The Maid series is just a good comfy cozy mystery book. The story is nice and captivating. I am hoping for another instalment and a look into if Molly purses the offer of another career and her relationships with Juan, Mr Preston and the others at the hotel.

I hoping Nita can maybe complicate the story line and really give us a jaw dropping mystery in the future.

Thank you the Netgally and HarperCollins for this amazing ARC!

I fell in love with Molly during the first book ‘The Maid’ so was extremely thrilled to receive the ebook ARC of ‘The Mystery Guest’.
I found this book to be an easy and entertaining read but definitely suggest making sure to read ‘The Maid’ prior to going into this one.

Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed the book I would have loved to see more of a certain character more present throughout the story.

Thankyou so much NetGalley for the ARC ebook.

I was lucky enough to receive an Advanced Copy of this book. I read The Maid (the first book) and absolutely loved it so I immediately applied for book 2. This book follows Molly the Maid and her life in the hotel, once again someone dies at the hotel while Molly is on shift. this book had me in a chokehold once I got into it, I never knew who to trust. I would never have guessed who was to blame. It's another 4-star thriller for me :)

I loved Nita Prose’ debut novel The Maid. It featured in my Best Reads of 2022. Sure, it had fun cozy mystery elements… but it was much more than that. It was a nuanced character study with literary qualities, with real emotional heft. Getting to know Molly and the wonderful ensemble cast were the true gift in Book 1. Could she deliver that same magic in a sequel?

The answer, for me anyway, is…. not quite. The Mystery Guest is a lot more cozy mystery than its predecessor. Plus, a few convenient authorial decisions yielded a simpler plot this time around.

Now, don’t get me wrong. The Mystery Guest is a highly enjoyable read, and well worth it to see Molly’s maturation and confidence three years on from where Book 1 left off.

Some meta fictional touches along the journey appealed to me also. But, most special for me was learning more of Molly and her wonderful Gran’s backstory in reflective sequences, while in the present Molly is now playing that same mentoring role for a junior staff member. Continue reading review and my questions for bookclubs at BookloverBookReviews.com

A sequel of The Maid.
Molly, is now a Head Maid of Regency Grand, in a happy relationship with Juan, and you will see that she gains more confidence yet still has that quirky character. She is also in charge of Lily, a maid-in-training.

A famous mystery writer, Mr J.D. Grimthorpe is about to make a public appearance with an event to be held in a new furbished Regency tea room, and Molly is in charged for the event.
Mr Grimthorpe is about to make an announcement but he drops dead before he manages to do that. His fans club is devastated, and once again, Molly and the hotel staff are kind of experiencing a repeat nightmare being interrogated by the Detective.
The unlucky thing that the accusation seems will be put into Lily, as she's the one serving tea for Mr Grimthorpe.

You'll love the past timeline in this second book when Molly was just a ten years old kid following her grandma worked at the mansion.
Similar like "The Maid", this book is also about murder mystery with a splash of humours.

Written in two timelines, the first when Molly is just a teenager and the second when she is head maid, a position sheis burstingly proud of holding, at the Regency Grand Hotel, this story intrigued me from the start. Molly is a character such as I have never encountered in a book before. I suspect she is autistic as she is very focused on vocabulary and the meaning of words, on ensuring rooms in the hotel are cleaned within an inch of their lives, and on living by the pithy sayings drummed into her by her Gran. I loved the way the flashbacks to Molly’s teenge years helped both to flesh out her character and to drop clues as about the murder of author J.D. Grimthorpe, who drops dead after drinking a cup of tea just before he is to make an important announcement at the hotel. There are plenty of red herrings through the story and a host of interesting characters, though Molly stands out from the rest. I really enjoyed reading this story and am now keen to read Molly’s first murder mystery.

‘The Mystery Guest’ takes us back to the Regency Grand Hotel, and this time, Molly is Head Maid. The staff at the hotel find themselves in disarray again as a murder has taken place again, and this time it is renowned author J.D. Grimthorpe that drops dead this time… after making himself a tea. As this happens just as he was about to make a huge announcement at hotel… coincidence? We think not.
Molly is the sweetest and most down to earth character I have read in the along time, and I’m glad I got to know her more after reading The Maid. Readers are taken back to Molly’s childhood and we learn more about her beloved gran. We also learn that Molly knew the murdered author when she was younger.
This cozy ‘who done it’ was a great plot with some unexpected twists and was a quick read!
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins and Nita Prose for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

My favourite maid Molly is back! Promoted to head maid she once again finds herself involved in a murder mystery. I absolutely love Molly she is my favourite ever fictional character. This book is one in a million and I relished the whole story. With mystery and dry humour this author is clearly a master storyteller.

“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, its not the end”.

One of the things that struck me about this book was Molly’s ability to be blunt at the right time and make blunders at the worst possible moments. Highlighting her autistic traits is actually refreshing and heartening. The repetition of her Gran’s sayings is staunchly inherent in this story as much as it is a part of Molly’s behaviour. It was nice to see there was more acceptance of Molly and who she was in this book, even if others took it for granted and didn’t understand her idiosyncrasies. The back story exploring Gran and Molly as a young girl helped to bring out more of her personality

That being said, I’m not sure that The Maid warranted a sequel. Some of the elements that proved this to me were the whole character assassination of Lily by Cheryl and Mr Snow seemed like superfluous character. If you’re wanting a cosy kind of mystery that is trivial and light hearted, this might be up your alley, or if you loved The Maid. The murderer and mystery around who committed the crime seemed a little more plausible and a couple of red herrings were sprinkled into the book to build the sense of intrigue. Yet two murders in the same hotel, with the maid yet again looking like a possible suspect makes you wonder what kind of establishment Molly was really employed in.

Molly the Maid is now the Head Maid at the five-star Regency Grand Hotel. This prestigious new position means Molly is not only in charge of all the Maids, she has a new protegee to mould. Lily is the Maid in Training, following and learning from Molly on how to be an exceptional maid. Unfortunately, history repeats itself when the gust speaker, author J.D. Grimthorpe drops dead, just before his surprise announcement, Lily is seen as the prime suspect.

I, like many others, was conflicted when I heard The Maid was getting a sequel. It was known that The Maid was meant to be a standalone book, but the unprecedented success The Maid recieved must have made the publishers eyes shine, and making this a series must have been an opportunity too hard to pass up.

In my opinion, the mystery at the centre of The Mystery Guest was better than The Maid. A world-renouned mystery writer is murdered in the tea room of the hotel, and to unlock the mystery Molly has to delve into her own history to connect the dots.

The Mystery Guest follows two storylines, Molly's past, and her present. One timeline follows Molly as a child, when her grandmother as the maid at J.D. Grimthorpe's estate. The present timeline follows the current investigation of J.D. Grimthorpe's murder. The past informs the future, and Molly is the key.

The danger of having two timelines results in not only a favourite timeline, which for me was the present, but it can also stall the flow of the story. I felt tense interesting moments were sharply halted to follow Molly as a child, doing something that wasn't necessarily that interesting.

One of the best aspects of The Maid was its beloved side characters, and I am so happy that most of the characters are present. Mr. Preston is a personal favourite, and if I could rate the side characters, he would be 5/5 stars. I love that man and I hope he is in every future instalment of Molly the Maid books. There are also a few new characters introduced, enriching the world further, and bringing a levity and humour to a story with aspects of death, poverty and addiction.

Unfortunately, Juan is no where to be seen in this instalment. I missed that guy, and I wished he was more involved in the story. I keenly felt his absence and I think it was a misstep to exclude him entirely. Also, it was so disappointing to find Cheryl was still an awful person, with no character growth. I don't find her character journey and her connections to the staff of the hotel worth the sub-plot shenannigans. I would rather her be written off the series altogether.

Another character I was dismayed by was Detective Stark. She was still holding onto the prejudices she felt in The Maid, and it really highlighted once again that her detective skills were not up to par. She lacked an empathic touch, and illuminated one of many peoples criticisms of the police, that they don't care about helping people, simply arresting and charging anyone they want, regardless if they believe or have the evidence. Detective Stark represents the general publics idea of a police officer, perceiving cases as simply something to be solved, enabling the reduction of crime statistics, rather than the people at the centre of the investigation. She does undergo some form of growth, but I felt it was too little, too late. I wasn't convinced, and would rather her involvement in future instalments be minimised.

The ending was satisfyingly exciting. Several mysteries are solved, with the exceptional detailed accounting of Molly. However, the implications that were left afterwards made me very wary. I understand this new series has gained a lot of traction, and mass-appeal, but what makes Molly great is her love for the hospitality industry. It is her bread and butter. To hint at a different future felt like a betrayal to the character. I hope Molly sticks with this sector, and that she progresses into an executive version of her job, like a tester for products, or a representative for a large company.

The Mystery Guest is a mystery that isn't scary, gory or elaborate. It is a mystery that flows you through the lives of the loveable characters who are the heart and soul of the novel. Molly is a tenacious young woman, with issues in social interactions, but tries her best everyday to be the best person she can. She loves her job, her friends and the hotel, and every page exemplifies that love. This is a cozy mystery that exceeded all my expectations, and that I flew through in a single day.

When an author dies at the hotel where Molly is working at, she assists the authorities in uncovering what really happened.

It was so fantastic to be back in Molly's world. She really is a fun, quirky character though it was easy to see how she had matured in this next installment. Though the mystery element was at the front of the storyline, I still found myself giggling at a lot of Molly's antics, especially her clever rhyming phrases. I also appreciated the flashbacks to time spent with her Gran, giving us more of Molly's backstory. I have all my fingers and toes crossed that we'll be seeing another Molly installment in future!

The Mystery Guest is the second book in the Molly The Maid series by award-wining, best-selling Canadian editor and author, Nita Prose. Molly Gray has been Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel for three and a half years now, and the 5-star boutique establishment is regaining its good reputation in the aftermath of Charles Black’s murder four years earlier.

Management are delighted to host a press conference for best-selling Mystery Writer, J D Grimthorpe in their newly renovated Art Deco Grand Tea Room. Press, media and the LAMBS (Ladies Auxiliary Mystery Book Society) are in attendance. But before Grimthorpe can announce the big secret he promised to reveal, he drops dead, apparently poisoned by a cup of tea that Molly’s maid-in-training, Lily Finch served him.

Of course, the inept Detective Stark turns up to investigate, focussing immediately on Molly and Lily. She reluctantly accepts Molly’s version of events, and the observant maid points out that certain items are missing from the scene. Grimthorpe’s personal secretary has also disappeared, while some others (hotel manager Mr Snow and doorman Mr Preston) are acting a little strangely.

Molly doesn’t particularly welcome the input of Angela, head barmaid at The Social, RGH’s bar and grill, who is a fan of true crime podcasts and an amateur sleuth, and who seems to think it’s Molly’s place to solve the crime when all she wants to do is clean. The following morning, a box of Grimthorpe’s possessions goes missing, including a rare first edition. And the whole thing just makes Molly uneasy because she has a history with Grimthorpe that she’d much rather forget.

The story is told over two timelines: events that occurred when Molly was ten, and the present day. Molly continues to quote her beloved Gran, to correct misconceptions, and to generally be a perfect maid, but her eye for detail does help to solve several aspects of the case. “Mostly, I notice the wrong things at the wrong times. That’s been my downfall for as long as I remember”, but not this time.

Readers should be aware that there are spoilers for the first book in this one, although it could probably be read stand-alone. Quite a few of the players are more caricature than character but, read as a cosy mystery, this will keep readers guessing up to the reveals, is still very enjoyable, and there’s a hint that more of Molly may be written.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins Australia.

'Sometimes it's the pieces you connect that give the missing one its shape'.

Years after Molly helped solve her first crime at the Regency Grand Hotel, she's still happily working there as Head Maid. Her superior eye for detail makes her the perfect choice to manage the opening of the hotel's new tea room with a VIP event. All is in a 'state of perfection' until the VIP, Mr Grimthorpe, falls down dead in front of the podium. 'The maid always gets the blame' - right? This time things are different, this time Molly actually knows the deceased literary celebrity. In fact, she's spent weeks, as a child, diligently polishing the silver at his house with her Gran. She knows more than what people think but, as Gran says, 'Only fools would jump to conclusions'.

'The Mystery Guest' is a somewhat dual-time story that alternates between Molly's time, as a child, spent at Mr Grimthorpe's house, and solving the current crime. The first few chapters mostly recap the salient points of the first book - enough so that a reader new to the Molly series would be able to pick up the story. While this book is still full of Mollyisms and Gran's idioms, you get a sense that Molly is starting to gain confidence and finding her feet as an independent woman. With that newly found maturity, who knows what Molly will be capable of next?

Anyone who enjoyed book one is sure to enjoy this latest installment. For those who haven't picked up a Molly book yet, but love a cozy mystery, I encourage you to give it a try.

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

Mystery | Cozy Mystery

•Molly is the Head Maid at Regency Grand Hotel. When J.D. Grimthorpe, a mystery author dies on the hotel tea room floor, Molly joins Detective Stark to investigate the unexpected murder. It seems as though everyone has something to hide.
•As if this book could be as good as the first! I definitely read this a lot quicker than I read the first one. This was highly addictive. The end of every chapter left on a cliff hanger and I was invested in Molly's childhood story that it was so easy to continue reading just one more chapter. I think Nita Prose has done a fantastic job with this second book and I didn't she would be able to pull it off but she did.

Feels: save, easy and fast paced mystery

★★★★ 4/5

(Thank you NetGalley for this ARC)

This is the follow up to The Maid and in it we find that Molly has moved up in the world and is now Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. She seems a little more 'normal' in this story and has in fact lost a little of the charm of her previously quirky character.

However when there is another murder at the hotel Molly is better prepared than before, and I really enjoyed the scenes where she shows Detective Stark how smart she can be. It is pointed out to her that if she ever wishes for a career other than a maid then police work would be perfect for her.

All in all this was an enjoyable and comfortable read, tending towards being a cosy, but certainly worth reading.

This book doesn’t disappoint the second book following Molly The maid was a great treat. a new mystery in the Regency grand awaits, and Molly is assisting Police in uncovering the criminals who have taken place in her hotel. We have some of the characters from the first novel in this book such as Mr Preston, Cheryl and others. I find it interesting that her love interest was not widely involved in this book, but I think it was a great choice to be able to give Molly time to shine. I wasn’t expecting that this would become a bit of a serial character, but I am pleased to think that there may be more to come, charming and witty and heartwarming I really enjoyed this book .

Molly returns for another cozy mystery at the five-star Regency Grand Hotel, and this time. the world-renowned mystery author, J.D. Grimthorpe chooses the hotel’s tea room floor as the stage for his dramatic exit – right before a very important announcement.

I really enjoyed reading the first instalment of this series and I am happy to say I was far from disappointed. This story cleverly weaves two interconnected timelines, exploring Molly’s childhood, her close bond with her grandmother, and the reasons behind pursuing a career as a maid. Introducing young Molly was a great way to get to know her character on a deeper level.

The pacing and reveal of crucial plot details were done well. Just when I thought I had the murderer, a fresh piece of information threw me off track. I loved that Detective Stark and Molly worked together to crack the case, and I am intrigued to see how the series will turn out based on the hint at the end of the book.

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins and Nita Prose for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for allowing me to read this as an eARC! I absolutely loved the first book, The Maid, so I was over the moon when I was approved for this sequel.

Unfortunately, I found this to be somewhat off the mark. It made no sense to me why the detective, given what happened in the first book, would again suspect Molly of being the culprit. And Molly, having been through what happened in the first book, also acted out of character in suspecting Preston. Things became repetitive and I struggled through this book despite having binged the first one.

It was an absolute pleasure to return to the Grand Regency Hotel with Molly, house maid extraordinaire.

In this stand alone novel, readers watch as Molly shines in her role as well as seeing people around her acknowledge her for her strengths rather than challenges. It's the little things and attention to detail that help solve the crime of famed author J.D Grimthorpe.

Readers learn about the characters connections to J.D Grimthorpe through flashbacks told in alternating chapters and it seems he isn't exactly what the public believes. We continue to learn about the important people in Molly's life and how they have shaped her today. The unexpected turn in relationship between key characters in the novel are a real highlight and I hope that there is a third story for our Molly Head Maid.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Australian for the ARC for my honest review.

I loved The Maid, written by Nita Prose, and I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to read an ARC for Nita's second book featuring Molly the maid. Even though I hoped for another amazing book, I had a niggling doubt that it may not be as good. And that's because The Maid was so amazing.

But, why did I even doubt this book would be amazing? Because it is. This is the type of mystery I adore. It has charm. It felt like a cosy mystery, more so than the first book. I love the hotel setting. I adore all the characters. Molly is still one of the best characters created in the last few years. I put her in the same list as Holly, from Stephen King, and Umiko Wada, from Robert Goddard, and Agatha Raisin, from MC Beaton. All amazing characters.

This book is set between three and four years after the end of book one. It gives Molly, and other characters, time to grow, and it also allows the author to bring in new characters. And Lily, who is a new character in this book, fits in so well with the rest of the supporting cast. She's created very well. I do wonder if she's written a bit too similar to Molly is some ways, but Lily provides room for Molly to develop in the book and I enjoyed that character growth. Molly is so much more confident in this book, so setting this three years after book one was a brilliant decision.

We learn much more about Molly's past in this book as well, with the narrative split between past and present. While I usually don't care for narrative splits like this, I quite enjoyed it in this book. I'm not sure if it's because of Molly, or because the past narrative gave us more of Molly's grandmother, but I found it fascinating. The setting for the past narrative was just as engaging as the hotel, and the characters were written with just as much care.

Thank you, Nita Prose, for give us more Molly!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley, for providing a free copy of this book for an honest review. All comments are my own.