I just love Molly the Maid so much. She is such an endearing, lovable character. When she finds herself in another jam because yet another murder happens in the Regency Grand Hotel, her unwavering positivity and conviction to her morals makes her so uniquely written. I loved the dual timeline in this novel, and getting to see more of Molly’s relationship with her Gran. Seeing how Molly has always had to find ways to figure out the meaning in peoples’ words and actions, and seeing how she felt like she was always falling short, was so heartbreaking. I know some people referenced the lack of Juan Manuel in this book and how they wished there was more of him, but I think it worked out just well without him! I loved the reappearance of Mr. Preston, Detective Stark, and Mr. Snow. I sort of guessed “whodunnit” but there was another reveal at the end of this book that I honestly had guessed while reading the first one! It had a happy conclusion and I really enjoyed reading The Mystery Guest. I would love to know what happens next for Molly the Maid!

It’s always a delight to spend time with Molly the (Head) Maid—and The Mystery Guest is no exception. This is cozy mystery at its finest!

I did miss a few of the characters from book 1, but that’s a-ok. Really hoping there’s a third in the works!

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC!

The Mystery Guest is the second book in the Molly Maid cozy mystery series. We follow Molly, a maid who works at a hotel and she has some problems with taking things too literally and she has a hard time communicating with others. She has a sharp eye for details and this comes in handy when a famous author drops dead in the hotel that she works at. She helps the police solve the case.

I didn’t really enjoy the first book in the series. However, I liked this one a lot more! Molly annoyed me a bit in the first book but she was better in this one. She seems to have really found herself and her “people” in this one. I don’t think the mystery was too hard to solve but it was a fun story to read. I liked all the quirky characters and the hotel setting. I feel like this book was missing something though. I can’t put my finger on it but I wish the story was a bit longer and the mystery was more developed.

If you’re looking for a cozy mystery set in a hotel, I would recommend this book! Thanks so much to netgalley and Ballantine books for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I hadn’t read this author first book, but I really enjoyed the second one! I do plan to go back and read The Maid, but for now let’s discuss The Mystery Guest.

This book was a very fast paced read, it kept me intrigued and looking forward to entering Mollys world. I’m not sure if these are technically categorized as cozy mysteries or not? But I very much felt like it was. The vibes it left me with were similar to that of Finley Donovan mysteries.

I would recommend this read if you want: a hotel setting/time jumps to weave two stories together/a lovable MC

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

Thank you @netgalley ,@randomhouse & @librofm for ARC & ALCs of this much anticipated book!

I did start this one physical, but ended up doing most of it on audio. I found the audio to be fantastic. The narrator was so nice to listen to and I loved her ability to give the characters their own personalities via voice.

I did enjoy the first novel, The Maid. I was hesitant for this one, because I was afraid it was going to try to hard. What it turned out to be was more of a cozy mystery vibe, and one I enjoyed! I loved getting to know a ton of Molly's backstory. I almost enjoyed that more than the actual Mystery at hand!

What a great second book to the series! I love the character Molly, especially her whitty and honest feedback to others. Her matter of fact thoughts always make me laugh. I loved the story line of The Mystery Guest and did not see the twist coming at all. It was fun to guess throughout the book who committed the crime. I loved the true crime podcast/fan club aspect of the book. The Mystery Guest was a quick read and a definite page turner! Can't wait till the next book to see if Molly becomes a detective officially!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an ARC of " The Mystery Guest". I was ecstatic to receive a copy of the newest installment of the Molly the Maid series. I loved the first book in this series, " The Maid' because Molly portrays her character as so literal that you love her. She always says or does the wrong thing and because of that she is always a suspect. At the start of this novel, Molly has been promoted to Head Maid at her hotel and is happily in love still. However, everything falls to pieces when a famous author is found poisoned at her hotel. Molly truly believes that the maid is always the suspect, and because of her past she knows she has to find out the truth before all eyes are on her. Molly is just as delightful, if not more so, in this novel than the last.

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 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.

Just when I thought I couldn’t love Molly anymore! This book was fun, interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved having the dual timelines so we could see into the relationship with Molly and gran.

The Maid was such a delightful read and I was thrilled to learn there was a sequel. I NEVER experience this, however, I think The Mystery Guest was an even better read! Nita Prose has such a timeless way of telling a story - this could take place now or it could be years ago (minus the internet mentions :))

The plot is of course centered around a mystery - a famous suspense author drops dead in the hotel moments before revealing a big secret. Molly is back on the case and we get to meet characters from the original story.

What I loved was that Molly is coming to us with much more confidence - in her work (she was promoted!) and in her understanding of herself. This story takes us back in a dual timeline and we learn more about Molly's past, spend more time with Gran and reveal how Molly and the suspense author are intertwined. I also enjoy reading books about authors, a trope I always go for.

Thank you so much for this ARC!

Cozy mysteries aren’t really my thing but once again Molly the maid stole my heart and convinced me otherwise.

This story takes off where The Maid ends, but you can definitely read this as a stand-alone because the author included just enough of a recap that it didn’t feel repetitive.

There’s another murder at the Regency Grand hotel, and Molly is once again at the center of it all. We get to go along with Molly while she outsmarts and outwits everyone (again), and we also get to explore her childhood. Told in past and present timelines we get to see Molly and Gran in ways we didn’t in The Maid.

This book had all of the charm from The Maid and it succeeded in hooking me from start to finish. This one was also a bit darker with some heavier/darker themes. Molly the maid is the sweetest misunderstood fictional character I have ever had the pleasure of getting to know. Molly's character development stands out, and I truly appreciated this book. Molly's and Gran's phrases, along with Molly's demeanor and distinctive personality made for an enjoyable read.

My only complaints is that I felt some parts dragged and the reveals were a bit predictable.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries with strong character development then this one, and The Maid, would be perfect for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Randomhouse Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC. This publishes on 11/28/23!

The murder of a murder mystery author is always a fun direction to take, and was an excellent idea for the return of Molly the Maid. I think readers will enjoy this second installment even more than the first.

FIVE STARS!!! The Mystery Guest surprised me in the best way! I'm going to be honest here. The first few pages of this book left me dreading reading the rest of it. I thought for sure I would not be able to get into the story, and it would be one of those reads where the book just does not draw me in, but I kept going because I do love a good whodunit. Pretty soon, I found I was absolutely enthralled with the story and couldn't put it down! Molly is such a unique and compelling character, so different from many of the vapid, wealthy women in the thrillers I read, and she just drew me right in. I especially loved the back story of when she was a little girl - her gran was an absolute gem, and her, unusual but so endearing. I loved watching the people in her life rally around her as she is in the middle of solving the murder of Mr. Grimthorpe, and the way the author writes how her brain works is fabulous and relatable for any of us who might be a little different than those we surround ourselves with. The ending is *chef's kiss* as well, and I do hope there will be another in this series. I devoured the entire book in the span of 24 hours. I absolutely recommend you give this book a shot!!


Thank you to Ballantine, NetGalley, and the author for the grand opportunity of reading the ARC of this marvelous book!

Thank You NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for a complimentary copy of this novel!!!

Molly the Maid is at it again, but this time as Head Maid!!! A well-known mystery author, J.D.Grimthorpe, falls over dead at the Regency Grand Hotel just as he’s about to make a major announcement. Coming in to investigate the death is Detective Stark, a blast from Molly’s past. But is Detective Stark the only blast from her past? Suspects are plenty in this deliciously sweet murder!!! There’s Lily, the new Maid- in- Training; Mr. Preston, the doorman; Cheryl and Angela, two other maids; Serena, the author’s secretary; a slew of guests; and let’s not forget Molly. After all, “secrets don’t stay buried forever.” Some blasts from the past are better left in the past!

I so enjoyed this cozy mystery! I love that the main protagonist is neurodiverse! People underestimate Molly, including Detective Stark. But in the end, it’s Molly who notices the tiny details the detective doesn’t. Just because someone may look or seem different, doesn’t mean they’re stupid. This novel means a lot to me because my son is also neurodiverse. So a great big thank you to Nita Prose!!! I look forward to reading more about Molly’s sleuthing adventures!!! This novel will be available for purchase November 28, 2023.

I think everyone was a little surprised to see Molly the Maid make a comeback for another book, but I for one am not disappointed. Four years after Molly helped solved the death of a Regency Grand Hotel guest, Molly is still working at the hotel as Head Maid. When an acclaimed author dies during a conference where a big announcement was supposed to be made, it is up to Molly to figure out who the killer is.

I loved The Maid when it first came out and I almost enjoyed the sequel even more. Molly is the same great unique character, and you get to learn more about her and her gran's past during the two timelines throughout the book. Characters from the first book also make a comeback such as Detective Swan and Mr. Preston. I will be curious to see if this series ends as a duology or if Molly will be back to solve another crime.

The Mystery Guest comes out on November 28th.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the oppotunity to read The Mystery Guest. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

This was just ok for me. I often felt like the book was taking too long to tell us something we already knew, and was just generally very slow. I also felt like most of the characters were two dimensional. Everybody is either good or bad, and everybody gets one characteristic at most. It just felt hollow. Personally, I could have dropped all the chapters set in Molly's childhood and not missed them.

The plus sides of this book are that the last third of the book does actually move at a good pace. The detective stops treating Molly like an imbecile (which you think she would have already known after the first book). We actually get some clues and make some progress unraveling the case.

In sum, if you liked the first book, give this one a try, but keep your expectations in check.

7/10

*ARC provided by publisher in exchange for feedback.*

When I read The Maid last year I immediately saw it as not only a good story but also a well written book and one containing a lot of wisdom. I never expected it to become a series either but when I saw that The Mystery Guest was coming I was thrilled.

Admittedly I do think that this book fell a little flat compared to the first entry in the series but that was a high mark to hit, and I am certainly not saying this book was bad. It had a lot of the same great vocabulary and unique prose as the first book as well as a lot of good life lessons sprinkled into its story. That story however was a bit less exciting than the first one, and in some ways much more predictable. I did like that it provided us with more backstory on its characters though and hope that this (as well as some specific events from this story) set up for a great book 3.

While some have said this could be a stand alone book, I think that you should probably read The Maid first to truly understand Molly Gray. Molly is "Molly the maid", a unique and quirky person who is now Head Maid at the hotel. She has a keen insight for details and takes pride in her work to make everything look to its perfection. Once again, a murder happens in the hotel and who is first to blame? The maids. But this time, Molly sets out to help solve the case with Detective Starky and her friend Angela, even enlisting the help of the LAMBS who are the fan club of this writer. What Molly doesn't share is that she knew the victim, a well-known mystery writer, and that she and her gran had been maids at his mansion when she was young. Lots of twists and turns, it kept me reading straight through. I delighted in all the sayings and reflections that Molly could hear her gran saying, such great advice. For every situation there just seems to be a quote from gran that could be put on a pillow. Molly may be different but she is a special woman who is honest and good and forthright as she sees the world differently. Even Detective Starky begins to thaw and appreciate Molly's genius. I'm hoping that there will continue to me more cozy stories of Molly the Maid going forward by Nita Prose. Many thanks to #netgalley #themysteryguest #nitaprose #penguinrandomhouse for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The followup to The Maid is just as delightful as the first. Molly, Head Maid, finds herself in the middle of another death investigation and memories of her past intrude.

I enjoy Molly's character and her way of seeing the world. In this adventure she grows more in relating to people around her and makes a surprising new friend. The mystery itself is satisfying and reminds me of reading classic British mysteries.

I loved The Maid and was excited to read this sequel. It didn’t get me quite like the first one, but I liked the backstory and learning more about her grandmother. Entertaining