While the major theme of the story is Molly’s Coming of Age, the plot is a detective story, which follows certain conventions. The author signals that The Maid is intended to be read as a detective story by inserting frequent references to well-known examples of the genre such as Sherlock Holmes, the works of Agatha Christie, and the television series Colombo.

The first common convention of the detective genre is a detective with special knowledge or understanding. For example, Sherlock Holmes is so absorbed in his observations and deductions that he is almost unsuited to ordinary life. The same is true of Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple. They live alone, often requiring a “Watson”—a more ordinary person who translates the story for the reader.

Molly’s favorite detective is Colombo, who assumes an air of dishevelment and distraction that causes people to underestimate him. People often overlook or underestimate Molly as well. She seems to them to live in a world of her own in which a room can be returned to a state of perfection. Molly, the mild, unassuming person who seems a little out of step, turns out to be the one who understands the most.