Molly the Maid is back, our very own grown up Amelia Bedelia, who is neurodivergent and very literal. While there is another murder at the hotel where she works and once again employees are suspects, what is special about this book is the second timeline. We go back in time to Molly's youth and uncover more details about her life and how she grew up. We also learn more about how her gran cared for her and the incredible love they had for each other. It is this backstory that really grabs you and also makes you more aware of how challenging her life has been. The book also provides a moral lesson showing how hard it is to gain acceptance when you are different, and we all need to be more understanding. We also need to not ASSuME things about other people. Molly is no fool and murders at her hotel can't be solved without her. It was a delight to revisit Molly's world. I don't know if there will be more Molly books, but if there are, I will be reading them.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advance copy. My opinion is my own.

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

Thank you @randomhouse for an early copy of The Mystery Guest by @nitaprose. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Release date: November 28th, 2023

Blurb: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/157062582-the-mystery-guest?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=m3YAAW54yM&rank=1

🛑Read on with caution; review may contain spoilers🛑

The Mystery Guest is the sequel to The Maid that I didn’t know I wanted to read. It’s so much more entertaining and heartwarming than the first novel! 🥹 This novel is more than just a mystery. I loved the more in-depth perspective The Mystery Guest gives on Molly’s childhood, and how much love and care her grandmother, Flora, has given and provided for her throughout the years, how much she sacrificed for Molly.

The mystery surrounding J.D. Grimthorpe, the author who suddenly falls to his death at his special announcement event at the hotel, was very well written. It highlighted how much the suspect isn’t who they seem to be, and how even the underestimated staff at the hotel, especially Molly, were able to help piece together what happened during the event and who the suspect of the author’s murder was. I also gave us an unlikely alliance between Detective Stark and Molly, as Stark admits she underestimated her and began to trust her instincts.

The Mystery Guest is a really good follow-up to the first novel! If you’ve read The Maid, you’ll surely enjoy this sequel and would want to pick this one up when it releases on November 28th! I hope there will be more books coming in the series! 🤞🏻

The second book in the Molly the Maid series builds on one of the most likable characters in fiction today. Readers that enjoyed the first novel, The Maid, will not want to miss The Mystery Guest. This book delves further into Molly’s background and childhood, dividing the text into alternating chapters for the current mystery and for Molly’s history. With less humor in Molly’s interactions and internal dialogue, some readers may not enjoy this novel as much as the first, but there’s still plenty of insight into Molly’s thought processes and interpretation of the the actions of those around her. Obviously on the spectrum, Molly serves as a great role model and demonstrates that, even though her actions may seem odd to others, her genuine, straightforward approach to life is often more successful than those with the ability to interact “normally.” Recommended.

The Mystery Guest is book two in the Molly the Maid series by Nita Prose. As a huge fan of The Maid, I was super excited to get my hands on the advance copy of the sequel. I'm thrilled to report that it truly does not disappoint. Within just a few pages I was back in the world of Molly and her very literal mind. With this book, we learn a bit more about Molly's childhood and her special relationship with her Gran. Young Molly reminded me quite a bit of Anne Shirley with her overactive imagination. Detective Stark is another great character who had me chuckling as I tore through the pages. Highly recommend picking this book up! Read and enjoy!

I really enjoyed The Maid so of course I had to find out what Molly Gray has been up to lately. Promoted to head maid at the Regency Grand Hotel and happily paired off with Juan Manuel, Molly is drawn into a new mystery when famous mystery author J.D. Grimthorpe (such a great name) drops dead during an author event at the hotel. We learn much more about Molly’s past in this novel, and discovering the identity of the killer is an enjoyable and compelling journey. It’s cashmere-socks level cozy and a great fall read! 🍂

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with a review copy!

Release date: November 2023 🗓️

I liked the Maid better but I still enjoyed this one, Im looking forward to the 3rd book I have some ideas of what might be revealed and I really want to see if I'm right.

The Maid was one of the first cozy mysteries I ever read. I loved it and it is a benchmark I measure other mysteries by. So I've been excited and nervous to read The Mystery Guest.

The Mystery Guest is the second book in the Molly the Maid series. It features many of the same characters and a few new ones. Molly is just as endearing to me as she was in the first book, but I loved seeing her more confident and outspoken in this one!

I thought Prose did a wonderful job of making the story feel a lot different from The Maid. It wasn't just a similar story with a few details swapped around. The Mystery Guest alternates between the present day and the past. The reader gets to see a look at Molly's childhood and gets to know her beloved grandmother better.

I would say the plot of this one is less complex and twisty than The Maid. A lot of the plot is devoted to the back story and less to the mystery. That aspect made it less of a page turner for me. Enough details were left open at the end to set up a potential third book in the series!

Overall, I really enjoyed it and give it a solid 4 stars!

The Mystery Guest releases on November 28th. Thank you @netgalley for the advanced copy of this book!

Content warnings: murder, minimal language, sexual assault, alcoholism

** “My gran. She was always like that. She always found a way to ignite hope. And what is hope if not the decision to shine light into the dark?” **

Nita Prose once again takes us into the world of quirky Molly Gray in her followup novel, “The Mystery Guest,” which takes place four years after Molly finds a dead body in “The Maid.”

Now Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, Molly is tasked with setting up a special VIP Announcement by a famous mystery writer. But when he suddenly drops dead before he can make his special announcement, Molly is once again put under suspicion and must work together with Detective Stark to get to the bottom of his untimely death.

We also learn more about Molly’s past and her life with her beloved Gran — and a childhood connection to the dead author.

Told as a constant narrative provided by Molly in both the present and her past, “The Mystery Guest” is a fun read filled with several twists and turns, constantly offering perspective into Molly and her unique frame of mind and her personality — very particular, keenly observant yet socially awkward.

Once again, Prose delights us with lovely and intriguing characters, including the delightfully plucky Molly, a caring doorman and a new maid-in-training who needs a little prompting. She also fills her story with several good themes, like sometimes what we view as weaknesses are actually strengths; there is always a reason to offer kindness; there is always reason to find hope and to shine light in the dark; and there is value in everything and everyone (“One must look beyond the surface to see true value in anything”).

One disclaimer, “The Mystery Guest,” which is due out Nov. 28, does occasionally contain some swearing.

Five stars out of five.

Ballantine Books provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

This follow-up to The Maid was a cute, light read with a fun little literary element. It’s a sweet ensemble of characters solving fairly straightforward whodunits — I liked it just fine, breezed through it in a day or two, and am ready for the next.

I think this would be a GREAT palate cleanser book for just about any kind of reader out there! It’s a mystery, yes, but there’s quite a bit of backstory and more literary fiction elements too, so it’s not just constant crime solving.

The Mystery Guest comes out right after Thanksgiving!

Nita Prose’s second novel and second Molly the Maid book. Though part of a series, this is a stand alone novel with the same characters I loved from The Maid. I want Mollyto continue to just be quirky with a lacking in socialization, despite her uber-politeness, because of her odd childhood and lack of schools not understanding that everyone learns differently. So, this cozy and funny crime mystery is just as good as the first. We learn a lot more about Molly and Molly learns a lot more about herself, settling into her own shoes. As she leaves her sheltered life of home and beloved hotel, she is growing and we know she has much more is in her future as a person and professionally. Good storyline and villains.

I really loved The Maid, but this sequel just wasn't for me. I still love Molly, I think this book was just hard for me to get into. I do think it will be a popular read for many!

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 a pinnacle state of perfection, her world is turned upside down when J. D. Grimthorpe, the world-renowned mystery author, drops dead. When Detective Stark, Molly’s old foe, investigates the author’s unexpected demise, it becomes clear that this death was murder. Suspects abound, and everyone wants to know: Who killed J. D. Grimthorpe? Was it Lily, the new Maid-in-Training? Or was it Serena, the author’s secretary? Could Mr. Preston, the hotel’s beloved doorman, be hiding something? And is Molly really as innocent as she seems?

I was introduced to Molly the Maid the the author's book The Maid. This book continues her story along with some interesting twists in the story. This is a very different main character that grows on you as you read more about her. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting my request to read the second book about Molly.

While I did enjoy this, I was not as engrossed in the plot as I was with the first book in the series. The new characters didn’t compel me much, but I loved learning more of Molly’s backstory, and still clicked with Prose’s writing style.

Molly Gray has become one of my favorite mystery protagonists ever! I was concerned that this book wouldn’t be able to live up to the first, but it felt just like returning to an old friend. You’ll definitely want to read The Maid first in order to really appreciate the characters and references in this story. Molly’s voice (the book is told through her point of view) is so unique and delightful. I know that I’m biased, as I have a family member with many similar traits as Molly, but I just can’t see how any reader could keep from loving her. This book actually has a bit more depth than the first, highlighting Molly’s exceptional strengths as well as utilizing a dual timeline via Molly’s recollections of her childhood.

If you had some favorite supporting characters in the first book, they return in the second with a few new friends! I was a little sad that Juan didn’t take up more space in the book, but his absence allows Molly to really shine. Nothing is explicitly stated in this book, but I view these stories as neurodivergent representation, and I just loved how this book really focused on the strengths found in Molly’s point of view, not just her shortcomings.

I love these characters so much! To me, they absolutely carry this story, as I care much more about the individuals in the book than the actual mystery. The tie-ins from the dual timeline are really well crafted, but it’s the character development alongside Molly’s narration that really puts this book over the top for me. I am really hoping that this series continues - we all need more Molly in our lives!

I enjoy cozy mysteries, but I don't read them very often. I am so glad I stuck with Molly the Maid. Both The Maid and The Mystery Guest are great light-hearted mystery reads! The flashbacks of Molly's childhood were my absolute favorite part of this sequel. Learning about Gran and Molly's past was both a joy and so heartbreaking. All of the same lovable characters return in the sequel. The dialogue and the banter is witty and clever. Nita Prose did such a great job making a lot of little connections throughout to solve the mystery by the end of the book.

I liked the first book in this budding series, but wasn't as crazy about it as others were. I should have realized I would feel the same about the sequel! Not my favorite, but know lots of readers will enjoy it.

Molly Gray, from the book The Maid, is back in the Regency Grand Hotel as the Head Maid. When a well-renowned writer, J.D. Grimthorpe, comes to the hotel to make a big announcement, the hotel is ready. Well, until he drops dead, that is. Now there's another death at the Regency Grand and again, Molly is at the center of the investigation.

This sequel to The Maid is a fun follow up and takes us back into Molly's world. We also get a glimpse of Molly's past with her grandmother and gives us a little more insight. I enjoyed this book and like the first book, found it to be a fun mystery with a colorful cast of characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Randon House Publishing Group for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Available November 23, 2023.

Thank you Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. "The Mystery Guest" is such a wonderful cozy mystery that is perfect for this time of year. I was happy to jump back into Molly's world and delighted to see that the book had the same similar charm as the first one. This isn't a jaw dropping thriller, but definitely kept me entertained and had satisfying story lines/characters. I am looking forward to others reading more from this author (hopefully with Molly the Maid as main character).

Molly the Maid I back and just as quirky and smart as ever. I loved learning more about her past in this book than we did in the first. She is such an interesting character and her attention to detail is astounding. Mr. Preston was just as lovable and Angela is basically me, a real true crime lover. I love the idea of a mystery in a hotel and this one checks all the boxes. I loved this one just as much as I loved The Maid. The story moved quickly and I was hooked from page one.

I was so excited for the opportunity to read this book! I loved the first which I picked up on a whim. Now that I have ready The Mystery Guest, I can say I loved it more than the first! I love the characters, especially Molly because of how genuinely happy she is with herself and her life.