I loved Nita Prose's first book The Maid and was so anxious to read The Mystery Guest. The Maid is a really hard act to follow. Many of the same characters from the Maid resurface when there is a second tragedy at the Regency.

I hate to give away any of the plot details, I really think it is best to go into this book blind.

The Mystery Guest was published Nov 28, 2023; my request to read the advance read copy of the Mystery Guest was approved 11/30/23. I'm not sure when i requested to review the advance read copy, but I'm pretty sure it was the first week that it became available on NetGalley. Thank you for approving my request to read The Mystery Guest in exchange for an honest review.

Overview: Molly, head maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, finds herself at the center of another murder mystery. This time, the victim is JD Grimthorpe, a renowned and reclusive writer whom Molly had known as a child.

Thoughts: Molly from The Maid is one of the most memorable characters I have read in recent years, and so when I discovered there was a sequel, I was eager to see what my favorite maid was up to. The book started a bit slow for me, but once Molly’s flashbacks kicked in, I was all in! Overall I was much more invested in Molly’s relationship with Gran than finding out who the murderer was, and loved seeing Molly’s character growth since the last book.

Take home message: This is a fun mystery novel with a neurodivergent main character that feels like a more serious version of Knives Out and Monk.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for this ARC!

If you read Amelia Bedelia as a child, you will love Molly the Maid!

I really liked The Maid last year, so I was so excited for the second book about Molly. Molly notices things that no one else does making her the perfect person to help solve the mystery.
I also loved the glimpses back to Molly as a child and how she was connected to the victim.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC.

This book was an absolute delight to read. I enjoyed this one even more than the first book in the series. If you’re in the market for a cozy mystery filled with lots of heart look no further.
Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.

What a delight it was to be back with Molly the maid. This is the second book where we get to join Molly as she solves a mystery, but could be read as a standalone as well. I will definitely pick up the next as well!

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
The Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid, Book 2) by Nita Prose
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 277 / Genre: Cozy Mystery

Molly the maid is back with another murder at the Regency Grand Hotel. This time it’s the famous mystery writer J.D. Grimthorpe, who just so happens to be a former employer of Molly’s late gram. This story ping pongs between Molly and Gram’s past experiences with the writer and the current events surrounding his murder.

The somewhat innocent nature of Molly and her quirky and fastidious habits make this more of a cozy murder mystery. I enjoyed it as much as I did the first book in the series, The Maid. It’s a little slower pace than some of my usual thrillers, but I liked it.

Thank you @NetGalley, @PenguinRandomHouse, and @NitaProse for the advanced copy of this book. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. Molly is back and better than ever. I enjoyed The Maid, but I loved The Mystery Guest. Molly is now the head maid at the same hotel. But this time a famous author drops dead.

Sometimes a story or a set of characters just work(s) better as a standalone. I adored The Maid and everyone in it - it was one of my best reads of 2022. I had no idea that it was intended to become a series. It was perfect on it's own, and none of the characters was really intense enough to carry a series if that makes sense. When I saw The Mystery Guest on NetGalley I jumped and requested it thinking it was another mystery by an author I had enjoyed and not realizing it was with the same characters as The Maid. Even after reading the synopsis I was curious how Prose was going to make Molly into a series. Turns out, she still really isn't. This sequel was more than weak, it was entirely forgettable. All the charm of The Maid was gone here - instead it's one absurd coincidence after another to the point that I felt like I was reading a script for a daytime soap. We also lose the joy of figuring out who Molly is and how she fits in her world. In a sequel, we know her well and nothing is surprising anymore. I'll still keep my eye out for more from Prose, but not if they are more mysteries from Molly.

**Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the eARC**

The 2nd installment of the Molly the Maid series by Nita Prose, for me, was just as quirky as the first. I enjoyed Molly's innocent and humorous antics while she tried to help solve the murder of the mystery guest in the hotel in which she now proudly bears the title of Head Maid. The victim was someone she admired as a child, and if she doesn't solve the crime quickly, her own secrets might be revealed. While neither The Maid nor this title disappointed me, despite the hype, neither one held the thrills I was hoping for. Overall, a nice light-hearted read.

A neurodivergent whodunnit with Clue board game vibes and a strong female lead. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and love Molly’s character development from the first book to now.

This second book in the series is just as good as the first, told once again through the eyes of Molly, now Head Maid at her beloved Regency Grand Hotel. This one is told over two timelines: the present, where author J.D. Grimthorpe drops dead in the hotel tea room (just as he’s about to give a big announcement), and the past, where Molly accompanies her Gran to work at a huge estate. Of course the two timelines collide to make an intriguing whodunit.

My favorite part is Molly’s voice. Her perspective, her interactions. I love in this second book she’s confident in herself and her position and uses that to guide her as she follows the clues. She makes mistakes but she always learns from them.

You don’t need to start with the first book (although I highly recommend THE MAID!), you can jump right in here and enjoy Molly’s latest mystery.

For someone who enjoys peace and routine, hotel maid Molly found herself once again immersed into the chaos of a murder investigation. A famed mystery author found himself on the wrong end of someone's ire only moments before making an announcement that he claimed would be huge. This announcement was meant to take place at the Regency Grand Hotel, where Molly is Head Maid. As the investigation into the author's death comes to a start, Molly takes the time to realize that her own past experiences may just answer some very important questions.

Molly was interesting as usual, I found her an enjoyable protagonist to follow throughout the process of the investigation. Being able to see her actual reactions to the world around her as well as getting a glimpse into her memories helped to make her character well rounded. Not only do the readers get to see her motivations, but we get to see how those motivations are influenced by the past. I thought it was really interesting to see how she connected dots in her past that she had not connected at the time.

One thing that I appreciated in the first book in the series, The Maid, was that I also enjoyed getting to know more about the side characters through their interactions with the case. It was a wonderful way to gain both character growth as well as maintain progress on the mystery. While character development was important to the plot, the mystery stayed at the forefront of the story.

While it was easy to follow the characters and the mystery, there were many moments where the plot felt disjointed. Switching back and forth from the present to the past was a great way to tell the story, but whenever there was a switch, it took me a moment to realize what was happening. The story had a lot of moving parts and the switching made me forget what was actually important and what was just there for filler purposes.

This novel is a fine addition to the series, but ultimately fails to shine above the rest. Read for the character growth, but beware the jumpy plot.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions

Gosh I just really love these books! Molly the maid is back to solve another mystery at her hotel. When a famous author drops dead just as he is about to reveal a top secret announcement, Molly is once again thrust into the spotlight of the police. She must try and help uncover the facts of the murder, but in this instance, Molly may know more than she lets on to the police.

The Mystery Guest and the Maid are cozy mysteries to me. They are easy to read and you fall in love with all of the characters. While there is a bit of romance in the books, the plot really focuses on Molly and her relationships with all the people she interacts with on a daily basis. Molly is unique and I love seeing her positive viewpoint on situations. I love seeing neurodivergent characters cast in such a positive spotlight, and you cannot help for falling for Molly and her intelligence and gentle nature. Such a fun read and I can't wait for another Molly the maid to come out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing-Ballantine Books for granting me a free copy in exchange for my honest review!

In this sequel to the Maid, overall it was quite enjoyable. Molly has a new position within the hotel that she is excelling at. She has grown and matured with her personality. At times it felt that shehad developed a bit beyond the type of personality that she possesed in the first book that would be possible. I found the mystery itself to be not quite as tight as the first one but still entertaining.

Having read The Maid, I was really excited to dive into the next book in the series, The Mystery Guest. The Mystery Guest does a good job continuing on the characters’ stories and showing Molly’s growth while not losing her original charm and naiveté. I found the characters just as charming as in the first book, and I find Molly especially to be so endearing and such a well- written character.

The place I found this book slightly lacking was the mystery itself — to me, it just wasn’t as interesting as the first book. Also, between the flashbacks and the present day, I feel like the story was constantly stopping and starting. The flashbacks constantly took me out of the story, and although I know they were an important part of the story, it felt a little much at times.

Overall, a charming and quick mystery read!

Molly the maid is beginning to grow on me. In the first book, her speech patterns were very annoying. But, she’s gotten a bit better in this book. She’s made out to be more competent and less seemingly dim-witted. Overall, I give this a 3.5 for making her a better and more capable character!

This review has also been published on Goodreads.

Absolutely wonderful sequel to the first book. I love the character of Molly and the way she sees the world. I did miss Juan Manuel and Charlotte and hope this series continues so we can catch up with them as well!

If you already read The Maid by Nita Prose, you know the treat in store for you on the pages of this second book by Prose about Molly Gray, a maid at a five-star boutique hotel. If you have not already read the previous book about this character, then you are in for an even bigger treat, as no prior knowledge from the first book is necessary to enjoy this standalone mystery, and you will have available a second book to read about this delightful main character immediately upon finishing this one. Molly is awkward in her social interactions, and has a tendency to interpret spoken words and phrases literally, which often leads others to underestimate her abilities and occasionally injects some humor into the situation. On the other hand, she possesses exceptional skills of observation and analysis. Because she takes such pride in her job and constantly strives for perfection, no small detail escapes Molly’s notice – whether it’s a speck of dust that should have been wiped clean in a guestroom, or an item she notices is slightly out of place, which turns out to be the clue to solving a murder. The author has created a unique and thoroughly charming character in Molly, and this book, like its predecessor, contains a fun storyline, clever dialog, some social satire, and a satisfying, polished mystery. Hopefully, we can look forward to many more books in this enjoyable series.

Thanks to Net Galley and Random House for providing a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

I ended up listening to this one on audiobook, and it was a very quick listen. I love the character of Molly, however I found her to be more charming and likable in the first book. I did enjoy learning more about the history of her family. The murder was interesting, but not gripping.

Molly is back with another mystery in the Regency Grand Hotel! I love Molly’s character and she’s back in all her quirky glory! The dual timeline offers a better understanding of Gran and a peek at young Molly. I enjoyed Molly’s relationships with other characters deepening and/or evolving throughout the novel. We hear a lot of Gran’s idioms throughout this book, which felt more than a little repetitive at times, and the resolution of the mystery fell a little flat for me. Otherwise this is the perfect cozy mystery! Highly recommend!

Thank you to Random House Publishing, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for this fun ARC.