Reviews with content warning for Death - The Maid

Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Maid by Nita Prose

295 reviews

veronica214's review against another edition

funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Molly the Maid loves order, perfection, and cleanliness. Although it's not explicitly addressed in the book, she is certainly neurotypical and often has a difficult time understanding body language, social cues, and sarcasm.

One day while cleaning a hotel room she discovers Mr. Black, a rich real estate tycoon, dead in his bed.

Needless to say, a wrench is thrown into Molly's mundane life. She must learn to use her best judgments and cope with a new situation.

Just like Molly, I love order and nothing makes me happier than a clean space. I'm not as regimented or thorough as she is, but I can relate. My OCPD appreciates Molly the Maid. This is a funny yet solid mystery story. "Dust we must."

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greatexpectations77's review against another edition

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challenging funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I felt a little like this was the adult mystery version of Amelia Bedelia. Mistaking

cocaine

for powdered sugar. I would be interested to read more about this book as a portrayal of ASD. Molly isn't officially diagnosed as being on the spectrum, but I assume that is the implication. I think it is an interesting look at clear communication and valuing the input of how every individual person's brain works. It was also a very fun mystery, and I'm excited to read the next book in this series. I thought the colors-as-names bit was very fun, and I REALLY hope that in future books, Molly can track down

that goddamn ex-boyfriend who stole her money!!!

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atalanta_lepidoptera's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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literary_laur's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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bexxhenders's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

The truth is, I often have trouble with social situations; it’s as though everyone is playing an elaborate game with complex rules they all know, but I’m always playing for the first time.

I was in the mood for an easy, entertaining read, and this fit the bill as a cozy mystery. The main character, Molly, is apparently autistic, though I wish this had been explored more deeply. There’s no explicit mention of this and, sometimes, the portrayal felt a bit clichéd and maybe relied too much on stereotypes. That said, I did enjoy Molly’s internal dialogue about how she perceives the world and the people in it. There’s a layer of representation there, even if it didn't quite reach its full potential.

The ending, though, was a bit of a letdown for me. I love a cosy mystery with a shocking twist, but this was more of a meandering towards a semi-predictable conclusion. I didn't hate it, but it didn't leave me with that "OMGWHAT!" feeling that I love. I also wasn't sure about the side plot about her grandmother's death — was it necessary? Using something like

assisted suicide

as a subplot seems like an odd choice and lacks the depth it deserves. This could be my own bias, as it's a topic I care about, or maybe I'm missing something, but whatever it was didn't land for me.

Despite these small criticisms, it was a super enjoyable read overall. If light, cozy mysteries are your thing, I definitely recommended it. For me personally, I prefer my mysteries with a bit more thrill, so although I had fun reading this, I probably won't pick it up again.

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