Review By: Anonymous
Published: 2022 and 2023
Genre(s): Fiction, Mystery
Audience: Grades 7 to Adult
Content Warnings: Murder, death, racism, autism representation, violence
Goodreads Links:
The Maid: Goodreads Link
The Mystery Guest: Goodreads Link
Publisher’s Summaries:
The Maid: 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 demeanor 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? 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.
The Mystery Guest: Molly Gray is not like anyone else. With her flair for cleaning and proper etiquette, she has risen through the ranks of the glorious five-star Regency Grand Hotel to become the esteemed Head Maid. But just as her life reaches a pinnacle state of perfection, her world is turned upside down when J. D. Grimthorpe, the world-renowned mystery author, drops dead—very dead—on the hotel’s tearoom floor. When Detective Stark, Molly’s old foe, investigates the author’s unexpected demise, it becomes clear that this death was murder most foul. Suspects abound, and everyone wants to know: Who killed J. D. Grimthorpe? Was it Lily, the new Maid-in-Training? Or was it Serena, the author’s secretary? Could Mr. Preston, the hotel’s beloved doorman, be hiding something? And is Molly really as innocent as she seems? As the high-profile death threatens the hotel’s pristine reputation, Molly knows she alone holds the key to unlocking the killer’s identity. But that key is buried deep in her past, as long ago, she knew J. D. Grimthorpe. Molly begins to comb her memory for clues, revisiting her childhood and the mysterious Grimthorpe mansion where she and her dearly departed Gran once worked side by side. With the entire hotel under investigation, Molly must solve the mystery posthaste. Because if there’s one thing she knows for sure, it’s that secrets don’t stay buried forever.
Review:
This book caught my attention due to the main character being autistic. I have never read a book that featured the main character, who is an adult and is telling the story, being on the autistic spectrum. This fascinated me as a teacher and learner. I felt like the story gave me insights into how someone with autism thinks and acts. It is a first person narrative and as such we get all of the thoughts of Molly, the main character. Throughout the story we get to observe her as she works a full time job, has lost her dear grandmother, falls in love with a colleague, and solves the death of a wealthy man in the hotel where she works. I found it informative as Molly thinks, discusses, and works her way through all of these situations. It helped me to get, at least a small, insight into how my students who have autism might be thinking and working through assignments, interactions, relationships, and other daily situations. I would recommend all teachers read this book, and the next two in the series, to learn and apply this knowledge to our classroom practices and interactions.
I really enjoy this series and this book is no different. Molly is a loveable character because she is so literal. She is unable, due to her autism, to read social cues, though she is working on this. As a result, she gets mixed up in situations and people she might not ought to. This book takes the reader out of the hotel and into the world, specifically Grimshaw’s impressive but mysterious mansion. Molly uses her wits and memories to solve a very puzzling mystery. Much like the previous novel, Prose gives the reader a peek into the mind of someone with autism. What a unique and eye opening experience to have.
