Miss Molly is back, baby, and she has been the HBIC at the 5 star "Regency Grand Hotel" for 3 1/2 years. To no one's surprise, (Molly has the worst luck!) one of the hotel's guest (a VIP!) drops dead on the tea-room floor! This is a problem, as you can see, but wait, there's more! This is made even worse because it just happens to be the same day when the award-winning author, J D Grimthorpe, is scheduled to make an announcement in the now "room-of-death.." But wait, there's STILL more! The person who ended up taking an unexpected dirt nap was Mr. Grimthorpe himself! Annnnnnnd........Detective Stark begins to investigates. Good Golly Miss Molly!

Like with Nita's first book, this one was extremely well-written, has lots of snarky dialogue that will keep you laughing (which helps when some parts of the book simply break your heart). There are lots of FANTASTIC twists in this book (just like in the first one) and this was just such an incredibly fun read. I actually liked this one better than book #1 which I didn't think would be the case because the bar was set very high with the first one. Nothing beats a good cozy mystery as we head towards Christmas, and Molly is my whole heart.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to let me spend more time with Molly. I can't get enough of this angel. This was a SUPER EASY 5 star rating. I need more Molly. And I need more of her now!

I've already asked for this book for Christmas for my personal home library and will be recommending it to my friends and I will be buying it for my sister for Christmas as I already know she is going to eat this book up because she loved the first one just like me.

FANTASTIC book, Nita. You hit another one out of the park with this one, and have created one of my favorite characters of the last decade. Aaahhh!! <3

I enjoyed the Maid and enjoyed this book as well. I enjoyed the story and also appreciated the fact that you didn’t have to read the first book to understand this one. I thought it was a decent story, and enjoyed the twists as well. I look forward to reading more involving these characters

Oh, how I missed Molly the Maid.


Book two is an awesome whodunnit, in the same hotel, and with some of the same characters. We learn more about Molly’s past, and I loved all the chapters featuring her grandma. I looove her so much I just wanted to hug her!


It’s very similar to book one in the sense that we have a murder, we want to know who did it, and we suspect everyone.


It’s fun, it’s quick, and Molly is amazing!


3.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book! I think if you liked the first in the series you would definitely enjoy this one as well, but it also isn't necessary to read the first book in order to enjoy it. I love Molly as a character and enjoy reading about the situations she finds herself in. There's nothing groundbreaking about the mysteries but Molly as a character is just so unique and interesting to read about, so would highly recommend this series overall!

"It's always the maid."

When a famous mystery author drops dead just before making a highly anticipated announcement in the middle of her hotel, Molly the maid knows that suspicion will fall on her and her workers, especially since she knows more about the famous author J.D. Grimthorpe than she would care to confess. As Molly works to figure out who killed this man in the middle of her hotel with the help of her true-crime loving best friend Angela, her new sidekick Lily, and the kindly Mr. Preston, Molly's past must come to light.

However, while it may or may not be the maid who committed the murder in this delightful little mystery, it is most certainly the maid who steals the show. Molly the maid is BACK in the second installment of the maid series, and she is even more endearing than ever. In this mystery, Molly must face a foe from her past in this famous mystery author whom she knows from her childhood. When he dies in the middle of her workplace and suspicion lands on her and her maids, she tries to figure out who really did it, but to do this, she has to look back at her childhood with her beloved gran. This book flashes back and forth between the present day and Molly as a little girl, unveiling how Molly came to be who she is today. The flashbacks are frequent and can be a little abrupt, but they do provide a clear picture of Molly's backstory that also help to frame and explain the mystery. They also tell more about Molly's family store, especially her close relationship with her gran.

What I loved most about this novel was Molly. She is an exceptional character. She has her flaws, particularly her struggles with social cues, but her tenacity, positivity, and moral courage shine even brighter. She is funny, sometimes without meaning to be, and accompanied by her friends, including Lily, Angela, Juan, Mr. Preston, Mr. Snow, and now Detective Stark, the mystery is both heart-felt and humorous. The character development in this book was great as well, showing a deeper side to Molly and developing some of the side characters as well.

The let-down of this book was the mystery itself. While I loved that Grimthorpe was a part of Molly's past, and thus this helped her solve the mystery, I found the mystery a little simplistic and easy to figure out. The twists were a little predictable, and I think the novel could have been strengthened by a better mystery. A strong mystery would have brought my rating up to 5 stars. However, I love Molly enough that it was still a fun read and I look forward to the next book!

4.25/5

I absolutely loved The Maid by Prose so I was super excited to receive this ARC from NetGalley. The novel opens up back at the Regency Grand Hotel where Molly is now head maid. She finds herself in charge of a tea being held in honor of the esteemed author J. D. Grimthorpe. However things do not go as planned when the author drops dead right before a huge announcement he was about to make. Detective Stark arrives back on the scene investigating the suspicious death. This time, however, she gladly accepts Molly’s help in solving the crime. This was a fun, light mystery novel. I love all the assorted characters in Molly’s world and look forward to more capers to come!

I loved the first one and I think I like this one even more! Nita Prose is back with a second Molly the Maid book and I was so excited to hear that announcement! I read through this so quickly. The scenes are the same- we revisit Molly at the Regency Grand, she lives at her same apartment. We are introduced to a couple of new characters among the cast of familiars.

I admit I found Molly a little bit irritating at parts when I read The Main, but her quirks grew on my and she felt more developed as a character in The Mystery Guest. I liked the discussion of how people handle her vs how she can handle herself. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and will definitely pick up anything else Nita Prose writes

Nita Prose’s first novel, The Maid, was very enjoyable and I’ve been looking forward to The Mystery Guest. It’s the second book in The Maid series which features Molly Gray and her cohorts and colleagues at the Regency Grand Hotel.

I must say, this second book didn’t disappoint. Once again Molly finds herself unwillingly involved in a murder that occurs in her hotel. And, once again, Molly finds herself at odds with Detective Stark who is suspicious of Molly and her motives. Ms Prose’s writing is crisp, the dialogue very well presented, and the characters are all interesting and varied. The book is a fast read but I found myself lingering on some of the pages so that I could make it last longer. Once again, I was drawn into Molly’s world and I enjoyed every minute of it! NetGalley provided an advance copy

Molly the maid made a really great impression on me in the first book and in this follow up, she made an even bigger impression. Quite simply, she is one of those iconic characters that you cannot forget. I love her and I love her stories.

In this installment, the hotel is swarming with author J.D. Grimthorpe fans. He is about to make a huge announcement, that is until he falls over and dies before making said announcement. The hotel is running amass, why would someone murderer this man and how? Once again, Molly is at the threshold for helping the investigation get along.

This book was SO good and lived up to its hype. Yesterday alone, working at the library, I checked out two new copies and it was awesome talking to fellow fans. It had its funny parts but, it also had a really great story. Molly seems to be realizing she IS smart and she does have more skills than people give her credit for. I LOVED it and for that reason, I’m giving it 5 stars. It was genius and was an enjoyable read.

I love a neurodivergent protagonist and Molly the Maid is one of my all time favorites! She’s the pure hearted sleuth that we’re all rooting for. This cozy mystery takes us back to the 5-star Regency Grand Hotel where Molly Gray finds herself in the middle of another untoward incident. Her unique history with the victim combined with her keen eye for nearly imperceptible details makes her an invaluable key to unlocking the case. The Mystery Guest is a character driven mystery full of suspense and depth. I couldn’t put it down! Thank you to NetGalley for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a fan of Molly, the maid. And I am a fan of Nita Prose.

First Sentence: My gran once told me a story about a maid, a rat, and a spoon.

Synopsis: Molly Gray wears her Head Maid badge proudly for every shift at the Regency Grand Hotel, plumping pillows, sweeping up the guests’ secrets, silently restoring rooms to a state of perfection. But when a renowned guest – a famous mystery writer – drops very dead in the grand tea room, Molly has an unusual clean-up on her hands.

A new mess, a new mystery and Molly Gray is ready to uncover if it was murder or illness that killed the mystery guest. I love how Molly's mind works and how she values family, and friends. I also love how she takes pride in her job as a maid and how she wants others to strive for excellence in cleaning. She may be on the spectrum, but she shows all of us that does not mean she’s incapable of excellence.

This book opens the door into Molly’s past, devulging details about her mother and why she grew up with her nan. There were some good twists and a whopper of a surprise that made me hope for a book three. I don’t often read the cozy mystery genre, but Prose has sucked me in with the wonderful Molly Gray.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for sharing another brilliant story from Nita Prose.

Molly Gray is now the head maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. It’s been years since she was accused of murder of a guest, and she has kept her head down and worked hard, and now she is the head maid. She’s very proud of that, as all she’d ever wanted was to be a maid. Her Gran was a maid, and she had taught Molly everything she knew. Molly was an excellent cleaner and a compassionate boss, because of her Gran.

It’s a big day at the Regency Grand. Reclusive mystery author J.D. Grimthorpe has planned a rare appearance, to make an announcement. Molly has been tasked with preparing the room, making sure that every single thing in the room is in place for the big event. She has done this with the help of her new maid-in-training Lily. Lily is quiet but hard working, so Molly has her help prepare the tea for Mr. Grimthorpe before his big announcement. And just as he was about to tell the fans and the press his announcement, he took a drink of tea and then keeled over.

After spending years polishing the tarnished reputation of the hotel, the Regency Grand is once again the place of a murder.

Since Lily was the one who gave Mr. Grimthorpe the poisoned tea, all eyes immediately look to her as a suspect. Molly disagrees, and she puts her superior observational skills to use to clear her name. But it’s not just her investigative skills she has to offer on this case. She also has her memory. Because when she was a kid, her Gran worked for the Grimthorpes as a maid. And briefly, Molly did too. As a child, she lacked the understanding of social cues. But as an adult, looking back over what had happened, Molly can see things much more clearly.

Maybe even clearly enough to figure out who killed J.D. Grimthorpe. And maybe even come up with a way to lay a trap for them.

The Mystery Guest is the second book in Nita Prose’s Molly the Maid series. Molly is clearly neurodivergent, from the way she thinks so literally to her traumatic childhood, being bullied by the other kids for her lack of social awareness. But it’s that same mind that can put the clues together and see what others miss, even the detective who once accused her of murder.

I love Molly and not only the way she thinks but the way she can explain the way she thinks. Those who are looking for a glimpse into the mental processes of someone who is neurodivergent will find Molly fascinating. And those looking for a twisty mystery can find happiness in this story as well. The Mystery Guest is smart, kind, and insightful, letting Molly and her superior reasoning skills take us from the mystery to the solution in record time. While some of the scenes from her childhood were heart-breaking, Molly emerges from this story even stronger and more special than I imagined. As a fellow oddball in this world, it made me feel at home to spend time with Molly and her Gran, and I can’t wait to see what she’s going to teach me in her next book.

Egalleys for The Mystery Guest were provided by Ballantine Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Yay! Done again! I loved the first and am blown away again. Such a cheeky book., slightly different but I really enjoyed reading it

If you enjoyed book 1, you will love this sequel! Our favorite maid is back and Molly has stepped into her own. I think having read the first one helped give me much more of a sense of who she is, and a deeper understanding of the tension between Molly and the detective. It was great to see her own more of the detective work with a lot more self awareness than book 1, and get more background on her grandmother.

I think I've actually read a sequel that might be better than the original. Without giving away too much, Molly the maid finally gets some vindication! Another who done it, with Molly's unique personality makes this a fun read.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

What can I say about our “Dear Girl” Molly the Maid?!
In order to really enjoy this series you have to be a patient reader. I’ve come to enjoy our Girl Molly, her “slow” to catch on to the obvious drives me insane but in the best of ways! This book in particular was like being enthralled into a real life game of CLUE! I love how Molly took the other young quiet “maid” under her wing to guide and mentor her. I also appreciated the slight growth in Molly’s character, as she is in a leadership role now at the hotel and is leading a relatively normal life. The huge twist for me, was Serena’s backstory and existence! I knew that Mr.Preston was her Grandfather, I could smell that a mile away!
I also enjoyed the witty banter between the various characters as the story continued to play out. Molly’s mom broke my heart tho! Gosh, that little scene when she came over and Molly quizzed her ever so strategically before letting her in. The irony that most of Molly’s proudest little moments always ended up being detrimental to those around her.
Lastly, cheers to Grand! For doing her very best with our dear girl Molly! #netgally #themysteryguest

i still love molly! she makes me laugh and smile. she’s head maid now! i love her personality and how much she allowed herself to be true to who she is. i enjoyed the dual timeline. learning more about molly’s past was nice! everything came together pretty well. it did kinda semi feel like the same plot to me at some points which is why i rated it a 4!

Compared to the first one in the series, this book jumped right into the plot and hooked me in. The Maid walked, so The Mystery Guest could run. Not only did I read the ecopy version, but was fortunate enough to receive the eaudio as well. Paired together, it was a match made in heaven. I absolutely love the character development of Molly and her supporting characters too. I am not too found of strict detective mysteries but I loved how Nita created the storyline that allowed more thrills and turns rather than the same mold. This is a series I will continue to keep an eye out for with every new release.

Another fun Molly the Maid mystery!! I just adore her character so much! Sequels are always hard to live up to and this was just as wonderful as the first. I was not expecting who the murderer was, it kept me guessing often. I really enjoyed the past and present timelines, it was nice to have her Gran part of the story after her passing in the first.
I thank Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC copy - I was thrilled to get my hands on this!

I wasn't sure if Molly could be as entertaining as she was in The Maid. Guess what? She is and maybe even more entertaining. I love the way her mind works and I really didn't know who the murderer was until it was revealed.
Looking forward to more books about Molly!