Just as brilliant as the warmest feelings that the sound of a silver spoon makes as it taps against a Regency Grand tea cup, Molly Gray is back.

But this time she’s back with confidence as Head Maid of the Regency Grand Hotel. A title that finds herself training a new hire that reminds her of herself 7 years ago. And though she’s definitely more confident in her role, she’s still that charming, awkward girl who seeks perfection with her Gran’s voice guiding her along.

The book begins with a special event at the boutique hotel… a reclusive author has asked the hotel to be the backdrop of his big announcement. The only problem is, that JD Grimthorpe drops dead before he can read his cue cards. Who would want to kill a beloved author and why does this always seem to happen on Molly’s watch…

The Mystery Guest suffers no “book 2 letdown” for me. In fact, I think I loved it more than book 1. This one had more depth into Molly’s early years, a focus on our beloved Gran. And with a Wizard of Oz type theme running behind the curtain.

With past and present voices, Molly’s character of resilient innocence shapes the story into a novel of the human spirit with the coziness of having a cuppa while trying to solve a murder mystery.

All the British feels with the contentment of sipping that last spot of tea.

4.5 stars ⭐️

I really enjoyed the first installment of Molly in 'The Maid'. She was quirky, fun and loveable. I was quite looking forward to reading more about her. The sequel felt a little forced to me, the quirkiness of her neurodivergence character felt over the top, there was so much repetition of the sayings she learned from her Gran, even from the other maids.
I didn't enjoy the interactions between Molly and the detective. It was quite an obvious storyline. I did enjoy reading more about her early life with her Gran in the flashbacks. Overall it was a decent sequel but I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book.

They Mystery Guest by Nita Prose was the perfect cup of tea for anyone that missed the great Molly the Maid. Undoubtedly, if you were a fan of the first book in this series, you will enjoy this one. What I enjoyed, and I think most people will, is the wonderful back story of Molly and Gran. I feel like our connection with Molly has become more well rounded with the 'past' chapters in this story. As well, after the first book, I wanted to meet Gran, and I wasn't disappointed this time around.

This book is a quick and engaging read. Although it can be enjoyed as a standalone, I recommend reading "The Maid" first for a better understanding of the story. The characters are vividly portrayed, and Molly is a truly endearing protagonist. The mystery blends the classic charm of Agatha Christie's British crime novels with a contemporary twist, creating a captivating and unique reading experience.

🧽 Dirty SECRETS don’t stay buried forever in “The Mystery Guest” by Nita Prose ☕️

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Molly the Maid is back again with her flair for cleaning and prim and proper etiquette. She has worked hard to secure herself the position of Head Maid at the exclusive Regency Grand Hotel … and she takes it EVER so seriously!

The hotel is thrilled to host an author event for the popular mystery author JD Grimthorpe. However, as the author is about to start his speech he literally topples off the stage to his DEATH. The entire purpose of the event was for Mr. Grimthorpe to make a huge public announcement … and now the announcement remains a MYSTERY … for now 🤐!

Now a full blown murder investigation is put into action as the police suspect FOUL PLAY. Was it someone at the hotel who poisoned his tea?? Or perhaps it was one his begrudging “fans”?? Molly is determined to help the police crack the case in order to protect herself, the hotel staff and the Regency’s squeaky clean reputation! Because after all … dirty secrets don’t stay buried forever!

Thank you kindly to @nitaprose @penguinrandomca @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This quirky and entertaining mystery is out November 28, 2023! If you loved “The Maid” then you need to get your hands on this one!

Nita Prose's leads us once again into the world of the the irresistibly quirky maid Molly with the big heart and the relentless attention to detail in every situation that gives her an advantage over even the most experienced criminal investigator. She does that in a way that will, and this is the bad news for you, reader, not allow you to lay this book out of your hands until you've read the very last page and solved the murder mystery together with Molly. Nita, in case you're reding this: Encore s'il vous plait!

This book was delightful, just as I found the first book in the series.

I enjoyed that it was easy to read and kept me engaged the while time. I was able to get through it very quickly!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a interesting plot and mystery! I'm not entirely sure i loved the writing style. How ever the story was good and kept me on my toes.

I DNF this book. I read The Maid previously and found it somewhat entertaining but I couldn’t get into the story of this book. I read half before getting bored by it and did not continue.

A delightful “ who done it” with a cast of delightful quirky characters ( especially “ the maid”. I loved everything about this book as I did the previous book “ The Maid” I highly recommend the book.

[arc review]
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Mystery Guest releases November 28, 2023

Set four years after the first book, Molly is still working as head maid at the five-star boutique hotel, and yet another murder graces their doors — this time, it’s a famous mystery author who came to make a public announcement, but died before he could get the words out.

The portrayal of Molly’s characteristics are a little less offensive in this installment, yet the author takes that and puts it into a maid-in-training that is nearly nonverbal…

I found The Mystery Guest more engaging because it was presented with the writing style of then/now, as we got to explore the past of Molly and her grandmother as they worked as maids at the author’s mansion.

If there ends up being another book about Molly, I really hope the author doesn’t have her accepting the offer of becoming a police detective because that would be the most unrealistic trajectory. Being an amateur sleuth and solving one case because you *aren’t like everyone else and can notice quirky differences*, and offering the pleasantries of a uniform and pin, does not make one qualified to all of a sudden be a detective!

I absolutely loved The Maid but this one just didn't knock it out of the park for me. Don't get me wrong, I read it in practically a day but found the storyline kind of boring.

4.5 Stars! Binged this all in one day. Thank you for the arc, NetGalley!

As soon as I heard this book was coming out I was SO excited because lo loved book one. Returning to the characters was so fun - they’re all just so cozy to me

I like that this story line was different from the first and that Molly had grown so much as a character while still giving me the best flashbacks to when I read the first book.

If there is a third book one day, I will be reading it.

Fave cozy mystery duo!

If you don’t already know, Molly is a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, a job that she takes much pride in. During an event, a famous author collapses and dies… was it natural causes? Did someone murder him?? The hunt for the truth begins.
This is the second book about Molly the maid, and while it’s not necessary to read the first (The Maid), I would suggest you do. It’s helpful to get a feel for Molly and her personality while also getting to know the other people in her life, prior to getting into this one. This story was told in two timelines, obviously the current, but then we get a glimpse into Molly’s past which I really enjoyed. The two timelines come together and reveal some eye-opening connections that I did not see coming!
While I can’t say that I enjoyed this one as much as the first, it was still a good, entertaining, cozy mystery. I was missing some the quirky, comedic, and twisty excitement of the first book. I felt that this one was more focused on the mystery, whodunnit aspect and at times felt a little repetitive with the numerous references to “what Gran used to say” and “mi amour”. This is not to say that I did not enjoy this story, only that it’s missing a little of the magic that was present in the first. If you are looking for a fun and quick cozy mystery, whodunnit – this is for you!

Thank-you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the e-arc!

I enjoyed the squeal to, “The Maid..” this was an easy read, quick paced and I was happy that most of my favourite chat ages had returned. Molly is endearing and sweet, aware and far from clueless. I loved that we were given more backstory into Molly and Gran. Their relationship is compassionate and full of love. I appreciated that Molly remains true to herself and remained a strong, female character.

While I enjoyed getting to return to the world of Molly the Maid, I don't think this book was quite as good as the first in the series. However, I did love that we got to follow alongside our favorite quirky maid as she launches herself into yet another murder investigation that takes place at the hotel she works at.

I loved that we got to see more of young Molly through the "before" chapters and how that truly developed her as a person and adult! The way her gran always believed in her and was able to care for her so well really melted my heart and made the story that much sweeter.

Overall, this book was fun and fast paced, despite me taking forever to read through it because this month was BUSY! If you liked the first book The Maid then I would definitely recommend you check out this fun sequel!

4.5/5 stars! The Mystery Guest is the second book in the Molly the Maid series. I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn’t put it down. I ended up reading it in one day. This book is released November 28, 2023. Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada, Netgalley and Nita Prose for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

I inhaled this book, and loved it more than the first! Molly is such a great character, I love her outlook on life. I hope we get to see more of Molly in a new career, perhaps? Albeit, I think hotel murder mysteries are my new favourite trope.

Molly the Maid is back in The Mystery Guest and I am delighted.

You cant help but love her quirkiness and I find myself laughing out loud and cheering her on.

The infamous author J. D. Grimthorpe is about to make a mysterious announcement at The Regency Hotel.

His fans are gathered and eagerly await what he has to say when he suddenly collapses.

Detective Stark is back on site and Molly worries that she will be the main suspect as "the maid always does it.

Twists and turns, secrets and red herrings in a cleverly plotted story kept the lights on.

Nita Prose has given us a bigger insight into Molly and her past and I certainly cant wait to see what Nita and Molly have in store for us next.

Great read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada, Viking for an entertaining whodunit adventure.

I didn't read book one in the series, The Maid, so I thought I might struggle, but from the first page, I was HOOKED! I am eager to read The Maid now but I feel The Mystery Guest stands alone exceptionally well! While being a solid "whodunnit" mystery that was sort of along the lines of a modern Agatha Christie, it was simultaneously cute and even funny! Molly is quite the stickler and has quite the vocabulary! Fortunately, she defines the words a lot so the reader is never left feeling uneducated or "dumb".

I am unsure of what The Maid was about or who was included but we get a broad cast of characters and we see Molly grow a LOT as a person in a very short time frame. With a "then and now" plot we also see a lot of how Molly grew up and learn a lot about her Gran and even her mother.

I gave this 5 stars because it captured me so quickly and was super easy to read while keeping you wondering and guessing. With Molly's inner voice being quite literal we have to fill in the blanks of the mystery ourselves, which is a brilliant way to compose a mystery novel. Instead of reading from her perspective (which we are) we are learning beside her and hoping she will pick up what we are thinking!