Sometimes it is best to ignore the synopsis and just let the story unfold before you eyes. The Mystery Guest is precisely that book. As told in a classic format of past and present, we follow Molly Gray as the Head Maid at the glorious five-star Regency Grand Hotel in another installment of ‘Molly the Maid’.

As expected, the unexpected happens and a world-renowned mystery author, honored hotel guest J.D. Grimthorpe drops dead in the tea room. A murder investigation ensues and evil lies in all corners. Is there a plot afoot? Is there a murderer in the crowd? Perfect whodunit.

I quite enjoyed this sequel.
Nita Prose provides more insight on Molly by delving into her past. Why is she so quirky? Where does she get her love of cleaning? And we get to revisit Molly’s beloved Gran! I mean, she raised Molly and did a great job. I just want to give her a hug.

Also, I appreciated that the hotel staff banded together to help Molly and the authorities investigate. Instead of blaming Molly, or focusing on her oddities, it was a pleasure to see Detective Stark working with Molly.

The ending does not disappoint. My curiosity is peaked. What is in store next for Molly Gray?

Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with an e-ARC of this via Netgalley.

Another feel good cozy mystery featuring Molly Gray, who is now Head Maid at the Regency Grand . Hotel. This second book in the series sees Molly solving the murder of a famous mystery author who dies abruptly in the tea room just before he was about to make a big announcement.

Full of Molly's unique charm, a great cast of secondary characters (new and returning) and more great advice from Molly's gran with some fun flashback scenes. This was another thoroughly delightful read with a couple great twists - though none quite as jaw-dropping as in the first book.

I can't wait to see what's next for Molly! Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

This book was absolutely amazing. Molly the maid is back at it, smack in the middle of another event at the Regency Grand Hotel. I love the writing style of this book, Nita Prose is such a wonderful writer. The characters are just the best, she definitely knows how to write them perfectly. I love a good whodunit it mystery and this book really delivers.

Thank you so much for giving me this amazing opportunity to read The Mystery Guest. It belongs on everyone's TBR list. I definitely give this book 5 stars hands down!

It’s been only a few months since the events in the Maid occurred, but Molly’s life has already changed for the better. She’s in a solid relationship with Juan Manuel and training a new maid in her new role as Head Maid at the Regency Hotel. But then another murder occurs when someone poisons famed author JD Grimpthorpe and he drops dead before making an important announcement in the hotel’s tea room.
Molly has history with the author and sets out to unravel the mystery. Along the way, we learn a bit more about the protagonist and what led her to her current life.

I enjoyed reading this novel. It had more depth than the previous one and didn’t contain the stereotypes that I found troubling in the first book. I’m still not a fan of the aphorisms sprinkled throughout the book but it seems to just be a trademark of this series. I like how this novel handles neurodivergence better than the last one. The ending wasn’t a shock and there were no twists but I didn’t expect those so I wasn’t disappointed.

Overall this book is great for people who want an easy read and cozy mystery.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Mystery Guest ( A Maid Novel)
By: Nita Prose

I was so happy to see Molly the Maid return! If you haven’t read Nita Prose first book, I suggest you read it first. While this could be a stand alone book, it will be easier to understand the characters and their back stories.
Molly is a very unique individual. She is sometimes not aware of social etiquette, but she does know right from wrong. She takes great pride in her cleaning abilities and her role as head maid. Once again there is a murder at the Regency Grand Hotel and Molly seems to be caught up in the mystery surrounding the death of J.D. Grimthorpe, a very famous writer. With her attention to details, and her outstanding memory, Molly must work her way through all the details to once again solve the mystery and save the hotels reputation, and her own.
A delightful cozy mystery, with lots of humour. This book will have you cheering on Molly to save the day once again. While I loved this sequel, the first book in the series is still my favourite. Put this on your list for publication day!
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Another Molly Maid mystery that I devoured quickly. The books are pure popcorn - nothing of much nutritional value but fun to read.

It was so fun to come back to Molly's world and the world of the Regent Grand again. I did find this to be a bit of a slower start, and the flashbacks weren't my favourite, but I did like being able to see Molly as a child and her relationship with her grandmother. If you enjoyed The Maid, I think you'll love the Mystery Guest.

So nice to have dear Molly the maid back to solve a new murder at the Grand Hotel. Molly's unique way of looking at the world is her blessing and curse and readers can't help but root for her as she overturns tropes (the maid did it .... she's just a maid ... she's not very bright) as quickly as she can make a bed.

The characters in this novel are deliciously Dickensian and the key to the murder is in Molly's childhood. Satisfying and cozy. This mystery is the perfect companion to a warm fire and a good cup of tea.

We return to the Regency Grand Hotel with Molly the maid. I enjoyed the first one, so I was excited to read the sequel.

We get a brief catch-up on what had happened since the end of the previous book. This centres around a VIP guest who is a famous mystery writer who drops dead just as he was about to make a big announcement at the hotel.

Molly finds herself tangled up in the investigation once again (in more ways than one), and it may be up to her and her friends to solve the murder.

This book is told in two timelines, alternating between the past anf present. It felt like the murder itself really took a backseat to the chapters about Mooly's childhood and her relationship with her Gran. One of the best characters from the first book is mostly absent in this book (Juan Manuel), but he does make very brief appearances.

I still enjoyed this book, but I think the crime and investigation was stronger in the first book.

The Mystery Guest was an enjoyable read, but it didn't quite live up to the expectations I had after devouring Prose's first book, The Maid. The main character, Molly, was engaging, and it was interesting to learn more about her childhood and her indomitable grandmother, but I found the plot to be just... fine. There were a number of hints that a third book will be coming in the series. I do think there's lots of promise there, and I'll look forward to reading the next one.

Molly the Maid is now Head Maid at the Regency hotel. When a famous author drops dead at an event at the hotel, Molly is once again suspected of having something to do with the crime. How will Molly prove her innocence while helping out her fellow colleagues and protecting the hotel she loves?

Now, I loved the Maid when I read it a few years ago – so I had high hopes for The Mystery Guest – and once again, it delivered. I read it in one day. It’s so fast paced and hard to put down! I really liked how this book switched between past events and present events and uncovered things in a very clever way. Molly is such a great main character and it makes the book so easy to read. I highly recommend The Mystery Guest!

Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada and Viking and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I received an ARC for this through Netgalley, the publisher and the author Nita Prose. Thank you to all of them. This book is a sequel to The Maid and follows Molly the Maid on another adventure at the Regency Grand Hotel. It has all the same characters in it that we loved in The Maid and a few new ones.

In this novel, a famous novelist comes to the Regency Grand to make an announcement, but he is killed before he has a chance to do so. Molly has a connection to this man from her past, and the story goes between the past and the present.

Although the story is great, I didn't find it as engaging as the first one. The last half of the book was wonderful and makes it all worth while, but I did find the first half dragged a little as we learn more about Molly as a child. Overall though, another good read from Nita Prose and I give it 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, Viking for this ARC!

I loved the Maid by Nita Prose and was SO excited for the Mystery Guest! It definitely lived up to, and passed my expectations! Love how we get to learn more about the characters from The Maid and also meet some new characters. I loved the LAMBS! I will be recommending this book to everyone I know and suggest you pick if up too if you love quirky characters!

5 Stars, would rate it more if possible!

It’s so wonderful to be reunited with Molly from The Maid! Nita Prose has created such a delightful, special character, and I was pulled right into this murder mystery just like I was the first time. Set four years after the events in the first book, this time a famous author drops dead in the hotel where Molly works, right in the middle of an event, just as he was about to make a mysterious special announcement.
We also get a glimpse into Molly’s past, when she was a child being raised by her loving grandmother, and we learn more about why she became a maid and what her connection is to the murder victim.
It’s not necessary to have read The Maid to enjoy this novel, as it stands alone just fine, but I recommend reading both!
This story gave off a cozy mystery vibe, and I found it to be a very easy, engaging and fun read.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

I just love quirky yet relatable Molly ! I especially loved her sweet relationship with Gran in the first book, so I was happy to get more of their backstory in the sequel. It was just as funny, heartwarming, and unputdownable as the first. I'm already looking forward to what's in store next for Molly and the gang !

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. I didn’t like this novel quite as much as The Maid, but it was still easy to get lost in the world of Molly Gray and the Regency Grand Hotel. I saw a lot of comments about how people were unsure what city this series is set in … I read it as if it was set in its own world. The characters in these novels are very sweet and captivating. There is just enough drama and suspense to keep you reading while also keeping things light. I would recommend The Mystery Guest to anyone who enjoyed The Maid.

(3.75)

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC

Molly Gray still works at the 5 star regency grand Hotel. She has risen through the ranks and now has the title 'Head Maid'. But just as her life reaches as state of perfection, her world is turned upside down when renowned author J.D. Grimthorpe drops dead at the hotel. When Detective Stark, Molly's old nemesis, comes to investigate, it quickly becomes clear that this was no accidental death, but a murder. Was it lily? the new maid in training? or Serena, the author's secretary? There are suspects abound. As the hotels pristine reputation is once again threatened Molly knows she alone holds the key to this murder, but that key is burried deep within her past.

I loved The Maid, so when I saw that there was as sequel coming I immediately requested the arc. Molly as a character is a lot of fun to read, and I personally adore hotel settings, so this combination works really well for me. And those 2 aspects of the story still worked really well for me. Unfortunately what didn't was the time spent in the past. Getting to see glimpses of Molly as a child was fine, but half of the book took place there, instead of in the current time. Yes, everything that happened in the past was relevant to the current murder, however, I was just not as interested in that timeline and vastly preferred the current day one. Which is why I have ended up rating this 3.75 stars. I will however gladly read another book of Molly as her character is still fun, the hotel setting remains fantastic and the mysteries themselves are interesting enough.

If you enjoyed Molly in the first book, I'm sure you will in this book as well!

Molly is back! …and she’s back with a cozy murder mystery that I absolutely adored! This is book 2 in the ‘Molly the Maid’ series by Canadian author, Nita Prose. And just as Molly is devoted to her job, I am devoted to her! I absolutely love her, and the murders that always seems to find her. She handles every situation with grace and she is wise beyond her years — mainly thanks to her lovely grandmother. I love seeing her growth as each book is released… and I hope there is a book three, because I am invested!

I recommend this book if you enjoy:
- the mystery genre / who dun it trope
- cozy murder mysteries
- Clue board game vibes
- unique reads and fast faced reads
- quirky main characters
- dual - past and present timelines

Thank you to Penguin Random House and Nita Prose for this arc. This book will be released on November 28, 2023.

What a cozy, easy going read!! I was surprised that Molly came back and it sounds like a series might be in the works? This 2nd book is definitely more enjoyable if you've read the first and understand the back story. That said - there it got a bit repetitive at times. The mystery component of the story was pretty basic and easy to figure out but over all the book is a lovely warm fuzzy - so if you are looking for entertainment on a cold, rainy afternoon - this book should be it!

Nita Prose does it again with her second book The Mystery Guest. Molly the maid is once again enchanting with her quirky personality and socially awkward demeanour.
Most of the characters from The Maid are part of the adventure in this mystery. When a famous author visits The Regency Grand the excitement ensues. New characters are introduced that add to the plot with a tale from the past and present.
Thank you to Nita Prose and NetGalley for this wonderful ARC. It was a pleasure as always.