Self-contained

The Maid has already caused quite a stir in the books’ world, with six publishers bidding to have it and the film rights sold to Universal. Yet, however good the film might be, it will likely miss out on the novel’s very real achievement.

True, the plot is neatly done—as are the below-stairs life of the hotel and Molly’s gradual and shocked realisation that not everybody is as they seem. Even so, what makes this such a thoroughly beguiling read is something that movies simply can’t do: the narrative voice.

In Prose’s expert hands, Molly’s account of her experiences and inner feelings perfectly captures the mixture of bewilderment, comic pedantry and fundamental (if sometimes misplaced) kind-heartedness with which she regards the world. It’s also full of such offbeat charm that you will root for her all the way. by Emma John (Brazen, £8.99).

John, a terrific sports journalist, here turns more personal for an exploration of being a single woman in your forties.