This post discusses my thoughts after reading the ending of The Maid by Nita Prose. This is a spoiler book review. Make sure you’re all caught up!
Welcome Back
I finished reading The Maid by Nita Prose, and it’s over. The journey of finding out who killed Mr. Charles Black is finally over. And how do I feel about the ending of The Maid and its big plot twist? I feel betrayed.
In my previous discussion, you could probably tell I have some minor trust issues. I considered all the characters an enemy to Molly except for Mr. Preston.
As it turns out, everyone was not so bad in the end. The only “bad egg,” as Molly would say, was Rodney. Molly’s team of Mr. Preston, Charlotte, and Juan Manuel were able to successfully pin Rodney down for drug-related offenses, the possession of an illegal firearm, threatening an officer, and ultimately being the murderer of Mr. Charles Black.
Rodney confessed to all crimes except for being the killer of Mr. Black. Surprisingly, Molly admitted to not being comfortable labeling him as such. This suggested that perhaps everything was not exactly as it seemed.
The Plot Twist Summarized
The truth surrounding the death of Mr. Black was briefly referred to in Molly’s testimony, and explained in great detail during the epilogue. The murderer of Mr. Black was his first wife and ex-wife, Mrs. Black. The truth is revealed as follows:
After finding Mr. Black’s dead body and making a call to the office, Molly catches a glimpse of a dark figure standing behind her in the mirror’s reflection—Mrs. Black. Caught off guard, Molly faints, but is soon awakened by Mrs. Black who offers her a glass of water, chocolate, and an explanation of why Mr. Black is lying dead in his bed.
Mrs. Black explains that as she was arguing with Mr. Black, the fight suddenly escalated when he grabbed her by the wrists. After grabbing her, Mr. Black collapsed on the bed, weakened by drugs in his system. Now vulnerable, Mrs. Black took it upon herself to grab a pillow and suffocate him to his early death.
“Do you ever feel like the world is backward? Like the villains prosper and the good suffer?” Mrs. Black asked Molly. Mrs. Black wholeheartedly believed that Mr. Black’s death was a balancing of the scales. Molly agreed. Not only did Molly let Mrs. Black walk free from the crime scene, but she also cleaned her fingerprints from the murder weapon and wiped the hotel room clean. The room was “returned to state of perfection,” as if Mrs. Black was never there.
On Morality – How do I View Molly’s Actions?
As noted before, I felt betrayed by our dearest protagonist. That’s a whole lot of information to leave out of the narration!
But it wasn’t so much that I felt betrayed because she was an unreliable narrator. I felt most betrayed by her actions. I felt bad that Rodney was framed for a crime he didn’t commit (admittedly less bad once I remembered he tried to frame Molly for the same crime). And most disturbingly, I don’t understand how Molly could go on in life while carrying such a heavy burden of knowledge. Not only did she let Mrs. Black go, but she took action to make sure she got away scot-free. This is quite the dark secret to keep away from those closest to you.
Molly’s decision to absolve Mrs. Black of her crime comes down to this quote:
“Sometimes, you must do one thing bad to do another thing good.” – Nita Prose, The Maid
I agree with this quote to a certain extent. Sometimes it may feel this way when it comes to simple matters such as setting boundaries and protecting the ones we love. But murder is such a serious and violent act. Mrs. Black should have been judged fairly in the court of law. Who knows, maybe her action would be considered self defense.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I really liked this book. Being in the unique mind of Molly the maid was fun and interesting every step of the way. I loved her relationship with Gran, Giselle, and Mr. Preston.
My only critique is that I wish the twist at the end were more complicated. While I don’t mind that Mrs. Black was the murderer, this revelation would have been more impactful if we had more interaction with her character.
Anyhow, now that the story is over, here are some discussion questions I created to add to your book club (some of which I answered already):
Additional The Maid by Nita Prose Book Discussion Questions:
- A quote often repeated throughout the story is, “Sometimes, you must do one thing bad to do another thing good.” What do you think the author meant by this? Do you agree? Why or why not? Use real life examples to support your opinion.
- Did your view on Molly’s character change after learning about the truth of Mr. Black’s death? If so, then how? Was it for better or worse?
- In this book, we learn that Mr. Black is not a good man. Do you believe his death is best described as poetic justice or mere revenge? Why? What is the difference between justice and revenge?
- Similarly, Rodney is not a good man. Do you view him being on trial for the murder of Mr. Black as an immature act of revenge or poetic justice? Why? What is the difference between justice and revenge?
- Why do you think the author chose to make Molly’s Gran and Mr. Black die in similar ways? Do you think this somehow affected how Molly assessed the situation regarding Mr. Black’s death?
- Molly is fascinated with Robin Hood who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. What do you think of Robin Hood? Do you think Molly is like him? Why or why not?
- Last but not least, what is your favorite quote in this story and why?
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