Book Club “The Maid”
For April we chose a book we had been hearing a lot about! This was a New York Times Bestseller, a Good Morning America pick, and an Edgar Award finalist.
We couldn’t wait to dive into this book and see how POV came into play.
Book
The Maid by Nita Prose
Description:
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.
Club
Snack suggestions:
While you could lean into the fancy hotel theme of the Regency Grand with some hors d'oeuvre, we decided to order from Molly’s favorite restaurant!
With how often Olive Garden was mentioned in this book, we felt like we had to order from there! We selected the salad and Tour of Italy, along with a few other items, for our meal.
When a restaurant is mentioned as often as this was in a book, it makes you want to order the Tour of Italy!
Check out Cozy Crimes’ book club questions that can be used for any mystery.
Here are our questions targeted to The Maid:
1. What did you think of Molly as a protagonist? It’s implied, but never said that she is on the spectrum. What did you think of viewing the story from her point of view?
2. Who did you trust and distrust throughout the story? Did any of your suspicions change throughout your reading?
3. What are some examples of Molly being an unreliable narrator? How does this influence the plot?
4. How did the criminal enterprise operate in the hotel? Who do you think had knowledge of it, who chose to turn a blind eye, and who was truly unaware?
5. What did you think of this book as a mystery? How did you try to solve what was happening as you were reading?
6. What clues did you pick up on as you were reading? Who did you suspect as the killer?
7. Who did you have sympathy for in the book?
8. Why was Molly seen as the prime suspect?
9. In what ways did Molly have agency for what happened to her?
10. Would you read the sequel to this book? How do you think the movie adaptation will convey the story?
