The Maid, by Nita Prose

Molly works in housekeeping at the Grand Regent Hotel, a job she loves and is very good at. She lives in the aprtment where she was raised by her beloved late Gran and it having trouble making the rent. It is soon clear that Molly is on the spectrum; she is smart but has trouble reading social and emotional cues, which often lands her in hot water. When she discovers hotel guest Mr Black dead in his suite Molly conceals information from the police to protect his trophy wife, Giselle, who has befriended her. Prose does a good job of making it clear to the reader that there have been dodgy dealings between Mr Black and some of the hotel staff, while leaving helpful Molly to her delusions. The maid soon finds herself in big trouble, but also finds friends in high and low places who help her out. In her determination to tie up all loose ends Prose leaves some annoying plot holes and time discrepancies. Most are unnecessary to the main story and contribute to a credibility gap for Molly that undermines the morally ambiguous ending. This is ironic, given that the author is also an editor – perhaps she felt she didn’t need the oversight. Big tip – she did.