Molly Gray has built a good life for herself. She is the Head Maid and Special Events Manager of the Regency Grand Hotel, and she is planning a wedding with her fiancé Juan Manuel. But when it’s announced that the Bees are coming to the hotel to record an episode of their show Hidden Treasures, she is beside herself with excitement.

The Bees are two art and antique experts and owners of a high-end auction house, a married couple, Baxley Brown and Thomas Beagle. Their television show is wildly popular, with people bringing them items to appraise, hoping to find out that something that has been collecting dust at home turns out to be worth millions. It rarely happens, but the fans are ever hopeful.

Before the show is set to start filming for the day, the employees of the hotel have a chance to bring their beloved objects in and see if there are any hidden treasures in their own homes. Molly, a big fan of the show, puts several items that had been her grandmother’s into a box to take to the hotel with her. She takes her grandmother’s favorite teacup, some souvenir spoons, a Swarovski swan, and old key, and a golden egg that she got when it was going to be thrown away.

Molly had been raised by her grandmother, who was also a maid. Gran had taught Molly everything she knew about being a good maid and a good person. Before her death, Gran had worked for a famous author, and he had had that gold egg on his mantel. Molly had gone to the house with her Gran when she was young and had been mesmerized by it. So when the author was dead and they were cleaning out his house, a gardener remembered Molly’s love for the egg and gave it to her. She thought it was a worthless trinket. But when Brown and Beagle take a look at it, they announce that’s it a one-of-a-kind prototype of a Faberge egg. It’s worth millions.

The Bees want to set up an auction for it as soon as possible, which will also be filmed at the hotel. Molly decides to go along with the auction because that much money would mean that she and Juan Manuel won’t have to worry about money anymore. She could plan the wedding of her dreams. They could find a new place to live. But as soon as the winning 10 million dollar bid is accepted, Juan Manuel notices that the egg has gone missing.

But the real treasure is the old key that Milly had brought with her to be appraised. It goes with her grandmother’s diary. And when she is given the diary and unlocks it, Molly finds that her grandmother’s life story is the key to unlock the entire mystery.

Told in alternating chapters between Molly’s life and her grandmother’s diary entries, The Maid’s Secret takes a little bit of a detour from the other Molly the Maid books. But learning about Gran’s journey as a child and young woman adds a lot of backstory to Molly’s current life and relationships. I thought this was a great addition to the series. I also really loved the story line of the antiques experts with the television show, which added some contemporary texture to this traditional hotel. As a neurodivergent reader, I love Molly the Maid, as I can see her differences and also how well she has overcome the challenges she’s faced. She is an inspiration, and I love reading about how her ability to see life differently helps her solve crimes even before the police.

Egalleys for The Maid’s Secret were provided by Ballantine Books through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.

Our pal Molly is back and it turns out despite the excitement of receiving this as an ARC…I am just done with Molly’s story and probably could have stopped after the first book. This is the third in the series (out now!) so if you want to go back to the Regency Grand with all your pals, I think you’ll have fun!

Molly’s life is upended when an art heist takes place at the hotel, and as she and her friends work to crack the case we also get a peek into her gran’s past through her diary.

The first half of this book was slooooow for me and I was close to calling it a DNF when things picked up and I finally got invested in Flora’s story.

This was not my fave but I ended up not hating it, so three stars from me. Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

Molly Gray is back—and better than ever! In The Maid’s Secret, our beloved Head Maid is preparing for her wedding, but as always, trouble isn’t far behind. A vanished artifact, an unexpected brush with fame, and a high-stakes heist pull Molly into another gripping mystery—this time connected to her Gran’s remarkable past.

I absolutely adore Molly and the cast of characters in this series—they’re charming, quirky, and full of heart. I especially loved uncovering Gran’s story in this one—it adds such emotional richness and makes the dual timeline feel extra meaningful. This book is a perfect mix of suspense, warmth, and character-driven storytelling.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books!

Molly the Maid is my favorite. I love how wholesome her character is, and if you don't feel that way I think that I would not recommend picking this book up. I feel like Molly's story has been told, so if you were wondering if you should continue, but you don't love the character, I think that you could pass. If you just adore Molly and her whole story, I think that you could really like this next book in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher

Molly the maid always seems to be caught up in some type of shenanigans at the hotel in which she works, the The Maid's Secret is no different! Imagine a reality show in which the public bring in old items, hoping that they will be worth millions - and Molly is about to take the cake.
Molly and Juan are quickly approaching their wedding, and money is always tight for them. As we follow along on their journey and the shenanigans at the hotel, we also get a glimpse into the past, as we are treated to journal entries from Gran's diary.

I absolutely LOVED learning all about Gran's past, and just how much it shaped both her, and Molly in turn.

This was fun to read, and I highly recommend for anyone that enjoys the humor and straight-forwardness of Molly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this arc in return for my honest review.

Pub Date: 08 April 2025

This was a fun third book in a series about Molly the Maid. If you’ve read the other books in the series it’s likely that you will pick up this one. In this book we get more of Gran’s backstory told through her diary entries. I found these chapters to be interesting, but I really enjoyed being in Molly’s point of view more. The readers are treated to more backstory about the Faberge egg that was introduced in the last book, which turns out to be a highly sought after piece of art. The mystery comes in when said egg goes missing after being sold in an art auction. I thought this book was fun, but it just lacked a lot of the heart that the first two books had. It was a fun little jaunt back into the mind of Molly, however, it wasn’t one that was truly essential. This book was a like not a love for me, but I’m sure that I will read whatever Nita Prose writes in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

This is the third novel in A Maid series, and when I heard it announced, I wondered how Nita Prose was going to tackle it—a third murder with the same cast of characters? Could I suspend my disbelief enough? But instead of a murder mystery, we get a heist and insight into a brand new voice—Gran. A smart repositioning, Nita Prose proves that Molly has so much more to give readers than solving murders!

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5)
I was excited to dive into *The Maid’s Secret*—but sadly, this story was a miss for me. From the description this should have been a home run for my story preferences. I know I am an outlier on my opinion. While Molly is still a charming and unique character, I felt myself growing bored multiple times. I did not care for any of the other characters.

The plot felt overly familiar and predictable, and although the writing remains clean and accessible, the story didn’t bring much to the table. The pacing dragged in places, and some of the supporting characters felt more like plot devices than real people. I also found the central mystery less compelling with fewer surprises and lower stakes.

I am disappointed that this book was not for me.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Another cute cozy mystery with Molly the Maid. This one might have been my favorite as it has flashbacks from her beloved grandmother to better understand how Molly came to be. The present tense chapters focus on the mystery and it all interconnects really well. I recommend the entire series. This one could be a standalone, BUT you get a lot of great easter eggs from the previous books that are just so fun to catch.

Thank you NetGalley, Nita Prose, and the publisher for a copy of this eARC.

Molly works as the Head Maid and Special Events Manager at the 5-star Regency Grand hotel. Her fiancé, Juan Manuel, is the pastry chef at the hotel. Today, they have arrived at the hotel early to set up an event for Brown and Beagle appraisers and co-stars of the TV show Hidden Treasures. It’s to be held in the hotels Grand Tearoom.

Molly decides to bring some of the little treasures given to her by her beloved grandmother to see if they are worth anything. The newly retired doorman, Mr. Preston is actually here grandfather. When Molly’s items are checked, she is shocked to learn that an egg she has is actually a Faberge egg worth five million dollars!

Intermixed with current chapters are past chapters written as letters from her deceased grandmother. When Molly finds her grandmother’s diary, she learns that the woman was born Flora Gray and was very wealthy living in Gray Manor. Her parents were not very loving so she received love from other staff members. It’s when her father’s company went bust that she had to find her own way in life.

As the story unfolds and we learn more about Molly’s grandmother from a diary the woman left her, we see how her life went from being very wealthy to becoming a maid just like Molly is today.

I really enjoyed the first two books of this series and I was so excited to read this book. However, I found that it did not keep my attention as the other books did and, thus, I was somewhat disappointed. However, the series is wrapped up now and I hope the author brings readers something new in the future.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was fortunate to read the first two books from Nita Prose so I was extremely pleased to read The Maid's Secret. A great story just like the past two and I definitely want to read more. Keep writing and I will keep reading.

I absolutely loved everything about molly’s gran’s story and disliked everything about molly’s 👀 but I feel like I was just bored by the predictable quirks of present day…

while I adore molly, juan, and the whole crew at the hotel, the antics were the same old same old and I felt the entire situation involving the faberge egg and the appraisal crew was way too monotonous 😭 what worked super well for me was the background of finally finding out who gran was!

I’m always so invested in women’s rights period pieces, and this read exactly like that! a young woman who knows she’s worth more in the world than just a prize mare, and she truly goes through it! I wish this was written more as a prequel story rather than diary entries at times though…

overall, a very solid conclusion (hopefully this story is going out for far too long 👀) to the molly the maid series! thank you netgalley and ballantine for an advanced gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: loire valley chenin blanc

Thank you to everyone for this early gifted copy of The Maid’s Secret by Nita Prose!

As always. Molly the maid doesn’t disappoint. I love Molly as a character, and I’m a sad that this series is complete—but what a great finish to the series.

Overall, you get the cozy mystery that you’ve come to love with Molly. I did find some of the grandmother chapters to be long, and was wishing for more Molly.

If you haven’t read this series yet, you need to!

Molly the Maid and her friends and family have become beloved familiar characters at this point, and I really enjoyed this visit with them. Molly and Juan are preparing for their wedding when a surprise reveal at an Antiques Roadshow style show reveal Molly has unknowingly been in possession of a lost treasure. Gran's youth and history are a major part of this story, and we get to learn about her background and where she came from, and how it connects to the events happening in the present storyline. I think it's the way that Molly keeps going, even when recognizing obstacles, unfairness, ridicule, and more, that resonates so much with me and makes her someone I cannot help but adore.

Thank you Random House Publishing and Ballantine Booka for an ARC of The Maid’s Secret! I have loved following along with Molly’s journey and was very excited for this one. In this installment, Molly is looking forward to her upcoming nuptials but that is derailed when she becomes a star on a show due to her prized fabrege egg. Chaos ensues (as always in poor Molly’s life) and we go on a journey to find the egg.

I loved how there were flashbacks to Gran’s story through her diary. It was interesting getting to know her more. I highly recommend picking this one up if you are a fan of this series!

Molly the Maid is back and there’s a new unwanted mystery in her life. Molly is excited to be planning her wedding when she discovers that a sentimental object from her Gran turns out to be worth a small fortune.

Molly is thrust into a spotlight she craves to run from, an art heist occurs, and aided by her Gran’s diary, Molly and her crew are hot on the case. What Molly doesn’t realize is how much she is about to learn about her Gran’s childhood and her own history.

I did enjoy this book and listened to part of it on audio and part in print. The story was cute but focused less on Molly and more on her Gran’s story yet it was still a fun little read.

Thank you @randomhouse #partner for the free #gifted copy.
Thank you also to @atrandombooks @librofm @prhaudio for this generous #gifted box of goodies that includes tea, chocolate, cookies, a finished copy and credit for the audio version.

Families and true love!

I found this slow moving in parts but it still packed a punch as the story of our favorite Maid’s familial life’s history comes into focus.
The treasures Molly has in a box are indeed treasures but so is what’s in her heart. (We love her for the upright, quirky person of integrity she is!)
When her box of treasures are shown live on a reality trash or treasure TV show being held at the hotel, Molly is in for a huge shock!
Alongside this, the complications of Molly’s grandmother’s life are slowly revealed as a very tangled web is unraveled. And what a process that is!
A journal left by her grandmother speaking to Molly of her life’s journey, alternatively punctuated by Molly’s life today, draws us into the depths of her Gran’s regrets and subsequent events.
An absolutely fabulous drawing of all the strings to the now of Molly’s life, complete with theft, blackmail and treachery.
A great read!

A Random House - Ballantine ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

I love Molly. It was great to get further back story about her gran and tying that into the latest mystery. We get a great treat at the end with the wedding. The funny writing from previous books is continued.

Molly discovered that she has a rare piece of art left by her Gran, and it's stolen right out from under her! Molly and the crew try and solve the mystery, which may be more connected to her family secrets than she could have ever known 🔎✨

I was so excited to read the next chapter of Molly's journey 💛💛 I found myself wanting to read more of Flora's diary entries than the present-day timeline though 😬 The mystery took a backseat to the story of the past, but I think it worked out well! I think that's what made the mystery easy for me to solve, but it was still a good read!

As always, I love the characters that Prose has created. Finding out more about Gran and Mr. Preston's tragic love story was perfect 💛😭 The last few chapters hit me right in the feels, and it more than made up for a bit of a slow start. I'm not sure if there are more books planned in the Maid universe, but the ending had a note of finality to it - a great place to leave Molly's story.

I have really enjoyed this series! This is the fourth book in the Maid series! I loved it! I like the characters and the mystery. There’s some humor and romance. I also liked the surprise twists in the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!