Published By: HarperCollins
Pages: 416
Date Published: 20/01/2022
Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misinterprets 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 had to navigate 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 turned on its head 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 very 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?
*****
*CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS*
Thanks to HarperCollins for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
Early reviews were flitting about my social media recently and I had yet to read one that wasn’t entirely complimentary, so I knew even before I started it that I was in for a good read.
Nita has spent many years editing other novels and has clearly perfected her craft through seeing what others do and learning from it, in order to produce this masterpiece. It’s hard to believe this is her first novel as it is so perfectly crafted that I cannot see any flaws.
Molly Maid is such a unique and compelling character. She is simply glorious and gives us such an insight into her different way of thinking. There are a multitude of other characters – some better than others – who all do their best to carry the story, but it is through Molly’s heartfelt narration that we really fall in love. In fact, I felt so angry with some of the other characters on Molly’s behalf, she really shouldn’t be so underestimated.
For someone who has lost her fair share of people over the years, the description of Molly’s grief after losing her gran is one of the best fictional descriptions I’ve read, it is so close to reality that it’s heartbreaking.
At its heart, this is a murder mystery, but not like we know. There’s no twists or red herrings; as the reader we know who is good and who is bad, it’s just for Molly – and us – to convince everyone else.
On a side note, I also learnt from this book that when you post someone’s bail money, you don’t actually pay there and there, only if they flee. That’s something I never knew. Who says you can’t learn from fiction books?
Books By Your Bedside 