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Molly Gray loves her job. She’s a maid at an upscale boutique hotel, and she takes great satisfaction in “returning rooms to a state of perfection” when guests sully them. She works with a variety of people, but none of her co-workers are friends. Her grandmother, who raised her, recently died, and Molly feels a hole in her life where she used to be. She recognized that Molly had trouble in social situations and was teaching her how to read people’s expressions, body language and other behaviors. But now Molly is alone, and she knows many of her co-workers think she’s weird.
She has made a bit of a connection with one of the hotel regulars, the wife of a wealthy businessman. Giselle is the second, much younger, wife of Mr. Black, who’s not at all nice. But Giselle is kind and talks to Molly and tips her well.
One day, Molly walks into the Blacks’ room and finds the man dead on his bed. She is thrown off by the situation but doesn’t react in a way that perhaps most other people would. And when she is questioned by police, they find her demeanor suspicious. Soon enough, she’s arrested.
There’s a lot more going on at the hotel than Molly knew about, and she’s the perfect innocent person for the bad guys to frame. She can’t get out of this situation alone. Luckily, it turns out she does have a few people in her corner: they come to her aid and work to solve the mystery of who the real killer is.
The Maid is an entertaining mystery, but it’s more an exploration of the world through the eyes of a woman who’s “different” from others but still much the same in all the ways that really matter. Molly is a lonely soul with much to give (she’s likely on the autism spectrum, or neurodiverse in some similar way). The pickle she finds herself in is the key that unlocks the door to friendships she didn’t know she had/could have. It’s simply heartwarming to see what develops. And it’s intriguing to see the mystery solved. I enjoyed this book; it’s a fairly light murder mystery but with a twist.
Rated: Moderate. Profanity includes 4 uses of strong language, 5 instances of moderate profanity, 8 uses of mild language, and 9 instances of the name of Deity in vain. There is little sexual content; there are references to a few characters having affairs and mention of a couple kissing. A man is found dead in a bed, and it is initially unknown if his death was natural or a murder. A character is regularly burned in small spots to compel him to do something.
