The Maid is a slow-burn mystery with a memorable, neurodivergent main character in Molly Gray, a 25-year-old maid at a posh hotel. Molly views the world differently than others; she is proudly meticulous and adheres to schedules with the utmost precision, but has difficulty interpreting social cues, often making her the butt of jokes. When Molly discovers a dead body while cleaning a room, she finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation. Armed with years of watching Columbo episodes with her beloved Gran, her social invisibility as a maid, and Gran’s inspirational tidbits to guide her, she hopes to get to the bottom of this mess.

This story felt like the love child of a cozy locked room mystery and a charming story about relationships and otherness with a main character who is delightful, honest, resilient and 100% always herself – despite how that makes others around her react. This is truly a murder mystery with more. The mystery is solid with subtle but powerful plot twists but the story also has a burst of heart stemming from the themes of loneliness, otherness, family, and friends.

The Maid is an incredibly impressive debut by Nita Prose, a long-time Canadian book editor. Don’t miss this charming, multilayered mystery that has an original flare, a huge amount of heart, a touch of humour, and a main character you’ll adore. Put your hold on this book at WPL now to be one of the first to read it after its January 4^th publication date!