The Maid: The Sunday Times and No.1 New York Times bestseller. A Molly the Maid mystery

The Maid is the first novel by Canadian editor and author, Nita Prose. Twenty-five-year-old Molly Gray is a maid in the Regency Grand, a very exclusive boutique hotel. She is diligent, discreet and courteous: "Is this a good time for me to return your suite to a state of perfection?"

Molly tends to interpret what is said very literally and has always relied on her Gran to help her read social cues. Her oddly formal way of speaking is likely thanks to her beloved Gran, but since she died, Molly's having to manage alone.

She's not an idiot, though, whatever people think: she's learning: "The smile that wasn't a smile. I'm beginning to understand the nuances of smiles, their cornucopia of meanings. I save each smile in a dictionary that I keep alphabetized on a shelf in my mind."

One reason she loves her job so much is that the manager of the hotel, Mr Snow has a strict set of rules, and Molly is good at following rules. But what rules does she follow when she finds real estate magnate, Charles Black, dead in his suite on a Monday afternoon?

Molly is an interesting character and it is quickly clear that her (rather incredible) naivete, her tendency to give everyone she meets the benefit of the doubt, and her far too trusting nature have landed her in a nasty situation of which she is unaware. Luckily, not all her trust is misplaced.

In this brilliant debut novel, Prose offers the reader an irresistible protagonist, plenty of dark humour, and a few red herrings laced through a fast-paced plot that will keep even the most astute reader guessing right up to the final, stunning twist. Definitely lives up to the hype!!

This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Better Reading Preview and Harper Collins Australia.