I listened to The Maid audiobook and the reader did such an amazing job that I read this entire book in her voice. She is Molly to me. I loved this sequel. I want nothing but good things for Molly, forever.

The character of Molly is everything! Fear never stops her. In fact, nothing stops her. I really enjoyed every other chapter describing the relationship with her and her "Gran." At the end, Molly felt her presence, she knew she was with her and she is the key to everything. An author dies after drinking tea with honey. Molly is there is assist with the investigation. She takes her job as "Head Maid" seriously. I loved the first book and this one is equally as entertaining. Molly is strong, loving, and kind. She makes this story one that keeps you turning the pages. Fun, Heartfelt and Suspense. 4.5 stars! Thank you so much for the advanced copy!

Thank you to Netgalley, and the publisher for an ARC copy to read, and review.

I loved the first book from Nita Prose, after reading that I was hoping she'd write more, and oh boy did she deliver. I heard 'The Mystery Guest' was coming, and knew I had to read it right away. I love the Molly character. She is absolutely perfect. The Mystery Guest involves another murder. I love my books filled with murder, and twists too. This kept me guessing so much. I also love how there are two time lines in this book. I love hearing some of Molly's backstory.
This is a must read if you are a fan of 'The Maid', or mysteries in general. You don't need to of read 'The Maid' to enjoy 'The Mystery Guest' but I am suggesting you do, so you get to know Molly a little bit more. She is so much fun,an quirky ( I mean that in a good way.). Nita, if you're reading this i'm begging you please, PLEASE keep 'The Maid' series going. The world needs more Molly Gray in it.

Molly the maid has the most magical way of making everyone feel seen. Or maybe it's just me. I don't know, but I'm going with it because for an author to have a name like Prose, well, she doesn't disappoint.

Molly remains as effortlessly charming as the first time we met her in this follow up to Nita Prose's breakout hit The Maid. This time a guest, a famous and beloved mystery author, drops dead in the middle of an announcement that would have totally shaken up the literary world. Surrounded by fans, employees, and hotel workers as he expired, it seems there are plenty of motives and opportunities to go around. Molly herself might even have a motive, as she met the man when she was a child. Molly, with the help of her friends at the hotel and her frenemy on the police force, come together to solve the case. It's Molly's unique perception of the world around her that provides the vital clues leading to the killer. We learn more about Molly's childhood and her family, topics I hope are both explored in further installments. I look forward to meeting Molly again.

I’m so thankful to have received an ARC for Anita Prose’s follow up book to The Maid. The Mystery Guest took all the lovable and fun aspects from book one but still was a fresh and unique story that didn’t feel like a repeat of the first.
There’s still the opulent hotel, Molly is still a maid, and the book starts off with a murder, but the mystery is fun and fresh, and the cast of characters is a little more rounded out.
Molly is still autistic (I’m not sure if that’s her actual diagnosis come to think of it…) but with the help of her boyfriend and trusted friends and coworkers she is much more secure in her sense of self in this book, and is also better at communicating with strangers. It was lovely to see her growth, while still showing the struggles she sometimes has. This book also did an amazing job of showing how the traits that alienate her from society are also ones that can help her- she’s incredibly observant, has an excellent memory, has a strong moral compass, and is still a diligent worker who takes pride in doing a good job.
The Mystery Guest takes place in two timelines, which I was not the biggest fan of at first, but came to appreciate once the story all came together. We got to see a lot more of Molly’s gran via the flashbacks, which really rounded out Molly’s character as well- why she is the way she is.
This was a great read. If you liked The Maid, you will definitely enjoy this too. Can’t wait for the third!

It was fun to be back with Molly and especially to get her backstory but I only thought this novel was average. I liked "The Maid" better. Molly's narrative voice was more consistent in the first book and so was her perspective. I saw the murderer coming a mile away. Okay, and with a feminist angle about how "the help" can be mistreated by the rich, but only mediocre as a mystery novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. We are introduced once again to Molly the maid at the Regency Grand Hotel and her adventures with murder and staff at the hotel. Prose pulls us into Molly’s adventures right away and we can’t stop reading until we find out what happens to Molly and the staff of the Regency Grand Hotel. You also get some answers that were left open in Prose’s first novel “The Maid” about Molly and some of her co-workers. I really enjoyed the first book and connected with Molly again in this second novel. This book had action, suspense, empathy, and tons more! A great addition to your mystery shelf. Molly finds herself in trouble again when a guest speaker, famous author, Mr. Grimthorpe is murdered while giving a speech at the hotel. Molly and Lily, another maid, were the last to touch the tea tray that Mr. Grimthorpe held the poisoned tea. Detective Stark is once again investigating this case and she really doesn’t really understand Molly and thinks that Molly had something to do with the murder. Join Molly and the rest of the workers as they try to figure out who murdered Mr. Grimthorpe.

Nita Prowse's quirky hotel maid, Molly, is back and is once again at the center of a murder investigation. I loved her debut "The Maid" and enjoyed reading this sequel! In this one, a hotel guest & author, J.D. Grimthorpe, is murdered in the tea room at the Regency Grande hotel. Detective Stark is back and thinks Molly is hiding something, and she does have a history with the writer. Now, Molly must now solve the murder before that past is revealed. This is another cozy mystery with now "Head Maid" Molly and the charming hotel & employees, but I did miss her BF, Juan, who was back in Mexico. Recommend for all cozy mystery lovers & those who enjoy MC's that are quirky (possibly neurodiverse). My sincere thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for the complimentary DRC, my pleasure to review it.

As much as I loved “The Maid” this sequel was genuinely subpar. It retained none of the charm of the original. The author’s choice to send Molly’s boyfriend on a trip during the plot felt like the author was unable to confidently sustain the relationship between the two characters. I hope for another book in this series that matches the balance of sweetness and danger of the original.

I love Molly Gray. She is such a unique and interesting character that is so well developed in this story.

Molly the head maid works at an esteemed hotel that an infamous murder occurred at a year ago. (She was a suspect of course). She just got back to a normal routine when distinguished author, J.D. Grimthorpe drops dead right before he is about to make an important career statement in the hotel’s Grand Tea Room. Will Molly be suspected for this murder, yet again?

Sequels are shunned in the literary world, unless it’s some fantasy series or saga that is highly hyped. For me, this sequel stood up well to the first. It was well-paced, immensely entertaining, and pretty funny in parts. I might have even liked it more than the first!

This gets 4 stars from me! I love a cozy whodunnit with genuine characters and a hint of peril. I wonder if Nita Prose is planning another installment? I honestly love how this one ended and would hope to refrain from going too far. However, I will always pick up something with Nita Prose’s name on it.

A great thank you goes out to Nita Prose, Random House Publishing-Ballantine, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Things at the Regency Grand Hotel are better than ever. Molly Gray has been promoted to Head Maid, haven't you heard?

On the day of what is surely to be a VIP event for the ages, renowned mystery author J.D. Grimthorpe drops dead right on the tea room floor. As suspicion swirls around his mysterious and untimely death, the Regency Grand and its maids once again find themselves at the subject of an investigation. But as Molly Gray knows all too well, there's likely more than meets he eye to J.D. Grimthorpe's demise--after all, she always says that when you assume, you make an a-s-s out of u and me.

Endearing, quirky, and cozy as ever, the beloved cast of "The Maid" is back, with a few notable additions to the ensemble. And while it was near-impossible not to fall head-over-heels in love with Molly and the surprisingly profound story of "The Maid," I regret to report the "The Mystery Guest" relied too much on familiarity and not nearly enough on ingenuity. Simply put, this cozy mystery was more one-dimensional than whimsical; it relied very much on what now feels like a tired blueprint from "The Maid" without introducing enough newness or character development to keep the story fresh.

Altogether a pleasant read, "The Mystery Guest" may strike a pleasant chord with "The Maid's" biggest fans, but wasn't remarkable enough to leave the the emotional impression I was hoping for.

“ Loose lips sink ships…”

Personal review: Molly the Maid is back with a whole new mess to uncover and a whole new mystery to solve in this sequel to Nina Prose’ The Maid! I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy from Random House and NetGalley and dug in immediately, although The Maid came out more than a year ago, it was so easy to slide back into life with Molly at the Regency Grand Hotel. The one aspect I loved was that Juan Manuel was away on a trip to visit family the entire novel, leaving Molly in the spotlight, because we know Nita could have made them a dynamic duo, but I loved the feminist power and independence of Molly on her own. This book involved the mystery of a famous author dropping dead at the hotel, and Molly’s unknown connection from childhood. In this dual timeline novel, we learn more about Molly and Gran’s early life and how she moved to love cleanliness. Containing many of the characters from the debut novel, I adored all aspects of this one!

Synopsis: 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—very dead—on the hotel’s tea room floor.

When Detective Stark, Molly's old foe, investigates the author’s unexpected demise, it becomes clear that this death was murder most foul. Suspects abound, and everyone wants to know: who killed J.D. Grimthorpe?

I loved Prose's debut, The Maid, and was excited for another installment! Sadly, I did not enjoy The Mystery Guest nearly as much as its predecessor. The writing and the main character are quirky and fun, but I think one book was enough for me personally. In The Maid, all of Molly and Gran's sayings are fresh and unique. I quickly tired of hearing the same Molly-isms over and over... and over. It felt repetitive and silly.

The mystery was fine and I really think true cozy mystery fans will enjoy this one. It was sweet and fun and while I personally didn't enjoy the book, I'll definitely be recommending it enthusiastically to the right audience.

I think Molly Gray is one of my favorite characters of all time, and am thrilled that she's back in this sequel to The Maid. I forgot how delightful and original her character is, I was literally smiling while reading this. It's a quick read that I couldn't put down, because despite Molly's character being the draw to this story, it was propulsive in its own right! A+ and I will read anything Nita Prose writes in the future.

The Mystery Guest is a fun, suspenseful sequel. The storyline is rich and keeps you engaged throughout the book, especially the flashbacks to Molly’s childhood. I did feel however like there was less character development than in The Maid, outside of Molly. Also, there was not enough Juan Manuel! He was my favorite character last time, and he was barely in this novel. However, I loved being inside her head again- she’s such a unique narrator. May there be more books about Molly the Maid in our future! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc.

This was more of a cozy mystery than the first book was for me. I enjoyed seeing more of Molly and her personal development and character arc. I do think the character of Lily was a bit flat or not as developed as she could have been. Overall it was fun to puzzle out who did it and connect all the little tidbits strewn about the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballentine Books, and Nita Prose for providing me with a free advance edition ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I loved "The Maid" by Nita Prose, in which we first met the unique and quietly redoubtable Molly. This second book in the series, "The Mystery Guest" is even better! The plot is more complex and there is a great deal of character development for all of the main characters. I especially enjoyed learning Gran's backstory! I love the optimistic character of the book. It is definitely a happy read, but no less complex for that.

After a morning spent cleaning the house to perfection, this is the perfect book to sit and read with a cup of tea in a real porcelain teacup with a real silver spoon! It hits the spot (I mean that figuratively, not literally)!

Another fun book featuring everyone's favorite maid. Glad I got an early peek. Will recommend to patrons. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Molly the maid is back in another whodunit. This one started off slow, and at first I thought I was not going to enjoy this book like I did the first one. However, about a quarter of the way through it picked up the pace and it was back to the Molly that I knew. It's a quick read with an enjoyable story.