by the way. Used to go on sale the day after Halloween but not this year. 

I am feeling the urge to come back to my blog. I will see how it goes. I stopped out of frustration with posts being blocked for no good reason. I would say the year has been busy for me with last winters ice storm, followed by MONTHS of above 100 degree weather. Kind of knocks the energy and motivation from me. Had a sister reunion in October. First one since 2019. That was a blast. Followed by company for Thanksgiving. Lots of cleaning, eating, talking and laughing, followed by more cleaning, eating, talking and laughing.

The Mystery Book Club is going strong! We have a few new members and steady attendance of several people who have been with it for years. So nice. I haven't read as much this year but am determined to get back to it. Does anyone else just not feel right if they don't read everyday?

So to start back, I will tell you about the book we read for November: The Maid by Nita Prose (Molly the Maid #1). This book was the winner of the Goodreads 2022 Mystery/Thriller genre.

About: "Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads 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 been navigating 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 upended 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 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."

I really enjoyed this book as did most of the book club. The story grabbed me right away and it is quite intriguing. I really felt for Molly. She is now living all alone since her grandmother who raised her, passed away. Molly is very set in her routine. She does the same thing every day, at the same time, just as when her grandmother was alive. Molly works as a maid in an upscale hotel. She does her work very well and always is at work and always on time. She meets all sorts of people. 

One long term "resident" is Mr. Black and his young wife, Giselle. Mr. Black apparently has lots of money but isn't a very nice man. There is some issues with his first wife, children and money. Molly befriends Giselle as Giselle confides in her often. Mr. Black is very jealous and controlling of Giselle. Molly, who has a problem with social cues and reading people, has been taken advantage of and made some bad choices. Is it because of her sheltered life, being raised by her old fashioned grandmother or is she perhaps somewhat autistic? 

As Molly makes her rounds cleaning rooms one day, she finds Mr. Black is dead. When she calls for help, the front desk doesn't pay much attention to her. But then it is confirmed. Mr. Black is dead. 

The story goes from there with the investigation and Molly's part in the investigation, her friendship with Giselle and other hotel employees. Her lack of abilities play a big part in the story. But there are some surprises that made us wonder about Molly and want to know more.

All in all we liked the book a lot and recommend it. 

Book #2 is coming out November 28: The Mystery Guest.