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Solid “middle” mystery! (Not too cozy, but not gritty)
⏰ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫: Molly Gray is used to being misunderstood. She marches to her own drummer. The only person who helped her understand this crazy, verbally-confusing world was her dear grandma, who died some months ago. Molly absorbs herself in her work as a hotel maid until one day a maid nightmare comes true – finding a dead body. And this one belongs to wealthy, powerful Charles Black. Suddenly Molly is thrust into an investigation- one that’s firmly pointing the finger of guilt at her as the #1 suspect.
💡𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: Molly Gray is one of the most likable protagonists I’ve read in some time. My guess is she is on the spectrum (Asperger’s is my guess) and like several of my autistic students from the past 17 years, she has a heart OF GOLD. I love that the book doesn’t really get into all that — Molly is Molly, without labels. She sees things differently. Reacts differently. Speaks differently. And sometimes you have to wonder if it’s the rest of us who are the “oddballs.”
Initially her repeatedly adages were a tad Forest Gump-like annoying, but they grew to endearing levels in a few pages.
Watching Molly thrown into a world she’s unfamiliar with – accused of murder pulls at your heart while also having you question our narrator’s reliability …and that’s where things grow interesting. Prose’s pacing is sharp at times and meandering in others, leading the reader down a reading river that’s peaceful and introspective in places and a racing rapids of action in others. But every inch of the journey was enjoyable!
𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆𝗠𝗮𝗴𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
📚𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Mystery, non-gritty
😍𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: This is a classic mystery – in the vein of Agatha Christy/Clue – not too brutal, well written.
🙅♀️ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: If you’re more into “gritty/bloody/horror/psychological” this isn’t that. But it’s darn good.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for my advanced copy in exchange for my always-honest review and for making me thankful for my boring, not-accused-of-murder life.
