Book Review: Nita Prose's The Maid

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of Nita Prose’s novel The Maid.

Molly Gray is proud of her profession as a maid at a top London hotel. She values cleanliness, manners, and discretion, happy to complete her mission of returning every hotel room back to a “state of perfection.” Recently, Molly has suffered a major loss when her beloved gran, the woman who raised her, passed away. Molly, who is just in her early twenties, is now completely alone and struggling to make ends meet.

To add to her troubles, Molly discovers the body of a high-profile hotel guest and is now part of the police investigation. Her situation is amplified by Molly’s trusting nature and inability to recognize social cues, which leads to the wrong people seeking to take advantage of her. Readers quickly learn that this stately London hotel is filled with sordid characters looking to take advantage of Molly.

I throughly enjoyed The Maid. Prose has written a solid mystery with compelling characters and a perfect balance of humor and humanity. I fell in love with sweet Molly and the relationship that she has with her gran. It hurt to see Molly get involved in so many bad situations, including some of her own volition, however, as anyone can imagine, our protagonist prevails in the end and her victory is even more poignant. The story has a lovely theme of finding family in the people around you, not just blood relatives. As I am in a similar situation as Molly, with no living relatives, this theme resonated strongly with me.

Molly’s logic and unintentional sense of humor had me smiling throughout. The Maid is a delightful read and I really hope that Prose is planning a sequel, as I could use more Molly Gray in my life!

Book Review: Lisa Jewell's Invisible Girl

Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with a copy of Lisa Jewell’s latest novel, Invisible Girl, in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa Jewell is one of my favorite mystery/suspense authors and she has another winner with her latest novel, Invisible Girl.

Saffyre Maddox is a beautiful, seventeen year old living under the care of her older brother. Her childhood was marked, not only by the loss of her parents, but by a traumatic experience that led her to self-harm. Saffyre spent several years under the care of Roan Fours, a highly-regarded child psychologist. However, Saffyre remained guarded during her sessions with Roan and although he declared her fit enough to end their sessions, she never revealed the truth of her trauma. Years after her final session with Roan, she finds herself interested in his life, including following him, discovering that he has been having an affair with a young colleague. Saffyre is an “invisible Girl” hiding in shadows and even sleeping in an abandoned lot across the street from Roan’s home. She is slowly turning almost feral.

On the other side of town, Roan’s family has been renting a home in a posh, seemingly safe neighborhood. However, tensions are high when several women are sexually assaulted, including Roan’s daughter’s friend. Suspicion falls on Owen Pick, a man in his early thirties who lives across the street from Fours family. Owen is reclusive and socially awkward. To make matters worse, he has recently been suspended from work due to allegations of inappropriate behavior with the young girls that he teaches.

When Saffyre goes missing, her blood and possessions are discovered on the window outside of Owen’s bedroom window and he is arrested. However, days pass and detectives cannot find Saffyre’s body. Is Owen involved with Saffyre’s disappearance or has he been labeled guilty based on circumstantial evidence and wild accusations?

Jewell is masterful at crafting mystery and as with her previous novels, you never quite know the outcome until the very last pages. This story dives into the #metoo movement and takes a close look at the perspectives of both victims and perpetrators. It also looks at those who must confront their inappropriate behavior and take responsibility. The last few years has brought on the concept of “Cancel Culture.” I can understand the desire to “cancel” people who behave in harmful ways, but it also cancels the concept of redemption for those who are open to accepting responsibility and change. Jewell allows one of her characters ( no spoilers), someone who can change and wants to change, the opportunity to be forgiven. It’s quite a beautiful and powerful part of the story. No worries, those who should truly be punished definitely get their reckoning!

Invisible Girl is heartbreaking, surprising and affecting. It is a solid, suspenseful mystery with memorable characters. I recommend Invisible Girl along with Jewell’s other novels. She’s a fabulous writer!

Book Review- Annie Lyons' The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett

Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers for providing me with a copy of Annie Lyons’ novel, The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett, in exchange for an honest review.

Eudora Honeysett is eight-five years old and done with life. She decides that the most dignified death would be to pursue assisted suicide through a company in Switzerland. The process is not simple. It requires doctors appointments and months of thought, during which Eudora’s otherwise predictable life changes with the addition of new friends, including an unusual little girl named Rose and a fellow senior named Stanley. As Eudora discovers that there might be more to her life than she imagined, she is forced to confront difficult issues in her past.

I loved The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett. It’s an emotional journey that had me in tears for the last quarter of the story. I had to put the book down many times, because I became overcome with emotion. The best, most memorable books are ones that shake me to the core, and Lyons’ characters are sure to stay with me for a long time.

The story alternates between the present and Eudora’s younger years. We learn that trauma from Eudora’s early years has led her to put up walls, to protect herself. Octogenarian Eudora is tough, and even has a difficult time softening towards her cat, Montgomery. Lyons carefully balances the difficult senior Eudora, with the hurt child Eudora, giving us a well-rounded, relatable character.

I was struck by how much Eudora reminded me of my mother-in-law. This is not to say that they had similar situations, but more in the general way that senior Eudora has firm ideas about how a person should behave and tends to discredit activities that others use for joy. I also found my niece, Charis, in the character of Rose. Like my niece, Rose is an absolute force of nature, who gathers other people in her orbit. It’s a wonderful quality in a person, but it also means facing criticism by those less comfortable in their own skin. Eudora tries to resist Rose, but Rose simply won’t let her.

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett is the perfect story to remind us to be compassionate towards others and to remember that we don’t always know the trials that other people face. It’s also a story about the importance of building our own tribe and that blood relatives are not our only family. Lyons has written an absolutely beautiful story with unforgettable characters. She is a new author discovery for me and I was thrilled to learn that she has written many other novels. I look forward to reading them all.