The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Molly the Maid is back ~ in her quirky likable ways! The Maid was a 5⭐️ hit for me ~ so I was very excited to get to preview this ARC coming out November 28. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

What I liked:
•More Molly! I love this character. Call her quirky, or more likely neurodivergent ~ either way I love her. She loves her “prestigious” position as head maid, and in this book, we learn more about why.
•More Gran. Much of this book jumped back in time to when Molly was a preteen and her grandmother raised her. Because she was not succeeding in school, despite her clear brilliance, she came to work with Gran. It’s there she learned more about life, and work, and behavior ~ but found herself getting into trouble frequently.
•the mystery ~ who died? What are the connections to all the people at the hotel? The guests? The fan club? The staff?
•returning characters ~ while this is a stand alone book, I would read The Maid first.
•I could see this being made into a tv series. Kind of a Murder She Wrote style show. Light, cozy murders 😂

What I didn’t like:
•I forgot all the little details about The Maid ~ it was referenced often, but my brain hurt trying to remember!
•my attention wasn’t held quite as well as the first book. But that could just be me and all the crazy stuff going on in my life right now.
•her true love Juan was mentioned often, but played virtually no role in this book. Based on his brief appearance at the end, I suspect a book 3 will be coming (that’s a good thing!)

If you loved The Maid, you’ll enjoy this one too!

Thank you to @netgalley, @nitaprose and @penguinrandomhouse for access to this advanced ebook.

Note: Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group for giving me an ARC of the sequel to The Maid series.

What a delight it was to be back with Molly and the gang at the Grand Regency hotel. I'm eagerly awaiting for the on screen adaptation featuring Florence Pugh to come out so it was very nice to get more of Molly with this second installment. This cozy mystery had all the quirks I look forward to in my more light-hearted reads. I am excited to see what the future holds for Molly's career plans and all the mayhem she will be involved in. Be sure to check out this sequel coming out November 28, 2023.

This was a fun read. It was generally light and witty while also touching some deeper topics. I found it to be such a relief to see an older and more confident Molly in this sequel, and to see some loose ends from the first book tied up. I found some of the plot to be predictable but there were still plenty of fun twists and realizations.

As another reviewer said, I’m not sure Molly the Maid needed a sequel. I think the charm was in the first book and this one was pushing it a bit.

I enjoyed the Mystery Guest. This book shows us that you may think you know a person, but in fact you don't really know them at all. This proves true for multiple characters in the book, such as: J.D. Grimthorpe, Molly, Mr. Preston, and others. This books also shows us that in most cases, when you treat people with respect and kindness, you will most of the time get that in return. Mr. Grimthorpe dies suddenly at the Regency Grand Hotel, and Detective Stark automatically suspects Molly, the maid as there was a previous incident at the Hotel years back. Molly must set out to prove who the real murderer is, and it is up to her since she and her Gran used to work for Mr. Grimthorpe when she was a child. It is because of working with her Gran at the mansion, that she has insights that no one else would know about the mysterious death of Mr. Grimthorpe. I rate this book a solid 4 stars, especially due to the multiple surprises at the end. Thank you to Nita Prose and NetGalley for this electronic ARC.

at the start of the novel, i wasn’t convinced that molly the maid deserved a sequel & i’m still not convinced. this was a very sweet, simple read but i wasn’t wowed by anything that happened here. the initial charm of the maid now just feels overdone.

4.5 stars, because I rated book one a 4 and this one was a bit better in my opinion!

Personally, my favorite part about this book is that all the backstory of Molly and Gran that is referenced in The Maid is FINALLY explained. I love how we got to learn about Gran’s past, Molly’s past, and even Mr. Preston at the end.

My one problem was with how rushed the ending felt. I wish we got more closure on what happened to Serena and what happened to the Grimthorpe Mansion and to Jenkins. I also wish Cheryl has more justice served to her, instead of getting off scot-free.

Overall, great read! I would definitely recommend!

I got access to an advanced reader’s copy of this book and am super grateful :)

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this ARC. Ms. Prose brings back her heroine from The Maid. I will say this again - isn't Prose the best name for an author? Molly is now Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. While she still misses her beloved Gran, she’s now in love with Juan. Then disaster once again strikes at the hotel. A famous author dies at the podium at a press conference, and of course, Molly finds herself in the thick of things. This book wasn’t my cup of tea at all. The mystery was ho hum, and I found myself truly struggling to finish it.

Molly Gray is back solving mysteries in the second book of the Molly the Maid series by Nita Prose. Molly has been promoted to Head Maid, and unfortunately there's been another murder in the Regency Grand Hotel. Once again, her attention to detail helps her get to the bottom of the (cozy) murder of a famous mystery writer who is about to make a big announcement to a gathering of his super fans. Many of the characters from the first book make a reappearance, plus we find out quite a lot of Molly's back story in alternating chapters entitled "Before." This book is a lot of fun, and I would recommend that you read this series in order.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy. The book is due to be published November 28, 2023.

People might underestimate Molly Gray but they won't make that same mistake with Nita Prose. She delivers another enjoyable adventure with The Mystery Guest. Few characters are as instantly engaging as Molly Gray has proven to be over the course of two brilliant books. Molly The Maid's likability factor is off the charts. Prose combines a nice writing style with entertaining mysteries. The clues are there for Molly (and the reader) to solve. Prose also succeeds with her use of flashbacks to compliment the present time narrative. It is the work of a talented author. Prose plants the seeds for Molly to walk a new path in the next book and I hope that comes to fruition. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion. #TheMysteryGuest

4.75/5 rounded up

There’s a special cozy mystery and a ambitious pace to the Maid and Molly’s story continues that process in book two. When a second murder occurs in the Regency Grand and Molly and her maids are implicated can she sort her way out of it?

Devoured this sequel and can’t wait for everyone to get to enjoy it.

I read The Maid a week after I was diagnosed with autism. When I say I felt seen and represented in Molly, I mean it in the best way. I loved her quirky view of the world, her quiet anxiousness about not understanding, her attention to detail. I was thrilled when I learned a follow up was happening. The Mystery Guest is a perfect sequel. It gives us more rounded view of Molly by showing her as a child. The utilization of the same cast of characters was brilliant. I fell more in love this time. The writing was quick paced; I didn’t put it down until I finished the whole thing.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This comes out in November 2023.

Another fun mystery romp with Molly the Maid. I just love Molly and her way of seeing the world.

Summary: This time a mystery author kicks the bucket right in the middle of making an announcement in Molly's hotel. And Molly has ties to the author from her past.

In The Mystery Guest, we find ourselves back at the Regency Grand with Molly the maid, who finds herself entangled in yet another murder investigation. This time, renowned author J.D. Grimthorpe drops dead just as he's about to make a big announcement to his readers, and of course, miss Molly Gray is at the scene of the crime. The story goes back and forth between present day and "before," a.k.a. when Molly was a child. The flashbacks were interesting as we got to see Gran come to life and learn more about Molly's upbringing. We find out that Molly knew the murder victim when she was a child and her grandmother worked as a maid in his mansion. This is definitely a "cozy mystery" that I think many readers will enjoy. The whodunnit aspect of the book was a little disappointing to me, but to me the main fun in these books is being inside of Molly's head and seeing how she navigates these kerfuffles she gets herself involved in. Readers who loved "The Maid" should definitely check out this sequel!

3.75 ⭐️'s

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine books for the ARC!!

If you enjoyed Nita Prose first book, The Maid, The Mystery Guest will be a nice sequel for you.

Personally, I don’t like the bouncing back and forth between time lines, but I guess it was useful in this particular story. And for me, the jury is still out on the great reveal at the end. But all in all, it was a fun read.

I appreciate the early reader’s copy from NetGalley and the publisher, Ballantine Books , in exchange for an honest review.

Nita Prose delivers another novel with a juicy mystery for the reader. Only she has the key to unlock this murder mystery. A wonderfully written novel that will be a page turner mystery.

Thanks to Ballantine Books, NetGalley, and Nita Prose for gifting me this eARC in exchange for my review.

I loved Nita Prose’s first book The Maid, so I was highly anticipating this book and its release. I was not disappointed. I loved Mollys commentary and being inside her head. I loved the use of the past and present timelines, and learning more about Molly's backstory, especially Gran. This was definitely a quick read, and even though I did see the twists coming I still overall enjoyed the story.

"The Mystery Guest" by Nita Prose is Molly the Maid PERFECTION!! Molly has a new mystery to solve, about a famous author that ends up dead at Molly's hotel. Molly soon discovers that she knew the author as a child. Will Molly's expert clues solving skills help solve this mystery. This book is full of unexpected events and mystery guests that will keep you guessing!! Loved every second of this Molly the Maid Mystery!!

THANK YOU to the Author, Publisher, and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an Honest Review!!

#NetGalley
#TheMysteryGuest
#MollytheMaid

Is it always the Maid? While Pip is one of the most endearing and entertaining characters I have ever read, I couldn’t contain my excitement for her to return to Hotel and solve yet another murder….or finally be the murderer!
The way the author tells a story is so enjoyable and fun to figure out. While always leaving the options for you to try and figure out the story within the story.
I always feel like there are small breadcrumbs left within the story to open the door to the next…. Please a follow up with Maggie’s Story?

Come for the tea, and stay for Molly the Maid’s delightful commentary on life, love, and best practices for polishing the silver. It’s too bad a murder is required to set the plot in motion, but at least we know our intrepid heroine will deliver justice - wrapped up in an immaculate bow.