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The Maid

A Novel

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 OVER 2 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE • *WINNER OF THE NED KELLY AWARD FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL CRIME FICTION* • *SHORTLISTED FOR THE EDGAR ALLAN POE BEST NOVEL AWARD* • SHORTLISTED FOR THE KOBO EMERGING WRITER PRIZE • INSTANT #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • CITYLINE BOOK CLUB PICK • “A twist-and-turn whodunit, set in a five-star hotel, from the perspective of the maid who finds the body. Think Clue. Think page-turner.”—Glamour

NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE • ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022—Glamour, W magazine, PopSugar, The Rumpus, Book Riot, CrimeReads, She Reads, Daily Hive, The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, Stylist, Canadian Living

“Excellent and totally entertaining . . . the most interesting (and endearing) main character in a long time.” —Stephen King

“An endearing debut. . . . The reader comes to understand Molly’s worldview, and to sympathize with her longing to be accepted—a quest that gives The Maid real emotional heft.” —The New York Times

“The Maid is a masterful, charming mystery that will touch your heart in ways you could never expect. . . . This is the smart, quirky, uplifting read we need.” —Ashley Audrain, #1 bestselling author of The Push


A dead body is one mess she can’t clean up on her own.

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 demeanour 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?

Both 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. Cozy Crime Thrillers Domestic Thrillers Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Mystery Thriller Thriller & Suspense Traditional Detectives Women's Voices Crime Detective Suspense Feel-Good Heartfelt

Publisher's Summary


Molly Gray has a method to keep her life quiet and predictable. But what happens when a shocking death upends everything she ever knew? The Maid is a tale of unforgettable mysterious thrills and a journey of self-discovery with touching moments of human connection that will captivate listeners.

The Maid is a stunning and heartwarming mystery, marking the debut of Toronto writer Nita Prose. Although Nita is a longtime editor, this is her first venture as an author, and the result has dazzled mystery fans and literary critics alike. The Maid was named one of the best books of the year by publications from Glamour to The Guardian to Kirkus Reviews.

At 25, Molly Gray struggles with reading other people, but she loves her job as a hotel maid. She thrives on cleaning, organizing and returning messy guest rooms to a state of perfection. When her beloved grandmother dies, she is abruptly forced into navigating life’s complexities all by herself. And her life really gets complicated when she finds a wealthy hotel guest dead in his bed and then finds herself being targeted as a suspect.

Filled with twists and turns until the shattering end, The Maid is best experienced with minimal spoilers. Molly Gray and the women who rally around her come to life in this audiobook. Listeners will immerse themselves in Molly's journey of self-discovery with help from Lauren Ambrose, the incredible narrator. As listeners venture through this master-crafted mystery, they will find that her narration adds a superb layer of drama, making this an audiobook to remember.

Whether searching for a thrilling new detective listen or in the mood for some genuinely charming storytelling and characters, this audiobook has it all. Prepare to be swept up in this delightful listen.

Featured Article: 22 of The Best Mystery Audiobooks of 2022 That Will Keep You Guessing

Are you ready to discover the most thrilling and twisty audiobooks of the year? Audible presents the best mystery audiobooks of 2022 full of twists and turns. Listen to thrilling novels that cover everything from mysterious disappearances and betrayal to exciting tales of action and adventure. Featuring work from prolific authors like Janet Evanovich (The Recovery Agent) and Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen (The Golden Couple) and newcomers like Stacy Willingham (A Flicker In The Dark), our Audible collection of the best mystery audiobooks of 2022 has enough to keep listeners entertained, intrigued, and on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

Featured Article: 22 of The Best Mystery Audiobooks of 2022 That Will Keep You Guessing
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Loved everything about this book. Entertaining and suspenseful, yet with kindness that is genuine. Lauren Ambrose was delightful and perfect.

Entertaining and Excellent!

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Strangely enough I understand the bad reviews too, though. A lot of people complain about how the main character clearly has autism but it’s never addressed. I know a lot of people don’t have the privilege of being diagnosed, and there are people out there who may have similar qualities to Molly and are never diagnosed themselves, but Molly is a fictional character at the end of the day. I also think that, if it her diagnosis has been addressed, people may also complain that autism is a spectrum and this book is not a good representation of autism (or makes autism look bad), which may be true, but I don’t think this book was ever trying to be that, and that is precisely why there is no official diagnosis or label put on Molly, so pinning stigmas to this book would be our own doing and not the author’s. I’m also fully aware that there were inconsistencies in Molly’s social knowledge and awareness, but again, I don’t believe this book was trying to be a representation of anything, and therefor, did not need to be consistent. These inconsistencies can also be looked past if one realizes there’d be no story progression if it weren’t for Molly’s moments of clarity. No matter what Molly’s official or unofficial diagnoses, I adore her and absolutely love how she is written. I also loved all of the characters, even the “bad” ones, and all of the characters were likeable in their own way. This book came to a very satisfying close, and I loved how the author wrapped it all up. I can also see why people think this book lacked excitement or surprising twists - I think it did as well (aside from the epilogue). However, I just loved following Molly along with the story so much that it didn’t bother me. I didn’t need to be wowed with twists. I usually depend on twists and turns if a book is otherwise uninteresting in one way or another, but this book was charming, satisfying and wonderfully written, and that was more than enough for me.

Loved this book!

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Stumbled upon this book strictly by accident and I’m so glad I did. It was brilliant — laugh out loud funny and so true of the neurodivergent experience (as I live it anyway). Unlike a lot of other books that seem to write ND folks as incompetent or garishly clueless, Molly is vibrant and real and flawed and wonderful. Such a joy.
The performance was excellent too — the reader really has a knack of using teeny tiny vocal inflections and tones to render multiple characters. I’m recommending this to all my friends!

Loved it!

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A quirky little murder mystery, made for an easy read, with a few smiles. I enjoyed Molly, the maid, character, very much

Enjoyable read

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I thought the narrator was perfect for the style of story and I quite enjoyed it. I didn’t guess the end so that’s a win. If you want a different type of main character give this a go.

Would recommend

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