The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose

THE MAID'S SECRET by Nita Prose (The Maid and The Mystery Guest) is a LibraryReads Hall of Fame selection for April and received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in this series offering. It was not centered on Molly, but instead told the story of Flora, her grandmother, who was involved in a youthful romance many years ago. Yes, there were ties to wealth, both in the past and involving a stressful theft in the present, but the mystery, while surprising, was not especially engaging. And most of the events (how many people own a Fabergé egg?) were hard to imagine as having any connection to reality. I missed Molly’s gentle goodness, her reliance on her grandmother’s wisdom, and the drama within the hotel walls. Looking forward to a return to form in the next in this series.

The Calculation of You and Me by Serena Kaylor

THE CALCULATION OF YOU AND ME by Serena Kaylor (Long Story Short) is a feel-good book whose pace is a little slow, but that all made sense when I read the author’s acknowledgment page and realized how difficult the time working in an ICU during COVID had been for Serena Kaylor. Her second novel featuring neurodiverse characters centers on Marlowe Meadows who has been “dumped” for not being romantic enough by manipulative boyfriend Josh at the start of their senior year in high school. Marlowe turns to a new classmate (and her AP English partner) Ashton Hayes to learn about writing romantic letters, reading romance books, and completing “fieldwork” activities in an effort to win back Josh. She is also supported by loyal, but quirky, friends Odette and Poppy. Kaylor includes a great deal of musing by Marlowe as she attempts to understand others whose brains work differently than hers. Along the way, readers become aware of her increasing attraction to Ash (who seems too kind and mature at times) and Marlowe’s own growth and maturation: “I could decide that I didn't want to learn to dance, and that would be fine, but I'm capable of doing hard things. Unexpected things. I might even be good at them. Or not, and that would be okay too.” And later, “That's what it's all about, right? Figuring out who we are and what we like and trying everything until we find the answers?” THE CALCULATION OF YOU AND ME received a starred review from Kirkus (“A delightful, richly characterized slow-burn romance about figuring out what you want”). 

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne

LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER by Kerryn Mayne is set in Australia and Lenny is a wonderful, emotion-stirring character. A bit awkward socially, she is a teacher who values neatness, order and repetition. At 37, Lenny is a loner by preference, “pretending there were people in her life seemed to quell the concerns of others,” although she does gradually bond with grocer Ned and her older neighbor Maureen. It is difficult for her to interpret the adult “mean girls” at her school, and bullies prompt some sad moments, but the novel has plenty of humorous episodes, too. Readers will want to wrap their arms around Lenny and cheer as she ultimately stands up for herself and deals with childhood trauma. Suggest LENNY MARKS GETS AWAY WITH MURDER to anyone who enjoyed The Maid by Nita Prose.

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

THE MYSTERY GUEST by Nita Prose (The Maid) is a gentle cozy mystery with Molly, the (now Head) Maid, again at the center of an investigation into the death at the hotel where she works. A famous mystery writer dies before he is able to make a much anticipated announcement. With hotel guests and employees falling under suspicion, Molly has plenty of reasons to find the real killer. It’s not easy, though, especially given links to her Gran’s history and the rather antagonistic involvement of past nemesis Detective Stark. The text alternates time periods, both of which contain innocent mistakes by Molly (as a child and as an adult) who tends to take everything literally. And there continue to be numerous sayings from Gran sprinkled throughout: “We're all the same in different ways. Everything will be OK in the end. If it's not OK, it's not the end.” Readers will likely recognize clues before Molly does, but the culprit’s identity was still a surprise. THE MYSTERY GUEST received a starred review from Library Journal (“a charming protagonist with awkward social skills and a big heart”) and is a LibraryReads selection for November. One of the best parts? Some not too subtle hints that Molly may be investigating another career in the near future.