As a huge fan of The Maid, I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to read the second book early! I absolutely adore Molly and I was so excited to see her personal growth from the first book to this one. I wish we had gotten an extension of her relationship with Juan Manuel in this novel as well. It was another cute, cozy mystery in the Regency Grand Hotel with Molly!

The Maid was one of the first mystery books I read as this was a genre I didn't read before. I enjoyed Molly's character and her friends. I'm happy to say I enjoyed this sequel as well and we get to understand Molly better. This was another fun book to read and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

The Mystery Guest delivered just like The Maid did. And I believe she has a Christmas book coming out! Looking forward to that one too !

Thank you to Netgalley, Nita Prose, and Random House- Ballatine Books for an advance copy of The Mystery Guest in exchange for an honest review. Molly is truly one of my favorite literary characters to date and she thrilled me again in The Mystery Guest. Molly is once again "pitted" against the infamous Detective Stark as both individuals attempt to find out what happened to well known author, J.D Grimthorpe. Was it the new maid in training, Lily? Or Grimthorpe's gaggle of followers? Prose takes us on a ride as we try to figure out what happens to said author and I believe everything wraps up in a perfect & tidy way (Molly would approve). ;) This one is out now and is a must buy for your own collection!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for a copy of The Mystery Guest in exchange for my honest review.

Quirky Molly is at it again with her sleuthing skills. Nice to learn a little about Molly's childhood and her relationship with her beloved Gran. Everything came together in a really enjoyable mystery!!

Molly the Maid is back in another charming mystery. Understanding Mollys neurodivergent tendencies really makes her all that more charming. Her quirkiness adds a new dimension to this type of murder mystery.

Molly Gray is back and just as amazing as I remember. She has been promoted to Head Maid at the Regency Grand and life is looking fine until a famous author, J.D. Grimshaw drops dead at an event being hosted in the Regency’s brand new tea room. Apparently, the maid is always guilty, and Molly is thrust into investigating to make sure that detective Stark sees that neither she or Lily, the new maid she hired, are guilty.

With a familiar cast of characters and a story line that travels back and forth to present day, the story unfolds along with a number of mysteries that show themselves during the course of the story.

I breezed through this book. Molly is one of my favorite characters in recent novels and Nita Prose does an amazing job depicting a neurodivergent character, who is lovable, smart and extremely interesting. I definitely felt like I knew Molly and the other cast of characters in this novel, and I didn’t want the book to end. I certainly had to suspend my disbelief, as the novel neared its end, but I loved it regardless. I look forward to the next installment.(Hopefully there will be one!)

I would highly recommend this series!

I have to say I think this book was better than the first. The first book seemed a little slow going and could have left some things out. This book button up the story very well.

After enjoying “The Maid”, I was so excited to dive in to “The Mystery Guest” - and it did not disappoint! I thoroughly enjoyed the cozy mystery that Nita Prose created for Molly the Maid.

We follow Molly as she and her team of maids at the Regency Grand Hotel prepare for a press conference with the renowned mystery author, J.D. Grimthorpe, who has a big announcement to share with his fans. But just as the press conference is starting, Grimthorpe drops dead in the ballroom, leaving his fans, and soon the detectives, wondering what he was going to reveal.

Molly is soon whisked into the thick of the investigation - this time as a helpful resource to the detectives (who previously arrested her for a crime she did not commit).

Follow Molly as she tries to figure out what happened to Grimthorpe, which takes her on a trip down memory lane to when she was a child with her beloved grandmother.

“The Mystery Guest” did not disappoint and I can’t wait to see what’s in store next for Molly the Maid!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an electronic ARC.

The Maid series is just so stinking cute. I love quirky main characters. I love weirdos. I love justice. I just discovered a Christmas novella will be coming out in the fall and I’m just delighted. We’ve read both The Maid and The Mystery Guest for book club and no one was disappointed. A lovely light read.

The Mystery Guest is the second Maid novel by Nita Prose. Released 28th Nov 2023 by Penguin Random House on their Ballantine imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is a very well written and engagingly intelligent cozy mystery with an appealing and proper protagonist. This book delves more deeply into head maid Molly's past with her grandmother, and sees her helping the local official constabulary on yet another murder (this time with much less friction).

The descriptions and settings; the hotel, the characters and their interactions are again well rendered and believable. There were some instances of overly intrusive internal dialogue from Molly's back-story with her grandmother, but they were relatively fleeting.

This book follows heavily on the setup and protagonist from book one, and as such, it doesn't work as well as a standalone; the books should be read in order.

Four stars. It would be a good choice for public library acquisition, or for fans of other cerebral classic mysteries such as Richard Osman and Anthony Horowitz. With two volumes extant and a third (novella) due out in 4th quarter 2024, it would also make an excellent mini-binge or buddy read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Molly the maid is perhaps one of my favorite characters that has ever been written! This sequel carries all of the charm of its predecessor without being a straight up regurgitation. It’s smart, well paced, and I’d recommend

Nita Prose did it again! I love reading about Molly and the crew. It is similar to The Maid; however, it is still grappling page turner!

The second installment offers more character development for our dear Molly, and the alternating timelines create more backstory to fill in this character's world. If you enjoyed the first book, you'll readily fall into step with 'the Mystery Guest,' with the door left open for another adventure. You could also step into this book without reading the first, but I suspect you'll want to read them both!

Thank you to Random House for my copy of The Mystery Guest. I enjoyed The Maid a lot and was excited to read what Molly was up to in this sequel, but found myself a bit frustrated. This book provides us with a glimpse into Molly's childhood and her grandmother (and mother's) past. Molly's lack of social skills or awareness was less charming in book two than in one for me, and I just had a harder time getting into the story. Though I still was eager to find out who did it. A cozy mystery for those in the mood for that.

I loved this sequel! It was another nice cozy mystery and I loved the surprise at the end! I loved the flashbacks and it really added to the story.

I might have loved this sequel more than the first book! Molly is such a likable character and it was fun to jump back into her world and learn more about her!

It's wonderful to see Miss Molly surrounded by so many good eggs, Juan Manuel, Mr. Preston, Mr. Snow, Sunny and Sunitha are still there; Angela is a gem even with her PPP (perfectly polished profanity); and we're rooting for Lily who we know will eventually become a quality maid. However, all the good eggs can't keep the occasional poisoner from the sparkling halls of the Regency
Grand.

After four quiet years, murder is once again rearing its ugly head as a monster from Molly and Gran's troubled past slithers into the Grand's dazzling tea room with the demon's silly and sinister followers. Can Molly right the tea room, solve the case, and save the Regency's reputation in spite of the misunderstandings that always arise when Detective Stark gets involved? Will bad egg and lazy maid Cheryl finally be exposed for her underhanded ways? Will Molly be able to break through Lily's inhibitions and reveal her valuable qualities? Of course!

Prose delivers another glimmering treasure of a tale that is sure to please.

This is one of the few books that I enjoyed the sequel even more than the original! I loveddd this book! I hope there are more books coming about Molly. 5 stars!!

I loved this book. I was impressed with the book The Maid, but I was so generally enjoyed when I started reading this sequel that the character Molly was so much more developed, especially as she makes mistakes and learns from them. I thoroughly enjoyed that we heard a younger Molly along with current Molly the Maid. I also enjoyed hearing more from Grandma, as she played such a large part of shaping Molly while raising her as a child. The book even ends with a surprise, I can't wait to read what new adventure Molly gets herself into in the future.