I didn’t know there would be sequel to Nita Prose's popular mystery, The Maid, but I was delighted to see it offered at NetGalley and thrilled to receive an advance copy. In The Mystery Guest, Molly has had the position of Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel for more than three years. She was instrumental in solving a murder in the hotel when she was a lowly maid, and now she is challenged again when a well-known author collapses before he is able to make an important announcement about his career to a gathering of his fans. When Lily, a maid-in-training, is suspected of poisoning the author, Molly is quick to supply the reluctant police detective with theories and evidence which will hopefully exonerate the young maid.

Everything I loved about the first in the series is present in its sequel, including Molly's constant struggle to interpret social cues while resolutely adhering to and enforcing important rules and maintaining a strong belief in Lily's innocence. There are also many flashbacks to her life with her beloved Gran, who cared for her when her mother could not, taught her how to navigate the world, and--most importantly--believed she could succeed. Other hotel characters are again present--the odious Cheryl, demoted from Head Maid and now reporting to Molly, the supportive doorman, Mr. Preston, fellow employee and boyfriend Juan Manuel, and hotel manager Mr. Snow. The mystery is well designed, and its resolution is complicated by the fact that the victim is widely disliked by those who know him and has a past that is eerily familiar to Molly and her Gran. Part of the fun of The Maid was the thrill of getting to know Molly. It is no longer a novelty in this book, but Molly's further adventures are fun and well worth your time.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

In the sequel to Nina Prose's novel The Maid, Molly and the staff of the Regency Hotel again end up tangled up in the suspicious death of a high profile guest- this time, the death of widely acclaimed mystery author J. D. Grimthorpe. As suspicion is cast on Molly and the people she cares about, she must delve into her own past to discover the truth of the author's murder.

The Maid has been one of my favorite books so far this year, and this sequel did not disappoint! Taking place several years after the previous mystery, we get to see how Molly and the crew have developed. Molly continues to have a heart of gold and the unfailing ability to pierce through to the facts of the matter that others avoid or just don't see. Even detective Stark, who has a history of judging a book by its cover, grows as a character. It would have been very easy to leave her as the same static character that she started The Maid as, but we see her continue to change in The Mystery Guest.

As for the actual mystery (NO SPOILERS), I enjoyed the whodunit of the first book more, but The Mystery Guest will leave you guessing until the final moments.

All in all, if you at least somewhat liked the first book, I would definitely recommend the sequel!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a charming novel. I'm sure I missed some references, having not read The Maid, but the sequel 100% works as a standalone.

Full review to come closer to the date of publication in November.

In “The Mystery Guest,” the second book of Nita Prose’s “The Maid” series, Molly Gray, a maid at the five-star Regency Grand Hotel, finds herself in the midst of another murder mystery. With her flair for cleaning and proper etiquette, Molly has risen through the ranks to become the esteemed Head Maid. But her world is turned upside down when J.D. Grimthorpe, a world-renowned mystery author, drops dead on the hotel’s tea room floor. When Detective Stark, Molly’s old foe, investigates the author’s death, it becomes clear he was murdered. Molly combs her memory for clues, revisiting her childhood and the mysterious Grimthorpe mansion where she and her Gran once worked. With the entire hotel under investigation, it’s up to Molly must solve the mystery and save the hotel’s reputation.

Confession time: I have never read “The Maid,” so I was a little nervous to read “The Mystery Guest.” There were a few references to the first book, but it definitely works as a standalone novel. I loved this book so much that I actually ordered the first book before I had even finished reading it. I always enjoy a twisty thriller, but there’s just nothing better than a cozy whodunit, in my opinion, and that’s exactly what this book was. This was a lighthearted mystery with some laugh-out-loud moments. Molly is an incredible protagonist, and the staff at the Regency Grand Hotel are so lovable and fun. I hope there will be more books in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In the sequel to The Maid by Nita Prose, Molly still works at the Regency Grand Hotel, now as Head Maid. Once again, a murderer is afoot and Molly finds herself in the middle of the chaos. Since she has experienced this very thing in the recent past, she is already acquainted with Detective Stark and the ins and outs of a murder investigation. Only this time, Molly knows the deceased and fears that tidbit of information will land her in hot water yet again. So Molly teams up with her coworkers to try and solve the mystery before someone is falsely accused.

This is a gem of a book. I love Molly’s character, I love how her Gran is still a big part of who she is, and I love how this time we get more background into Molly’s earlier life and why she loves being a maid.

I highly recommend this book. It’s a definite 5-star read for me. You can pick up a copy on November 28, 2023. Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advanced copy.

I absolutely loved The Maid, and as skeptical as I usually am with sequels, I thought this one was amazing!

I absolutely adore Molly the Maid, and as quirky as she may be, she keeps the story fun and entertaining. Although she always ends up caught up in the middle of very unfortunate situations… she is certainly a good egg.

Overall, I adored the writing, the characters, and the entire storyline- and I am actually hoping for a part 3! Definitely not finished with Mollys stories and exciting to see her next adventure!

This sequel to Maid was just as much fun. Molly is head maid at the same boutique hotel, living with her boy friend, Juan Manuel. There is a famous mystery author staying and his fans are eagerly awaiting his talk in the new tearoom when he will reveal something very surprising. He never gets to the reveal, as while he is sipping his tea, he drops dead on the floor. Molly already knows this author from her childhood and we get insight into her early life with her beloved grandmother. How can you not love Molly?

The Mystery Guest
By Nita Prose
Pub Date Nov 28, 2023
Ballentine
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Molly and her crew are back! I love her as a main character. This is the story of the death of a famous crime author who Molly and her Gran knew and worked for.
This is a charming book and I highly recommend it for readers who need a fresh perspective, Molly is now head maid. I hope there are many more adventures ahead for Molly!
5 stars

The Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid #2) is every bit as good as the first. Being in Molly's world again is such an interesting journey. A worthy sequel!

Second book in the series. In this book we watch Molly Gray, Head Maid at the Regency Hotel sets out to solve the murder of a famous author that occurs in the hotel’s newly refurbished tearoom. As it happens Molly knew the victim when she was a child and her beloved grandmother was his maid. In addition to being engaging mystery we learn a great deal of Molly and her grandmother’s backstory. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any mystery lover.

The Mystery Guest brings one of my favorite characters back to life - Molly, from the novel Maid.
She has risen to the top of the maids and is now head maid. She keeps things moving in a way that only she can.

Until a famous author drops dead in the tea room. In the classic Agatha Christie style, everyone has a motive. Even Molly is suspect. It is up to her to solve this mystery.

Molly is such an original character. She sees the world from a different prism than the average book heroine and it is delightful and intriguing. Her love for rules and hard work guide her.

A must read

I really enjoyed this author’s first book, The Maid, so I was excited to get an advanced copy of her sequel. Once again, Molly the maid is as quirky as ever and becomes involved in yet another murder that occurs in the hotel she works for. The author does a great job of continuing the character of Molly that we met in the first book. I found The Mystery Guest to be quite an enjoyable mystery and though I didn’t think it was quite as good as The Maid, it was very close.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Molly the Maid is back with another murder mystery to solve at the Grand Regency Hotel. This time, when a popular author suddenly drops dead, no one is quite sure who to suspect.

This sequel was a little slower going for me but <u>The Mystery Guest</u> proves to be another enjoyable and easy little murder mystery to read. The flashback chapters were a little slow and I wish we had received more information on the new maid, Lily. Maybe in book 3? I also was disappointed that the most likable character from the first novel, Juan Manuel, was almost entirely absent this time around.

The Maid is one of my favorite books, so I was thrilled to get my hands on The Mystery Guest. Molly Gray is such a wonderful character, and she will always remind me of Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory in her mannerisms and the way she talks. Nita Prose is a genius with dialogue and description, and it's so easy to picture this wonderful world in my mind while I read her books. She brings every character to life - not just Molly - and I hope we get another glimpse inside the Regency Grand Hotel in the near future. Although The Maid is still my favorite of Nita's books, The Mystery Guest was enjoyable too. There were parts that felt a bit rushed, but in the end it's a great little whodunit, and I would gladly recommend it to everyone.

The Mystery Guest is as delightful, quirky, original and charming as The Maid, and I loved this book just as much if not more than the first.
Four years after being falsely accused of murder, Molly is now head maid at her beloved Regency Grand Hotel and getting ready to host infamous and reclusive author JD Grimthorpe, where he will make a huge announcement. When Grimthorpe keels over before he can finish his speech and Molly’s nemesis, Detective Stark is called in, Molly knows she will have to help solve his murder and keep quiet about the fact she knew him as a child.
I enjoyed this second installment so much, loving the scenes fleshing out Molly’s relationship with her Gran and her childhood. I’m thrilled Molly was not a one off and the author did a fabulous job on this second edition. I only hope there are many more adventures in Molly’s world.

3.5 stars

Another great installment from Anita Prose. I love Molly. She is sweet and has a brain unlike most of our other leads. I hope to see more of this character in the future. She’s fun and makes for the perfect cozy mystery reading experience.

Finally here is the second installment (thank you publishers for the proof) of the 'Molly the Maid' crime series. Molly is back in the thick of things in the regency hotel when a mystery author drops dead before a revealing speech. An enjoyable complex path of present-day and flashback chapters reveals piece by piece the true character and motive of all concerned. Very well written, and keeps you interested, perhaps a smidgen less strong on the main murder, but a much stronger last quarter to read, and rightly Molly finally is given a considerable promotion on the detective front.

Nita Prose is now on my must-read list! Her first book, The Maid, was especially intriguing as the main character has a brain that works differently than most folks. A bit Autistic with some OCD thrown in, maybe? Well, definitely brilliant as not only Head Maid at a posh hotel, but also a genius at noticing details others miss. As soon as I saw Nita Prose’s sequel, The Mystery Guest, listed on NetGalley I requested to read and review it. What a wild ride! Molly the Head Maid has joined the ranks of fictional detectives such as Monk and Colombo. I can’t wait for Molly’s next adventure.

I think one title with this character was sufficient or perhaps this is the author’s sophomore slump. Some interesting back story here and there. Some interesting but not very likable new characters.