The Maid: A Psychological Thriller

by Rachel Hargrove

I never should've taken this job.
Pregnant and homeless, I had nowhere to go. But accepting the housekeeper job of the wealthy Hamilton family wasn't the perfect escape from my desperate situation. I would've been safer on the streets.
My unborn baby's future was all I cared about. As much as I wanted to expose Jack Hamilton's terrible secret to his wife, I couldn't afford to take the risk. So I followed Jack's absurd Don't talk to locals and never open the locked door on the second floor .
But curiosity got the better of me, and I discovered his secret...Now I'm trapped in the basement with no hope of escape, and my life hangs in the balance.
Will I ever leave this house? And when I do, will it be in a coffin?
The Maid is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. A pregnant woman, desperate to find her baby's father, becomes a housemaid at a wealthy home and uncovers a web of lies and deception that will change her life forever.

Genres: Thriller, Audiobook

340 pages, Paperback

First published January 18, 2023

About the author

Rachel Hargrove is from Montreal, Canada. She earned a BA in English and Comparative Literature at San Jose State University and worked as a data analyst in a biotechnology company. When she turned 26, she left her career in tech to write fiction full-time. Rachel now lives in Seattle.

Rachel’s debut psychological thriller Sick Girl is available now in eBook, Paperback and Audiobook!

You can drop her a line at admin@rachelhargrove.com

Reviews

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

To say this thriller is action-packed is an understatement. Unhinged rich people, murder, and secrets describe this entertaining, fast-paced thriller. I couldn't put it down. I was immediately drawn into Grace’s world with all of the drama and danger. Appearances prove to be deceiving as secrets are revealed. I didn't know who to believe in this twisted tale. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. Thank you BookSirens for my copy.

[Barbara Behring · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.5

This was a very entertaining book. I felt for the main character, Grace, and everything she went through. I did feel there were one too many twists and turns in the last quarter of the book, but overall I did enjoy the story.

[Sandra Castro · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Maid” surprised me with how heartfelt and clever it turned out to be. The story follows Molly, a hotel maid who sees the world in her own unique, literal way, and I found her voice refreshingly different from most mystery narrators. Her innocence and quirks make you root for her, especially as she gets caught up in a murder case she never saw coming.

The mystery itself is engaging, but what really stands out is the emotional core—the loneliness, the search for belonging, and how kindness can come from the most unexpected places. The pacing dips a little in the middle, and a few twists are predictable, but Molly’s perspective keeps it interesting and warm throughout.

Overall, The Maid is a charming and quietly powerful mystery about perception, morality, and finding connection in an often indifferent world.

[Shelley C · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Maid👶

Wow, another harrowing story from this author that makes you truly wonder if you really know a person😳

Grace is pregnant and her parents have disowned her. She’s staying with a friend and looking for work, when a position as a maid for one of the wealthiest families opens up she applies straight away❣️But once she gets the position, it becomes clear that not everything is as it appears.

A gripping suspenseful read that I’d definitely recommend if you like these types of stories. Can’t wait to see what else Rachel comes up with next😁 I received an advanced copy and willingly leave my honest review😇

[Jennifer W · Rating 1 out of 5]

it’s like when you forgot a paper until the class before the deadline

My god. This is so bad. It was okay for the first half. Sometimes it didn’t quite make sense, but Jesus H…it’s like the author gave up after so long. It sincerely was so confusing the way she suddenly flip flopped around with point of views, there were boring twists, conflicting statements mere sentences apart…finishing this was a complete chore.

[Hansa · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Katie Roberts · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, this book sounded promising when I chose to read it. On the surface, it’s about a single pregnant girl named Grace that gets a job as a maid in a rich family’s home. It’s actually revealed very, very early on that her baby daddy is the brother of the man who owns the house. Grace chooses the Hamilton’s home as her place of employment to get Blake’s attention so he can provide for their baby, but she’s blindsided by the fact that Naomi, the wife, is crazy and Jack, the husband, is a jerk. When Grace opens that “spooky locked door on the second floor” we really find out that Naomi and Jack had lost their baby and keep his nursery still decorated. From there, things get crazy, but I won’t spoil all of it.

To me, this book just felt underdeveloped and all of the twists and reveals fell flat. I didn’t care about Grace in the slightest, because she’s a terrible person, so I didn’t really have any interest in her safety.

There is a prologue in the beginning that we just skip over? Like it just doesn’t really come back up.

I was confused about the final reveal in the last few pages in the book that Blake was behind getting Grace her job at the Hamilton’s house. Like, she finds out her husband accidentally caused her to be kidnapped and psychologically tortured and she just decides to…do nothing about it?

Anyway, I personally wasn’t a fan, but it’s a quick read if you need to catch up on your reading challenge.

[Caroline 'relaxing with my rescue dogs' · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really did like the book, found the characters specifically horrid which was the design and loved all the twists and turns (wow was there a lot). It was a very readable book but why I have hesitated in giving it 5 stars is I didn't understand the beginning and end (don't want to say anymore due to spoilers but didn't work for me).
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy of The Maid by Rachel Hargrove for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to BookSirens.

I enjoyed this book. It was an easy read and very entertaining. It was a little far fetched towards the end but it did not stop me from enjoying the book. I would like to read more from this author.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Grace found herself pregnant from a one night stand with Blake Hamilton a man well known in Seattle circles as part of the Hamilton family she did everything she could to contact him because after her parents found out they kicked her out accusing her of having low morals thankfully a girl she knew from the Internet told her she had a room she could stay in and she even gave her a lead on a job that happened to be with Blakes sister-in-law Naomi and her husband Jack Junior. Naomi Hamilton seem like the kindest most loving person Grace had ever met she treated Grace like a sister right after meeting her even giving her a sweater when Grace showed up for the interview not dressed for the cold weather. Soon after starting however Jack made Grace‘s life miserable even forcing her to sleep in the basement on an uncomfortable bed in a room that was cold in dank. Grace isn’t Jack’s only problem however Brandy the girl he cheated on Naomi with doesn’t take no for an answer and even shows up at their home unannounced but when Grace catches them together he acts as if she should be the one embarrassed but Grace is no shrinking violet and she tells him that if he fired her she is going to tell Naomi about Brandy. As time goes on Jack makes graces life even more miserable making her paint rooms run errands and do things that most maids do not do Naomi on the other hand is getting closer and closer with grace and even acts as if she has an emotional investment in the outcome of her pregnancy wanting her to eat right and exercise. When Blake starts coming around acting is if he cares as well about the outcome of grace‘s pregnancy she doesn’t know if she could trust Blake and she even warns her by telling her Grace doesn’t understand the Hamilton family and that she should steer clear of Blake and not believe anything he says. So when Blake tells Grace she should move out of Jack and Naomi‘s house for her own well-being while at the same time Naomi is telling her not to believe Blake Blake doesn’t know what to do but when Jack catches her getting out of Blakes car he blows his top and tells her she is fired and there is nothing she can do or say to save her job but Naomi may just have something to say about that! This begins the end and all the twisting OMG moments that are involved and trust me when I say this is a phenomenal thriller it is a good book when even the reader doesn’t know who can be trusted and who can’t and even when you think the drama is over oh no there’s more OMG moments to come. it seems like everyone in the family is crazy but are they? This is a great book and one I highly recommend if you love thrillers with great plot twist in OMG moments then you’ll definitely love the made by Rachel Hardgrove I have already downloaded her other book not a normal family and can’t wait to read it. I want to thank Book Sirens and the author for my free Ark copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

[Michelle Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the worst book I’ve ever finished. There have been plenty of bad books I didn’t finish. But very seldom do I finish a bad book. Which is why I gave it two stars.

The premise of this book is really good. It’s why I picked it up and why I finished it. I really did want to know what happens. A final cliffhanger twist would have warranted it a three star rating.

That being said, the writing was bad. I’m assuming, with absolutely no research done, that this is a freshman writer and that they will improve. I have hope for them. With such great ideas in their heads, they have nowhere to go but up.

It was written in a very basic style with very few adjectives/adverbs/descriptions. The tone changed throughout. It was chaotic…and I mean the writing.

In particular these things really bothered me:

Throughout the first half of the book she gets close to her employer. Trusts her implicitly. Then when her employer is upset/crying she thinks this: “I want to hug Naomi, to ease her suffering, but that’s not my place. I’m just a maid.” Literally two paragraphs later she’s back to calling her a sister. If she’s your sister, hug her! If you’re her maid, then stop thinking about it like she’s your sister. Makes no sense.

Another loose end like the one above was the relationship with the antagonists. On the one hand Naomi tells us that her husband stopped touching her. A little while later out of nowhere she says this: “after Jack refused to try for another baby, I stopped being intimate with him.” No, you didn’t. You already told us you wanted him. It cant be both. This is the impetus for an open marriage that hits us out of nowhere.

That kind of thing happened a lot and there were other things that could be improved. Bottom line is that if you are adding “secrets” to the timeline to throw off the reader, be positive you havent already stated the opposite. You can do twists and turns and still stay true to the previously written works. John Locke does it perfectly.

BUT I did finish the book. And I might even read a future writing…let’s give it a year or two. This is obviously a creative author with a lot going for them.

[Devons book corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book, and I was captivated from the beginning. This psychological thriller is full of twists, suspense, and mysterious characters, and it makes you ask yourself if you really do truly know the people in your life like you think you do. I very much enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what else this author has in store for us.

[What Sam Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up.
This was such a great read. First starting out, I thought it was going to be like other maid stories, but it quickly did a 180! I loved the multi-pov, those are always my favorite books to read because I am a nosy person and want to know what is going on inside everyone’s head. This book took me for a rollercoaster ride waiting to see how it ended.

The only critiques I have are, I feel like the ending was rushed. The entire book was used to build up this really good story and then the last several chapters felt rushed. I am glad that it gave us the outcome of everything, just wished it would have gone into a little more detail for certain characters. The Prologue also does not fit into the story, in my opinion.

Thank you BookSirens and the Publisher for allowing me an ARC of The Maid. I am leaving this review voluntarily and it is my own opinion.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was difficult to finish. Starts innocuous but difficult to believe. Only got less believable. Hard to root for the main character when she didn’t start looking for ways to leave after it began to be dangerous in the house. Really jarring to be thrown into different POVs over halfway through the book. How could the main character be so stupid, throwing herself against the door to try to open it for literal days before taking the hinges off. And then when it opens she doesn’t run? She’s too worried Naomi might be dead? She’s not a nurse! Run and call 911 smh. So convenient no one had their phones when they got locked in the basement. Also, breaking the windshield was unnecessary. Why did she have to damage the vehicle to flag down someone for help? She could have popped the hood. And after all this time of working with dear old dad and seeing his normal manipulation techniques, would not the grown boys have begun investing in things other than the company too? Dad cutting off a 34 y.o. shouldn’t be life threatening.
But the ending.. ruined all respect we might have built for Blake.

The only reason I finished it was in respect to the person who recommended it to me. Come to find out they were recommending a book of the same title by a different author.

[Scientist does life · Rating 3 out of 5]

The setup was so similar to the Housemaid that I immediately figured out the first major twist in this book. While Housemaid was entertaining and had just the right amount of twist in it, this one was just super overwhelming. All of a sudden, 4 out of 5 characters turn out to be lying psychopaths ready to kidnap and kill, and all while Grace is super blind and naive and innocent about it. Every single chapter,out of the final 5, had a twist on its own, making me less and less interested on how the story will end. I didn't care about the love story between Grace and Blake, the final twist was just 'he lied so what' kind of a thing, I didn't care about Jack and Naomi at all, this book really lacked the depth of their story that would explain why everything evolved the way it did.

[dumplin’ · Rating 2 out of 5]

boring yawning sloppy lazy

[Kat Jord · Rating 4 out of 5]

honestly soo good until like the last 3 chapters. i liked it a lot

[Cammi K · Rating 1 out of 5]

I want to claw my eyes, this book was so bad. I hated every character.
Was I supposed to feel bad for Grace, because she is insanely entitled and annoying? I barely made it through!

[Nicole Normand · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy from Hidden Gems; this is my honest review
-Thrillers are not my thing anymore but I chose this book by mistake. I thought myself brave so I read it.
-Once you've read the book, you realize that the prologue makes no sense. Grace is living with the baby daddy and he comes from money. With that much money, how come people were still able to find her multiple phone numbers and harass her?
-The characters are mainly from the same family, plus a few others, some more important than others.
-All through the book, I found Grace really delusional, as an extra naïve person. Naomi was also delusional but in a dangerous way. I felt really bad for Blake, the baby daddy, because Grace didn't believe him and should have. Also, she started stalking him and then, when he finally responds, she shuts him down. She also makes A LOT of assumptions about him and believes Naomi's stories even after all she did to her. No one is that stupid.
-The psychological part of the story starts early, around chapter 5. There is gaslighting, a really controlling boss, narcissism, but also physical abuse, kidnapping, etc.
-Naomi's birthday party arrives and somehow Grace thinks she's invited. Unless the author didn't write it and she was invited, the way Naomi and Grace talk about it, there is no invitation.
-I had to LOL when Grace is insulted that, as a maid, she is not seen. Hum, wake-up! I also really laughed when Grace is thinking of asking Naomi about the fight Jake and Blake had. Are you crazy? You're the maid and it's none of your business.
-A lot of flipping decisions happen such as when Grace knows she needs to get out of the house, but then Naomi offers her a guest room (vs. the basement), she stays. OMG.
-All through the book, my emotions were mainly stuck on Blake instead of Grace's. My stress came from there, not with what was happening with Naomi, Brandi, or Grace. I keep thinking "isn't Blake the good guy? Please don't make him die!".
-Would recommend to people who don't read thrillers all the time; maybe they won't notice that there are many inconsistencies or flipping stories to really appreciate the rest. Kept me on my toes but only, again, because I was vying for Blake.
-Editing needs another pass. The worse I saw was when Jake put his cup in the sink and Grace washes it, then Jake is seriously gripping the mug that he no longer has. Or when Naomi and Jake knew it was going to be a baby girl and no one had said anything about that detail yet.

[TJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

This genre of books is starting to wear on me. I used to look at them as a quick listen and sort of an equivalent to trashy romance novels, but they have become very thin, predictable, and lacking substance. A downright waste of time. Other authors I’ve read with similar writing/stories are Frieda McFadden, Seraphina Nova Glass, Megan Loly, Nancy Savage, and Geneva Rose. The first two are really the only ones who I rated the books high. The others I wouldn’t recommend. All of these books have sort of a twist at the end, some more interesting than others. That’s usually how I rate them, by how much they surprised me. This one’s twists were underwhelming. Brandi kills Jack? After they all thought she was dead? Out of nowhere right before the novel ends! Boooooooo

The characters in this book were more vapid then ever. Whiny and obnoxious was the main character. They are all pretty loathsome. Blake had some redeeming qualities. I kinda liked how it didn’t switch from character to character like other books do (or maybe it meant that I didn’t have to pay as much attention to this monotonous story). The beginning of the book really didn’t have anything to do with the rest of the book. It started out with her hiding from the police because she killed the family? That didn’t happen at all in the book. Anyway if you haven’t read many of these books go ahead and see how this one plays out, but they all start sounding the same after a while. Even Frieda McFadden has a series called The Maid.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read, but not as twisty as I had hoped and nothing really comes as a surprise.

When Grace gets pregnant from a one night stand, she seeks to make him pay by working for the man’s brother, as a maid. Although she begins as a vindictive heroine, Grace becomes less vindictive and more needy throughout the story. As she starts to become friends with her employer, Naomi, she also connects with her baby daddy. Unfortunately, Grace doesn’t realize how crazy this family is until it is too late.

I enjoyed this story, but there were a few suggestions I would make:

- I wish we had a little more background information on Grace. Knowing more about her family might have helped make her story a little more believable and helped to flesh out her character a little.

- I like Naomi’s reveal, but it would have been a little more interesting earlier in the story. It could have explained her behavior or at least provided a little perspective.

- It is strange that Brandi ends up playing a role. Who would have thought she was anything more than a quick lay. Again, maybe building that into the story in more detail would have provided more perspective and made her role a little more realistic.

- The ending is a little anticlimactic. Are we meant to doubt Grace’s relationship? Be surprised by Blake’s actions?

Okay, but darker and twistier would have been even better!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[M.Q. Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Single mother to be, Grace, is desperate for a job when she sees a too-good-to-be-true opportunity to work as a maid for Jack and Naomi Hamilton.

As well as cooking and cleaning for them, she doesn’t realize she’ll have to deal with a range of their bad behaviors, including dealing with Jack’s temper. Then there’s the question of what happened to the last maid...but there’s not much Grace isn’t willing to do for her child.
📚MY THOUGHTS📚
This was a fast read and the story was structured in a way that kept you turning the pages. I really enjoyed the present tense, which put the reader right at the forefront of the action. The way the author explored how people can change when they are pushed, with even Grace herself making some questionable choices, was interesting.

I felt that given everything the protagonist went through, the last part of the book felt a little too sporadic and tied up in a neat little bow. Having said that, it was an interesting read over all and I would recommend it for book readers who love a domestic thriller with a bit of dramatic suspense.
Thanks to Book Sirens, the author, and the publisher for an advanced copy. I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
3.5*

[Mamadukes · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE MAID by Rachel Hargrove was a bit difficult for me. I enjoyed the first two-thirds of the story but then it seemed to just get a bit too farcical for me. I mean, how many times can you be locked up, tied up, threatened with death and still give a rat’s… butt with whether or not you HURT the one who was trying to kill you? Come on… I wouldn’t CARE if you were hurt.

After a one night stand, becoming pregnant, being disowned by her family, dropping out of school and becoming homeless, Grace Williams applies for and gets a job as a live in maid for the rich and powerful Hamilton family. But, she has an ulterior motive. Dr. Naomi Hamilton, basically friend less becomes overly involved in Grace’s pregnancy but she is very sweet while her husband, Jack is atrocious toward Grace. As Grace continues to work for the family, which looks fine on the outside, the secrets and cracks become obvious.

I did enjoy Ms Hargrove’s writing style so I would be interested in reading some of her other stuff. This one was just a bit too far-fetched for me.

Thank you to BookSirens and Powerhouse Press for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and voluntarily shared.

[Danii Drakeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. When Grace falls pregnant after a one-night stand, she does everything she can to get close to the father of her baby - even if that puts her and the baby in danger.
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This was a nice quick read that had a good few twists and turns! I did enjoy how the story line kept evolving and had you guessing as to where it was going to go. The first chapter is a bit of a glimpse into the future which really hooked me in, but it was a shame that this wasn’t really brought back into focus at the end. I think I would have liked a bit more background on Grace too as this would have given her character a bit more depth and possibly made her a little more likeable? I also felt like the ending was a bit “meh”. It’s not that I didn’t like the ending, I just think that as the story builds, I just expected a bit more. More of what exactly I’m not entirely sure.
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All in all though, an interesting and entertaining read if you’re after a quick psychological thriller now the dark nights are drawing in.
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I received an advance review copy from BookSirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Susan Belman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 to 4 🌟 Not sure I would classify this as a psychological thriller, definitely a mystery, maybe a domestic thriller? This story is about Grace, who just found out she is pregnant with a one-night-fling. Desperate to let the “baby daddy” know she will not be letting him slide out of his responsibilities, she takes a job as a maid for someone close to him. The book had me wondering what I was reading. Her employers are odd, the wife who hired her is psychologically I’ll and has a drug problem. The husband doesn’t want a maid, he’s intimidating and a Jekyll-Hyde personality. Here are the questions I was asking …
The 1st mystery, who’s the dad?
The 2nd mystery, what’s in the locked room?
Well both of those questions are answered in the 1st half of the book, and had me wondering, what’s left? The story is over … I wanted more messing with my head, I wanted to gasp, I wanted to throw my book across the room - LOL. There WAS more to this story, it I felt so much more could be done, and I felt let down that is was such a fluffy ending.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grace a young lady who got pregnant by a wealthy playboy, and struggled to get him to accept it, took drastic action and became a nanny for his brother and sister-in-law. That was the easy part. She was hated by Jack and kind of loved in a weird way by Naomi his wife. The life of the rich certainly is different that the rest of us and Rachel did a great job of portraying the have and the have nots. There are many twists and turns in this book, Jack is a real bd tempered dude to everyone but Naomi but I’m still not convinced he loved her for anything more than the “wife“ he needed to look like a family man. And Naomi is a wreck of person having lost a baby at birth. I can’t imagine the grief she had in that loss, and it definitely warped her mind and actions going forward. This was really good book with lots of twists and turns and unfortunately believable in how far people will go to keep the status they have.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grace needs a job and she takes up the position of maid for a millionaire couple. Grace learns the ways of the household until it becomes too much for her to handle. There are different character perspectives so readers gain a great insight behind the characters featured as well as the overall narrative. However, it requires understanding the context for the first half to know whose perspective it is - since it's written in first-person and the story uses more pronouns than names. The book is written in the present tense so readers read the narrative in real-time. A personal pleasant way to read since nothing in the future can be foreseen and readers learn what happens at the same time as the characters. The story is visually descriptive and reads quite young.


I received a free copy and am leaving a review voluntarily.
Thank you to Hidden Gems Books and author.

[Harper’s Home · Rating 4 out of 5]

The genre is suspense. It’s the basic young women meets a wealthy man resulting in a one night stand that will change their lives for the next 18 years. Yeah not that simple.

When Grace finds outs she’s pregnant, Blake ghosts her, thinking she’s stalking him. She has no job, is couch surfing when she meets Janice who offers her a couch for as long as she needs it, a lead on a job and a friend. The job interview will change her life forever.

There are many twist and turns, a dysfunctional family, a marriage that’s well. . . You need to just sit down and sink York mind into the shock and awe that occurs. Just when you think you know everything and everyone involved, Blake drops a small grenade.

I highly recommend this book.

Happy Reading📖🌻

I received an advance copy of this book via BookSirens and am voluntarily leaving an honest an unbiased review.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Maid was interesting, to say the least. A lot happens within the pages, taking the reader on a wild mysterious ride. I had no expectations but any that I had would have been exceeded. I was met with a few twists and turns that had me yelling at my Kindle. I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out how it would all end and I was not disappointed. I am looking forward to reading more from the author.

Voluntarily reviewed after receiving a free copy courtesy of the author, Rachel Hargrove

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read another books of the author and were really good so I wanted to read this one expecting it to be as good as the other ones, unfortunately that wasn’t the case, for me this book felt, mostly on the last third of it, a little far fetched, as if the author wanted to reach the conclusion fitting all the pieces together but it didn’t work, especially since the prologue of the book doesn’t correspond with the ending of the book or what is happening within the book.
I do liked the writing though so I’m definitely will be reading another book by this author.