Molly might just be one of my top favorite characters ever. I loved The Maid and I was THRILLED to get an advanced copy of this sequel, The Mystery Guest. It was super fun to be back in Molly’s world as she works out the latest mystery in the Regency Grand. She is quirky and so clever; this was such a delightful and compelling read. I loved the flashbacks and getting to hear more of her life with her gran. (And her gran-dad- I knew it!!) I loved the back story; it felt like it all came full circle. I’m very excited for Molly and her future!

Head Maid Molly's beloved Regency Grand Hotel has recovered from the recent murder scandal and redecorated. To celebrate the opening of the new tea room, they are hosting a famous author who has a momentous announcement. Unfortunately, he collapses just as he is about to start his speech - right on top of one of Molly's Maids-in-Training, Lily. Of course, the imminent Mr. Grimthorpe has been murdered. And Molly is, once again, a prime suspect.
What the police don't know is that Molly knows Mr. Grimthorpe. The reader learns of their connection as the book is told in alternating chapters - present day and past. Molly's beloved grandmother was, at one time, the maid at the Grimthorpe mansion. And Molly herself even worked there for a short while.
We learn a lot about Molly's past in this book. Her grandmother's wisdom continues to guide her through another turbulent investigation at her cherished Regency Grand Hotel - along with Mr. Preston and Angela.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-ARC of the book. It was delightful!

Molly the Maid does it again! Using her quirky personality and observations to solve a crime at the hotel. Not only is this book full of twists it also pulls at your heart strings as Molly reflects on her childhood and is always striving to honor her Gran. Sometimes sequels aren’t as good as the first but this sequel lives up to the hype

I love the characters in this series. The Mystery Guest does a great job of unveiling the mystery and solving the crime. The imperfection of the characters is what makes them relatable. There were lots of twists and turns to keep the readers intrigued. The growth of the characters really shines in this book. The plot provides many opportunities for all the characters to flourish. The sequel to The Maid is a compelling story that anyone love loves mysteries will enjoy. I cannot wait to see what else happens with these characters in future stories. Prose does a brilliant job of storytelling.

The Mystery Guest is the follow-up to The Maid, about Molly Gray, a neuro-divergent newly minted Head Maid of the Regency Grand Hotel. The book opens with the sudden and suspicious death of special guest, blockbuster mystery author, J.D. Grimthorpe. As with the previous book, there are a strong cast of characters who assist Molly with helping to investigate this new mysterious death in the hotel, as everything is definitely not as it appears.

This book is told in alternating timelines in the present, and in Molly's past as a young girl, when her path previously crossed with Grimthorpe's, as her beloved Gran was a maid in the Grimthorpe household.

For those who read and enjoyed the previous book, I would certainly recommend this book as being worth reading. In my opinion Molly is more established as a character, and her narration shows how her character is continually growing and developing as she becomes more comfortable socially with her friends and co-workers. This mystery was satisfyingly concluded and Molly is left with new personal developments by the end as well.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

Just as charming and quirky as the first one. The main character is unintentionally hilarious, but there is also a lot of heart behind her. And secrets which keeps one turning the page!

Molly Gray is back!
I am sure you remember The Maid by Nita Prose that featured the young maid with very specific ideas about cleaning and still working to figure out how to best work with her colleagues and contemporary life.

In this story Molly is back with a vengeance, committed fully to ensuring that the Regency Grand continues to be the five star hotel that all expect. The staff in fact expect that their latest event, hosting a reclusive author with a surprise announcement will thrust the Grand back into a positive spotlight and help all forget the murder in the past.

Unfortunately the famous author dies before revealing his great secrets and the Grand is quickly infiltrated with police and detectives and looker-loos that are intent on solving the mystery. Stranger yet, Molly has a connection to the very mysterious and hermit like Grimthorpe. As we read the flashbacks we learn more and more about Molly's background and how she came to be.

Join Molly and the crew at the Grand Hotel and you will not be sorry, this is a cheery cozy-type mystery that will keep you engaged and on your toes - just don't track any mud inside when you read :)
#Ballantinebooks #TheMysteryGuest #NitaProse

I LOVE MOLLY!!! I was thrilled to hear there was a sequel to The Maid and even more excited to receive an advanced copy of it!!!!!
This novel is the definition of a cozy mystery and I can’t get enough! Molly is the investigator this time and probably one of the most likable characters of 2023. I hope the series will continue to we can continue to hear of her adventures at the hotel!!!

THIS WAS SO CUTE.

Did The Maid need a sequel? Not really. But this gave off all the cozy mystery vibes I needed. We also got some backstory on Gram and Molly.

Loved it! 4 solid stars.

molly the maid is back!!!! super cute and quick cozy mystery that will be PERFECT for fall/winter mood readers. didn’t really think that the maid needed a sequel, but the author has set this up well for a continued series. 3.75!!

Molly is one of my favorite literary characters ever. The Maid was an easy 5 stars, so when I saw a sequel was coming out, I requested it faster than you can say Molly The Maid.

I love that you got some backstory to Molly and Gran, flip flopping from the past and present predicament Molly finds herself in. I feel like this could probably be read as a stand-alone, as I read The Maid awhile back and it referenced the first book without totally spoiling it. But definitely pick up Nita’s first book because it is superb.

Okay onto the review. I really liked this one. It was the perfect example of a cozy mystery. Was it better than the first? No. A lot of Gran’s rules and idioms got repetitive, and there were a few scenes where I was like, “MOLLY, YOU DID NOT!”

I feel like maybe this would have worked better as a novella of just the past, and maybe the current murder could have been its own story. I feel like I’m talking you out of reading it, when I really did enjoy it. So much so, I hope there is a third book.

This comes out November 28, 2023. Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll start off saying that I loved the first book, and when I found out that there was a sequel I was surprised but looked forward to reading the sequel.

I thought the original book would have been great as a stand-alone (despite my misgivings on the identity of the murderer). While this book was interesting to learn more of Molly’s backstory, it felt more like a feel-good tour for Molly.

I won’t go into details, but overall, the book gave characters an opportunity to provide support and acceptance of Molly that honestly felt a little out of character for some of them.

That aside, the book was decent, but it lacked the charm of the original.

ARC provided by Random House Publishing and Ballantine Books through NetGalley

When I had the opportunity to read Nita Prose's first novel, The Maid, I found it to be a captivating story and developed a fondness for the main character, Molly Gray. Consequently, upon learning that Molly would be making a return, I was genuinely excited, and I must say, the author did not disappoint!

In The Mystery Guest, Molly Gray once again finds herself entangled in a perplexing death that occurs at the prestigious Regency Grand Hotel. However, this time, she takes on the role of an investigator rather than a suspect. Molly's idiosyncratic personality serves her well as she assumes the role of a modern-day female Sherlock Holmes. Witnessing her surpass everyone's expectations and skillfully piece together clues that no one else could discern filled me with admiration and delight.

The intermittent glimpses into Molly's past, particularly her childhood, were masterfully executed and offered profound insights into an already complex character, adding depth and dimension.

This sequel is replete with unexpected plot twists, surprising revelations that affect Molly both personally and professionally, and an overall sense of anticipation. I wholeheartedly recommend it. Nita Prose has achieved something noteworthy, as sequels often struggle to live up to their predecessors, but The Mystery Guest manages to surpass expectations. I eagerly anticipate the author's future works, as I am confident they will be equally exceptional. Hopefully, Molly Gray's story will continue in future installments.

Fans of The Maid by Nita Prose will be utterly delighted that the curiously charming Molly Gray is back with another mystery to solve. And fans of Fredrik Backman who are looking for the same style with a little more lightness need to jump on board.

All seems well at the Regency Grand Hotel. The staff has recovered from the on-site death of Mr. Black four years ago and Molly’s unprecedented attention to detail and order has landed her the coveted Head Maid status. The hotel is buzzing as renowned author J.D. Grimthorpe arrives to deliver a surprising announcement, turning into a hive of activity when he drops dead at the podium.

Detective Stark is quick to the scene, no less skeptical of staff than she was years prior, and rules the persnickety author’s death a homicide. Determined once again to prove that “the maid did it” is a terrible generalization, Molly sets out to find the killer. But first she must clear her own name as a suspect, a daunting task as she is hiding secrets from the past… hers and Mr. Grimthorpe’s.

Not usually a fan of cozy mysteries, I’ve surprised myself with how much I adore Molly Gray. She’s a brilliant character with more depth than meets the eye. Levity is added throughout both novels with her misunderstandings in an Amelia-Bedelia-esque manner, but Prose builds a well-rounded person with Molly, not a caricature merely positioned for comic relief.

While this book can stand alone, it’s best read after The Maid for an immersive experience that offers a more complete picture of the cast of characters and gives the reader the satisfaction of seeing Molly’s personal growth over time.

I can’t compliment the writing style enough. Prose’s prose is almost a character in itself. Molly’s formal vocabulary and obsession with definitions, when combined with every overused rose-tinted cliché imaginable from her grandmother, makes this a unique reading experience. It’s fun and light, but with a lot of heart.

As reluctant as I am to give out 5 stars, this one gets it because I just didn’t want it to end. Many thanks to Net Galley and Random House for sending this book for review consideration!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this advanced readers copy of The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose!

Molly the maid is back! If you enjoyed The Maid by Nita Prose, you’ll be happy to know that in The Mystery Guest we get more of Molly’s background story as well as a new mystery at the Regency Grand Hotel.

Molly Gray takes her job very seriously as Head Maid at the Regency Grand, so she is shocked when she is witness to another death in the hotel. J. D. Grimthorpe, famous mystery author, has dropped dead shortly before making what was supposed to be a major announcement. It’s up to Molly and her friends to prove that it’s not “always the maid” who is to be blamed yet again.

I loved The Maid after finally getting around to reading it earlier this year. Molly’s story is refreshing, interesting, and written with care. It’s easy to sympathize with Molly as she navigates her job as a maid at the Regency Grand. Her passion is cleaning, and she relies on solid advice from her late Gran to navigate the world. She’s excellent at what she does, if sometimes misunderstood, but to know her is usually to come to love her. It was great seeing another mystery with Molly at the center.

Thanks to Nita Prose for this unique mystery story. The characters in The Maid series are fun to get to know, and I hope Molly will continue to return for more new adventures!

Molly the Maid is back in this stand-alone? sequel of The Maid! The Mystery Guest is a whodunnit mystery that follows Molly & crew as they try to solve the death of a famous author at the Regency Grand Hotel. There are new characters and familiar friends from the first book. I'll admit, I didn't loooove The Maid. I felt like Molly's character was quirky to the point of the author making fun of her. However, the first book had a more interesting plot.

What I liked:
- cozy mystery
- Molly's character development
- switching between the past and present (it's manageable in this book AND it furthers the plot in a great way!)
- the epilogue *crying happy tears*

What I liked less:
- some parts of the book felt a little repetitive (certain dialogue and "Gran's words of wisdom")
- the mystery was fun to solve, but I felt like it wasn't as robust and fleshed out as in the first book

This is a quick and cozy read if you're looking for a book to curl up with this fall!

(3.5 stars)

Quirky Hotel maid Molly is back 4 years after Mr. Black's death at the Regency.
Silent Lily is her maid-in-training, an even odder duck than Molly.
We get Molly's back story with her Gran, a maid at a fancy mansion herself.
Another mysterious death happens on Molly's watch. More of a cozy then suspense and again the clever turn of a phrase coming out of Molly's mouth continues to annoy me.

I appreciate the ARC from NetGalley and thanks to author Nita Prose.

Book 2 in this charming series dives a bit into Mollys childhood.
Molly is Head Maid now .A very popular author drops dead in the middle of an announcement. Molly helps to solve the mystery with some of the usual cast of characters and a few more thrown in.Her sweetness and naïveté is so wholesome.The flashbacks to her Gran is my favorite part of this series.
Fairly quick read.As good as the first one.
Thankyou Netgalley and random house publishing for this ARC

I wanted to read this book because I enjoyed her first book in the series, The Maid, so much. I didn’t expect to like this one even more! Molly has another mystery to solve at her hotel but this time, it involves her own history. I really enjoyed learning more about her childhood with Gran and just loves how the story unfolded. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.