I think part of it is I’m just not equipped for a clue style mystery, but this was not my favorite. I felt like I flew through it and it was rushed in general. I did enjoy learning more about Molly’s past and the changes in timeline helped a lot too. It was an alright read. I’m thankful to NetGalley for this ARC, but don’t see myself really recommending this or The Maid.

I love Molly! She is an amazing character and story teller. I am glad another mysterious death has happened at the hotel so we can experience more story time with Molly. The new characters were a good addition to the story. I enjoyed this book and hope for more in the future.

Good golly, Miss Molly!

The Mystery Guest is the second installment in the cozy mystery series about Molly the maid. Molly is is such an endearing character and really shines in book two!

It has been four years since hotel guest Mr. Black died on Molly’s watch. Since then, she has been promoted to Head Maid of the Regency Grand Hotel, leading her own team of maids to clean everything back to a state of perfection.

It is a big day, as bestselling mystery author J. D. Grimthorpe is set to make a very important announcement in the hotel’s Grand Tearoom. Unfortunately, his speech is cut short when he drops dead before he can share the news.

Another murder in the Regency Grand Hotel?! Detective Stark is back on the case and once again suspects Molly of wrongdoing. However, Molly is determined to solve this case herself, as she knows more about the victim than she admits.

Another trip to Olive Garden and another murder! In The Mystery Guest, Molly matures into a competent, responsible, and respectable woman. I really enjoyed watching her growth and newfound leadership. Once again, she proves that she is the smartest person in the room! Prose very cleverly weaves Molly’s past into the the narrative and captivates the reader with her background. While the mystery is somewhat predictable, the heartwarming conclusion will give you happy chills. I hope there will be a Book Three and we will get to see more from Molly!

4.5/5 stars rounded up

Expected publication date: 11/28/23

Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss, and Ballantine Books for the ARC of The Mystery Guest in exchange for an honest review.

Molly the maid, Head Housekeeper and super sleuth. This is the second book in a series about Molly who lives a functional life but sees things a little bit differently than others. It would be helpful to read the books in the order written because then you would have a good understanding of Molly and her "peculiarities." I fell in love with Molly's character in the first book, still love her in this one AND I think there is a good chance of seeing Molly again. Her co-characters are also an interesting bunch as they navigate the murder of a famous writer at the hotel that Molly works at.

I really enjoyed the sequel to Prose’s The Maid. While I don’t think this story had quite the same cocktail of poignancy and thrill, I liked learning more about Molly’s background and seeing the world through her eyes. I will continue to read Prose’s work!

I thought this book was definitely a cozy mystery, easy to read and entertaining. I’m hoping that if there is another book the author will place the mystery in a different setting. This was hinted at towards the end of the book. I can recommend this as a quick cozy read but I advise everyone to read “The Maid” first to understand all of the connections between the characters! I really enjoyed “The Maid” but I didn’t know that it would be the beginning of a series! There was a lot of repetition of the things that Gran told Molly. She recites them constantly in her mind to the reader. In the first book it was fresh and new but in this one it grew a bit tiresome. There were two mysteries to solve in this novel, interesting but easy to figure out! I enjoy sequels but some books just aren't meant to be a series.

I loved The Maid, and was really excited for The Mystery Guest. I enjoyed being back in Molly’s world. It was a fun read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy in exchange for a review! I was so excited to read this book because I really enjoyed The Maid. The Mystery Guest didn’t disappoint either. The best part of the book is that Nita Prose is taking us back to learn about Molly’s childhood, which I found fascinating. The author did such a great job by switching between present day and the past. The plot keeps you guessing and unsure about the murderer until the end. This book is beautifully written. If you like a good murder mystery/ thriller this book would be great for you.

I really enjoyed this second novel featuring Molly the Maid! The mystery around a death at the hotel where Molly is head maid now, 4 years after the first book, really kept me interested! I've read that this is a "cozy mystery" - not a genre I usually read but I feel like this is a very apt description of the story. It was a little convenient how the story all ties to Molly but I let that go as it's really good writing! Thoroughly enjoyed it and wouldn't mind this as a trilogy! Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Another great mystery in “The Maid” series. Quirky Molly visits her past when a beloved author dies in the hotel tearoom right before making an announcement. A new maid at the hotel becomes the prime suspect and Molly steps in to help prove her innocence. With a cast of hilarious characters, the story of Molly’s past and her present unfolds! Definitely a must read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy in exchange for a review!

I loved The Maid. I read it and recommended it to anyone that would listen. Sometimes sequels don’t have the same shine to them.. until The Mystery Guest. Such great writing and so nice to fall back into maid Mollys world. A few years later an author who came to the hotel suddenly dies on stage before making an important announcement. So what happened? Natural causes or something More sinister? Come along for the ride and find out!

I really find Molly Gray a delightful quirky character and I hope Nita Prose will continue developing this lineof books. With her love of cleaning and spelling and attention to detail, Molly is refreshingly unique.

This one could be even better than the first Maid novel! I couldn’t put it down and read the entire thing in a day! Shockingly funny, witty, and an all around fun time, Molly Gray will have you on the edge of your seat as she tries to solve the murder of a distinguished author at the hotel. Molly is a character that pops of the page in a way so unlike any I’ve ever read. Prose is the master of not only bringing her readers into the heart of the story but also having the reader truly fall for the awkward detail oriented maid.

I was excited to see Nita Prose's sequel to The Maid. Her latest title The Mystery Guest picks up following Molly in her hotel job as head maid. Molly makes your smile, as she is constantly blurting out upbeat adages she learned from her late grandmother. After a famous person is murdered at the hotel, Molly who is acute to detail once again finds herself tangled in the case. Nita Prose delivers again making this mystery adorable and then some. Thank you #Netgally and #ballatinebooks from an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. #Nitaprose # TheMysteryGuest

Molly is such an interesting and dynamic character. I love her devotion to her job and to Gran. I also love Gran’s little words of wisdom that were sprinkled throughout, and it was nice to see more of her in flashbacks.

The mystery wasn’t as tense as some I’ve read (I guess this would be considered a cozy?) but I still enjoyed watching the pieces come together.

This was a very quick read too. Some books get bogged down with details but Prose’s writing is snappy and quick. She definitely has a knack for writing page turners that I can speed through.

I don’t want to say too much because of spoilers, but I liked getting to know Molly better. I’d totally read another book about her!!

In the second book of the series, Molly the maid is back, this time as Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. A famous author has a big announcement that he plans to deliver at the hotel, but quite literally drops dead before he can share the big news. Molly is drawn into the mystery and is somehow connected through her past history working in the author’s mansion with her beloved Gran. Can she solve the mystery around the author’s demise?

This book is the perfect cozy mystery to snuggle up with, along with a cup of tea (and you’ll feel like you’re part of the story)! I definitely recommend reading The Maid before this book, as you’ll have a better understanding of recurring characters. I loved how the reader gets a peek into Molly’s past, how she came to be a maid, and more about her family. There are also multiple mysteries to be solved here, and Molly’s signature wit makes them so much fun. I loved it, and recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a cozy mystery with a lovable narrator.

Thank you to Nita Prose, Random House- Ballantine, and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

First, let me say that I loved The Maid, the first in hopefully a series. Molly the maid’s history is explained in the sequel, and indeed explains a lot. The author spins Molly’s autism into a fortunate, character trait, which helps her suss out elements to the murder that the other characters are oblivious to. The setting is again in the Grand Victorian Hotel, which is a character in itself. Occasionally, I felt the book was a period piece, as the author descriptions of Molly’s childhood are almost Dickensian. I felt the ending was a bit predictable, unlike the first in the series, which contain quite a twist. However, I am looking forward to a possible third book in the series. Thank you to NetGalley for this pre-pub. I will be sharing this review on Goodreads.

The amazing Molly has returned in yet another fun who-done-it at the Regency Grand. I loved Mollys narrating in The Maid and was so happy for her return in The Mystery Guest. Working together again with Detective Stark, they put the pieces together and solve the mystery of what happened to a famous mystery author who dropped dead in the hotel.

Enjoy a cup of tea with familiar friend Molly the Maid in this delightful sequel. This book is like a fun, witty game of Clue, and a light read for the thriller genre.

What a great and page turning read. I was so happy that this book picked back up with Molly and some new and old characters from the Maid. I loved the way Nita Prose let the story flow together and told the background story of Molly and he precious grandmother. This is a must read for the fall and this book will be another great bookclubpick pick.