Any time that I’ve spent a night or two at a hotel, I have appreciated the housekeeping help. At the same time, I have been so glad that wasn’t a job I had to do. I tip heavily.

The Maid, by Nita Prose, offers readers a character that they can’t help but like. Molly Gray is a maid at a hotel, a job she has held for many years. Though she lacks any social skills and is clearly on the spectrum, she does her job with efficiency and, well, joy. She was brought up by her grandmother who helped guide her through life, but who passed away a few months earlier. Now Molly has to manage on her own. She gives it all she can, and is one of the best employees in the hotel.

One day she enters the room of one of the hotel’s frequent visitors — a wealthy man who has a nasty way about him — and finds him dead in his bed. She knows that people are going to believe it was his wife who killed him, but Molly doesn’t think that is possible. Nonetheless, Molly is thrown right in the middle of the investigation, even being one of the suspects.

The story line is clever, but what makes Prose’s novel so delightful and so readable is Molly Gray. The way she looks at life is straightforward, somewhat naive and refreshing as can be. While she has few friends, the ones she has surround her with love and support. The story shows the reader what is important in life.

Molly Gray is a quirky protagonist that I won’t soon forget. The Maid is a wonderful book. It will be one of my favorite reads in 2022.

Here is a link to the book.