3.5 stars

Another great installment from Anita Prose. I love Molly. She is sweet and has a brain unlike most of our other leads. I hope to see more of this character in the future. She’s fun and makes for the perfect cozy mystery reading experience.

Finally here is the second installment (thank you publishers for the proof) of the 'Molly the Maid' crime series. Molly is back in the thick of things in the regency hotel when a mystery author drops dead before a revealing speech. An enjoyable complex path of present-day and flashback chapters reveals piece by piece the true character and motive of all concerned. Very well written, and keeps you interested, perhaps a smidgen less strong on the main murder, but a much stronger last quarter to read, and rightly Molly finally is given a considerable promotion on the detective front.

Nita Prose is now on my must-read list! Her first book, The Maid, was especially intriguing as the main character has a brain that works differently than most folks. A bit Autistic with some OCD thrown in, maybe? Well, definitely brilliant as not only Head Maid at a posh hotel, but also a genius at noticing details others miss. As soon as I saw Nita Prose’s sequel, The Mystery Guest, listed on NetGalley I requested to read and review it. What a wild ride! Molly the Head Maid has joined the ranks of fictional detectives such as Monk and Colombo. I can’t wait for Molly’s next adventure.

I think one title with this character was sufficient or perhaps this is the author’s sophomore slump. Some interesting back story here and there. Some interesting but not very likable new characters.