If you loved The Maid like I did, you’ll definitely enjoy The Mystery Guest! Molly is back with her joyful and straightforward look on life, and I loved reading about her latest adventures. This is a perfect cozy mystery for this time of year, and I didn’t figure out the mystery at all (but as always, Molly sees tiny details we don’t)! I would love a book three where Molly takes on being a detective and planning a wedding; I think that would be so fun!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read before pub day on November 28th!

What a delight to be back dusting off clues and tidying up mysteries with Molly the Maid again! Though I'd dearly hoped for a sequel to The Maid, I didn't expect one, so excitement checked me into the story even before I had opened to the first page; and with the murder of a famous author to solve, plus sudsy charm in spades, this did not disappoint at all!

Now Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, Molly Gray is doing well. It's been four years since that nasty business with Mr. Black and she is enjoying life. Not only is she living happily with her boyfriend, Juan Manuel, but she is following her passion for rules, order, and organization by taking on new leadership and training recruits on how to be spotlessly efficient maids. However, when renowned mystery writer, J.D. Grimthorpe, drops dead from a poisonous beverage right before he's supposed to make a huge announcement in the Tea Room, her squeaky clean world is once again thrown into disorder and chaos.

With fingers pointed in the wrong direction for a second time, threatening not only members of her staff but also the hotel's pristine reputation, it is up to Molly to unearth the killer. After all, if there is one thing she knows for certain it's that she catches details that others tend to miss.

So can she do it? Can she follow the crumbs that were left behind to catch the culprit before another innocent is wrongly accused?

With suspects lingering in every crook and cranny of the hotel, with Detective Stark sniffing around like a bloodhound in search of answers, and with Molly harboring a secret connection of her own to the victim, there is much to tantalize readers in this book. The murder mystery unfolds itself in a cozy fashion, for one--with oodles of warmth and quirkiness and neurodivergent richness. Molly herself is as competent and as captivating as ever, having matured into a more confident self-assured version of herself where she is able to champion her uniqueness instead of allowing herself to limited by it, and I loved being privy to her growth in that way.

I also appreciated the interconnectedness of the dual timeline, which I believe provided both endearing exploration into Molly's childhood and background, especially her time at the Grimthorpe mansion with Gran, as well as searing insight into who she is as a person. As a precocious character one can't help but love. That structure helped to add intrigue, create suspense. More than that, though, I thought it allowed Molly's infectiousness to take deeper root so that she could continue to not only thaw the hearts around her, but change their perspectives, altering other's attitudes for the better. And what's not to love about that? It's so heartwarming!

The ending left it open for Molly's crime-solving to continue in the future and, I, for one, hope it does because I'd help mop up killers with her forever!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Consistent tone with the first Molly the Maid novel. Cute, charming, and heartwarming.

The hotel staff and a few newcomers return for a famously private author's press conference. Shockingly, he drops dead before he can make his highly-anticipated announcement. It's up to Molly to defend her new employee's name when she's falsely accused by detectives, use her masterful attention to detail to uncover clues, and dust off memories from her past to realize people's true intentions.

It's fine. I'm not as charmed by Molly and the writing as others, but it's fun and easy.

This was gifted to me by the publisher & Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

We are back following Molly, the maid. After the first book where Molly is accused of a crime, she didn’t commit based on her differences and how she moves through the world. We are back at the hotel where the scene happened. Only this time in a claimed author dies, and it’s up to Molly to figure out how this person died. Can Molly figure it out before the blame gets pinned on her again?

If you read the first book and you enjoyed it, then I think this is a must read for you. If you didn’t read the first book but the premise sounds interesting to you. I think that you could also enjoy this book. I love Molly‘s character she’s a very refreshing Main character to follow and I love being in her head.

This was another five star for me, and I can’t wait to see what the author comes out with in the future!

This is a second standalone book about Molly the Maid. Molly is a wonderful character, and her quirky personality and perfection shine. She is now Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel and leads new hires in learning the practice of providing spectacular service. The team prepared for an event feature author J.D. Grimthorpe, and all was going well until he dropped dead seconds before he make a major revelation during his speech.

Chaos ensues, and people start to form their own theories and point fingers at one another. The service staff begin to question each other's intentions, and Molly begins to process the tiniest details, as well as key memories from her childhood when she actually met Grimthorpe in his mansion. The detective is aware of Molly's quirks, but her ability to piece clues together may be just what they need. This is a fun read with several laughs.

I loved this sequel. It was a quick read and heartwarming. I feel like it was a little more well-written than the first book.

It was so fun to be with Molly the Maid again! Nita Prose has written another fun mystery with my favorite oddball maid. Molly is ow the head maid at the Regency Grand with her own little maid in training following her. Molly may not have her Gran anymore, but she has a dedicated little group to help her solve the mystery of a famous writer's death before a major secret announcement.
I loved that we got some background information about Molly's past and a fun twist at the end! Prose has left it open for more adventures with Molly in the future and I really hope she writes more. One of the hard things about reading ARCs is that you have to wait so long for next books in the series! I hope that Juan Manuel is around in the next book as he was away visiting family in this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House-Ballantine for the ARC I read for review.

Molly is at it again! When a VIP hotel guest drops dead, she begins putting clues together to solve the mystery of who killed the famous author! With several twists and turns, and Molly’s clever, but different, line of thought, this story comes together in quite a delightful way! I want more Molly stories!

10 out of 10 for the ability of Nita Prose to write a charming and heart stealing sophomore novel. First of all I really wish there was a compilation of Gran’s sayings. They are wonderful. Molly is a loveable and resilient character whose disability is captured in a thoughtful and respectful way that shows that her boundaries are made to be broken and she can have a happy and successful life.
Thank you to Nita Prose, Random House - Ballentine and NetGalley for the opportunity to laugh out loud this weekend at this enjoyable book

I was SO excited to be approved to early read The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose. This is a Molly The Maid novel, continuing to follow the story of Molly Gray. I absolutely LOVED the first book in this series, The Maid, when I read it last year. This story was different, exciting and everything I'd hoped it would be. Molly is such a fun character, all of her experiences and guidance from her late grandmother influencing every facet of her life. I loved the dual timeline and going through this story inside Molly's head, trying to find who killed author J.D. Grimthorpe in her beloved hotel. The side characters were a pure delight and I'm so excited for everyone to read this book when it releases November 28, 2023!

I absolutely LOVED The Maid and I was really excited to see there was a follow up book in the series.

In The Mystery Gues, Moly is back as head maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. A famous author is murdered right before he can make a big announcement.

I love cozy mysteries, but this book is so much more. Molly is a fantastic amateur sleuth with the help of Detective Starke. I really enjoy the secondary characters as well.

The mystery was fantastic that I really enjoyed!

The Mystery Guest was the perfect accompaniment/companion novel to The Maid!!! This book did have me conflicted though. I really liked the first book and its vibes, and this one was very similar but not as fun for me. The hi-jinks and the cozy mystery atmosphere were there, and we did get to see Molly’s personality more, but I just wasn’t as invested in the story in this 2nd book than I was in the 1st book.

Overall, I didn’t hate it or love it, it was just so so for me.


Special thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for a review copy!

3.75⭐️

Head maid Molly is back with a caper about murder, deceit and and finally poetic justice. Good things come to those who wait.

I liked the second book way better than the first and it stands alone if you’d like to start this series here.

A mystery novelist drops dead in the hotel and our detail driven Molly helps solve the case. We also get to read about younger Molly which added to much to this story.

The side characters were fantastic as well which was a huge plus for me. I hope we get more in this series.

A great sequel to The Maid so if you enjoyed that you will enjoy this. This cozy mystery is the perfect feel-good read.

I really enjoyed The Maid last year so jumped at the chance to listen/read The Mystery Guest by @nitaprose

Quirky, yet delightful Molly is back working as a maid and polishing things to perfection at the Regency Grand Hotel. This time a famous author drops dead before a big announcement at the hotel.

I don’t typically love the cozy mystery genre, but this is more than a simple cozy mystery. Molly is an unlikely super sleuth that helps Detective Starke with the case. The characters really bring this one to life. They are sometimes laugh out loud funny- Like Angela the abrasive bartender with a penchant for true crime or the author fan club full of ridiculous women that is staying at the hotel.

I’ll love Molly and these books in perpetuum. They are a delight. 😊

Pick this up if you like the Finlay Donovan series or need a light, funny yet touching story.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I just ate this book up! Could not put it down! Molly is such a loveable character in all her quirkiness and literal understanding. She is so unique and righteous, but in the sweetest of ways. I LOVED all the memories/back story with her grandmother. I didn't get enough of Molly's grandma in the first book so I was so excited she was featured so much in this book.

I'm really terrible at making mystery predictions, but I did pretty much figure this one out. It didn't spoil the story, I was still excited to see how the story unfolded. Mr. Preston is also one of my favorite characters and I was really glad he was involved as well.

My one critique - There was little to no Juan Manuel and I loved him so much in the first book. I think he could have been a great addition to the overall story.

I would be so happy if Molly the Maid's story continued on, even after this one!

Thank you to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for my advanced electronic copy. My opinions are my own.

Molly Gray is back! The lovable, lovely, neurodiverse voice from Prose's The Maid is back to solve yet another murder in the posh Regency Grand Hotel. When the world-renowned mystery author, J.D. Grimthorpe, drops dead in a press conference at which he was to deliver an important announcement, Detective Stark is back to--yet again--accuse Molly or someone else at the hotel of the crime of murder. What Molly isn't telling anyone is that she knew Grimthorpe--she used to help her beloved Gran clean his house. So who wanted Grimthorpe dead? And who followed through on it? It's up to Molly and her motley assortment of friends to find the murderer before Stark arrests the wrong person.

Molly's lot in life has improved since the last time we saw her, but so much still seems to be against her. It's actually quite painful to read just how much is stacked against her, and has been her whole life. Blow after blow tries to knock her and her Gran (and then her and her friends) down, but she is so often victorious despite them. It was a treat to read more of her backstory and see just how amazing her Gran was, and to see the pieces of the murder falling together. I had a harder time this time around with the tragedies of Molly's life, but persevering was worth it, just to see how it all came together for her.

Trigger warnings: bullying, academic discrimination, sudden death, substance abuse, verbal abuse, death of a loved one (referenced), sexual assault

Another fun time spent with Molly the maid. If you liked the first book you will probably like this one too. She is as sweet and charming as she was in the first book. This time she stumbles into a literary themed mystery at the Regal Grand. Old friends return and she makes a few new ones too. I like her so much that I am hoping there will be another chapter in Molly’s story soon.

4.5/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for the eARC of this book.

I loved The Maid. It was a five star read for me. Obviously, I was beyond thrilled to hear there would be another book about Molly and the hotel. Thanks the NetGalley for the advanced readers copy!!!
It can be difficult not to judge a second book harshly. There were a few times I thought “Molly wouldn’t so/say that” but this book shows her growth in addition to more of the same charming foibles. A real joy in this book is that it shows us a lot of the backstory of Molly and Gran. We also get to meet some new characters and Prose continues to do an exceptional job fleshing their quirks out, as well. There’s also a new mystery at the hotel that ties all of the pieces together.
I highly recommend this sequel! I hope there are more to come. The conclusions to all of the storylines are rolled out with perfect timing and left me smiling, wanting more.

Molly Gray returns in Nita Prose’s The Mystery Guest, the follow-up to her sprightly debut, The Maid. Molly, now head maid at New York’s Regency Grand Hotel, finds herself in the middle of another murder investigation when a famous author keels over in the middle of the hotel’s tearoom in front of an audience of mystery fans. Things are predicably chaotic and Molly longs to return everything to its usual state of perfection. Unfortunately for Molly, her keen observational skills turn out to be the key to figuring out who had it in for the author.

On the day author J.D. Grimthorpe dies, Molly is much more excited by the fact that the hotel’s renovated tea room is being used again. She enjoys a properly laid-out tea. To make sure that everything goes well, Molly accompanies her mostly silent trainee maid as the young woman wheels in a special tea service for Grimthorpe—and to fend off questions from the very assertive members of Grimsthorpe’s fan following. And everything is going well…until Grimthorpe drops dead and chaos erupts in the tea room. Things get worse when Detective Stark—the detective who hounded Molly during The Maid—turns up to find out what happened.

Molly does her best to stay out of the way for much of the book. She might have managed it, too, if it hadn’t been for her meddling friend Angela, her old nemesis Cheryl, and the credulous members of Grimthorpe’s fan group constantly drawing her into the mystery. There’s also the fact that Molly knows a lot more about Grimthorpe than she’s willing to admit. Molly’s childhood memories reveal even more reasons why someone would want to kill the author—and also help Molly unlock some of the secrets in her own family history.

The first chapters of The Mystery Guest are a little uneven but the book improves as the mystery evolves. I loved seeing all the returning characters from The Maid (even short-tempered Detective Stark, to be honest), too. Molly’s neurodivergence makes her a very interesting amateur detective. I really enjoy the fact that she’s so reluctant to get involved while, at the same time, is so good at spotting important details and working out how things fit together. I appreciate the change from so many other amateur detectives who only bludgeon their way into murder investigations because they have to keep a friend or relative from being unjustly accused or because they are irrepressibly nosy.