Reviewed by Wendy Lipke
The Maid’s Secret is another story by Nita Pronovost, better known by her pen name Nita Prose. Her Maid series of stories includes The Mistletoe Mystery, The Mystery Guest and The Maid. Her 2022 debut novel, The Maid, won an Anthony Award (2023), Barry Award (2023), Goodreads Choice Award (2022), Macavity Award (2023), and Ned Kelly Award (2022).
These books star Molly, an endearing young woman who struggles with social cues as she has difficulty reading the intentions of others. Yet she excels at her job as a room maid in the high-end boutique Regency Grand Hotel. In The Maid’s Secret she is planning her wedding to Juan Manuel the chef at the hotel when her life becomes the centre of attention for not just those at the hotel. For someone whose whole life has been spent being invisible in her role as maid, she finds her present situation very overwhelming.
The popular Hidden Treasures TV Roadshow decides to film one of their episodes at the hotel where the couple work and this is when her life is turned upside down. The employees were invited to bring along any treasures they might have to be appraised by the flamboyant well-known duo Brown and Beagle.
Molly had been raised frugally by her gran and has a few of her old trinkets in a shoe box which she takes along. She is shocked to find that one of these trinkets is, in fact, a very rare and precious item and that she could become a very rich young woman. She also finds herself being mobbed every time she steps outdoors, then to make matters worse, she becomes the victim of a brazen art heist that places her life in serious danger.
Alternating with Molly’s story is that of the woman who was her only family when she was growing up. A diary which belonged to her grandmother comes into Molly’s possession at this time providing many answers about their family history, the relationship with people close to her and how she came to be in possession of such a rare item.
This book is like an upstairs-downstair Downton Abbey story with a mystery to be solved. It highlights the differences between the classes at this time and how often those with wealth and influence can manipulate situations so that they are never brought to justice for their misdemeanours. However, this story also shows how those with power over others can also be brought low. The actions of Molly’s grandmother as she was growing up left a lot to be desired. Fortunately, this story also shows that this behaviour can be turned around and she is eventually portrayed as a very wise woman.
Molly’s grandmother used to interpret the world for her, using common sayings which became simple rules that Molly could live by. These are found throughout Molly’s story as well as in the grandmother’s diary and help Molly make some of the difficult decisions she is confronted with. Family relationships are prominent in this tale, the good and the bad. Molly’s great grandparents certainly lacked the ‘milk of human kindness’ (45) and this was also the case with Molly’s mother. However, for all its sad history and hardship to survive, this is a positive story especially around those who work for the Regency Grand Hotel. Everyone loves Molly, the maid.
Nita Prose is a Canadian author of mystery novels. She is a vice-president and editorial director at Simon & Schuster Canada (under her real name of Nita Pronovost). In her time as an editor, she has worked with many different bestselling authors and others in the publishing field whom she has learned from bit by bit. She has written a heartwarming story in The Maid’s Secret.
Concerning the title of this book, we now all know Molly the maid but it would no longer be a secret if I revealed here what her secret was. It is up to the next reader to discover it for themselves.
The Maid’s Secret
(2025)
by Nita Prose
Harper Collins
ISBN: 978-0-00-870855-9
$32.99; 416pp