When I first met hotel maid Molly Gray in the first book of the series (appropriately titled "The Maid"), her quirks drove me right up a wall. Still, I loved the book - and inexplicably, Molly; so much so that I was eager to get my hands on the next installment. Molly's quirkiness didn't seem quite as over the top as before (or maybe I've just become accustomed to her idiosyncracies), and I enjoyed this one thoroughly as well.

Molly, it seems, is perfectly suited for work as a maid; thanks in part to coaching by her late grandmother, who also worked as a maid, she never settles for anything less than perfection to please guests at the Regency Grand Hotel where she works. In fact, she's now Head Maid; and it was she who wrote the job handbook for all the other maids to follow (to the letter, if Molly has any say in the matter; she brings OCD to a whole new level).

After a harrowing involvement in a murder in the first book, Molly got a promotion and is, inasmuch as she's capable of, happy with the way her life is going. She's got a live-in significant other, and although she misses her Gran terribly, she's learning to cope on her own by, in part, relying on memories of happier days. As this one begins, the hotel - under Molly's watchful eye - is preparing for a visit by renowned mystery writer J.D. Grimthorpe. Just as he takes the podium to make a big announcement, though, he topples over - never to write another word. Needless to say, it's almost a given that a butler did it - or in this case, a maid. This time, the maid under scrutiny isn't Molly, but Lily, her shy maid-in-training. And once again, Molly must deal with NYPD's Detective Stark, with whom she had a serious run-in in the first book.

Little by little, surprising clues turn up - some by way of chapters that revert to Molly's younger years - until, of course, the culprit is revealed. There's even a surprise at the end that brings to light new possibilities for Molly in the next installment. I'll be waiting - and while I do I'll say thanks to the publisher, via Netgalley, for letting me read and review a pre-release copy of this one. A fun series!

A great follow up to the Maid, where Molly finds herself once again at the scene of a dead man, a famous author, in her beloved hotel. This time Molly has a history with the author and her expertise comes in handy when she's asked by the detective to help the police. The story is told partly in the present as Molly learns more about the author, his books, and his fans, while the other part is told from Molly's childhood when she first met the author. Overall, a fun addition to the series and Molly has the makings of a detective. One issue with the story is how many times Molly would explain things literally. It's clearly laid out in the first book and in the beginning of the second book that Molly doesn't always understand social cues or nuances, so having it repeated constantly made it a little tedious.

Well, the maid we all love and adore, Molly Gray is back in The Mystery Guest. With the charm and heart from the first story, The Maid, we are again excited to learn what she has been up to lately, as well as a bit of her backstory, with her loving and forevermore gran, Flora, her teacher of all things. Molly has come a long way since we were first introduced to her, but she continues to be the honest, thought-provoking, sensitive, intelligent woman we have grown to treasure.

Since we last read about her, Molly has been promoted to head maid at the prestigious yet infamous Regency Grand Hotel, living with her boyfriend Juan in her gran’s apartment. Juan is away visiting his family when of course, another death occurs.

J.D. Grimthorpe, a famous mystery writer is about to make an important announcement about himself, and he has chosen Molly’s hotel to make the statement. Although he has not written a book in a very long time, it is the hope of his fans that he will tell them he is coming out with a sequel to his bestseller from years ago.

But just before he is going to make the announcement, he keels over and dies. It is soon discovered that someone has poisoned him. Now, Molly’s new maid-in-training, Lily is frightened because she thinks it’s always the maid. But Molly has faith that with a bit of investigating, the Regency Grant Hotel will be exonerated.

As Molly’s frenemy, Detective Stark once again is put on the case and of course eyes Molly suspiciously, Molly knows she did not kill the man. But unfortunately, Molly has a deep dark secret. When she was young, she and her gran had worked as maids for the Grimthorpe household, and it did not end well.

As she flashes back to that dreadful time, she begins to remember more about what happened when they worked for the mysterious writer. But clues of his death are sparse and when she sees her dear friend Mr. Preston doing something illegal, well her head begins to spin.

As Molly tries to put the clues together, realizing Grimthorpe was not a very nice person and anybody could have wanted him dead, the suspects begin to add up and she must find the killer before it ruins the reputation of her wonderful hotel.

The Mystery Guest is sleuthing at its best, and our Molly is as sweet as honey as she brilliantly and true to herself discovers the truths behind the dead man. Cannot wait to see where Molly goes next!

Thank you #NetGalley #BallentineBooks #NitaProse #TheMysteryGuest for the advanced copy.

this book was an absolute delight. I don't have strong feelings about how it compared to the first book but I thoroughly enjoyed both. I also listened to the audio and it was phenomenal. Molly is an easy character to root for and the mystery kept me on my toes. It also put me in the mood for more cozy mysteries so I am on the hunt!

I enjoy this new adventure of Molly and the new case and the new mystery of this great character that has captivated me so much, I recommend this book The Mystery Guest has all the ingredients to keep you reading and not wanting to stop and always looking forward to reading and know more about Mollie's agenda she made ms laugh so much sometimes.

great second book I enjoy the writing of Nita Prose.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books, for the advanced copy of The Mystery Guest in exchange for my honest review.

🧹 The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose 🧹

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

💭 Thoughts:
This was a sweet follow-up book to The Maid, and I loved how the author still weaved in Gran 🥹 IYKYK. I also liked the alternating timeline/flashback aspect and the sweet little (non-dramatic) twist. Molly is one of my favorite fictional characters, and I loved spending some time with her again! This is the coziest mystery duo, and they are perfect to read while bundled up by a fire!

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Molly the Maid is back at it again. An old acquaintance dies at her hotel, and she finds herself in the middle of another murder investigation. Unfortunately, this book was not as good as the original.

Thank you, Penguin Random House and NetGalley, for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Molly the maid is back again and has her found herself enshrouded in another mystery at the five-star Regency Grand Hotel.

This time, a famous mystery author named J.D. Grimthorpe comes to the Regency Grand Hotel's tearoom to make an announcement, but when he gets up to make his announcement, he ends up passing away. Now, the question is: who wanted to get rid of J.D. Grimthorpe? Could it have been Molly who once knew the writer when she was a young girl, or could it be someone else?

I highly enjoyed reading The Maid back in 2022 and because of that I instantly requested The Mystery Guest when I saw that it was on NetGalley.

Molly is still definitely Molly in this book. To me she seems like she is on the autism spectrum, and I just literally looked back at my review for The Maid, and I said the same exact thing in that review and for the same reasons, which are: Molly has a hard time reading social cues, takes things literally, does not understand sarcasm, and definitely with The Mystery Guest you see Molly have repetitive behaviors. I am no doctor and cannot diagnose a character or person, but the reason why I feel this way is because I work in the school system with students who have disabilities.

At first, I really, really struggled to get into The Mystery Guest and kept thinking "oh no, I am not going to like this at all." Molly really came off as condescending and treated us, the reader as if we knew nothing so she would talk down to us. Also, the first chapter we see Molly mention that her Gran passed away in basically every few paragraphs.

Other than that qualm, I have to say I really did enjoy The Mystery Guest. I really appreciated the backstory on how Molly knew J.D. Grimthorpe. Plus, the backstory sheds a lot of light on Molly's behaviors that we see in present time (repetitiveness, hates to break from routine, ocd, having a hard time understanding social cues, taking things literal, etc.). We see how J.D. Grimthorpe and his wife treat both Molly and Molly's Gran, Flora since Flora is their maid and Molly was taken out of school for not being on the same mentality of her peers (even though she was passing her classes).

The mystery was done well, and I could see where the threads to the whodunnit trope but there was one twist I did not even see coming.

If you enjoyed The Maid, then I am sure you will enjoy The Mystery Guest with the antics Molly gets herself into and for the humor that is sprinkled in. You will find yourself hooked after the first few pages.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read The Mystery Guest.

I could not wait to read more about Molly the maid in The Mystery Guest. I loved The Maid and I loved The Mystery Guest just as much or maybe even more. Molly is now the head maid of the Regency Grand Hotel and her adventures continue. I like that the chapters alternated back and forth between the present and back when Molly was growing up with her Grandmother. This is a wonderful mystery intermingled with some light humor throughout. This book can be read on its own but I suggest reading The Maid first so you get to know Molly and her friends before moving on to The Mystery Guest.

I give this book all 5 stars and I highly recommend.

I love Molly's quirkiness. She really seemed to come into her own in this book. I love the way the flashbacks give us the story of Molly and Mr. Grimthorpe. I hope there are more books in this series, because I really enjoy Molly!

Thank you to Random House for the gifted copy. The Mystery Guest is out now!

I really enjoyed The Maid, which was the first in this series. I don't know that we needed a sequel. There was so much repetition from the first book. Things I loved reading about before, in the sequel they just didn't seem necessary. The boyfriend was conveniently away visiting family which felt strange to me. Overall this book was fine. If you're looking for a cozy mystery, this one should be on your list.

A great mystery and I so enjoyed visiting with Molly again. She is a one of a kind character and I just love her. Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the pleasure of reading this magical eARC.

I read Nita Prose's The Maid with delight, imagining it as one of those rare novels that can never be outdone, in its magical combination of warmth, mystery, compassion, and delight. I was wrong, Nita Prose's The Mystery Guest is even better than her first offering, which I couldn't have imagined!

I hope she is already busy writing the 3rd Molly the maid (perhaps soon to have another role).

In trying times, reading this series brings back the childlike delight I felt the first time I went with my Dad to pick out a Christmas tree

Each book in this series is a uniquely special gift to the reader, and for that, I will never be able to express my gratitude fully to the author

Of course, this book earns a standing ovation and a five-star rating from this devoted, humble reader.

"The Mystery Guest" by Nita Prose is a delightful and quirky mystery that unfolds in the peculiar world of a boutique hotel. The novel follows the endearing protagonist, Jeanie, a meticulous housekeeper with a keen eye for detail. When a guest unexpectedly dies, Jeanie becomes an amateur detective, unraveling secrets and eccentricities within the hotel's walls. Prose's writing is witty, and the characters are eccentric and lovable. The plot is intricately woven, blending humor and suspense. "The Mystery Guest" is a charming and well-crafted debut, offering readers a delightful escape into a world where curiosity and kindness reign supreme.

Molly, the maid, is the employee every manager wishes they could hire. She works hard and takes a lot of pride in her work as head maid at the Regency Hotel. When a best selling author passes away at a press announcement at the hotel Molly’s team comes under intense scrutiny. The detectives poo-poo Molly’s input and amazing recall of small details that lead to important clues as old memories reveal old secrets. Heartwarming story that reminds us we are more alike than we appear sometimes.

Thank you to Random House Publishing for the ARC! #netgalley. #TheMysteryGuest

This was a great read! Molly is such a fun character to read about, and I love how she processes the little details. I enjoyed the new characters that were introduced. It was great getting some more backstory on Molly and her grandmother, and I absolutely loved the ending! Such a great whodunit.

The second book featuring Molly the Maid was once again fantastic. Molly is the head maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, and has been working hard for a few years since the first books story took place. There’s a special guest author staying at the hotel that is making an important announcement in their newly opened tea room.

Unfortunately, the author never gets to make that announcement because he drops dead, and Molly is once again at the center of the investigation because her and her maid in training were right by the author. Detective Stark is back again to investigate. We have our favorite returning characters and some fun new ones too. This book also features a dual timeline, going back to when Molly was a kid and going to her Gran’s workplace as a domestic maid.

I still believe that Molly’s character is one of the most uniquely charming characters I’ve read about in a long time. She is her own strong young lady, with specific endearing quirks that keeps everyone on their toes. The end of the book made me wonder if it was left open to the possibility of another Molly story and if so, I am all for it!!

𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
▫️ Lovable, Fun Main Characters
▫️ Murder Mystery Whodunnit Books
▫️ Unexpected Twists
▫️ Dual Timelines

I liked this book better than the prequel! Maybe because I knew what to expect from the main character, Molly the Maid, and the plot. A friend describes Molly as a grown up Amelia Bedelia, and I think it’s spot on! A cute, light mystery with some fun twists and heart-warming moments.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Molly Gray is not like anyone else. With her flair for cleaning and proper etiquette, she has risen through the ranks of the glorious five-star Regency Grand Hotel to become the esteemed Head Maid. But just as her life reaches a pinnacle state of perfection, her world is turned upside down when J.D. Grimthorpe, the world-renowned mystery author, drops dead—very dead—on the hotel’s tea room floor.

Another fun adventure with the lovable and quirky Molly the Maid!

I just love this character so much. Molly, Head Maid, begins this story confident and strong. She is working with maid in training, Lily, when a famous author is suddenly murdered in the hotel. We get more background information about Molly’s childhood and growing up with her Gran.

Detective Stark is back and suspicious of everyone. Molly uses her skills to find clues. Molly has some secrets to share to help uncover the truth and prove her friends innocent.

Loved the surprise twist at the end. Quick and entertaining read! After her last conversation with Detective Stark, I’m wondering what the future will look like for Molly.

I love a cozy mystery and that's what I got. I recommend reading the 1st book in the series prior to this one so you understand how the characters connect. I liked the backstory on how Molly, Gran, Grimthorpe and others were all connected. It was a quick easy read. I read this as an advanced read and will recommend to others.