The Maid's Diary: A Novel

If you're new to author Loreth Anne White's books be prepared for 2 things, firstly plenty of darkness, secondly to finish reading and wonder why she's not far better known. In her latest, The Maid's Diary, Maid Kit Darling gets a shock while indulging in her unfortunate habit of snooping through her clients lives. What she finds could not only devastate the lives of a very successful and high profile couple she cleans for but also rekindles memories of traumatic events in her own life. With the couple expecting a baby and having everything to lose ,Kit ......already well aware of how ruthless the couple can be......finds herself in a potentially lethal situation. Alerted by a neighbour, Police are called to the luxury home of friends of the couple where they find what appears to be a bloody crime scene but no sign of the homeowners...........or their Maid.....Kit. This is a hard-hitting book with characters who at first appear to be quite disgusting and immoral.......then are proved to be even worse than the initial impressions. There are some very difficult issues addressed and it's often an extremely hard read but ultimately it's well-worth plumbing the depths of human depravity for the very satisfying ending. It's very hard to say too much about this book without dropping spoilers so I'll just say that if you enjoy Karen Slaughter's books you'll love this, similarly edgy with feisty and impressive female characters ,plenty of action and a great tale with more than a toe dipped into the dark side of life.

This was a brilliantly crafted, twisting tale that burned with revenge. I loved how cleverly the writer structured the story and how disorientated it made me feel. At the same time, I felt like I was present with Mal, trying to piece together exactly what happened at the Glass House. If you are not a fan of multiple characters and perspectives, then approach this book with caution: there's quite a few. Yet, I found I did not particularly notice this because I quickly became absorbed in the apparent murder that has taken place. Switching between a maid's account, Daisy and Jon's version of events and Mal's investigation, gradually White allows readers to discover what was really going on and what actually happened to Kit Darling. I found the plot strands to be mesmerising. Not only is there a police investigation into the murder of Kit Darling, there is also the confessions in the maid' diary: how she is a self-confessed snooper and realises this is an addiction that she can't seem to stop. Furthermore, Daisy and Jon's lifestyle appears to be Instagram-perfect. With a baby on the way and a pending promotion for Jon, this couple seems to have it all. As the story progresses, readers learn about Jon's imperfections and Daisy's personal horrors. Despite their wealth, it is clear that this couple have a bit of a shady past. I found that my reading speed increased as I became more immersed in the story. It is a pacy thriller that is slowed down by the non-linear narrative. Jumping around the different characters created a bit of confusion but I think this cleverly reflected the police puzzlement about the horrific crime scene. Furthermore, some earlier chapters were really ambiguous and I loved how White left these answers until near the end, closing off all the plot strands to create a very satisfying conclusion. My first read from White was a corker and this was just as good. It is easily one of my favourite thrillers that I have read this year. I love the concept of the maid snooping around her clients houses but this story takes it one step further. Truths revealed are sinister, characters are not what they seem and there is a fair amount of corruption in this murder mystery. Highly recommended.

Rating: 4.5/5 Loreth Anne White is a new author to me, but if "The Maid's Diary" is representative of her usual standard of work, then I will certainly be back for more! Although the official marketing blurb will give you a flavour of the premise underpinning the story, it really doesn't do this cleverly constructed and impressive mystery justice. "The Maid's Diary" part psychological thriller and part police procedural. In the early stages I had some doubts as to how well this mash-up would work, but ultimately I can only doff my cap in appreciation to the author. She makes it work extremely well. The characterisation is top notch. I love the central character, Kit Darling, but Loreth Anne White hasn't fallen into the trap that so many writers seem to. Not only is there real depth to the main protagonist, but each of the other keys players is also given a properly fleshed out backstory that not only makes them more credible, but significantly adds to the overall impact of the novel. There are twists and turns aplenty, some which you may work out before they are officially revealed, but others that are likely to blindside even the most experienced readers of this genre. The author clearly takes some satisfaction in deliberately trying to blindside her readership: "We’re all tricksters. Each and every one of us. No one is a totally reliable narrator." It has to be said that some of the plot developments are a little on the convenient side - particularly relating to the progress of the police investigation - but they are not so heinous that they cannot be forgiven in the overall scheme of things, as necessary mechanics to move the plot forward. The novel has some dark themes underpinning it, but there are also moments of warmth and witty humour. Personally, I think the author got the balance pretty much spot on and I look forward to reading more books by her. I have been critical of Amazon's First Reads programme in the past, but I can level no such criticism on this occasion. This is quite possibly the most impressive book I have read to date as part of that scheme. More of this kind of quality, please!

In full transparency, I got this book free as a “first reads” through Amazon, so I feel obligated to write a bit of a review instead of just leaving my “star rating”. I chose this book because many other readers had said that this book was a good read and that it kept them guessing up to the end and I wanted to see if it would be more transparent to me. I have never read this author prior to this book and chose solely on reviews and the publisher’s synopsis. As the title states, this book was not what I expected. I haven’t read this sort of murder/mystery book in quite awhile, but I thought that knowing it was going to “keep me guessing” when I started it, I would be able to spot all the misdirections and clues. I found, however, that there was so many different story lines going on and the book was so well written and the story engaging enough that I stopped looking for clues and became immersed in the events described. Yes, there were times when events were just too coincidental, but it never became unbelievable or unrealistic. If you are looking for an entertaining read that keeps you interested in the characters, despite their flaws, and keeps you guessing about the outcome, this is a great choice. It’s engaging, though it does move back and forth in the timeline. The pace of the story moves along well and I really wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out until the very end, despite the foreshadowing at the beginning of the book. As in life, very few people or events are exactly what they seem when it’s happening and you can never take anything at face value. The author captured this perfectly and I’m glad I took a chance on choosing this one!

“People can seem so ordinary on the surface, but scratch the veneer, and there’s always a secret beneath the gloss” Kit Darling is a thirty four year old maid with a passion for amateur theater and SNOOPING. She is going to share the “dirt” she finds while cleaning, with you, dear reader, through the words in her diary-because she is missing. Daisy Wentworth Rittenberg, was a Daddy’s girl, and a Mean girl, growing up, but she is now the very pregnant wife of Jon, a popular downhill Ski Racer who brought home two Gold medals in the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in ‘02. She traded in on his fame, and now relishes her Social Media following, BUT, she was being stalked, and now she is missing. Vanessa North met Daisy at Yoga, and they bonded over their pregnancies and similar “due dates” immediately. She and her husband Haruto live in the infamous “Glass House”, which is now the location of a violent, bloody crime scene. Both are missing-no bodies have been found. Two “silent witnesses” saw a yellow Suburu Crosstrek and a rolled up carpet being forced over a dock into the swirling waters below-but they aren’t about to admit to being somewhere where they weren’t supposed to be. Beulah Brown is the 89 year old witness, who made the 911 call after being awoken by a scream, shortly before midnight. Her window has a perfect view of the house and property and she witnessed two people dragging a rolled up carpet to a waiting vehicle. However, she has made several 911 calls in the past, and they will have to determine if she is reliable. Detective Mallory (Mal) Van Alst and her partner, Benoit Salumu, of West Vancouver will be the two tasked with solving this puzzle. The story unfolds through the alternating narratives of the “Maid’s diary”, Daisy, Jon, and Mal. Clues found at the scene will have you wondering who may be rolled up in that carpet, and these clues will have you changing your mind about which of the three women it could be. With the exception of Daisy’s social media posts which were a bore-since this has been so overused in recent books-the first half was VERY suspenseful. Thankfully, the social media aspect tapers off in the second half when the focus shifts to the mastermind crime and the VERY UNDERSTANDABLE reason for wanting revenge. Once again, Loreth Anne White delivers an intricately plotted crime story, which kept me entertained from beginning to end…BUT… My impression was that I didn’t FEEL the emotion the author was aiming for with this denouement! If you have Amazon Prime this is a FIRST READ selection for February, and you can download it now! PUBLICATION DATE is March 1, 2023.