The Mystery Guest: A Maid Novel (Molly the Maid)

J. D. Grimthorpe is to make a major announcement at the Regency Grand. Molly and her maid-in-training, Lily, have his tea cart ready. Taking his tea to the podium, he drops dead. Is the hotel at fault? What caused his death?

I enjoyed this book. I like Molly. She and her Gran's sayings are all

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through the book and she is teaching Lily the sayings. When it is discovered that Grimthorpe was murdered, Detective Stark is back to harass Molly and be harassed by Molly. I like their interactions. I also like that Stark can admit she underestimated Molly. I love the way Molly's mind works but she figures things out. Maybe not right away but before Stark does. I did not see who the murderer was nor why until Molly explains it to me.

Now Molly has to decide if she wants a new career. I hope to see Molly in a new adventure.

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Readers will find themselves engrossed in Molly Gray's quest for the truth, as secrets from the past resurface and mysteries are unraveled. The Mystery Guest is a compelling tale of murder, secrets, and the enduring power of memory. If you're a fan of cozy mysteries with a touch of elegance and a

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dash of nostalgia, this book is a must-read. Nita Prose's storytelling prowess shines in this page-turner, leaving you eagerly flipping pages until the final, satisfying reveal.

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Molly looks into the past to solve this new mystery!

Our fav maid Molly Gray once again finds herself in the middle of a murder. Molly is the Head Maid at the Grand Regency Hotel.
The victim is the famous mystery writer J.D. Grimthorpe. He was all set to make a huge announcement. Alas he dropped dead

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in front of his fans at a function in the recently restored Grand Tearoom. The Hotel Manager aka Mr. Snow described it as an epic catastrophe!
As it turns out Molly knew J.D. from her childhood. Her Gran was a maid at his mansion. Molly went there with her Gran and cleaned silver rather than returning to school. Her autism with its quirks set her apart. Molly’s treatment by her peers was intolerable, and her teacher persecuted her because of her differences. At the mansion she was focussed and didn’t have to communicate with kids who treated her badly and teachers who couldn’t handle her disability. Molly delighted in cleaning the silver until it shone. In the afternoon she was able to read in the Library. There was a hidden door through to Mr. Grimthorpe’s study. Molly spoke to him occasionally, even though she’d been forbidden to disturb him. Molly’s observations of that time will be surprising.
As we move between the past and the present, between the hotel investigation, and Molly’s time at the Grimthorpe Mansion, a clearer picture of Molly’s history opens up.
Another wonderful mystery with glimpses of possibilities for a sleuth who solves problems through the ‘what’s not obvious’ line of thought.

A Random House-Ballantine ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

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Molly the maid is back! She's risen to the position of Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel and runs a clean ship even hiring on Lily, a maid-in-training, whom reminds Molly a lot of herself. Although she's been missing her dearly departed Gran, she's living with her love Juan Manuel, who just so

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happens to be away visiting his family.

It's been about four years since Molly found herself embroiled in a murder at the Regency Grand Hotel but since then things are going swimmingly. In fact, famous author JD Grimthorpe has decided to hold a conference at the hotel where he's supposed to make a huge announcement.

Then, JD Grimthorpe falls dead before he can make this announcement. With Detective Stark back on the scene it soon becomes clear that Grimthorpe was murdered and suspects abound. It's Molly, though, that may hold the key to solving the puzzle as memories from her past bubble to the surface.

I liked The Mystery Guest better than The Maid. I think this series really benefits from having previous knowledge of the characters as well as the writing style of the author. I knew what to expect in that regard. Plus, there was a lot of setup in the first book detailing Molly's day-to-day as a maid and we forgo much of that because it's already established.

This opens up the opportunity to learn more about Molly's past through flashbacks. Specifically how she would help her Gran when she was a maid at the Grimthorpe mansion. That's right, Molly was acquainted with the deceased. While I think it's pretty safe to conclude that Molly is not JD Grimthorpe's murderer, I thought it was a very interesting story choice for Nita Prose to make because it means we can have Gran back as a character via flashbacks, and we get insight into Grimthorpe. It also adds depths and layers to Molly which reinforces the idea that she is not someone to be underestimated. She has a keen mind and a penchant for details which, turns out, goes really well with trying to solve a mystery.

I feel like this time around Molly has more confidence. The first book brought about a lot of new changes for her but she's stepped into her new role of head maid and gained new friends who see all these great qualities in Molly as opposed to seeing her as "different" which is something we see her struggle with in the flashback sequences.

This book was a super quick read for me. I often found myself looking at my progress wondering how I got so far so quickly. But it just moves. I don't think I can say there's truly much fine-tuned mystery solving happening in the traditional sense, there's not a lot of twists and turns, and Molly is almost reluctantly pulled into it as she'd, understandably, rather not have her name, again, associated with a murder. More, I found it about widening the lens to see the bigger picture, and connecting the pieces with how the past influences the future.

Now that we've gotten to know Molly even better than in the first book, I'd love to continue to see more books in this series. I feel like there's still so much to explore in the Regency Grand Hotel and more to discover in Molly's character.

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Oh, I was so excited to hear that Nita Prose had written a second book featuring Molly - her absolutely wonderful protagonist. The Mystery Guest has just released.

We met Molly in the first book - The Maid. Molly works at the upscale Regency Grand Hotel as a maid. "Every day of work is a joy to me.

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I was born to do this job. I love cleaning. I love my maid's trolley, and I love my uniform." She is now the Head Maid.

You're going to absolutely love Molly - her innocence, her upbeat attitude, her manner of speaking and those rules and sayings that guide her life. And then there's Gran. Even though she is gone, her presence is felt throughout the book. (It made me miss my Gran too!) The supporting cast of players is just as wonderful. Molly has made friends who very much care for her. But there's always a rotten apple in the barrel.

And of course, there's a mystery to be solved. History seems to be repeating itself when a guest lecturer dies in front of the audience at the hotel. Molly might have the inside track with this latest murder - and I'll let you discover how. In addition to her own curious mind, Molly and her Gran were faithful fans of Columbo - and read every Christie novel. Tools that she'll put to good use. That's if Detective Stark will listen to what Molly knows.

Prose tells The Mystery Guest in a past and present timeline - one of my favourite storytelling styles. Readers will get to learn more about Molly's past and her Gran. Yes, I needed a tissue more than once.

What more could you want - characters you'll be rooting for, a murder mystery, and some insightful thoughts about love, loss and life. Prose's writing will keep you turning page after page late into the night. Heartily recommended! I really, really hope there will be a third book!

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mystery fiction, series (book 2 featuring hotel maid (now head maid) at a fancy hotel, Molly, whose character may have originally been intended to have autism but after backlash over inauthenticity, is just very literal-minded and sometimes has trouble interpreting other people's facial

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expressions, along with some other quirks.

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Molly gray is not like anyone else. With her flair for cleaning and proper etiquette, she has risen through the ranks of the glorious five-star Regency Grand Hotel to become the esteemed Head Maid. But just as her life reaches the,pinnacle of perfection, her world is turned upside down when J.D.

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Grimthorpe, the world-renowned mystery author, drops dead on the hotel’s tearoom floor.

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3.5⭐️

It has been over three years since we met last Molly Gray, who is now Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel – a badge she wears with pride. But Molly has been having a difficult day (to put it mildly !). The hotel had been hosting a VIP event and everything needed to be for the VIP guest,

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award-winning mystery writer J. D. Grimthorpe and the fifty-odd invitees - a task Molly and her trainee Lily approached with much diligence. The reclusive author had chosen the venue to make a rare public appearance to make an important announcement. But when the author drops dead just as he begins the session, Molly finds herself once again in the middle of another murder investigation headed by none other than Detective Stark – someone whom Molly isn’t too happy to see again. Evidence indicates that the author did not die of natural causes, and the suspect list includes Grimethorpe’s associates and the hotel guests and staff. We follow Molly as she uses her unique methods of analyzing the situation in the hope of finding the culprit and protecting her friends and the reputation of the hotel.

Having enjoyed The Maid , I was eager to read The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose. The story is presented from Molly’s first-person PoV over dual timelines – the present day in the aftermath of Grimthorpe’s death and Molly’s memories from when she was ten years old. I love Molly and her unique worldview. I also enjoyed getting to know more about her childhood and her relationship with her late grandmother, who doted on her and whose words of wisdom have guided Molly through much adversity. However, I wasn’t quite taken with the mystery angle and thought that the narrative suffered from considerable repetitiveness. The final reveal and the identity of the killer and the motive behind the murder were a tad underwhelming after the interesting buildup with plenty of red herrings and secrets along the way. One aspect concerning Molly’s family history and the surprise revelation at the end felt contrived and unnecessary.

This is a light, cozy read with plenty of heart and humor and while I did not dislike it, I wasn’t as taken with it as I had hoped. Having said that, I won’t give up on the series just yet because Molly is an endearing protagonist and I look forward to meeting her again in the future.

I would recommend reading The Maid before The Mystery Guest for a better understanding of the main characters.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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Molly Gray may be only a maid to the guests at the Regency Grand Hotel, but to her friends and the people who really know her, she is much more. Though different in ways from the average person, Molly possesses some rather unusual qualities. She is thorough in everything she does. She is quite

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observant. She takes life literally, and so sometimes misinterprets what people really mean. She is now the Head Maid at the hotel, and takes pride in her work. Though her Gran is dead, Molly thinks of her and her wisdom constantly. In this second installment of the series, readers will be treated to some flashbacks that will further develop Molly’s character. A famous author is scheduled to speak at the hotel. He and Molly have a connection, but before the author can make his announcement, or even speak much with Molly, he drops dead. The police believe it is a homicide, and all the hotel guests and staff come under suspicion. In the end, it is Molly, with her extraordinary powers of observation, who uncovers the secrets that solve the case. This novel is even better than the first. Molly is coming into her own, the lead detective, Detective Stark is respecting Molly more, and a surprise disclosure concluding the tale sets up the next book. Author Nita Prose has stuck gold with Molly’s character.

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As head maid and with more years of experience in the Regency Grand, Molly's confidence and social skills have grown and she is now a mentor for a new maid-in-training. While it was fun getting to know Molly in the first book of the series, I like the direction in which the author has taken the

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character. The murder triggers memories for Molly about growing up under the care of her beloved grandmother and the grand house in which they cleaned, shedding more light on their close relationship. Character development and plot development are entwined in a satisfying resolution. A hint at yet a different direction for Molly in book three is a little concerning but I'm interested to see if Nita Prose can pull it off!

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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

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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.

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This was fantastic! I might even like Molly better in this installment than I did in the first (and I liked her a lot in that book!). I love how much Molly has grown as a character and I was happy to see that things were going well in her life. Well, things are going great until there is another

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death at the hotel and Molly finds herself in the middle of another investigation.

The mystery in this installment kept me guessing, and I enjoyed the flashbacks to the past that were worked into the story. It was really interesting to me that Molly had a connection to the deceased author even though he didn’t seem to remember. Molly looks at the world a little differently and I thought that some of her insights into this case were very interesting. There were a few things that I was able to figure out but I found the book entertaining overall.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that Lauren Ambrose did an amazing job with the story. She did such a great job of bringing Molly and the rest of the cast of characters to life. I found her voice to be very pleasant and thought that she added just the right amount of emotion to her reading. I am certain that her performance added to my overall enjoyment of this story.

I would recommend this book to others. This is the second book in the Molly the Maid series and I would recommend reading the series in order if at all possible since the events from the first book are discussed in this installment. I found this mystery to be delightful and I hope that we see many more stories featuring Molly the maid.

I received a review copy of this book from Penguin Random House Audio.

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I read Prose's debut novel [The Maid] last year and was happy to see a sequel has been published. Give me a crumbling mansion, an eccentric writer, family secrets and a murder to solve all wrapped up in a cozy mystery story and I am a happy reader. Without a doubt, our heroine Molly is a delight.

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Molly struggles to read the more subtle nuances and social cues of the people around her. so she brings order to her world through maxims she learned from her Gran. Molly is also hyper-attentive to details most people do not pay attention to and it is her photographic memory that proves valuable in solving this mystery. As any mystery reader knows, no clue is too small. Through a series of flashbacks, we get to learn Molly's connection to the deceased J.D. Grimthorpe. Prose provides the reader with enough clues and possibilities to keep this reader happily guessing "who did it".

A delightful cozy murder mystery and I look forward to future stories in the series.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for a review.

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I really liked MAID, which introduced us to Molly the neuro diverse hotel cleaner who solves a murder. I was looking forward to this sequel. Alas I read a few pages and tossed it away.

In MAID I found Molly to be a believable character whose first person voice and reactions seemed genuine. Here,

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though, I found Molly something of a caricature of previous herself. We could expect that the profound life changes that ended the first book to have boosted Molly's self-esteem and confidence, but the Molly in this book isn't recognizable. The prose is the wrong cadence, the emotions feel pasted on. I couldn't read very far.

If I were to guess what happened, I'd say that Nita Prose worked very hard for a long time to get MAID just right but she was rushed into this book too quickly. A different editor who "heard" Molly's voice, might have helped.

I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NEtGalley.com.

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This novel is a follow-up to “The Maid,” which tells the story of Molly Gray, a young woman somewhere on the behavioral spectrum - most likely with Asperger syndrome (AS) - which has resulted in an inability to pick up social cues and develop social skills. (People with AS have relatively

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unimpaired language skills and intelligence, which is clearly the case with Molly.) She takes people at their words and has difficulty identifying deception and scorn.

She is now the proud Head Maid at the five-star Regency Grand Hotel, in a happy relationship living with her boyfriend Juan Manuel, and still going by the advice (in her head) of her beloved Gran, who passed away four years earlier but whose precepts still guide Molly’s behavior. She is even training a new maid, Lily, who reminds her a lot of her younger self.

As this story begins, Molly is excited over the upcoming appearance of J.D. Grimthorpe, the International but reclusive best-selling mystery author. He is making a rare public appearance to make a mysterious announcement to fifty-five VIP guests, and booked the Regency’s newly renovated tea room for the event. Molly was even put in charge of the tea. But just as Grimthorpe announced he has been keeping a secret that he would now reveal, he dropped dead.

Molly is determined to find out the identity of the killer in order to help save the hotel’s reputation. As an interesting complication, Molly actually knew the author from her childhood, when she worked with her Gran who was a maid at Grimthorpe’s mansion.

Evaluation: This cozy mystery series distinguishes itself by the primary character having Asperger syndrome, which is nice to see. On the other hand, I though the style of writing, especially Molly’s observations and interactions, was too reminiscent of the first novel; it barely seemed like a new book outside of the specifics of the new crime.

Nevertheless, it is an entertaining story and a welcome diversion from the usual mystery fare.

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There's been another death at the Regency Grand, and as always, the maid is the first suspect. This time, it's a bestselling author who's keeled over right before making a big announcement at a conference in the Regency Grand's newly opened tearoom. Lily, Molly's maid-in-training, served him the

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tea he sipped just before he collapsed. However, Molly is sure that there's more to the story -- and more than one person at the hotel is not telling everything they know. With her eye for detail, can Molly find the true culprit before the blame is pinned on poor Lily?

As with the first book in the series, the mystery is not the strongest element of this book, but I found it an enjoyable read. Sometimes Molly's narration verges toward too twee for me, but in small doses it works. If you liked the first book in the series, you will probably like this one as well.

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The Mystery Guest is a sequel to Nita Prose’s wildly popular debut, The Maid, featuring Molly, a hotel maid.

Set around four years after the events of the first novel, Molly is now Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, and has been placed in charge of the service for a special event to be held in

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the newly restored Grand Tearoom. World-renowned, bestselling, and award-winning author J. D. Grimthorpe has a secret to reveal and his audience is agog, but moments after taking the stage and sipping his tea, Grimthorpe collapses and is pronounced dead.

Once again Molly finds herself caught up in a mystery, as Grimthorpe’s cause of death is pronounced as murder, with a poison tainting the honey taken with his tea. Detective Stark seems as eager to blame Molly for this murder as the last, and if not Molly, then her protégé, Lily, so it’s up to Molly to find the real culprit.

It was a delight to reconnect with the characters from The Maid. Molly, though less naive, is still sweet and optimistic. She and Juan Manuel now live together (though he is absent from this story) and Molly’s colleagues, except for Cheryl, have become her friends. The Mystery Guest sheds more light on Molly’s background, and the murder investigation reveals surprise connections

While The Mystery Guest is an engaging read, with a decently plotted mystery I felt it was missing the edge that surprised me in The Maid.

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Neurodivergent maid, Molly Gray, is once again at the scene of a murder in the Regency Hotel. This time around the characters are less developed. The victim is a renowned mystery writer who is about to make an important announcement, but drops dead as he approaches the podium.

It turns out the

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victim was also the employer of Molly's grandmother years before and Molly has some knowledge of him and his household. This knowledge along with Molly's observational skills help the detective to solve the murder. And the book ends with the suggestion that Molly may change careers to become a detective.

I enjoyed the first book in this series, The Maid. But this story is not as well developed and felt a bit formulaic.

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Yay this is my 100th review on LT! Having read The Maid three months ago now, in Oct 23, reading The Mystery Guest was like returning to a restaurant you enjoy ready to enjoy the great service and taste the wonderful delights on offer. I was quickly able to return to the world of Molly, in the

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hotel this time as a leader of the cleaning crew and dealing with all the challenges that come with that role. The influence of Molly's grandmother is still strong with Molly and this time around we get to learn more about Molly's history and what happened with her mom that lead her to staying and growing up with her grandmother. The other part of the book is solving of the mystery of the death of the famous author. There are a few twists to the tale which are enjoyable enough to make me read the next book in the series. So looking forward to hearing what comes next with Molly.

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Nita Prose has created a character whose voice gets in my brain. I hear her and understand her and root for her on every page. She strives for perfection while understanding that it is a very high watermark. And because she has had difficulties and more, she is perfectly attuned to others and their

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faults, problems and struggles. I love this character, unabashed adoration. Prose has advanced Molly’s character in the four years since her debut in the original installment. Molly makes us aware that she started at the bottom and is on the ascendency. Yay Molly. She is “an employee who sustains an attitude of gratitude.” She is better at reading people which she does by noticing things differently than most. Her awareness of her deficiencies and attributes is breathtaking in its simplicity.

There were so many great twisty little turns that advanced the story and allowed you to keep understanding Molly’s character development. I am so looking forward to the next Molly the Maid Installment but until then I will hear Molly reciting Gran’s advice:
“Treat others the way you wish to be treated.
We’re all the same in different ways.
Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”

4-1/2 brilliantly shining stars. So Many thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a copy of Molly the Maid’s latest adventure.

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A delightful cozy mystery with our neurodivergent main character. She was a bit less bumbling this time around, and the past timeline was delightful.

This is the second in the Molly the Maid cozy mystery series.

Molly is a neurodivergent woman who was raised by a loving grandmother (now deceased) who helped her understand others by using many little rules and sayings which Molly took to heart. She is now the chief housekeeper at an upscale

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hotel, where in the initial book, she was believed to be a murderer due to her different way of interacting with the world.

This time Molly is helping prepare the hotel for a lavish author event where a very well known and beloved mystery author, J. D. Grimthorpe, will be giving an important announcement to his gathered fans. By shear chance, Grimthorpe was a major player in Molly’s childhood. They have not met for many years and he no longer recognizes the child he once knew.

But … just as he begins to speak, he dies.

It seems to be murder – and once again one of the maids is the chief suspect.

Molly has learned to become very observant of things, events and people in an effort to demystify people’s actions and understand what is happening. This can make her the perfect detective as she sees things others overlook – but she can also misunderstand what has occurred– and sometimes her grandmother’s concrete rules can lead her astray when situations don’t fit neatly into specific boxes. In both books, I felt the police were characterized as not-too-bright – surely they would realize a speaker would have notes and the notes were missing.

I enjoyed learning more of Molly’s back story and thought the dual time line worked well. I also enjoy reading about a neurodivergent woman with a responsible job, a love interest and good friends who treat her with respect.

All in all cozy mysteries are perfect when one needs a break from tougher subjects – and this one fit that category very well. If the author continues the series, I'll read onward. 3.6 stars.

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Lovely contemporary cozy mystery.

I love the literal and no-nonsense Molly the Maid. She reminds me of the main character in a much-loved children's book series, Amelia Bedelia, with how she perceives and interacts with the world.

When a famous author collapses and dies right in front of her in the

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Regency Grand Hotel Tearoom at a special VIP event, Molly is shocked to hear that it was a homicide. She teams up with her cohort of colleagues at the boutique hotel and joins forces with Detective Stark to find out who killed the author JD Grimthorpe. There is no way that Molly is going to let this scandal besmirch the reputation of her beloved hotel, especially not now since she became Head Maid.

Told in a past and present shifting timeline, the reader learns that Molly had actually met and known JD Grimthorpe when she, as a child, went to his mansion to help her grandmother who was working there as a maid. Some of the details Molly recalls help her while assisting in the investigation.

Love all the characters in this series and I enjoyed this second book as much as I did the first. I do look forward to more installments with Molly and her fellow workers, friends, and partner, Juan. I like the hotel setting and all the descriptions of the place.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. I really enjoyed the narrator, Lauran Ambrose, who brought such quality to the production and enhanced my enjoyment of the novel. Definitely recommend this series.

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