After reading and loving The Maid last year, I was so excited to hear there was going to be book 2, and even more excited when I received an ARC! Thank you Penguin Random House Canada!

The Mystery Guest picks up a few years after the events in the first book and follows Molly Gray as she finds herself in the middle of yet another incident at the Regency Grand Hotel, where she works as Head Maid.

Although these books are considered murder mysteries they are definitely cozy reads. I loved the moments between Molly and her Gran and that we got to know more of their back story in this one.

I did not read the first book and I now wish I had before reading this one. The story was well-written and engaging and characters were believable and nicely developed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an Advance Readers' Copy in exchange for an honest review of The Mystery Guest.

I loved this book.
If you loved The Maid, you will love The Mystery Guest.
We're back at the Regency Grand Hotel and Molly is now Head Maid. She has a pin that she affixes to her uniform each day. She is as proud as can be.
An author has been scheduled to give a press conference where he will announce something and his adoring fans, as well as the media, have gathered to hear what he has to reveal only he dies just after he takes the stage.
He was poisoned -- but who did it?
As Molly investigates, we get a wonderful backstory, told in Molly's naive understanding, of her grandmother and how she became a maid and how she used to work for the author and his horrible wife.
This story is buffed to perfection and Prose has the possibility of creating a long-lasting series with Molly, especially because we get hints that she might join the detective as a professional crime fighter.
I can't wait for the next installment.

The Mystery Guest is a delightful whodunnit that also enlightens readers about where Molly began and how she's faring now.

This story is set a few years after the first book (The Maid) and there have been some changes in Molly's personal and professional lives. She continues to hold tightly to her grandmother's words of wisdom and Molly has her signature old-timey vibe as she takes on her highly coveted and illustrious role of Head Maid in the small boutique hotel. But when a famous, reclusive author suddenly dies in the hotel during a highly anticipated event, Molly finds herself once again in the middle of a murder investigation with a police detective who is not her biggest fan.

This new Molly the Maid mystery is an entertaining story with a cozy mystery vibe. Told in two timelines, readers are privy to the current murder mystery and get a glimpse into Molly's childhood and her close relationship with her Gran - a woman who we get to know better and who had some secrets of her own. The mystery was solid with a few twists and the ending poignant, but learning more about Molly and her early life was my favourite part of the book.

This clever sequel captures the charm of the first book while giving readers another good whodunnit. I enjoyed the depth Prose gives Molly and readers will enjoy a better understanding of this memorable neurodivergent main character as she finds comfort and confidence in her own strengths and capabilities. I eagerly hope Prose has more books in this Molly series to come.

Note: While this book could be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading The Maid to get a better understanding of Molly and how far she's come.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Viking Books for the complimentary digital advanced copy of this book which was given in exchange for my honest review.

The Maid was a favourite of the year for me in 2022 so when I saw this was coming AND recieved an ARC for it I was super excited and it did not disappoint!

It was great to read another adventure with Molly as the quirky, intelligent, socially awkward, & "different" FMC that she is. This time around we got more of a background into her childhood with Gran highlighting where her abilities to see details that others miss - as well as where her ability to be neither seen nor heard - began.

Some years later, a mystery again needs unfolding at the Regency Grand Hotel. Ms. Stark, the detective who tried to accuse Molly in book one is faced again with the decision of working with Molly or going at it alone.

This is such a quick and easy cozy murder mystery series and I sincerely hope we see more of Molly in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley for access to this ARC - I will be grabbing a paperback to sit with my copy of The Maid!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Mystery Guest is book 2 in this series by Nita Prose, follow up to The Maid. Molly is now head maid at the Regency Grand Hotel and takes pride in keeping the hotel pristine. They host an event for a world famous author who has chosen their hotel to make a special announcement. Before he is able to make the announcement, he dies.

This is a quick fun cozy mystery and fans of Molly will love it. There were a few too many "grandma-isms" for me, but still an enjoyable read.

I absolutely loved Molly! This was heaps better than the first story. I love how much her character grew and became so confident. I’m really hoping there’s a third book on its way of Molly the detective!

Thank you Netgalley, Penguin Random House, and Nita Prose for allowing me to read and review the ARC of The Mystery Guest.

Just the best. Funny book. Just loved it very much. The characters are endearing. You get to know Molly even better. I hope she continues this series. .

The author got me hooked on the storyline right from the start. As with any good mystery, twists and turns were around each corner and the ending was the most unexpected! Certainly a mystery worth exploring !

When a well-known author dies at the Regency Hotel, Molly the maid finds herself once again linked to a murder. This is told in dual timelines; one in the present, the other when Molly was a little girl. I greatly enjoyed the latter. It was nice learning more about Molly and Gran.

A fun cozy mystery that I can recommend.

The second in The Maid series, I definitely recommend that you read The Maid first. I did not and I feel I was missing information about characters and their relationships. Short explanations were given but I feel I would have benefited from more in depth info. That being said the murder mystery was a good story line and the writing reminiscent on the style from the 20's. I had to remind myself we were in the present day. Likable characters and two mysteries to solve made it an enjoyable read.

The Mystery Guest was a delightful read. We see the return of Molly Gray, now the head maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, her hotel colleagues and Lily, maid in training, Molly still looks at the world in her own way and notices things the few others do. Through a series of events we learn a few things about her childhood and her beloved grandmother.
After the murder that happened at the hotel three years ago the Regency Grand Hotel refurbished a storage room into a lovely Art Deco tea room to put the past behind. The opening event, for VIP guests only, with reclusive mystery author, JD Grimthorpe, who has a secret to share starts with great anticipation. But, before too long, the author is lying dead on the tea room floor, panic ensues and Detective Stark is back to solve the case.
The interactions between the characters are well written. Molly is an endearing character. I enjoyed reading about her take on the world. I look forward to reading the next book series.
Thanks to Penquin Random House for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this captivatingly charming novel

Molly Gray is proud to be Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. But, when esteemed author, J. D. Grimthorpe is murdered at the hotel, Molly and her colleagues come under suspicion once again. Molly and her friends set out to solve the murder together and clear their names.

The Mystery Guest was the second book in the “Molly the Maid” series and I enjoyed it even more than the first. This book picks up four years later with Molly Gray as Head Maid and thriving in her personal and professional life. Delving back into Molly’s world feels a bit like slipping into your favourite sweater - warm and cozy. I loved the usage of a dual timeline in this book! The past timeline provided a great opportunity to learn more about Molly’s upbringing and her relationship with her Gran. The star of the book was the characters. Molly remained my favourite character (how could you not love her?) but the supporting characters, both new and returning, were also incredible. While this could be read as a standalone, it’s best enjoyed after reading the first one. I hope there’ll be more books in this series because I can’t wait to see what’s next for Molly!

A copy of this review will be posted to my Instagram account (whats.amy.reading) the week of November 13).

<b>An Announcement is Murdered</b>
<i>Review of the upcoming Ballantine Books hardcover edition (November 28, 2023) via the Net Galley eBook ARC edition (obtained October 30, 2023).</i>

I was pleased at the success of the first Molly the Maid book last year and excited for my own home town Toronto, Canada author Nita Pronovost’s (writing under the penname Nita Prose) breakthrough. Without getting too spoilery, I did think that the book was somewhat inconsistent with maid Molly Gray’s character though, especially towards the end. I’m happy to report that this second outing smooths out any rough spots and provides a satisfying conclusion.

A famous mystery books author J.D. Grimthorpe (i.e. the “Mystery” guest) is staying at the boutique hotel where Molly works. He has booked the hotel’s facilities for an exclusive announcement but then drops dead at the event before it is revealed. Various hotel workers come under suspicion of course including both Molly and her maid-in-training Lily. Detective Stark from the first book returns and is again doubtful about Molly’s observations. Some culprits become obvious as events proceed but others are perhaps not so clear. Molly of course solves it all in the end.

Again, there is no mention of Molly being on the spectrum by the adult figures in the book, although her obsessive & observant, but sometimes socially unaware, personality is usually characteristic of that. I read this now more as being a sign of acceptance in her adult life. Only the bullies (in the childhood flashbacks) and nasty characters are the ones to make disparaging remarks.

Many of the cast return from the first book, and early fans should continue to enjoy the results. Note that this book is definitely in the cozy mystery genre, so a light touch is to be expected. I feel a bit bad about being curmudgeonly towards the first book, so this one gets a bump from a 4 star to a 5 star rating.

My thanks to publisher Ballantine Books and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this preview ARC, in exchange for which I provide this honest review.

“Ease of Solving*” rating (with 1 being the easiest, and 10 being impossible) = 5
* A new rating scale invented by my GR friend Berengaria.

I read Nita Prose's first book "The Maid" last spring . It was a recommendation from a friend.
I very much enjoyed it!
Therefore reading her second book "The Mystery Guest" was a no- brainer. I read it in one day,couldn't put it down.
I love murder mysteries and both these books did not disappoint
Looking forward to a third novel by Nita Prose

This is a lighthearted sequel to "The Maid" in which another mystery unfolds at the hotel that Miss Molly, head maid extraordinaire, is employed and she uses her quirks to help solve. The story generally followed the same formula as its predecessor however, I found myself smiling, laughing, and crying along with the characters. The ending allows for the possibility of a third novel, which I will absolutely pick up.

This book is a solid 3 stars that anyone would enjoy on a nice cosy weekend in. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Ballantine!

The Mystery Guest is a sequel to The Maid. I found this book to have more substance and it kept my attention longer than the first. I love Molly as a character, and its great to watch her character development throughout the book. Although its never stated, having Molly as a representative for neurodivergent individuals is amazing. Its hard to find this type of representation in literature, and if it is, it is done to portray the character negatively. Although Detective Stark originally is not kind about Molly's personality, she learns to appreciate Molly and what makes her an individual, and I believe this shares a great meaning for individuals reading that may be neurodivergent themselves.

I appreciate the way this book handles a dual timeline story, as sometimes I find these hard to follow. Prose does this seamlessly and I never once was confused.

Gran is my favourite character, even though she is mostly only in the story through memory. She brings a light to the story overall, which can sometimes be needed in thrillers.

Overall, this book can be classified as a cozy mystery/thriller. Someone does die, but its never in a disturbing manor, nor is there a huge sense of danger for the characters in the story. I definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a cozy mystery.

I thank NetGalley and Random House Canada for the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel.
Readers who loved the author’s first novel, The Maid, will find the second installment of Molly Gray’s story equally enjoyable, though enough of the earlier story is sketched in to make this perfectly readable as a stand-alone. In fact, the intrepid Molly’s history, especially regarding her beloved Gran, is further developed in this book. The Molly Gray of the first novel is an unconventional heroine, an impressive young woman who, having always been labelled ‘different,’ aspires to nothing more than being a maid like Gran. The biggest dream she dared for was a job cleaning rooms at the luxurious Regency Grand Hotel. Her quirky thought process becomes an advantage that helps her to inspire the hotel staff, find a supportive romantic relationship, get through Gran’s death—all while solving a murder at the hotel. As the book ends, a new Molly is forming, and she is granted something she had believed to be far beyond her reach: she becomes head maid.

Part two takes up from there, as Molly struggles to come to terms with the loss of Gran, her lifelong constant. It features its own murder mystery, while also providing new layers to explain how the lives of Molly and her Gran unfolded, apart and together, including their near-psychic attachment and their obsession with cleaning. The relationship between Gran and Molly’s mother, Maggie, who had abandoned her to Gran’s care in infancy, is brought to light. Prose cleverly connects these entwined generational life stories with the hotel and the murder victim. Once again, Molly Gray rises above the conventions and prejudices concerning the neurologically diverse, and triumphs. This is a smart, funny, sad, suspenseful read. Although it’s meant to be the final installment of Molly’s story, readers will yearn for at least one more.

3.5 stars

I received an advanced digital copy of this book through Net Galley.

This follow-up to the The Maid is told is two timelines. In the past, we learn more about Molly's life as a young girl while the present deals with yet another suspicious death at the hotel where she works.

The mystery in the present was okay but I preferred the chapters from the past, which also held secrets.

I don't think any of the revelations were shocking, but the book was still enjoyable. It does its job as a cozy mystery and it should appeal to readers who like this genre.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I think this would fall under the category of cozy mystery--not my go-to choice, but pleasant nonetheless. I do enjoy Molly the Maid and that her differences are shown mainly as an asset rather than a hinderance. A cute, quick read that probably stands on its own, but would be richer if you read The Maid.