This book exudes originality, individuality and all the main character energy we want and need

We are only into the second month of 2023 and I am already calling this one of the best books I have read this year.

'The Maid' by Nita Prose focuses on the life of Molly, a 25 year old maid at the Regency Hotel. She's unapologetically herself, witty, smart and proudly holds a very strong work ethic ensuring every room at the hotel is cleaned to perfection. One work day, however, is especially eventful when Molly finds one of the most prestigious frequent guests at the hotel, Mr Black, dead in his room. And being the person to have found him dead, all fingers quickly point to Molly as the culprit of this crime. But Molly is determined to uncover the truth and reclaim her innocence.

What makes this book so exceptionally great is the focus on creating such a memorable and unique protagonist. Molly is similar to the other girls her age in the sense that she is passionate about her job, she has a crush on a guy who works at the same hotel, and often struggles to pay her rent on time. But, Molly often struggles in social situations, and Nita Prose describes this in the book as everyone plays a complex game that Molly does not seem to understand the rules of. What's more, Molly was raised by her Gran and therefore chooses to use vocabulary that is perhaps not so frequently used in today's day and age - my personal favourite being 'no matter' and 'beau'.

But, even though Molly was designed to be conspicuously abnormal and unconventional, as a reader, I found myself relating to her more and more as the book progressed. Which is maybe a reminder that we are all a little weird and imperfect, but that's what makes us ourselves - our unique and original selves.

The additional characters in this book also make this story so special, and I especially enjoyed the relationship between Molly and her Gran, and all of her Gran's wisdom and advice that is included in this book. The fact that Molly works in the hotel means we also meet a charming and endearing doorman called Mr Preston, Rodney the dashing bartender Molly crushes on, Juan Manuel the dishwasher, Mr Snow who runs the hotel and Cheryl, another maid who Molly does not particularly get along with.

We also meet hotel regulars, like Giselle, Mr Black's second wife. I loved seeing the relationship between Giselle and Molly throughout the book form, be questioned, change, and ultimately strengthen by the end of it, and the ending was incredibly heartwarming with this regard. And with the murder, we also meet Detective Stark, and the nod directed to Molly at the end of the book had me beaming.

Even though this book is a mystery, the relatively simple storyline in comparison to other mystery/thrillers out there means as a reader, you are not lost in a confusing tale, but rather given the opportunity to actually enjoy reading the book, without trying to remember so many details. But what the book certainly did not lack in was the ability to keep the reader engaged and in suspense, right until the last page, which is honestly rare for me because with a lot of books, I find myself just wanting to get to the end because it dragged.

It is so cleverly written, features an incredibly dynamic group of characters and certainly left me craving Italian food and raison bran muffins by the end of it (if you know, you know). So, if you are in the hunt for your next read, I'd highly recommend this one. Because with a book this special, I would not be surprised if it is turned into a movie/series, and given a sequel.