The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

This is the discussion thread for the Summer 2022 Group Read The Maid in the category Fiction- Cozy Mystery. Please post your comments here. This thread is not restricted to those choosing this book for task 20.10, feel free to join in the discussion. Warning- spoilers ahead!

The requirement for task 20.10: You must participate in the book's discussion thread below with at least one post about the contents of the book or your reaction to the book after you have read the book.

So, from the book blurb - Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others -

I assumed that she has Social Cues Disorder. There's also definitely some OCD going on. And her language structures and the way she talks about her routines and proper order of things would indicate that she's somewhere on the Autism spectrum.

Her description of finding Mr Black dead was funny - her need to tidy things up before calling the front desk was definitely in line with what I expected from her.

She's going to be an interesting character to spend time with, I think. I like her already. She reminds me of a couple of my library patrons.

It's Wednesday morning, and Molly is in the middle of what appears to be a serious mess.

(view spoiler)[Poor Molly. She's so oblivious to things around her, so unable to see the clues that are staring her in the face.

Rodney & Juan are obviously running cocaine or heroin through the available empty hotel rooms, making Molly their unwitting accomplice. Rodney & Giselle are probably involved on the side. Mr. Snow and Mr Preston are both looking out for her, but they're completely out of the loop at how deep she's managed to get herself into this mess.

I like that she's beginning to see that she's in the center of a puzzle though. Maybe if she can put her keen observation skills and OCD to work, she can figure it out before she ends up in serious trouble. She's not cut out for the dark underworld. She's entirely too trusting. (hide spoiler)]

I love how the mystery is unfolding. The clues are there, but the solution is just out of reach. Off to see what Wednesday brings!

Finished ~
Cool twist at the end.

Review ~
So the autistic community is pretty much up in arms about this book and giving it some seriously negative reviews, which I feel are undeserved. The general feeling I get is that they are unhappy because of the way author pigeon holed Molly and made her appear goofy and stereotypical. I have a hard time sympathizing for the simple reason that the book is classified as a cozy mystery, which means all the things they find annoying about it are part of its overall charm, or at least are supposed to be.

ALL cozy mystery characters are stereotyped. They are what defines the genre and are at the heart of what makes these mysteries work. When you pick one up, you just expect to find goofy, predictable characters, not a deep existential multi-faceted novel that puts the world's axis on a different tilt. I found it kind of sweet to have a neurodivergent character put in the center of a cozy mystery - much like Monk of television. In my opinion, it gave a fresh approach to a genre that has needed a new viewpoint for a long time. I loved Molly and I hope the author writes a sequel because I'll be in line for that one too.
4☆

♞ Pat wrote: "Finished ~
Cool twist at the end.

Review ~
So the autistic community is pretty much up in arms about this book and giving it some seriously negative reviews, which I feel are undeserved. The gen..."

I would say the important difference here, regarding stereotyped characters and their place in cosy mysteries, is that the autistic community RARELY has any representation that is NOT stereotypical, and those stereotypes actually prove extremely harmful in their actual lives, particularly when people who don't know any autistic people in real life only have those representations to go off. Representation matters.
There's nothing cosy about discrimination and prejudice.
I can't comment in too much depth about this book as I DNF'd it pretty early on. Cosy mysteries just aren't my genre. I'm going to move to the hidden life of trees for this task.

♞ Pat wrote: "Finished ~
Cool twist at the end.

Review ~
So the autistic community is pretty much up in arms about this book and giving it some seriously negative reviews, which I feel are undeserved. The gen..."

I'm not reading it for this task, because I read it a while ago as an ARC. I loved it and I loved Molly's character. My reaction wasn't one of "oh there's a goofy stereotypical autistic person," but that she was a person doing her best in life and doing a pretty damn good job at it.

I just finished this last night, would probably not gone for it had it not been the best option for this group read for me. I think my (very negative) response to the book was colored by just having finished Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. I struggled to finish that book and at the time, couldn't pinpoint why. But, what I disliked about it was very similar to what I disliked about this one. I saw another reviewer on the book's main page describe it as "twee" and I thought "YES! That's it!" In both cases, there's a tone in the treatment of the main character, who is neurodivergent, that I found grating and disrespectful. I thought, "Should I just lighten up?" and ended up asking myself if I would have lightened up if the MC had a physical disability that was central to the "cuteness" of the plot. Probably not. It seems like it's become a new subgenre - plucky, clueless women on the spectrum get themselves into trouble and narrate in stilted fashion. Ugh. Not for me.

outside looking in there is a lot of research to suggest adult women have been underdiagnosed for years on the spectrum because their symptoms are typically different to what we associate with autism - which was based on a very white young male sample over the years (this issue actually exists across the entire medical spectrum - think women and heart attacks - our symptoms are typically very different to men which are why it been the silent killer for years) - medical standards often aren't disaggregated with race and gender when they are developed - so all the results are in one pool vs. looking within different subgroups.

so maybe it is a bit fetishizing of a disability and some of it drawing light on how these people have been left out of diagnostic standards to highlight medical issues in society (i'm geeking out but i'm looking at going into public policy and this ia topic of interest within it right now)

Dee wrote: "outside looking in there is a lot of research to suggest adult women have been underdiagnosed for years on the spectrum because their symptoms are typically different to what we associate with auti..."
That's a really interesting point - totally agree about women being underrepresented in medical studies and misdiagnosed as a result - it makes sense that it would apply to spectrum disorders.

Yes, I completely agree. My daughter is on the spectrum, so I do "get" that these women are underdiagnosed. But we had a hard time when she was small getting ANY of her multitude of neuro-divergent issues diagnosed.

I knew the moment after she was born that she wasn't ... (can I say) right. Most newborns cuddle into you when you bring them to your chest. This one stretched as far away from me as she possibly could without actually throwing herself out of my grip. The most contact I could manage with her the first 24 hours was to simply rub her toes. We went to sleep every night for the first year of her life with her rocking the crib and headbanging the headboard of it to put herself to sleep. I couldn't rock her because she wouldn't let me HOLD her. Thankfully, she made it to adulthood and while she still struggles with her neurodivergency, she does manage to cope better. The conversation we had one day that started with her asking, "Mom, when you say you love me, what does that mean?" She was 20. I think that conversation helped us get around the corner and now we are much better able to communicate on an adult level.

Some of her habit patterns are unique, some are typical. She is a PERSON, and she'd make an interesting character not because she is neurodivergent, but because she is an interesting character.

I think - had the book promotion blurb not pointed out the fact that "Molly Gray is not like everyone else...struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others," we wouldn't be looking for an explanation for why she is like she is. We'd just roll with her quirks and move on. We might think she was odd, or dense, or naieve," or OCD, or a million other things she might be, but I don't know that we'd be "aware" of it as we are having it be a book promotional issue.

And yes, I have a problem with them pointing that out, but the Lincoln Rhyme series points out that he's in a wheelchair, and points out the difficulties he has with navigating that while doing his job. So I don't know that this particular book is any different in that respect.

I don't know that the character would have been as charming - and I found her ADORABLY so - had she been written as a complex individual. Is it an oversimplification of the character? Of course it is. Cozy just doesn't seem to expand to include the level of character complexity that a general or noir mystery does. I'd have had a much harder time with it were it a different genre label.

I found Molly so endearing and loveable as a character. But, my biggest complaint was how so many of the adults in her life treated her. Rather than accepting her differences they chose to exploit them.

As an adult who works with children on the AU spectrum, this was hard to swallow. So often these kids are embraced and accepted by their peers and taught to adjust to their differences. I think (and sincerely hope) that people are more accepting than how they are portrayed.

But I also know that these kids are more intelligent and socially savvy than they are often given credit for. So, I hate that Molly's character was so discounted and undervalued throughout so much of the book.

Glad to know it's not just me - I was uncomfortable with the depiction of Molly. I didn't get the feeling that the author really knew anyone who was neurodivergent. I was disturbed in the early parts where people are making fun of Molly, or exploiting her, or ignoring her. And later on, it seemed everything was resolved too easily. I felt the same way with Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. A third book with a neurodivergent young woman is Convenience Store Woman, and I liked that one better because the heroine eventually has more agency in her life (and a boyfriend isn't the answer to her problems.)

This was a fast read, a few hours at most. Overall I would give it 3 stars which means it was fine, but nothing special.

As an avid reader of Cozy Mysteries, I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me.

Several commentators have already mentioned the stereotypical portrayal of Molly's character. While her naivete comes across as charming on the surface, this is also something sinister about it. Not only do others manipulate her (Juan, Rodney, Giselle), but she herself has a dark side that does not resonate with her supposed lack of guile.

In terms of the mystery, it breaks away from many of the cozy tropes with a morally questionable heroine and a (view spoiler)[killer who gets away with murder (hide spoiler)]. The writing style is also very drawn out with a lot of repetition and too much telling rather than showing.

Robin P wrote: "Glad to know it's not just me - I was uncomfortable with the depiction of Molly. I didn't get the feeling that the author really knew anyone who was neurodivergent. I was disturbed in the early par..."

convenience store woman was interesting - i just listened to it a few weeks ago

on the romance side - i like Helen Hoang stuff because she identifies as neurodiverse

I read this expecting to enjoy it, as I have with several books lately with similar characters. I ended up not really liking it mostly because of the way the characters were treating Molly. I generally don't mind exaggerated stereotypical behavior in characters to fit the story, but there needs to be a balance and this book tipped too far over the edge to just being mean.

KmarieD wrote: "I read this expecting to enjoy it, as I have with several books lately with similar characters. I ended up not really liking it mostly because of the way the characters were treating Molly. I gener..."

Yes, that's exactly what I thought. Reviews said it was a feel-good story but not really.

Robin P wrote: "Yes, that's exactly what I thought. Reviews said it was a feel-good story but not really"

I agree. There is nothing feel-good about it.

Kathy KS

I'm adding my original review below, but I then came to this thread and see how many others have viewed the book.

All the above comments about neurodiversity are noted. But that didn't stop me from liking Molly. My admittedly small acquaintence of those on the spectrum does not make me any kind of authority, but I could see the areas of similarity between my own experiences and Molly's personality. I've read so many books in my lifetime that I don't expect completely accurate portrayals of any characters when thinking about age, ethnicity, gender preferences, medical issues, etc. I did feel bad in the early parts of the book when Molly discussed how others sometimes related to her. But I liked her and respected her grandmother (as seen through Molly's eyes). I've always felt different is OK.

Now... my original review:
When I first saw the title of this book I didn't really feel a need to read it. Then I read the description and thought, "it sounds like it may be a cute mystery," so added it to my TBR list.

Well, this wasn't what I expected, but I'm definitely glad I read it. Molly is definitely a hotel maid. She's great at cleaning and treats guests and co-workers kindly and respectfully. But Molly is clever, but does not see the world as others might. Without actually saying it, readers begin to realize that Molly is most likely neurodiverse. The book brought to mind The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which I read years ago. Part of the pleasure of reading both books is trying to understand how those on the spectrum see the world and make sense of it.

Molly has been reared by her grandmother who taught her how to be so kind and how to clean. Through many memorable words of wisdom, she has passed on admirable lessons about life and Molly often draws on these phrases to determine how to face life's situations. When Molly discovers a dead body in the hotel her life suddenly has many unforeseen challenges and she must draw on her grandmother's training to navigate her new reality. Much is going on behind the scenes of the hotel and following Molly's discoveries and those around her (both good and bad) is both interesting and
rewarding.

The book was an extremely fast read as I followed one week in the life of Molly, the Maid. There is also an afterword that helps wrap up a few details that readers may be wondering about. I enjoyed getting to know Molly. Perhaps the most useful bit of Grandma's wisdom, often quoted, is also true about the overall theme of the book: "We are all the same in different ways."

I originally discovered this title when the publisher provided me with a copy through NetGalley, in order to provide an honest opinion of the book.

In the words of Molly, I found this book absolutely "delightful!"

I loved the relationship Molly had with her grandmother, and how her grandmother tried to teach her to navigate the world with her set of rules, routines and good manners.

I took delight in their nightly ritual of watching Columbo, which I loved growing up. It was another lesson grandmother was trying to teach. The world or television viewing audience may know from the onset who committed the crime, but the seemingly inept Columbo, often dismissed by the criminals as a bumbling fool, slowly revealed how he used the clues to catch the criminal. The comparison of Molly to Columbo was not lost on me. So often we view people who are different from us as "less than" or with negative name calling, be it a difference in job, such as a maid, social status, physical or mental limitations or political beliefs, etc... That list could go on. I think Prose was using Columbo to remind the reader not to underestimate Molly the Maid.

Molly, from all the clues given, falls somewhere on the spectrum. She had difficulty reading facial expressions and other social cues. There seems to be issue with some readers that the author didn't label Molly with Asperger's. I, for one, didn't need the author to come out in black and white and give Molly a diagnosis. I could read between the lines and see the gray (Molly Gray), and know she fell somewhere on the spectrum. I think that was a point the author was trying to make. Some of us can read between the lines and some can't. Some of us have the ability and still don't, like those who name call because someone is different, like a few of Molly's coworkers. All of us at times can even read a face, tone, or situation wrong and/or be used by others. Just like Molly's grandmother told her she had some problems with her pancreas and didn't want to tell her it was cancer until later so she had time to get used to the idea, I think Prose wanted us to get use to Molly without having to put a label on her. She wanted us to get used to the idea that, "We are all the same in different ways."

I thought this was a warm, compelling read, and I will say it again, delightful!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What a wonderful cozy mystery. I was happy to be able to read a book where the protagonist isn't angry, bitter and blaming the world for their problems, aren't drunk, high or sleeping around.
Molly the Maid is mot perfect but she is definitely different. The author says Molly is a 25 year old woman on the spectrum with the added trait of being obsessive/compulsive.
I would add that she has probably lived a sheltered life with her grandmother and is a little insecure because her mother abandoned her as a young child.
This all combined makes for a very unusual character and for some readers she might be a little hard to understand or tolerate.
Molly is an interesting character but she is not perfect. She is a perfectionist and expects otters to take their jobs as seriously as she does. Her work is her life, especially after her grandmother's death, and identifies her as a person. A lot of people like her but some don't including Cheryl, Molly's supervisor. One of the hotel guests, Giselle likes her and they become friends. That brings trouble for Molly when Giselle's celebrity husband is murdered in their suite and in trying to help her, Molly becomes the number one suspect. She is even arrested and spends time in a holding cell which is s nightmare especially for someone as clean conscience as Molly. In the process of trying to prove her innocence Molly learns things about co-workers that are doing shady operations right under the hotel's roof.
I loved this book for so many reasons. It is a great cozy that features a main character who is likable and despite having a disability she is extremely good at her job. She is stubborn but in a good way. I enjoyed her quotes that she surely must have learned from her grandmother. There is humor and sadness and of course the heroine in this tale triumphs "with a little help from her friends". A real "feel good' cozy.

3 stars for me

Molly is a maid at a fancy hotel and she loves her work, putting a room back to tidy perfection is rewarding to her. Molly struggles a bit with social cues and norms especially since her Gran died. She also isn't great at deciding who deserves her trust and friendship. When finds a VIP guest dead in his bed, Molly must better understand the relationships in her life, those who hurt and those who help or she may end up in prison for the death.

Untangling the mess of the death was interesting as well as cast of characters. It was engaging and I read quickly wondering how it would all work out. However I found Molly and some of the situations a bit inconsistent which prevented me from being fully pulled in.

I hadn't read (or heard) much about this book prior to reading it so I didn't realize it was supposed to be a mystery rather than a book about not fitting in. (Silly me, I did know that it was chosen by the poll for cozy mystery but the description didn't lead me in that direction.)

I could identify with how Molly didn't pick up on social cues and didn't recognize how other people saw her in many circumstances. This brought to mind an episode in my own life where I gave too much information to a stranger (what motel room I was staying in) because I didn't realize how my comments might imply that I wanted company. I hadn't thought about the incident in over 30 years, but reading about Molly brought it back.

I didn't like the twist at the end (view spoiler)[ where Molly was responsible for smothering her grandmother and where she worked with the first Mrs Black to cover up the murder (hide spoiler)]. I thought it would have been better to end with the results of the trial, Molly's promotion, and her growing relationship with Juan Manuel.

I have to disagree with Julia about that last twist at the end, at least where the murder was concerned. I felt that ending seemed fitting, although quite out of character for Molly - perhaps that's why the other part of that twist was included to show that Molly is capable of more nuance than the rest of the book would lead us to believe.

My review:

************

I had a horrible time getting into this book and nearly ditched it. Although I was sympathetic to the reasons why she behaved the way she did, I found her entirely unlikable for the majority of the book. I know people who are like this who are very likable, so I'm not sure why the author chose to present her the way she did. I also had problems with how incredibly naive she was when it suited the plot and how very clever she was when that suited the plot. Sigh.

The mystery itself is a good one, but you're unlikely to figure out what really happened until fairly late in the book because critical details are left out until the very end. It keeps people guessing, which is good, but I like to feel like I have a shot at figuring things out if I pay close attention. It was a resolution I was not expecting, but it felt good.

Amy FL

This was a quick read and an enjoyable one, especially because of the great narration by Lauren Ambrose. I liked Molly and her eventual group of supporters. I didn't see the twist at the end coming which was a pleasant surprise; too many mysteries are totally predictable.

It was sad to see how easily taken advantage of Molly was, but she was trusting to a fault. Her inability to see the evil in people was part of her neurodiversity, unfortunately.

My only disappointment in the book was that the bad boyfriend who stole the "Faberge" was never brought to justice.

Copying my review I posted on my bookstagram about this book. My book club IRL actually picked this book for our July book as well as it being a group read for the summer challenge :)

☺️ the good ☺️
- This was already on my TBR but then my book club picked it for our July read and yes, I forgot and didn’t grab it til like the last of the month and just finished it in August BUT it made me read it sooner rather than later.
- This cover. Gorgeous. Simple and gorgeous. Love it.

🤨 the bad 😒
- There’s bad guys but no bad to this book. It’s written well. The story’s great.

😍 the beautiful 😍
- THE TWISTS JUST KEPT COMING.
- Juan Manuel. He’s a good egg. ☺️
- Somehow this book is a calming read while also dishing out all the surprises and OMG moments. I don’t even understand how, but I just lost time reading this book and I adored it.
- Molly the Maid. Molly Gray. What a gem. What a f***ing gem of a character. God. Memorable character for sure.
- I didn’t guess the twists. I f***ing love a book written this well and not being able to guess the big bad and the twists are genuinely unexpected but still MAKES COMPLETE SENSE?! This book was amazing.

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed the book. Great twist at the end. I liked the main character, Molly, and her perspective on the world, and it was interesting to have the story told from the point of view of someone who isn't an amateur super-sleuth. Hope there's a sequel.

I really liked this book. You are continuously rooting for Molly to come out on top in the end. It had enough twists and mystery in it to keep me interested.

I enjoyed the character development for Molly. As an occupational therapist working with children on the autism spectrum, I noted the deficits in social communication (failure to pick up or misinterpret social cues, literal interpretation of speech, etc.) . I was glad to see that Molly was able to function effectively in a job she enjoyed as an adult. What struck me most profoundly from the book was when she said something like "I'm just a maid. Who would want to talk to me?" It is a great reminder to appreciate and be respectful of those who provide service in my life.
Cheers!

I think the twist at the end actually fits Molly's character. She is definitely a rule follower but she definitely knows that sometimes rules should be broken to help others. This is demonstrated in her willingness to help Juan Manuel when she thinks he needs a room because he is homeless. The ending shows her helping another whom she thinks deserves it.

I really enjoyed this book and gave it four stars. Normally, I refuse to give cozies anything higher than a three star rating because of the clichés and stereotypes rampant in the genre, but I adored Molly.

Until I read it in Pat's post, I had no idea about the furore regarding Molly's condition. Initially, I wanted to be in the "representation is good" camp. I am not on the spectrum, don't know anyone with neurodivergency and am only so informed about autism as was necessary in relation to my anthropology degree; more than the average Joe, but quite limited with fairly old info. So when I initially considered Molly, I thought it was good but then I read Florence's post and, though my immediate response was to contradict, I thought about it from something that pisses me off (Steven King's use of black folks!) Then I took Florence's point to the logical conclusion in relation to black people and I could absolutely see why it's definitely not helpful and, sadly, potentially harmful to just say, "but at least they are represented." Even "good" stereotypes, à la King or pretty much any Native or Indigenous character, are harmful because they reinforce the otherness, rather than humanise, therefore keeping some people on the outside of "normal/regular" humanity.
With all that said, I still enjoyed Molly. Even though I can get on board with the initial argument, I would need to read people's reasons about why Molly was a negative representation of neurodiversity before I can wholly agree.
I thought she was mostly likable and fairly complex for a cozy mystery character. I adored her but she was not adorable. She had a nasty side, she had a kind side and, as the end proved, a contradictory side. Like Aprilleigh, I think there was a bit of convenience in the use of her condition to advance the plot. But overall I liked all the characters and enjoyed the mystery.

Plus, this book changed my life. I have read nearly every book where people have made that claim, yet none affected me in any meaningful way. But that little Monday thru Sunday cleaning schedule has been a game changer. I HATE cleaning. I have always done it in fits and starts, which often meant I spent the weekend every other week doing everything and being angry about it. And some things I only did when it became unbearable, like dusting. Anyway, i took a pic of the little schedule/poem and have been using it mostly successfully since. Though Thursday (dust we must) has still eluded me.

My favourite character was Mr Preston. I think he was an all around great guy. (view spoiler)[I was a little confused about whether he was Molly's grandad, but the way he treats his daughter and how he is with Molly, I don't think he is her grandad. It doesn't fit with his character. (hide spoiler)] But i love that Molly has some found family now and that Mr Preston, his daughter and Juan Manuel are they to help her and look out for her if she should want or need it.

I'd definitely recommend to those wary of cozies.

I enjoyed the book but question whether the twist at the end is compatible with Molly's naivety during the rest of the book.