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A killer ending that you won’t see coming.

Welcome!

This book was an early e-copy I received from Amazon First Reads, a program exclusive to Prime Members that allows you to choose from a small selection of yet-to-be-released books for free. Interested? You should definitely check it out.

Today I’ll be sharing my review of the new release, The Maid’s Diary, a twisty, winding kind of mystery that leads you by your nose from page one until the very end. A great read for mystery fans who are more patient than I.

Just scroll on down and see what you think, maybe it will pique your interest.
Enjoy!

(Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Any purchases made through my links may earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you.)

The Maid’s Diary by Loreth Anne White

Publication date: March 1, 2023
Pages: 376
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense (Personally, I would say it’s more of a psychological thriller/crime fiction)
Standalone

Three and a Half Stars

The Maid
“I see these people.
I know the occupants of these houses.
But they don’t see me.
They don’t know me.”

The Wife
“A wife needs to keep some secrets from her husband.”

The Husband
“He’s got the devil on one shoulder, saying do it. An angel on the other who is truly trying to protect him from himself. But then the devil whispers into the secret part of his soul…”

A violent and bloody crime scene is discovered.
Five people are missing.
Two are pregnant.
One will never be found.

A slow, dragging story that’s full of devious, damaged, and sympathetic characters.

What a killer ending! That said..
To weave such a complex web of deception is seriously impressive but—with such a talent for distorting the truth and diverting the reader’s attention—I feel like the beginning should have been more absorbing, instead, I had to drag myself kicking and screaming through the first 70/75% of the book before it finally became interesting enough to suck me in. Looking back, I can understand why it was done that way but I think more of a book should be interesting than just the wrap-up.

“We are—or we become—what we pretend to be, so we must be very careful who we pretend to be.”

The characters are all messed up in their own way and, eventually, this actually bolsters the storyline but it takes a while.
It’s one of those reads that has you rooting for a character one minute and wanting to shake them the next.
And while a lot of it was predictable, expected even, it’s written in a way that will have you slow clapping in appreciation.

It’s not often that a book has me question my own morals, what I believe is right or wrong, but there are portions of this book that give you no choice. Where do you draw the line between justice and vengeance? Should the punishment fit the crime?
Darkness begets darkness in this twisted, tangled story, and there is no light in sight.

“You kept quiet. You kept your head down. You helped perpetuate evil. But all this time, you knew. You could have saved me.”

Despite the slow start, I did enjoy this read, I just wish it had started off with more oomph.

I do recommend giving The Maid’s Diary a shot but be advised.. there are a lot of potentially triggering topics here.
Loreth Anne White is obviously a very talented writer and I look forward to reading more by her in the future.
(Which is perfect because apparently I have half a dozen of her books on my TBR.)

And that’s that!
Have you read anything by this author and, if so, is there one you would recommend reading next?

Thank you for stopping by!

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