SERIES REVIEW

GENRE: Mystery
MY RATINGS:
▫️The Maid 🌟🌟🌟💫 (3.5/5)
▫️The Mystery Guest 🌟🌟🌟🌟 (4/5)
#gifted @randomhouse 🫶

READ IF YOU LIKE:
▫️Neurodivergent representation ♾️
▫️Murder mysteries 🔎
▫️Single POV
▫️Medium-pace reads
▫️Amazing audiobooks 🎧

MY THOUGHTS:
This mystery series is absolutely delightful! 🙌 It will keep you entertained, make you laugh, and even surprise you! I just recommended it to my sister (she prefers mysteries over thrillers) and she LOVED IT. If you like audiobooks, you must try these on audio bc the narrator, Lauren Ambrose, KILLS IT. (Pun intended 😉)

Molly loves her job as a maid cleaning at a five-star hotel. She is quirky and brilliant, but at times has difficulty with her social skills, which can land her in some sticky situations… especially when she discovers a dead body in one of the hotel rooms 😧 As a prime suspect, she must figure out how to get out of this one!

RATING EXPLAINED:
If you go in expecting, crazy “thriller energy” with big twists & turns, you will be disappointed. That is not what these books are. These books are compelling, cozy mysteries that will leave you craving more of Molly. ❤️ She remains my favorite fictional character TO DATE. She is so quirky & lovable!!! 🥹 The plot is good in both books, but Molly truly is the star of the show here. I liked book 2 slightly more bc we got to dive deeper into Molly’s past with her Gran 🫶 plus, I found book 1 a tad slower. Overall, I def recommend these books!

DETAILS:
▫️Published: 1/4/22 & 11/28/23
▫️Pages: 304 (for both)
▫️Awards: Book 1- Goodreads mystery winner for 2022

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

3.75// Let’s start with the things that were really good in this book. I loved Molly in the last book and I still loved her in this book. Nita Prose did a great job giving her more responsibility and altogether with her character growth. In The Maid, Molly came across as more naive, but in this book she didn’t and was more socially aware. I also loved the new additions to the maids like Lily, Sunshine, and Sunitha.

Another aspect that I loved about this book was that the author showed us Molly’s childhood. I loved getting to understand how she was raised, where her love for cleaning started, and seeing how she looked out for Gran as much as he looked out for her.

Here are the things that I didn’t really love. Finding out who the murderer was, wasn’t necessarily predictable, but the way it was explained was murky and just didn’t have the unexpected twist the way the first book did.

There’s also a big secret revealed - at least I think it’s supposed to be a big secret - that I guess was supposed to be shocking, but I had already figured it out.

Overall, I think this book had some sweet moments, but it didn’t wow me the way the first book did.

The Mystery Guest is the second book featuring Molly the maid, who finds herself unexpectedly in the midst of another murder investigation. This time, a famous author dies in the middle of an event at the hotel where she works, and Molly uses her wit and attention to detail to seek out clues as to who is behind it all. But Molly also has a connection to the dead author…one that may give her special insight into what really happened to him.

This was a solid sequel to The Maid. It felt like a classic, cozy mystery to me, where there’s another cast of characters to suspect and little clues hidden throughout the story. I loved all of Molly’s little sayings and her character development in this story. I also really appreciated the themes of found family, knowing your worth, and loving yourself just as you are.

Overall, this is a cute sequel and I’m looking forward to the next one in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I adored Nita Prose's previous book, The Maid, and had high hopes for The Mystery Guest. If you truly enjoyed The Maid, for sure pick this up--it is a fun book, a mystery about a famed author who drops dead in the tea room of the hotel Molly works at. She must once again work with (and against!) the detective to solve the murder. While I did enjoy this book, it didn't quite work as well for me as the first. Still, a good read.

In the Mystery Guest, Molly Gray is a maid at a prominent hotel. Although this is a stand alone novel it is a continuation of the author's last novel, The Maid. Molly is always involved with the people both working at the hotel and staying there. She has solved another murder at this hotel is the first book. This time she has a connection to the author that was murdered at the hotel and she helps to solve it. This is an easy read.

I absolutely loved this book. It was really well written and it was also surprising. Thank you for the arc. I really appreciate it.

Loved her debut, The Maid, and Molly's character but this felt kind of repetitive and too similar to the first. The ending resolved in a way that kept this from being a lower rating and because of the ending I'd be interested in reading the subsequent book (if there is one) because I felt like it set it up nicely for a much different and interesting story line. Ultimately I feel like this could've been the first few chapters of the next book and so much of it felt redundant. However if you're into a simple cozy mystery in the meantime I would definitely check this out! Just don't go into expecting something much more interesting than the first.

Molly the maid is back at it again! This time an iconic but unusual author is set to make a huge secret announcement in the tearoom of the hotel, only to suspiciously drop dead mere moments before he makes the big reveal. Follow Molly as another murder investigation tails our unlikely hero, Molly.

I LOVED this! Just as fun and quirky as the first! Gran continues to play a major supporting role as The Mystery Guest dives head first into Molly's past as a little girl and gives insight to her upbringing and how she became such a a meticulous and diligent cleaner. I loved the back story and was hooked from the start. This book made me laugh, cry, and be thoroughly entertained! I love Molly and Gran!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me the opportunity to read about Molly again, I just love her! Part 3 please!!!

4.5 rounded to 5

Oh, Molly does it again. Molly is literally one of my favorite characters. She is just so fun to read!! This book was pretty good as far as the mystery. I did like how we got more backstory with this one and more info on Gran... but I still loved the original Maid better. Can't wait to see what Molly is up to next.

Love love love Molly the Maid and she was back in all her loveliness in this follow up. The murder mystery involving JD Grimthorpe was the perfect cozy mystery for this second book. I loved it . Looking forward to Nita Prose’s next.



Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed the first book of this series last year!

This one didn’t immediately grab me like it’s predecessor, but I just love Molly and all the bad things the hotel gets itself into!

A great sequel to one of my favorites of last year, "The Maid," Molly is back again with her trademark intelligent innocence and uncanny ability to stumble into the middle of troubling murder mysteries.

A famous author drops dead at the hotel, and signs definitely point to foul play. Molly has an unusual connection to this death, as she has known the author in her past.

Molly is as dear and lovable as always, and the story unfolds in a well paced and exciting way. I love Molly the Maid, and I will officially follow her and her adventures anywhere.

I had no idea The Maid would have a follow up book and was delighted when I saw the sequel. Molly Gray was a quirky, memorable character, her standards of cleanliness always high, and this time she finds herself at the center of another murder. I loved the glimpses of the Molly from before and present day.

This was a very good follow up to The Maid. I really enjoyed the dual POV and learning some of Molly and Gran’s backstory. And the murder mystery itself felt kind of tongue in cheek. I thought it played out well, and I enjoyed being back in Molly’s head.

I did miss some of characters that weren’t in this book much, but the new ones almost make up for that. There’s a lot to enjoy in this cozy mystery.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Molly the Maid is back! I absolutely adored the first meeting of Molly so I was excited to jump into this book. She is back at the Regency Grand Hotel and there has been another murder-- can't look good for Mr. Snow! That being said, Molly puts her special abilities of observation to the test and jumps on the case yet again.

I enjoyed this charming sequel by Nita Prose. I find Molly to be heartwarming, and I do believe that most of my favorite parts of this book was the flashbacks where we learn more about her childhood. The mystery of the murder was alright, however it was not as suspenseful as it was in The Maid. No matter, I still had fun reading this book, and do recommend to other readers as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

This novel is a follow-up to “The Maid,” which tells the story of Molly Gray, a young woman somewhere on the behavioral spectrum - most likely with Asperger syndrome (AS) - which has resulted in an inability to pick up social cues and develop social skills. (People with AS have relatively unimpaired language skills and intelligence, which is clearly the case with Molly.) She takes people at their words and has difficulty identifying deception and scorn.

She is now the proud Head Maid at the five-star Regency Grand Hotel, in a happy relationship living with her boyfriend Juan Manuel, and still going by the advice (in her head) of her beloved Gran, who passed away four years earlier but whose precepts still guide Molly’s behavior. She is even training a new maid, Lily, who reminds her a lot of her younger self.

As this story begins, Molly is excited over the upcoming appearance of J.D. Grimthorpe, the International but reclusive best-selling mystery author. He is making a rare public appearance to make a mysterious announcement to fifty-five VIP guests, and booked the Regency’s newly renovated tea room for the event. Molly was even put in charge of the tea. But just as Grimthorpe announced he has been keeping a secret that he would now reveal, he dropped dead.

Molly is determined to find out the identity of the killer in order to help save the hotel’s reputation. As an interesting complication, Molly actually knew the author from her childhood, when she worked with her Gran who was a maid at Grimthorpe’s mansion.

Evaluation: This cozy mystery series distinguishes itself by the primary character having Asperger syndrome, which is nice to see. On the other hand, I though the style of writing, especially Molly’s observations and interactions, was too reminiscent of the first novel; it barely seemed like a new book outside of the specifics of the new crime.

Nevertheless, it is an entertaining story and a welcome diversion from the usual mystery fare.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy!

I was pretty nervous when I started this book, because I loved The Maid so much and sequels are so tough to write. Although I didn't love this one quite as much, I still had so much fun reading it and blew through it in two days because I was so invested in Molly's antics and HER BACK STORY! Yes, we get more info about Molly's childhood and her Gran!

All of the characters I loved from the first book are back, along with some new ones. Molly is perfect as Head Maid, and I loved reading about how she was training Lily. Her little sayings made me smile. I think my favorite parts were the flashback chapters, although reading about how Molly was treated at school broke my heart. Getting to know about her past explained a lot about her character, and went along perfectly with the plot of this book.

How can you not fall in love with Molly the Maid??!!!

Another guest has dropped dead at the Regency Grand Hotel, and our beloved maid, Molly, is once again right in the thick of it all. With some less than gentle pushing from her quick-witted, true crime loving, bartender friend Angela, Molly is thrown right into carrying out her own investigation surrounding the strange death of an acclaimed mystery writer that had been hosting an event in the hotel.

I really enjoyed The Mystery Guest, which is dubbed a standalone novel, but I think will be much more enjoyable if you’ve read The Maid first. It’s got a cast of really fantastic characters, a lot of laugh out loud moments, and a timeline that bounces between a younger Molly and current day, allowing us to get a better understanding of who Molly is.

If you’re like me and love a cozy mystery in the winter, grab a cup of tea, a snuggly blanket and settle in for a fun novel!

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

I thought this was a very good follow up to the first book. The continuation of characters was very nice but the story felt a little rinse and repeat as well as very unbelievable. The writing felt more elementary this time, rather than full of depth and character development. Detective Stark allowing Molly along on the investigation just didn't seem like something that would actually happen. I did like following along with Molly and seeing her growth (although it wasn't that much) and keeping up with her. This was a very classic who dun it.

Molly the maid is back, and so is death at The Regency Grand where Molly has been made head maid. This time around Molly have a more personal connection to the case, getting her right in the crossfire of the surly Detective Stark again.

***

I did enjoy Molly's first adventure and could easily see Prose's opening for a new novel. And Molly is as observant and job oriented as ever.

The scenes where Molly is working as a mid and either reluctantly or purposefully investigating the actual mystery is interesting. And the flashback scenes should have set up a really interesting back story that connected with modern day!

But for cozy mysteries (as a lot of people label them) shouldn't these novels be a little less...sad? There were some crazy gut punches throughout the novel that were not getting the real tragedy and insanity of some of these plot points due to Molly's complete and utter inability to grasp it? I guess? I just feel if you are going to try and tackle topics like substance abuse and sexual assault, you need to give it more time and understanding.

And the actual end to the mystery and the tying up of all of the different plot points felt rushed and super unsatisfying.

If Molly returns, I'm happy to give it another shot, but this one really missed the mark for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.