Another dead body at Regency Grand Hotel, and another maid looks guilty. This time it’s Molly’s maid-in-training, Lily, who was the last person to touch the tea cart where the acclaimed author J.D. Grimthorpe took a sip and keeled over after he told his fans he had a secret to tell them—but dropped dead before he could reveal it. The cue cards he was reading from disappear, so no know when else knows the secret, either.

Molly has to face her nemesis Detective Stark once again. To protect Lily—and herself—Molly is on the case to see who may have killed the beloved mystery writer.

This was fast and a lot of fun. Molly’s odd ways are as endearing as ever.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES NOVEMBER 28,2023.

Molly the maid is back, and this time she is Head Maid and has a little more confidence and some friends in her corner. When a famous author turns up dead at the hotel, Molly knows the maids will be blamed again and does her best to protect them. With her attention to detail and keen eye, she attempts to put together the clues with the help of her friends at the hotel and the author's fan club, the LAMBS .

I adored The Maid and when I saw there was a second book I was super excited to read it! It's always hard to follow a book that was so well loved, and while this one started out kind of slow for me, I really enjoyed it by the end. Wrap your head around finding out more about Molly and her Gran. This book is a dual timeline and part of it is present day, while the other part is Molly's childhood.

I didn't love this quite as much as the first one but now that I know it's a series, I will be anxiously awaiting the next one! Definitely worth a read, I'm hoping the hints at the end are going to be addressed in the next book as a whole new adventure for Molly!


Thanks to netgalley for an eARC to review in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed the first novel in this series "The Maid". This is the follow up book and my guess is that this might turn into a series from how the narrative was written.
First off, I find it refreshing that the main character is neurodiverse and the book is written from her point of view. While it is never specifically stated what this person is diagnosed with (autism, ADHD, etc), I appreciate that she is written as very intelligent though often misunderstood by others. Molly is a character you root for throughout the book and very likeable. I find this a very positive representation of someone who is "a little different".
As for the story itself, the mystery and murder were a bit mediocre. I'm not sure any parts of the murder story were very shocking or there were any big twists. But that said you could definitely put this in the "cozy mystery" pile.
Overall I'm quite taken with Molly the maid and hope to see further stories about her. Just reading about Molly's world was quite enchanting, the murder was more in the background.
4 stars for unique and likeable characters, Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed book number 1 of this series and book number 2, The Mystery Guest, did not disappoint. The skillful way that Nita Prose is able to show the way that Molly interacts with the world rather than telling you in an overly descriptive fashion makes the character and the book. I appreciated that the cast of characters is the same from book 1 and that it feels like your group of friends has gotten back together to solve another mystery.

Overall this was a very enjoyable read and it made me excited to reach for the next installment in the series.

I enjoyed The Maid when it came out last year. I think because I knew the characters and the twisty nature of Nita Prose's writing, I was waiting for things to not be as they seem. For me, I think having her boyfriend be out of the country the entire book was a little strange, but I do enjoy Molly the maid as a character on her own and mostly just wanted to make sure that Juan Michael wasn't turning bad or had something happen to him! Lots of fun to read and I will recommend to those who like a cozy mystery or who read the first book!

I had hoped to give this series another chance, but, unfortunately, the "peculiarities" of Molly the maid are, to me, caricature. Whether Molly is or is not neurodivergent, I can't help but feel like we are making fun of her and it makes me uncomfortable.

Returning to Molly's world in 'The Mystery Guest' felt like catching up with an old friend. Her endearing character continues to be the heart of the story. As Head Maid at the Regency Hotel, Molly's quirky nature and wit shine as she tackles another murder mystery. While the plot lacks major surprises, Molly's charm keeps the pages turning. The absence of her love interest is a minor drawback, with the lack of interaction leaving a longing to understand their dynamic. Still, 'The Mystery Guest' is a delightful and engaging read, maintaining the series' enchantment.

I was happy to be back with our MC as I felt that she very much carried the book last time, which I was ok with. Her character was endearing and she didn't feel like a caricature of a person with autism, from my experience she is a pretty well drafted character.

Again in this book, I think that she carries the book. It was readable only because she is a likable and cute MC. There was nothing particularly interesting or compelling about the story, we are back at the hotel in the exact same setting only this time she's head maid and when there are shenanigans going on the detective is friendlier towards her and seems to put stock in her opinions as she solved the murder last time. I was also really bummed to see that her love interest from the first book was absent for the entirety of the book, he's supposedly off visiting family and she takes care to mention him in order to reassure us that they have not broken up, but we don't get any interaction with him which I think was a missed opportunity. A lot more could have been added to the story had we been witness to their dynamic and our MC in love.

It was still a readable book, I wasn't bored and it kept a steady pace for the most part but considering this was a book 2 I think there really needed to be something more that whelped this book stand out from it's predecessor. Overall it was a pretty even 3 star reading experience.

Synopsis: The Mystery Guest is a follow up to The Maid so reunites us with Molly, who is now head maid at the Regency Hotel where an author seemingly drops dead during a conference. In her own witty way she helps solve the murder.
Pros: I love that this story reunited us with the characters from The Maid but could also be totally read as a stand-alone. Molly is as quirky as ever and reminds me of Amy from The Big Bang Theory. She’s an enjoyable heroine and easy to read about.
Cons: I liked the mystery, didn’t love it. I didn’t find the ending surprising but enjoyed it nonetheless.
I was very excited to receive this advanced copy from Netgalley and Random House Publishing! Thank you thank you!
Check it out when it’s released later this year! (November)

The Maid was such a delightful surprise that I'm certain that The Mystery Guest will be an instant hit. I enjoyed this second foray into Molly Gray's life as, once again, she's caught up in a murder mystery at the Regency Grand. In this book, Molly has grown into herself over the last few years and been promoted to Head Maid at the hotel. When the Grand hosts a famous author, who immediately dies in front of the audience assembled to hear him speak, we get more back story on Molly's life with Gran since it seems this author was a recluse that Gran cleaned house for when Molly was young. The first book hinted at Molly's neurodivergence, but this one meets it head on. The mystery is solved, secrets are revealed, and Molly has some new avenues to think about for the next book. I enjoyed this outing with Molly and look forward to recommending it soon. Thank you to Ballantine Books, Random House, and NetGalley for the early access in exchange for my honest opinion.

An excellent sequel to the bestselling "The Maid!" No sophomore slump here, folks! This book had all the charm and wit and wonderfulness of the first book, with Molly at her finest sleuthing a new mystery at her hotel where she has worked her way to the top. A guest falls over dead - what to do? Why, investigate of course, in the charming manner that is truly Molly! I loved this book and give it a solid five stars!

This book was awesome! I really enjoyed the first Molly the Maid story and this one was just as good. I enjoyed how the book kept switching from the past to the present and back again. I enjoyed learning Molly's back story. I really hope there is another Molly the Maid book. In the sequel to Nina Prose's novel The Maid, Molly and the staff of the Regency Hotel again end up tangled up in the suspicious death of a high profile guest- this time, the death of widely acclaimed mystery author J. D. Grimthorpe. As suspicion is cast on Molly and the people she cares about, she must delve into her own past to discover the truth of the author's murder.

If you enjoyed The Maid you will enjoy the sequel, The Mystery Guest. The whole gang gets to solve another mystery and form heart warming connections. A fun read.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC copy of the book.

If you enjoyed the first book in the series, you'll probably like this one. The feel of the book was the same. I personally felt like it ended up reading a little stale.

I felt that the mystery was more in the background of the story. Also, some of the more loved characters from the first book were not as prevalent in the sequel

I saw someone pose the thought, "not every book needs a sequel." I personally felt that this book might be a good example of this idea.

A fun and fast return to the world of Molly the Maid. While there are times where her neurodivergence/autism-coded speech can feel over the top, I actually enjoyed this novel a bit better than the first. It is nice to see both Molly working out some issues from her past, giving us a ton of backstory, and Molly doing quite well in her life now as Head Maid at her beloved hotel, living with her sweet boyfriend Juan Manuel. Overall, I enjoyed the book and wish that I was as positive a person as Molly is when faced with constant adversity. Her descriptions of beautiful places and things in the hotel and in the mansion her grandmother cleaned were some of my favorite aspects of the book. I aspire to have a home or a workplace ardently admired as dearly as Molly admired the hotel lobby and tearoom, the parlor of the Grimthorpes’, and even the homey little apartment she resides in. Molly and the author both concentrate heavily on details and it is very fun to savor the details with them.

The Mystery Guest
by Nita Prose

J.D. Grimthorpe is a famous mystery author that is planning a big announcement at the Regency Grand Hotel. However, he drops dead in the hotel’s tea room before he can make that announcement. Molly Gray is left to solve the murder despite only being the head maid at the hotel.

This book is the sequel to The Maid but enough background information is provided to read it as a stand alone. I really enjoyed this light hearted mystery. The story is full of loveable characters, especially Molly. She is a fun, well-developed character. You get a glimpse of Molly’s childhood and her sweet relationship with her Gran. The characters definitely make this story!

I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s first novel, “The Maid”. It was delightful and charming with the main character Molly the Maid. The current book is a sequel, continuing on with Molly solving another murder. This book moved rather slowly and it was not nearly as engaging as the first. I think it lacked some of the charm of the first book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Molly is BACK at it again, and in Nina Prose’s sequel to The Maid, there is another murder mystery to solve. This time around, a famous mystery author is scheduled to make an announcement at Molly’s hotel, but instead, drops dead right before.

You can expect the same witty humor that Molly brings in Prose’s first novel, as well as her unique sleuthing skills that will keep you guessing until the end. If you loved the first novel, run, do not walk, to pick up The Murder Guest. It had me guessing and laughing until the very end. I also love the inclusivity of a main character who is neuro-divergent.

Please, pretty please Mrs. Prose- will you write a third?

I felt like the author was laughing AT Molly instead of WITH Molly. Our protagonist was given stereotypical neurodivergent traits, although it’s labeled as “quirky.” All the characters around her seem to cater to her “quirkiness.”

The writing feels very basic/lower grade level. At first, I was pleased by the easy readability, and it sort of made sense since Molly is a maid and the implication is potentially a lower education or dropping out of school. Then Molly literally spells fancy five-dollar words to self-soothe in a grade school flashback. What. The. Heck. On multiple occasions, Molly is literally whatever the author needs her to be, and character consistency is in the toilet.

The book stands alone. I had “The Maid” on my TBR, but after this one, I’ve lost interest.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I recently came across The Maid and found it delightful! Imagine my excitement to discover there was a sequel ready and waiting as soon as I finished book 1! And once again, Molly did not disappoint. I adore Molly the Maid and hope to have more stories to come.