Nita Prose does it again! Molly the Maid and all the characters you love return for another delightful mystery. You'll laugh, speculate, and leave with a full heart.

Content Warning: Two-dimensional-pick-me main character, mediocre plot, 1982 poster themes.
Reading level: Disney Channel
Cringe factor: 20/10

Some books need an extra dose of grit to get through.

Molly the maid just woke up to a view of her worried fiancé's face in hers after fainting upon hearing that her deceased Gran's Faberge egg is worth 5 million dollars. Also, she's now a celebrity. A few days after the appraisal, Molly's Faberge egg is missing and a death threat note is in its place. Soon, Molly is given her Gran's diary and all its hidden secrets, revealing the truth about the origins of the egg and her Gran's life story from riches to rags. As we follow the alternating timeline of Molly and her Gran's life through the diary, we begin to see the truth behind the purpose and meaning of the Faberge egg.

After reading books like these, I often wonder how they make it this far. And this is the third one in the series. I have not read any of Prose's other books, so I realize I may be harsh. But this writing.....I can't.
" 'Have it your way then, ' she says as she kicks a crumpled pop can by her feet. 'But watch your back. And beware of the men in trench coats. You never know what they might do.' "

Gosh. There are so many concepts in this book that are never followed through. The cringy writing and story building hit me as very cheesy and unoriginal. I struggled with understanding the period. The upper-class characters and some of the maids speak in an older English with phrases like "Be gone!" and "Aye," while other characters use Gen Z slang. BIZARRE...and not thoroughly thought out. The character of Molly is written with little depth and is always choosing the pathway to be poor and not want material things. This, of course, is a valuable quality in a main character, but there is no wrestling with her day-to-day life; no conflict between her and her fiancé, Juan; and very little depth. So, it reduces the value of the virtue. It's eye-rolling. The words of wisdom left by her Gran in her diary are cliches like "all that glitters is not gold". There is one essential character introduced in one page of one chapter and never seen again. Odd. And with this essential character, a crucial idea/plan is introduced but is never followed through with and ends up being completely unrelateable to the ending. I'm just not impressed. I truly hope I'm wrong about this book and that it does well.

Thank you NetGalley, Nita Prose, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for my unfortunately honest review.

I loved it- I love Molly’s character. I was so excited to read about her next adventure. I love the way this author tells the story and writes. I hope to read more of Molly in the future.

All of my favorite characters were back in this newest book of the Maid series! When Molly has a possession stolen out from under her nose, chaos ensues!
There was a heavy amount of dual timeline included in this story. Often the backstory seems tedious and long-winded. In this book, however, everything was relevant and very well written! I was touched.
Molly's character is so lovably quirky and continues to develop in each book, and the side characters never fail to entertain. This was a 5⭐️ read for me.

If you liked the first two, you clearly need this book. Molly is back. She's been such an interesting character since day 1. In this book we advance Molly's story with Juan Manuel while exploring Grans history brought back to the present via a treasure hunter TV show. NP always delivers a very interesting story and you should find this very intriguing if you enjoyed the first 2.

I feel like the Molly I fell in love with in "The Maid" returned in "The Maid's Secret" in ways that were missing in "The Mystery Guest." Perhaps it's because we spent time with Molly's Gran in her youth, a time when we all were naive, ambitious, and unaware of the true impacts of consequences.

My favorite chapters were those in Gran's diary. The reader not only got to know Gran but also how those experiences influenced how she raised Molly to be the person we know and adore. The mystery was secondary for me, but I still enjoyed having something in the back of my mind to "solve."

These books are great beach read/holiday read recommendations as they are low-stakes, comforting yet intriguing. I wouldn't mind if Nita Prose wrote more of Ms. Molly and Company, but only if it suits her journey; otherwise, I'm happy to leave her be with her cleaning cart, friends, and family.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC.

I loved this book! I’ve read the others in the series and think this was the perfect ending. I am sad the series is coming to a close, but I think it was done beautifully. Nita Prose writes characters in such a thoughtful way that I feel like I really know them. These characters will forever be some of my favorites. Thank you to the author and I can’t wait to see what she has planned next.

"Hidden Treasures," the beloved antiques roadshow, pays a special visit to the Regency Grand Hotel - where none other than Molly Gray finds herself unexpectedly in the spotlight. When a cherished heirloom surfaces, it unearths long-buried secrets and propels Molly on a journey of discovery that reveals more than she ever anticipated.

I just LOVE Molly Gray. I hope this is not the end of her story but it was a sweet ending. I really loved diving deep into Gran's story and finding out more about her past. There are several memorable quotes paired alongside Gran's words of wisdom.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This was recently published on April 8, 2025.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheMaidsSecret. I’ve read all of the books in this series and this one was just as good as the others. It’s impossible not to fall in love with the characters in these books and I find myself cheering for them.

I hate to say it, but this book was a big yawn for me. There was way too much backstory about Molly’s Gran and not enough Molly.

Thank you to Ballantine Books, NetGalley and PRH Audio for the chance to read and listen to this story. I wish I had enjoyed it half as much as I had the previous two books in this series.

In the current day, a show similar to Antiques Roadshow comes to the hotel where Molly and Juan work. Molly brings her miscellaneous treasures to be evaluated and to her astonishment, one item turns out to be a super-valuable Faberge egg. Molly is not prepared for the instant social media fame that this discovery sets off. Unfortunately, this story is interrupted constantly by chapters of Gran’s diary, detailing her history.

Gran’s story is full of upper class prejudice and snobbery. It took way too much for young Flora (Gran) to figure out how awful her parents and their associates were. The stifling atmosphere and strict attitudes of the 1950s were well portrayed but there were so many cliches in her story.

The audiobook: I found the mix of accents used to be rather odd. I could never figure out where the action was taking place. There was a mix of British accents and American (?Canadian?) accents, and it just never made any sense.

Again, thank you to Ballantine Books and PRH Audio for the ARC/ALC to review. All opinions are my own.

Loved this! I loved the mystery of it as well as Gran's history and of course I loved getting to continue with the story that I've loved through the previous books in the series. This book had a nice, cozy feeling to it while also being a mystery.

I am a big Molly the Maid fan and loved this book! I was instantly hooked on Molly's story. Watching her try to solve the mystery with her friends. was really sweet. I was cheer ing her on as they dug into the past and the present to find the bad guy.. It was funny, it was heartwarming, it kept me guessing. A joy to read.

I'd tell anyone looking for a good,feel good mystery with cool characters and fun story to check this book out. I can't wait to see what happens in Molly's life next.
I like to thank net galley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

The Molly the Maid series has always been full of cozy mysteries and valuable life lessons and this one was absolutely no different. The story makes you laugh and giggle, especially when obvious things aren’t as obvious to our sweet Molly. But it was full of heart and love. I absolutely love the little Regency Grand family that Molly has made for herself and that everyone has come to love and appreciate her quirks rather than making fun of her differences like they did in book 1. The glimpses back into Gran’s story were truly what drove the book for me and I absolutely loved getting to know her more and understanding how she became the incredible woman she was and how she passed on that kindness to Molly. I appreciated the tone shift from the Molly POV’s to the diary entries as Molly’s POV is very unique to her and I love that the author didn’t lose that originality. I don’t know if we will see more of Molly in the future but if we don’t, that’s okay because Nita gave Molly an absolutely beautiful and perfect ending!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I loved Molly's character since I first read The Maid. Prose's narration style through Molly's characterization is such a unique choice with mysteries and really amplifies the cozy vibe of the series. Still, there's some really powerful and complex stories, emotions, and plotlines that occur in the series that give the books depth and meaning to me. I really enjoyed getting to read chapters from Molly's grandmother's perspective. It just built on a character who is beloved despite no longer being alive and a key part of Molly's life and the series. It felt really low stakes in terms of plot, however, the flashbacks and intimate reflections were so interesting to read. It just immersed me more into Molly's world and added to the warm and sweet vibes of the series.

Molly the Maid is back in this third book in the series. Many of the lovable and not-quite-so-lovable characters return as Molly discovers a family heirloom is actually a priceless antique. Traveling between the past (Gran's late adolescent years) and the present, the reader learns about Gran's family background and how she came to learn the lessons that she passed along to Molly. This is a fast-paced book with characters that are a bit one-sided in their portrayal (each has a specific role to fill in Molly's found family), but it's a fun summer beach read like you're reconnecting with old friends and learning something new about them.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine books for a digital copy!

The third, and probably finally? Instalment of Molly the maid. I enjoyed this one, but didn’t get sucked in like I did with the previous ones. I am usually a fan of multi perspective chapters, but in this case it didn’t work for me.. I think they were too long so by the time we got done with a Gran chapter I was struggling to remember where we were at with Molly. Still an enjoyable read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

In The Maid’s Secret, Nita Prose delivers a warm, twist-filled mystery that brings a heartfelt close to the beloved Molly the Maid series. When a priceless Fabergé egg from her late grandmother’s collection is stolen during a televised auction, Molly is pulled into a high-stakes whodunit that reaches into her own family’s past. Seamlessly blending dual timelines and rich emotional depth, Prose crafts a story about legacy, truth, and the secrets we inherit. Fans of cozy mysteries and character-driven narratives will find this installment the most poignant and satisfying yet.

Another great story about Molly the maid! An antique appraisal show is being filmed at the hotel where Molly and her fiancée Juan work. When a high priced item goes missing, Molly is involved in another mystery. A very enjoyable read.

A lovely bookend to this series! For me, this was a more interesting mystery than the previous in the series. I also really enjoy the letters along with the unfolding on the story because it kept me engaged in both stories through to the end.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. Molly the maid was such a fun first book. This shed light on gran and her backstory but just didn’t grab my attention like the first book did. It was worth finishing but just didn’t suck me in like I had hoped.