The Maid’ adds to a growing body of literary works that have characters on the spectrum, which is good because there seems to be little else that this novel contributes. And yet mystery novel lovers seem to want to read it enough to make it the number one on The New York Times best-sellers’ list and with an upcoming screen adaptation as well.

Synopsis

Molly Gray is a twenty-five-year-old woman who is neurodivergent and finds dealing with social cues difficult. She works as a hotel maid at the Regency Grand Hotel and loves keeping it impeccably clean just as she keeps her apartment spotless, one she shared with her Gran before her recent death due to cancer. Since her grandmother’s passing Molly has been struggling emotionally and financially but that does not prevent her from being a model employee.

Molly’s uneventful life is turned upside down when she finds Mr. Black dead in his hotel suite. Well-known as a very wealthy and successful businessman, his death is eventually ruled a homicide and through a turn of events Molly ends up at the center of the investigation as a person of interest.

As she uncovers lies and deceits she realizes, that in a world which she can seldom make sense of, many have taken advantage of her innocence and uniqueness. As the clock ticks, Molly finds that she can count on the support of and help from unexpected people and solve the mystery of who killed Mr. Black.

What’s to like

In Molly, Prose has created a memorable character. Her credulity can at first be frustrating, given how others around her mistreat her, but gradually the reader grows fond of her.

“I do realize I’m different, you know, different from most. What I perceive isn’t what you perceive. Plus, people don’t always listen to me. I’m often afraid I won’t be believed, that my thoughts will be discounted.”

—Molly in ‘The Maid’

What’s not to like

Molly does not seem consistent throughout the story. It can take a while to understand Molly’s character, but the reader can notice that Molly at the beginning is somewhat different than Molly in the upcoming chapters. The social cues that she might be oblivious to initially, seem to be picked up by her later in the story.

While it is commendable of the author to make her novel inclusive by portraying the world as a neurodivergent person might see it, her plot falls short. There is nothing extraordinary about the other characters and the mystery is not very unexpected either. If anything, the final reveal of who committed the murder is a bit disappointing.

2.9/5 – Okayish