To say that I love Molly the Maid is an understatement so I was delighted to have the opportunity to read The Mystery Guest early. A new murder mystery to solve, a new slew of possible suspects set in the familiar backdrop of the Regency Grand Hotel. Based in the present with relevant flashbacks, we get to see Molly tackle another impossible situation as someone who interacts with the world differently than most, and we learn a lot more details of Molly’s backstory. Past and present weave together to create a multifaceted mystery that kept me guessing without being overly complicated.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read the book early. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

4.5 out of 5 stars rounded up!

This summer, Stephen King allowed me to say words I’d wanted to say for a couple of years: “Holly is back!”

Now Nita Prose has me cheering that MOLLY is back! Somehow I didn’t even realize that this was the sequel to “The Maid”. I saw the author had a new book on NetGalley, and I requested it based off loving her debut. When I started this and Molly was there, I went total fan girl. As Molly would say, “What a delightful treat; would anyone care for tea?”

Molly is back and still working at the Regency Grand Hotel. She is now the head maid, and has a new maid-in-training, Lily. Lily is like Molly on steroids. It was obvious in the first book that Molly is neurodivergent, and Lily definitely seems to be as well. Molly takes the young girl under her wing and all is going well until - you guessed it - there is another murder in the hotel.

This time around, all of the maids are under suspicion, but none more than Lily. Her reluctance to speak, huge eyes and timid demeanor automatically make people think she’s different in a negative way, just as was assumed of Molly in the first book. The same detective is also on this case, and Molly has a hard time keeping her disdain in check. Detective Stark thought Molly was a murderer then. What does she think now that two men were killed on Molly’s watch?

The murder mystery was great, but the best part of this story was seeing Molly again, and a huge bonus: we get to “meet” her Gran through a past/present format. We find out how Molly became a maid in the first place, and how everything surrounding that is connected to this most recent murder.

I gave “The Maid” only four stars, partly because of how formally Molly speaks/narrates, and because it was also my first ARC, and I felt that giving my first ARC review five stars would be too much. Now that I’m endeared to the way Molly speaks, and I’ve read hundreds of ARCs, things have changed. Five stars, and I can’t wait for the third one!

(Thank you to Ballantine Books, Nita Prose and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released November 28, 2023.)

I read The Maid last year and there was admittedly a lot I didn’t like about it. However, there was enough that I did like that I was interested in reading this next installment. I’m so glad I did!

Molly Gray finds herself entangled in another murder of a Regency Grand Hotel guest. Though not under immediate suspicion this time around, her trainee, Lily, is. Moreover, Molly had been acquainted with this guest, a renowned author, in her youth. Going back and forth from then and now, Molly aids in catching the killer.

I was super into the ‘before’ part of the story. I loved getting to see more scenes between Molly and Gran and particularly seeing Molly as a child. Everything tied in nicely as well. The present part of the story didn’t captivate me quite as much until near the end. I enjoyed the reading experience much more this time, which tends to be the case in series for me anyway. I’m officially hooked and look forward to any future installments!

A huge thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of the book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. Molly the now Head Maid is in charge of the housekeeping services at the Regency Grand Hotel. One of the most world renowned authors of mystery has scheduled a press announcement at the hotel. When he suddenly drops dead before the announcement could be made, most likely from poisoning all hands points to Molly or her team. A cozy mystery with characters with charm, a solid follow up to The Maid. At just under 300 pages, you can finish it in one sitting and will appreciate all the nuisances that make Molly, well Molly. A book that should be read with a blanket and a cup of tea (with sugar and honey). Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Molly is BACK!

I just absolutely love Molly the maid, her awkwardness and attention to detail makes everybody love her from the first spelling of vocabulary words. In the Mystery Guest we dive a little more into Molly’s history to solve a murder and once again we get to look at the world through Molly’s eyes. If you love cozy mysteries definitely pick up this series!

so, i had no idea that Nina Prose was writing a sequel to The Maid (or that it is a series). i read The Maid last year and was lucky enough to be able to receive an ARC of The Mystery Guest, which will be released in a couple months.

our favorite socially inept maid Molly returns in this book as one of the main characters. while Molly still reminds me of Eugene from the Walking Dead with how she speaks and her odd choice of words and lengthy responses, she has definitely made a lot of progress. she is now Head Maid and even more dedicated to her job at the fancy and prestigious hotel. she is friends with most of the staff, and she is also in a relationship with Juan Manuel (who was in the other book more, but away during this one - probably to show she can still be independent).

when a famous author suddenly passes away during an event that was being held at the hotel, there is a little bit of deja vu from the last book to solve the mystery as to whodunnit, but this story is completely different, so it isn't like re-reading the same book. there is a lot more backstory with Molly and her gran (who is deceased in the books but alive during the flashbacks as Molly is growing up), partially because there is a connection to this author.

this was a quick read and i definitely saw some of the things coming before they were revealed, but it didnt take away from my enjoyment. i would recommend it to anyone who liked The Maid and likes mysteries.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine for providing me with the opportunity to read this book before it was released for my honest review.

I liked this book better than the first one although it still had issues and infuriating moments. I did not predict what was going to happen either which is always nice in a mystery novel! Overall, this was enjoyable to read.
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this before it comes out in November!
I give this book 3.5 stars rounded up.

cozy-mystery, suspense, local-law-enforcement, contemporary, poisons, family, friendship, hospitality-industry, sly-humor, murder-investigation, amateur-sleuth, friction, bullies, famous-author*****

Murder in plain sight.
Molly is back and is the Head Maid now but is as literal minded as ever. A pompous famed author is at the hotel with a preponderance of fans to make a momentous announcement. But he drops dead on the dais instead. And so the madness begins with old nemeses and new friends. Inventive twists and perplexing red herrings kept me reading and snuffling at the sly humor. Loved it!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Ballantine Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Molly, Molly, Molly I just love you. A woman who is not afraid to call you out and always sticks up for what she believes in. I loved getting more back story on Molly even though some parts gutted me she always persevered and kept moving forward. This was such a well done sequel to The Maid and I'm crossing my fingers we see another addition to this series in the future! Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC.

Pub Date: November 28, 2023

Molly the Maid is hard not to love! I loved her all over again! She’s witty, smart and corky. This book was good, another “who did it” type of mystery. I didn’t see the end coming. Although, the first book was better, this was still good and loved the surprise happy ending with family.

In the second book about Molly the Maid,, Molly is now Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. The hotel is hosting an event for a famous author when he suspiciously dies. Suddenly Molly us under suspicion again. All the beloved characters are back including Mr. Preston and Juan Manuel. We also get a dual time line of past and present where we learn about Molly’s childhood.

I loved this as much as the first one. The past storyline answered all the questions we had about Molly’s backstory. It was a quick read and an all around great story. Excellent character and story development with good plot twists.

Thank you to the author, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. This is my honest review. Publication date Nov 28, 2023 4.5/5⭐️

"You must always watch out for the thorns."

Ain't that the truth in life? But especially more difficult when you are a bright young woman who takes the world at its literal presentation.

Molly the Maid (Head Maid now) is back. Even though The Mystery Guest reads as a standalone, I would encourage you to pick up The Maid by this author. It will give you a truer sense of Molly and her visions on daily human encounters. Molly takes things within their obvious impressions. And yet, Molly has a special gift of sliding these encounters into just the right pockets of revealment.

Molly was accused of murder back in the original novel. This time Molly is the Head Maid and arranging a gathering in the tearoom of the fabulous Regency Grand Hotel. J.D. Grimthorpe, renowned author, will be surrounded by his fans and the media. He dangles the promise of a very important announcement. But before he can refer to his note cards, he drops dead. Boom! Smack dab in front of everyone.

Detective Stark is back once again to investigate. She wrongly hounded Molly in the last novel. Juan Manuel, Molly's love interest, is away visiting his mother in Mexico. Molly is on her own now that Gran has passed away. But this is a stronger more worldly Molly than last time.

The Mystery Guest is a light read more on the cozy side. Yes, we have a dead body, but there's not pools of blood and gore. Nita Prose gives us a view through the window of Molly's life with Gran as a young girl. It was very revealing and we'll come across some previously unknown factors here. The mystery is hardly a thriller, but it is an entertaining one. I'd like to see Prose send Molly with Juan Manuel to Mexico to a foreign hotel. Let's add a little more intrigue. Nita Prose ushers in the premise of being "different" and that in itself is a glorious thing.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Random House (Ballantine Books) and to Nita Prose for the opportunity.

Another winner by Nita Prose! I already recommend The Maid to customers who might be interested in a strong female protagonist who is treated differently by society. This is not as smartly plotted as The Maid, and the constant flashbacks to Molly’s childhood is slightly irritating. Coming back into the world of Regency Grand Hotel and their staff, made me keep turning the pages.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I enjoyed this book a lot. I think I liked the first one a bit more but this was still a very good book. Molly was still an awesome character and had me laughing. I enjoyed the mystery and the ending also. I’m Looking forward to this author's next books!

After an enchanting introduction in The Maid, now Head Maid Molly Gray is once again caught up in a mystery at her workplace. Working at the Regency Grand, 'a five-star boutique hotel' as Molly describes it is hosting the well-known mystery writer J.D. Grimthorpe in their newly created tearoom. Grimthorpe has written many bestsellers and is followed around by a number of his (women) fans. Unfortunately, he is going to make a major announcement and as he has everyone's attention and goes to speak, he dies. Grimthorpe is an avid tea drinker (with lots of honey) and he had just gulped down a cup when he fell over dead. Naturally, foul play is suspected.
Molly and her Maid in Training Lily were heavily involved in preparing everything for Grimthorpe's appearance and once again Molly is suspected by Detective Stark who is investigating the death. It turns out that this is not the first time Molly had ever met J.D. Grimthorpe and that layer just adds to her worries that she will be unjustly accused of murder. Once again Molly is supported by many of her co-workers and friends and continues to grow and mature, in this case, perhaps into a new job altogether.

this was such a cute and fun sequel to the Maid! I love the whimsy in this book and how cute it is- the perfect murder mystery for me!

The next installment of Molly the Maid at The Regency Grand Hotel. 4 years on, Molly is now Head Maid, Cheryl has been demoted, Lily is a recently hired Maid-in-Training, and Molly lives on in bliss with her paramour Juan Manuel. Until acclaimed author J. D. Grimthorpe rents out the recently renovated tea room for an important announcement, before which he promptly drops dead.

Detective Stark is on the case and promptly jumps to a number of conclusions.

However, there is history here this time. When Molly was a little girl, her Gran was the maid at Grimthorpe Mansion, and Molly spent some time there with her Gran when she was young.

While Molly might miss some big things, it is the details that solve this mystery.

Another lovely installment from our friend, Molly the Maid.

This was a very enjoyable read. I loved the first book and this one was just as good. I love the mystery aspect of the book and revisiting old characters. Can’t wait for the next book!

This is an absolutely delightful new book featuring the characters from The Maid, one of my favorite books. It's a sequel,of sorts, but you don't have to have read the previous novel to enjoy it. Once again, a murder has taken place in the posh hotel where Molly Gray, now Head Maid, works. Molly narrates two stories: that of the murder and her involvement in the investigation of it, and of her childhood, when she met the murder victim. Molly's unique perspective and skills help catch the killer, and it's a joy to ride along in her brain for the whole thing. In addition to this being an excellent whodunit, it's one of the few truly great representations of an autistic character in mainstream fiction, and as an autistic person, I am grateful to author Prose for it.

“The Maid” made me fall in love with Molly, Gran and the entire crew at the Regency Grand. “The Mystery Guest” is a worthy successor, combining the heart of the original, with surprising character revelations. I definitely recommend reading “The Maid” before this book, as you’ll have a better understanding of recurring characters and Molly and her “peculiarities”. In “The Mystery Guest”, Molly matures into a competent, responsible, and respectable woman. I really enjoyed watching her growth and newfound leadership. Once again, Molly proves that the she is the smartest person in the room. The best part of the book is that Nita Prose is taking us back to learn about Molly’s childhood, which I found fascinating. The author did such a great job by switching between present day and the past. I feel like we really learned so much more about Molly and Gran and the kind of life they had while she was growing up. The plot keeps you guessing and unsure about the murderer until the end. This book is beautifully written. If you like a good murder mystery/ thriller this book would be great for you. “The Mystery Guest” is heartwarming, entertaining, smart and absolutely endearing. The characters in The Maid series are fun to get to know, and I hope Molly will continue to return for more new adventures! Many thanks to Nita Prose, Netgalley, Random House Publishing and Ballantine Books for an e-arc in exchange for my thoughts. I hope that this is not the last we see of Molly the Maid!