If you liked
Books like The Maid
by Nita Prose
The Maid follows Molly, a hotel cleaner whose literal, orderly mind makes her both the prime suspect and the best detective when a guest turns up dead. Nita Prose writes a cozy mystery with a genuinely lovable narrator. If you want more warm, twisty, feel-good crime, read on.
The shortlist
What to read next
The Thursday Murder Clubby Richard Osman
“The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman 2020 review. Four Kent retirees who discuss cold cases weekly land an actual murder in their retirement village. Canonical contemporary British cozy mystery.”
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fineby Gail Honeyman
“Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman 2017 review. A thirty-year-old Glasgow office worker develops her first adult friendship. British Book Award Book of the Year 2018.”
Anxious Peopleby Fredrik Backman
“Anxious People by Fredrik Backman 2020 review. A failed bank robber takes a Stockholm apartment-viewing hostage. Backman's structurally most ambitious novel and the basis for the Netflix limited series.”
A Man Called Oveby Fredrik Backman
“A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 2012 review. A fifty-nine-year-old Swedish curmudgeon plans his suicide until a young family moves in across the courtyard. Backman's debut.”
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastleby Stuart Turton
“The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton 2018 review. Aiden Bishop wakes in eight different bodies at a 1920s country house and must solve a murder. Costa First Novel Award winner.”
Lessons in Chemistryby Bonnie Garmus
“Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus 2022 review. Elizabeth Zott, a chemist pushed out of academic research in the early 1960s, becomes the unlikely host of a hit cooking show. A debut novel that became the basis for the Apple TV+ adaptation with Brie Larson.”
FAQ
Common questions about The Maid read-alikes
- What is the closest cozy-mystery match?
- The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. A group of retirees solve crimes from their care home with warmth, wit and real feeling under the fun. It is the go-to pairing for readers who loved Molly's mix of cozy and clever.
- I want more of Molly's lovable-outsider voice.
- Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and A Man Called Ove both center socially out-of-step characters you come to adore. Neither is a mystery, but the narrator you root for is exactly the same pleasure.
- I want a cleverer puzzle.
- The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton is an ingenious time-loop whodunit that rewards close attention. Trickier than The Maid, if you want the mystery machinery cranked up.
- I want the warm ensemble and the underdog.
- Anxious People by Fredrik Backman and Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus both wrap big-hearted comedy around a character the world underestimates. Easy next reads for The Maid's cozy, hopeful mood.
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