
Molly the Maid - Book 1
The Maid
A January 2022 LibraryReads Pick
A #1 New York Times bestseller
A Good Morning America Book Club Pick
An Amazon.com bestseller
An Audible.com bestseller
A New York Times Bestseller in Audio
Winner of the 2022 Ned Kelly Award for Best International Crime Fiction
An Amazon Best Book of the Month
A Goodreads Pick of 2022's Best Books
A Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2022
Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
An AudioFile Best Audiobook of the Year
Finalist for the Audie Award for Best Narration in Mysteries
A Reader’s Digest Pick of the Ten Best Books of 2022
A Washington Post Best Book of the Year
An Elle Magazine Pick of the Year's Best Books
A London Guardian Best Book of the Year
Finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Novel
A Strand Magazine Pick of the Year's Best Mystery Audiobooks
Winner of the Anthony Award for Best First Novel
Among shortlisted titles for Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel, 2023
Winner of Ned Kelly Award - Best International Crime Fiction, 2022
Among shortlisted titles for Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel, 2023
Among shortlisted titles for Kobo Emerging Writer Prize, 2024
Winner of Ned Kelly Award - Best International Crime Fiction, 2022
Among shortlisted titles for Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel, 2023
Among shortlisted titles for Kobo Emerging Writer Prize, 2024
Winner of Ned Kelly Award - Best International Crime Fiction, 2022
NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE • ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022—Glamour, W magazine, PopSugar, The Rumpus, Book Riot, CrimeReads, She Reads, Daily Hive, The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, Stylist, Canadian Living
“Excellent and totally entertaining . . . the most interesting (and endearing) main character in a long time.” —Stephen King
“An endearing debut. . . . The reader comes to understand Molly’s worldview, and to sympathize with her longing to be accepted—a quest that gives The Maid real emotional heft.” —The New York Times
“The Maid is a masterful, charming mystery that will touch your heart in ways you could never expect. . . . This is the smart, quirky, uplifting read we need.” —Ashley Audrain, #1 bestselling author of The Push
A dead body is one mess she can’t clean up on her own.
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 demeanour 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?
Both 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.
Praise