The plot of The Maid’s Secret kicks off with a new, puzzling death at the hotel where Molly works. As she navigates her job with her unique perspective on human interactions and social cues, Molly’s subtle observational skills help her uncover hidden truths and unravel the secrets of the hotel’s guests and staff. The mystery unfolds slowly, but it’s packed with twists and emotional depth that keep readers hooked.

What really makes this book shine is the growth of Molly's character. In The Maid, readers were introduced to her as someone who struggled to understand the complexities of social interaction due to her neurodivergence. In The Maid’s Secret, we see Molly evolve, becoming more independent and confident in herself while still remaining the wonderfully relatable character that made the first book so beloved.

Nita Prose excels at building suspense, balancing the mystery with moments of light-heartedness, and offering insight into Molly’s inner world. The supporting characters are well-developed, each playing a role in the mystery while adding depth to the story. Prose’s writing is sharp and evocative, immersing readers in the atmosphere of the hotel and the emotions of the characters.

While the mystery itself is intriguing, what truly elevates the book is the emotional journey Molly embarks upon. The story not only uncovers secrets about the hotel and its patrons but also reveals truths about relationships, self-worth, and human connection.

Overall, The Maid’s Secret is a delightful and engrossing read, filled with twists, empathy, and a protagonist who continues to capture readers’ hearts. Whether you’re a fan of The Maid or new to the series, this novel is a satisfying continuation of Molly Gray’s story and a must-read for mystery lovers.

I really didn’t enjoy this one at all
I couldn’t connect with the story and I didn’t like the way the grandma had a story with letters instead of the voice like she had in the previous books
This one was not for me unfortunately

Molly Gray, Head Maid and Special Events Manager at the Regency Grand Hotel, is on the verge of marrying her fiancé, Juan Manuel, when a reality TV show arrives to film at the hotel. During the filming, a priceless treasure (Fabrage Egg) once owned by Molly’s grandmother is discovered, catapulting Molly into the spotlight and making her both rich and famous. But when the treasure is stolen, Molly, with the help of her friends, investigates her grandmother’s past to track down the thief and uncover a hidden love story that binds them all. 

This series has grabbed my attention from the very start! In this latest book, readers join Molly the Maid, her fiancé, and her hotel colleagues as they face a new mystery. This time, Molly dives deep into her family’s history, unearthing secrets that help make sense of the present. The story expertly shifts between timelines, introducing a wide array of characters whose connections become clearer as the plot unfolds. While the back-and-forth between past and present might seem confusing at first, everything clicks together by the end, providing an intriguing look into Molly's estranged family history.What makes this series stand out for me is Molly herself—she’s a character who values honesty, hard work, and being content with her life. The perfect balance of mystery and charm allows readers to escape into a world where, no matter what obstacles she faces, Molly always has a supportive network, ensuring each story ends on a satisfying note.

Overall, The Maid's Secret is an engaging and heartwarming story that draws readers in with its complex plot and endearing characters. As a fan of the series, I believe this book is the best so far, delivering a perfect mix of mystery, romance, and character development. I highly recommend it to both longtime fans of Molly's journey and those new to her adventures.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Nita Prose returns with The Maid’s Secret, the third installment in the Molly the Maid series, offering another delightful mix of mystery, humor, and heart. Set once again at the opulent Regency Grand Hotel, this novel takes readers deeper into Molly’s past while entangling her in a new present-day mystery.

One of the book’s strongest elements is its dual timeline, which allows readers to explore Molly’s family history alongside the unfolding events at the hotel. The introduction of her grandmother’s perspective adds richness to the narrative, making the story more than just a whodunit—it’s also a poignant reflection on family, memory, and identity. The seamless transition between past and present has been widely praised, and it truly enhances the depth of the novel.

Molly’s character development continues to shine. Fans of the series will appreciate how she has grown and matured while still retaining her unique charm and quirks. Her voice remains distinct, and her perspective on the world is both endearing and thought-provoking. Readers who loved her in The Maid and The Mystery Guest will find her even more compelling here.

As for the mystery itself, while some elements may feel predictable to seasoned crime fiction readers, the book remains engaging due to its atmospheric setting and character-driven storytelling. It leans more toward a cozy mystery than a high-stakes thriller, but that’s part of its charm. The warmth and humor woven throughout make it a comforting yet intriguing read.

Overall, The Maid’s Secret is a satisfying addition to the series, perfect for fans of Molly and her world. It blends past and present beautifully, offers a heartfelt look into its protagonist’s life, and delivers just enough intrigue to keep readers turning the pages. If you enjoyed the previous books, you’ll definitely want to check this one out.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada/ Viking and Nita Prose for the advanced copy.

The Maid’s Secret is absolutely my favorite book in the Molly the Maid series.

I thought the best part of the novel was learning about Gran’s hidden past and family history.
I loved the entire backstory , it had me very much enthralled.

The past and present stories coming together was so satisfying and kept me hooked throughout the novel.
I could not wait to see how things turned out.

As much as I’m going to miss all of the characters, who I love dearly, this was the best finale.

I can’t wait to see what Nita Prose does next!!

🕵️‍♀️✨ She’s back… and she’s got secrets to uncover.

“𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

Our innocent, meticulous, pun-loving Molly returns in 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐝’𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭, the charming and twisty final installment to Molly the Maid series! Now Head Maid at the Grand Regency Hotel—and just two months away from marrying Juan— she’s stepping into a new chapter, and it’s everything she hoped for.

But when a hit TV show arrives to film at the hotel and an antique from her grandmother’s collection is appraised at millions, Molly is suddenly thrust into the spotlight… and then, into a mystery. 🔍

A daring heist, a priceless heirloom, and secrets buried in the past—Molly and the Grand Regency crew must solve the case before it’s too late.

The chapters alternate between Molly and the current investigation, to the interesting diary entries of her gran that reveal some SERIOUS secrets. The book does a fabulous job of tying up all loose ends and answering all your questions, but I really wasn’t expecting Gran’s story to be what it was. Very interesting and unlike the Gran I grew to love.. But hey, we all have our secrets.

I really do think you can read this as a stand-alone, but I believe you will have a much greater appreciation of Gran's story and Molly's journey if you start from the very beginning.

"𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘴—𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦."

If you love cozy mysteries with heart, humor, and a little sparkle of intrigue, this one’s for you. ✨📚

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada | Viking for the ARC of The Maid’s Secret in exchange for an honest review.

The Maid's Secret is a charming refreshing heart warming read that I did not want to end.

Molly , how I love Molly, is about to get married to Juan but nothing ever goes as planned for Molly.

Before they get married The Regency Grand is hosting the popular TV series Hidden Treasures.

Molly takes in her Gran's shoe box where she makes a shocking discovery .

When the treasured item disappears, Molly follows the clues and to do so she uses Gran's diary.

I loved getting to know Gran better .

Nita Prose does an amazing job of winding up the series (say it isnt so ) and I will miss Molly, Juan and all the characters at The Regency Grand.

Fans of Molly the Maid will love this book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Canada / Viking for the pleasure of reading and reviewing The Maid's Secret.

This is my favorite of the Molly the maid series.
I love how Grandma told her story, while it all aligned with the mystery of the present.

When Molly hears that Brown and Beagle is coming to the hotel where she works, she grabs a few old items in the apartment to get evaluated. Brrown and Beagle are a couple evaluating antiques on a tv show.

Well, low and behold, the antique egg Molly brought to the TV show is actually a Faberge. Molly will be a millionaire if she sells it! The question is, where does it really come from? Only her grandmother would know.

I received an advance copy of this book via Net Galley in exchange for a fair review and happened to also win a physical arc in a Goodreads giveaway.

I can confidently say this was my favourite book of the series to date! I really enjoyed learning about Gran’s history and upbringing, it gave so much context to her life with Molly. I loved Flora’s story, and meeting all of the people who shaped her as a woman. I also loved how there were so many clever connections in Flora’s story with Molly’s present day.

I really felt I could see Nita’s development as a writer here. This book had so much emotion and I found myself holding back tears a couple of times reading about Flora. I would love to get Maggie’s story next, and see her and Molly reunite under the right circumstances.

Such a great read! It hooks you from the start, and you can't put it down. Finished it in one weekend! Will definitely be recommending this one.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC. This was cute- it kept me reading for sure, and I liked how the two storylines came together at the end, but at first it felt like reading two completely separate books since the storylines were so different. Overall, this was my least fav of the Molly The Maid books, but I did still enjoy it, and if you liked the first two, I’m sure you’ll like this one.

3.5 stars.

📚ARC Review📚

The third instalment in the maid series follows are beloved Molly and yet again any other mystery in the Regency Grand Hotel. This time however, there is not murder involved. The key focus of this book is the fabregé egg.

When two art appraisers come to the hotel to film an episode, Molly decides to bring a few of Gran’d belongings to see if she can uncover anything about her past. Little does she know that the egg holds all the secrets and all the answers.

This books alternates between the current mystery surrounding the egg in the hotel and entries from Gran’s diary. I absolutely loved reading the chapters about Flora’s past and even got emotional at parts. You really get to understand who and what shaped Gran and then how she used those experiences to help shape Molly into who she is.

Overall a really great character development story. A few things seemed a bit random, especially the appearance of Molly’s mom. As always there was a happy ending and honestly a few twists that I didn’t really see coming.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

4.5 /5 stars

The Maid’s Secret is the third and final book in the Molly The Maid series (there is also a holiday novella). This is a cozy mystery series.

I adore Molly and have really enjoyed her amazing journey throughout this series. In this book part of it is told in the present from Molly’s POV. The other part is told from her Gran’s diary entries (when Flora was 17).

It was really nice to get Gran’s backstory. It was quite surprising. Normally I would prefer for most of the story to be told in the present. However Flora’s story was so interesting. It was fun to go back and forth especially since some of her story was connected to what was happening in the present.

In The Maid’s Secret a film crew from the hit tv show Hidden Treasures arrives at the hotel to film an episode. I thought that this was so much fun. I really enjoyed the “treasure” that they discovered. And the mystery was so good.

I really enjoyed seeing all of my favorite characters including Mr. Preston and Molly’s beloved Juan Manuel. This was a wonderful conclusion to an original and hilarious series. And the ending was perfect.

This final installment in the Molly the Maid series focuses on the backstory of Flora, Molly’s grandmother.

Molly appears on an Anriques Roadshow type show with an old jewelled egg, believing it to be junk. She and her grandmother symbolically named it the Faberge. Only, it turns out to be an actual Faberge worth millions. As the egg is about to be sold, someone steals it and leaves Molly a threatening note. Molly must figure out what happened and why and in the process, learns a lot about herself.

In the age of consumerism, consumption and the desire for material things, this story brings the focus back to what matters most. It’s a warm, satisfying conclusion that reminds us that real treasures aren't always the ones with a price tag they're the ones that connect us to the people we love.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC.

More Molly adventures at the Regency and more gran too yay!! Solid read but for some reason just wasn’t like a 4-5 star for me. But can’t put my finger on why.

In The Maid's Secret, Nita Prose demonstrates her mastery of gentle suspense and heartfelt character development, delivering a truly captivating read. Told through the earnest and meticulous voice of Molly, a maid with a deep sense of duty and justice, the novel uncovers not just secrets hidden in curio cabinets or vacuum canisters, but those buried in memory, legacy, and the quiet spaces between words.

While this is my first Prose novel, what elevates The Maid's Secret beyond a simple whodunit is the author's masterful use of subtext. The recurring motif of "reading between the lines"—a concept explicitly highlighted with the insightful observation, "Sometimes, it’s not what’s on the page that tells you the most... it’s the blank space in the margins"—becomes crucial as Molly navigates not only surface-level secrets but also the unspoken histories that bind her and her Gran, Flora Gray.

Prose skillfully navigates profound intergenerational themes, using the poignant line, "It is the prerogative of the young to rail against injustice, and it is the fate of the old to endure it," to highlight the contrasting experiences that shape Molly's understanding of the past. Through the unfolding of her Gran's story, revealed through her diary entries which expose long-held secrets, Molly undergoes a significant emotional and intellectual maturation, grappling with the complexities of justice, love, and the possibility of forgiveness and reconciliation across generations.

Prose's narrative is characterized by a quiet power, where seemingly simple reflections resonate deeply. Lines like "We reap what we sow… I’ve gained compassion, comprehension, and empathy" not only reflect her grandmother's journey of transformation but also underscore the novel's central message about the redemptive power of understanding and empathy, qualities that Prose subtly weaves throughout the narrative.

One minor point that occasionally pulled me from the narrative was the ambiguity of the setting. While Prose's writing evokes a certain English sensibility, specific details, such as Flora attending a "Prep School" for university entrance (a term with a different connotation in England), certain turns of phrase, and the legal impossibility of Molly's half-sister, a judge, marrying Molly and Juan, created a slight sense of geographical uncertainty. Clarifying the setting more explicitly in future novels could further enhance the reader's immersion.

I enjoyed the subplot involving Cheryl, the errant maid who constantly struggles to meet Molly's high standards. Prose handles this character with a delicate touch, avoiding caricature and instead using Cheryl to explore themes of empathy and the challenges of living up to rigid expectations. The development of Cheryl's character, and the way Molly's perspective on her evolves, adds a layer of emotional depth to the story, underscoring the novel's broader themes of understanding, inclusion and compassion.

Ultimately, The Maid's Secret transcends the traditional cosy mystery, offering a deeply moving and intelligent exploration of family secrets, personal growth, and the enduring power of love. It's a quietly triumphant read that will linger in the reader's thoughts long after the final page.

If Amelia Bedelia grew up and got into the amateur sleuth game, you'd get Molly Gray—and I’ve adored every quirky clue-trailing moment.

In this third installment, Molly thrives at the Regency Grand, newly engaged, with a new job title and newly inherited fortune. What should’ve been a cozy, clever heist ended up feeling… flat.
The dual timeline with Gran’s diary didn’t add depth, and Molly herself felt less sharp, less uniquely Molly. Gran, once the heart of the series, read like someone else entirely.

I wanted to love it. I tried to love it. But this one just didn’t land. If you’re new to the series, don’t start here. If you’re a longtime fan, maybe manage expectations.

Thank you to Nita Prose and Penguin Random House Canada for the early digital ARC in exchange for my honest review! Publication Date: April 8, 2025.

The final novel of Molly the Maid has heart, mystery, and a revisiting of the past. Perfectly toggling through the storylines, I loved Gran’s journal entries and Molly’s present day.

Molly and her found family shone through once things go awry for her after an antique goes missing. A theme I thought of from Gran’s journal entries is that we are more than our worst mistake(s) made in our past.

Nita Prose did so well ending the Molly the Maid series! I still recall that the first novel got me out of a pandemic reading slump and will always be fond of Molly’s quirkiness, her world point of view, and refreshing perspective.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot remember the last time I stayed up until 2am to finish a book but here we are! Molly is back and her wedding to her beloved Juan Manuel is coming up in a month. She’s keeping busy though - because an episode of Hidden Treasures (think Antique Roadshow) is being filmed at the Regency Grand and the staff are all invited to bring in antiques and treasures that could be worth something.

Molly brings several items from her late Gran’s curio cabinet that are meaningful to her, including a skeleton key, a teacup, and an egg. When one of Molly’s treasures turns out to be worth millions, and she faints upon hearing the news, she suddenly goes viral. For someone like Molly, who is private and needs a set routine, this is a living nightmare. The film crews follows her for a week between her episode and the auction, capturing her rags-to-riches story. The day of the auction, her treasure truly becomes hidden - it is stolen right from under everyone’s eyes and Molly’s safety is threatened if she goes looking for it.

As always, I loved seeing the rag tag team of Regency Grand employees try to find out what happened, and being funny, quirky and loveable amateur sleuths. The story is interlaced between this happening in real time, and a beautiful set of diary entries that Gran has left for Molly to read when she’s ready to find out more about the family history that’s always kept from her. It is such a wonderful balance to have the chapters alternating this way and it became impossible to put down because I felt I always needed to know how each story was going to progress.

Overall this was a lovely instalment of the series and I want to thank Penguin Canada and Net Galley for the e-arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

4.1 ⭐

I accidentally read this before reading the first two, but you don't really need them to enjoy this.

I liked it a lot. This book tells a sweet story between a grandmother and her granddaughter through letters from a diary. I enjoyed how the author unraveled the backstory as we saw the present day mystery take place. It was done well! I was thoroughly impressed. Best of all, I have a newfound respect and admiration for service jobs after finishing this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book.