by Nita Prose (Prose)
The libraries’ Just Desserts mystery fiction discussion group had selected this for a July reading and discussion but had to push it back to September, when high demand for this title delayed some group members from getting copies that early. The Maid is the debut novel from author Nita Prose, a long-time editor in the publishing field.
Molly Gray is a maid, in a high-end hotel.
It’s a job she loves because it has clearly defined rules, regulations and
goals. Though not mentioned by name, it is obvious to the reader that Molly is
a high-functioning autistic, who appreciates “structure” to her daily life and
has difficulty coping when her routines are disrupted. And a major disruption
occurs when Molly enters the suite of a pair of rich hotel “regulars” and
discovers the dead body of the husband. Molly goes from chief witness to chief
suspect in the eyes of the police. Meanwhile, she has to be careful which of
her “friends” at the hotel are truly her friends, and which are just people
who’ve been using her. Along the way, Molly grows, expanding her own
capabilities and skills.
This was an exceptionally well-written novel,
part mystery and part general fiction, with an unforgettable character in
Molly. Molly’s behavior (and therefore the narrative tone of this novel, which
is told from her point-of-view) is very much in line with the behavior models
I’ve seen from the high-functioning autistic persons in my circle of contacts.
This is NOT a plot-driven mystery novel…it is very much a character-driven
story, and if you find Molly’s narrative style off-putting (intense
descriptions, carefully reiterations of every step of her activities, somewhat
emotional-less interactions with most other characters, lack of appreciation
for subtleties, etc.), you probably won’t like this. But if you’re interested
in a clever mystery story told from a very unique perspective, I strongly
recommend giving The Maid a
try…I really loved it!
(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Curious Incident of
the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, The Speed of Dark by
Elizabeth Moon, or The Don Tillman (“Rosie”)
trilogy by Graeme Simsion.)
( official The Maid page
on the official Nita Prose web site )
Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service
Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?
New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!
If you're a mystery fan, join us for this month's Just Desserts meeting tonight, October 27th, at 6:30 p.m. in the 4th floor auditorium of the Bennett Martin Public Library downtown at 14th & "N" St. -- this mystery-themed discussion group meets on the last Thursday of each month, January through October. This month's book assigned topic of discussion is the life and works of legendary British mystery writer P.D. James.
Even if you haven't read anything for this specific discussion, you can still participate, and learn about great new mysteries to try! For more information, check out the Just Desserts schedule at https://lincolnlibraries.org/bookguide/book-groups/#justdesserts
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