A witty, clever who-done-it that makes you question the innocence of all characters. The portrayal of the main character is brilliant and I hope we get to read more of Molly and her adventures. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC of this novel.

The Maid was one of my favourite books in 2022. Nita Prose wrote an entertaining mystery novel that delighted me, because of both the story and unique heroine she created. I was, therefore, really excited to read The Mystery Guest to see what Molly was up to next. It was a fine novel but really only that - fine. I was never super eager to pick it up and that left me disappointed. Were my expectations too high? Oh, very likely. The mystery had enough of a twist to keep me interested enough but it wasn’t as amazing as I expected.

Here’s the book’s description:
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 who killed J.D. Grimthorpe? Was it Lily, the new Maid-in-Training? Or was it Serena, the author’s secretary? Could Mr. Preston, the hotel’s beloved doorman, be hiding something? And is Molly really as innocent as she seems?
As the case threatens the hotel’s pristine reputation, Molly knows she alone holds the key to unlocking the killer's identity. But that key is buried deep in her past—because long ago, she knew J.D. Grimthorpe. Molly begins to comb her memory for clues, revisiting her childhood and the mysterious Grimthorpe mansion where she and her dearly departed Gran once worked side by side. With the entire hotel under investigation, Molly must solve the mystery post-haste. If there's one thing Molly knows for sure, it's that dirty secrets don't stay buried forever...
I wonder if part of my issue was that Molly was an entertaining and lovely enough character for one book but I don’t know if her quirky personality was something I really needed to read about for another book. And I just didn’t know that until reading the second book. And I use the word quirky intentionally. Many of us speculated - perhaps wrongly - when The Maid was released about whether or not Molly was on the spectrum. Naturally reading a neurodivergent character doesn’t matter to most of us, but I think what was bothersome, to me anyway, was that we seemed to be jumping to conclusions. And we probably shouldn’t have been.

One weird thing that nagged at me was that at the end of The Maid (this isn’t a major spoiler but look away if you hate all spoilers of all kinds), Molly ends up with a boyfriend. (This is not the weird thing! Yay finding happiness in a romantic relationship!) But Prose had him visiting family for the entirety of the second novel. What was the point of having Molly date someone if he wasn’t going to be present in the story? It shouldn’t have mattered but for some reason it really did.



This story flashes back and forth from present day back to when Molly was a young girl and going to work with her grandmother, who had also been a maid, at a fancy house. While this backstory did have an impact on the present day story, I felt it took a little too much time to get to the point. It just seemed, to start, that Prose was making sure we knew how hard Molly’s time at school was (it was brutal and left me feeling uncomfortable and really sad for young Molly). But so what? We already could have assumed that. But eventually I could see what Prose was setting up and I was kept guessing right until the very end.

The mystery, which did keep me guessing, wasn’t the most intricate. I was still entertained and a little surprised by the ending so I consider that a win when it comes to mysteries. (The reveal at the end about the connection between Molly and another character, though? That was not at all a surprise.) With the main mystery, I did like that just when I thought I had it figured out, there was another little nugget thrown in.

All in all, The Mystery Guest wasn’t a winner for me but Nita Prose’s latest novel was still a good enough read. My expectations were probably a little too high, since I loved The Maid SO much and that impacted my enjoyment. I still think it’s worth a read if you really liked The Maid but just maybe keep your own expectations a little lower than mine were. I hope others like it more than I did!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Penguin Random House Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

I think I loved this even more than The Maid. Quirky, funny, wise maid Molly returns, to help solve another murder. And there are secrets from her past that might incriminate her. A rollicking read!

I read Prose's debut novel <b>The Maid</b> last year and was happy to see a sequel has been published. Give me a crumbling mansion, an eccentric writer, family secrets and a murder to solve all wrapped up in a cozy mystery story and I am a happy reader. Without a doubt, our heroine Molly is a delight. Molly struggles to read the more subtle nuances and social cues of the people around her. so she brings order to her world through maxims she learned from her Gran. Molly is also hyper-attentive to details most people do not pay attention to and it is her photographic memory that proves valuable in solving this mystery. As any mystery reader knows, no clue is too small. Through a series of flashbacks, we get to learn Molly's connection to the deceased J.D. Grimthorpe. Prose provides the reader with enough clues and possibilities to keep this reader happily guessing "who did it".

A delightful cozy murder mystery and I look forward to future stories in the series.

Well, that was wildly underwhelming. I think I really wanted to like this more than I did but I'm not sure what I expected when I wasn't fully blown away by the first book. I will say that I did end up liking The Maid, but it wasn't anything special. This book felt like a carbon copy almost, with a few different little twists but the same 'quirks'. I did binge this book in one afternoon while listening to it at 2.5 speed, otherwise I definitely would have abandoned it. Wasn't the worst, but it won't be memorable or topping any favourites lists.

Great book filled with mystery. Didn't enjoy it as much as the maid but still definitely worth a read!

Nita Prose has absolutely NAILED the cozy mystery formula… I was so excited to be thrown back into another crazy mystery at the Regency Hotel!

Full of your favourite characters and a mystery that had me fully invested from the first few pages. The Mystery Guest is another home run, I can’t wait to see what Nita gives us next!

One of my favourite things about this series is the way that Molly is self-aware and charming without being an offensive caricature of neurodiversity, and while there are people in her life who are complete dicks about her differences, most people see them as strengths. She's such a genuine person.

The mystery is laid out really clearly and it's fun to work through everything with the characters, and there's nothing overly convoluted about the plot that make it seem like it was written without care; everything here is really intentional.

The Mystery Guest embraces everything about The Maid that made it wonderful without rehashing old character growth, it introduces new characters you feel for, there's justice, redemption, and happiness. If you liked the first one, you'll like this one too (even though the twist is really evident from the start) and it's the perfect book to serve as delightful escapism.

I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I enjoyed The Maid so much that I couldn't wait to read The Mystery Guest. Sadly, it didn't quite meet my expectations. It's one of those cases where the sequel just couldn't match the same standard.

My biggest complaint was all the times Molly told us what her grandmother would do or say. It was always the same thing, as if Nina Prose felt like we would forget this important person in Molly's life. After a while, it became an eye-rolling thing whenever Molly mentioned her grandmother. I did appreciate the flashbacks and how they connected to the story, though.

Another bit that was disappointing was how much the detective still wanted to blame Molly. It was clear that Molly was innocent and she just saw things that others didn't. We'd already been through her being accused once. It's a little boring when the same storyline or something very similar is used. Maybe just used Molly's abilities in the future.

I'll still read a third book if there is one. I just didn't enjoy this as much as I did The Maid.

I enjoyed this follow up novel to The Maid. I love the main characters and the little sayings of Gran’s that are repeated throughout the story. The shifts back and forth in time add to the pleasurable experience.

There are several puzzles to decipher with this story. One: who killed the guest at the Regency? Two: what was the author hiding? Three: what is the news Mr. Preston has been trying to tell Molly? None of the solutions are earth-shattering, but enjoyable nonetheless.

My only criticism would be the character of Detective Stark. Not very believable. Everyone else is super!

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy. I apologize for my delay with the review.

I really liked the flashbacks to Molly’s childhood, they gave some insight into her childhood and how her mind works.

Overall this felt like a good quick, mindless read, but not much more than that.

This was a delightful second installment in the life of Molly the maid! A fun read that digs deeper into Molly's youth with her grandmother. Lovely story of several strong, smart women! Loved that :) I also liked how each woman learned to deal with being sexualized. Molly's brilliance is in her acute ability to pay attention to the smallest details that provide clues into what happened with the special hotel guest.

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose is a cozy murder mystery and is the 2nd novel in The Maid Series.

Molly has been promoted to head maid. However, it all comes crashing down when a famous author drops dead during a speech at her hotel.

Told in dual perspective, this well-rounded read has a dash of dark comedy and family dysfunction.

4.5 stars

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose is the second in the mystery series starring a loveable (if different)  protagonist, Molly Gray.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Penguin Random House and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


Series Background: (Warning – May contain spoilers from previous books)
Molly Gray is a 25 year old Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel.  She's been there for over seven years, and very proud of her promotion to Head Maid.  Her boss is Mr. Snow. Molly's social skills are lacking. She lost her beloved grandmother, who had always helped Molly get through life's day-to-day situations, because she doesn't really "get" other people....their expressions, their actions, their intent.  So Molly is now left to interpret things on her own, although her boyfriend Juan Manual, and her friend Mr. Preston try to help. She loves her job, her uniform, her trolley, and she's a perfectionist.  Her best friend is Angela, the head barmaid, who is obsessed with true crime.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
A "situation" has arisen for Molly Gray.  The well-known reclusive mystery author, J.D. Grimthorpe, has just dropped dead on the  hotel's tea room floor.  Unknown to anyone, Molly knew the man when she was a child, and things didn't end well.   Grimthorpe was about to make a public announcement to over 50 invited VIP's....who were anxiously theorizing as to the news.   Molly and her "maid-in-training" Lily were responsible for the event, and become prime suspects.

Molly's friend Angela is intent on getting Molly to help investigate the death, especially when it is determined that the author was murdered.  Angela tells Grimthorpe's dedicated fans that Molly is an undercover detective, and soon Molly is besieged.  Things look worse when Detective Stark is the one to investigate the death, especially since she and Molly have a rather unpleasant history.

Molly soon realizes that because of her past association with the dead man, she may know more than she thinks. She will have to comb her memories to figure things out.

Meanwhile, Mr. Preston wants to talk to Molly about something, but she is too pre-occupied to give him the time he needs.


My Opinions:
I really enjoyed the fact that through flash-backs, we learned more about Molly's childhood, and more about her Grandmother.   Although we learned a lot,  you should really read the first book (The Maid) before reading this one, as you'll understand Molly a whole lot better.

These are really feel-good books with great mysteries attached.  Definitely more cozy-mystery than deep thriller.  However, the mystery is really good, just without the blood.

The plot and writing was really good, and again the characters were interesting.  It was somewhat predictable, but that was okay.

Overall, it was a fast, entertaining, and somewhat "light" read.  If you need a hero, Molly is someone I can get behind and root for.  Maybe she is for you too!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada, Net Galley and Nita Prose of the gifted eArc of The Mystery Guest! This book takes us back to the Regency Grand Hotel, where Molly has been promoted to Head Maid. Another tragedy occurs in the hotel and Molly sets forth to solve the mystery! The wonderful cast of characters from The Maid are back and this story brings out all the feels as they venture to figure out what happened and solve the mystery. If you loved The Maid, you will love The Mystery Guest! 5 stars!

I’m not usually a fan of cozy mysteries but I’m a fan of Molly the Maid. The reveal was a little lackluster and maybe that’s why cozy mysteries aren’t for me but I do always enjoy reading about Molly. I also enjoyed the dual timelines.

This is a follow up to Nita Prose's debut The Maid following main character Molly and her friends at the Regency Grand hotel. I really enjoyed the cozy mystery feeling of The Maid and was happy to reunite with these characters in this book (though one favourite did not feature as prominently). I can see this being a reliable mystery series if it continues, but it's also hard to say how many murders might happen at this one hotel.

Ultimately, this passed the time nicely and I liked it enough but I maybe preferred the novelty of the characters in The Maid and I found the flashback scenes in this book useful but also a bit jarring (although that could be due to the audiobook too and my bad).

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. I honestly should of read the first book in this series before reading this one but when I received the ARC I could not resist.. With that being said I need to get on reading the first one because I enjoyed this one so much. Always loved a good cozy mystery and this is it! Also love that the other is also a Canadian like myself! Support Canadian authors!

it took me a bit to get into this book, i put it down and came back to it. i'm so glad i did, i ended up really enjoying it.

i listened to the first book in the series and i think i might have been quicker to get into this one had i done that.

molly is such a good character! i would have liked to have seen more of juan in this book as well.

i really enjoyed the way the story unfolded and twisted, would read more books in this series for sure!

thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

*Spoiler alert*

A good follow up story where we get to know more about Molly and her Gran. And the murder mystery part comes off well though the ending with Cheryl is beyond belief where a thief and bully gets to keep her job? Isn't even arrested for stealing a 1st edition? I can only guess that Prose has further use of Cheryl down the road.

3 stars because of the ridiculous way Cheryl was kept around.