After thoroughly enjoying ‘The Maid’ by Nita Prose there was never any doubt I wouldn’t read the sequel once I heard it had been announced.

In ’The Mystery Guest’ Molly the maid returns with a new mess and a new mystery. Following on a few years later from when we first met Molly, she is now the Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, still restoring rooms to a state of perfection. When a renowned guest, in the form of a famous mystery writer, drops dead at a press conference in the hotel, rumours and suspicions are soon rife across the hotel. Molly knows she has to uncover secrets from her past, ones that include her much-loved gran, because what she hasn’t yet revealed is that she knew the now dead guest when she was just a young girl…

From the very first chapter it was like welcoming an old friend back, Molly and her quirky uniqueness grinning at you from the very first page. Her character is further developed in this sequel, delving further into her past and explaining elements of her life that have made her who she is today. Although a cosy crime novel you are kept guessing right up to the final reveal with the sublime flowing writing style. I also love how there is the indication that this may not be the last we’ve heard of Molly which, after this book, I am very pleased to hear, in the words of Molly herself with ‘an aptitude of gratitude!’

Without giving anything away (because you need to read this book without any spoilers for the full enjoyment) this is a book that you will read with a smile on your face throughout, Molly is just that kind of endearing character. I will end this review with some words of wisdom from this title, “Never fear a new beginning. One chapter must end for another to begin”, something I think we all need reminding of through life.

Can’t recommend this enough, add to your TBR list now!

Many thanks to the author publisher and Netgalley for a free ARC of this ebook.
I was so impressed by this sequel to Nita Prose's The Maid. The protagonist Molly is still her wonderful self and the story is well paced. I highly recommended it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this whodunit and was happyt to catch up with Molly, her friends and her world.
Molly's character arc is very interesting as there's an evolution and a more mature woman who's dealing with work responisbilities and a romantic relationship.
There's a lot to love in this story as it's a solid mystery full of surprises. It's entertaining, kept me guessing and turning pages.
I think it could become a nice cozy mystery series but the risk is that each plot is based on a template and you know what will happen and how the plot will evolve.
The Maid and this novel share some similarities in the plot and I thoroughly enjoyed it but I'm also wondering what could be a new novel featuring Molly and not repeating some elements.
That said I have high expectations for the next novels by this author and the storytelling is excellent.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Molly Gray is back and this time she’s wearing the Head Maid badge just above her heart. Molly is a wonderful, heart-warming character with her unique intuition and unsurpassed levels of observation. These skills come in handy when a very famous mystery novel writer books the newly renovated Regency Grand Tearooms in order to make a highly secretive and inflammatory announcement, however he is murdered as he takes to the podium. What was he going to say? Who killed him? And is everyone who they seem?
Absolutely love this highly recommended series and often find myself saying Molly-isms when I’m cleaning.

The second in Nina Proses series, I loved the maid and enjoyed learning more about Molly's backstory in this one - filling in gaps and revealing her sad childhood with her warm and gentle nan, a neglectful, drug addled mum and a man her nan works for who is...interesting, but struggling with his own additions. Molly's hotel has a second murder but for a long time no-one can figure out quite how it was committed or who is to blame!

I cannot tell you how much I love this book! Another tale of Molly the Maid…being back in her company is like coming home! It is just so wonderful. Molly hasn't changed, she remains wonderfully inquisitive, unerringly herself and finds herself yet again embroiled in a murder investigation!

A fabulous story which gives us a big insight into Molly’s past and that of her beloved Gran.

Truly wonderful, I cannot recommend this enough

The Maid was a complete surprise for me last year, and so I was thrilled that a sequel was planned. Molly is a wonderful character and one who I immediately warmed too. She’s neurodivergent, and I love how this is almost her ‘superpower’, her abilities to see what others don’t being crucial in the investigation into the death of a famous author at the Regency Grand. This time around Molly is more self assured, but no less lovable. A wonderful cosy murder mystery!

Book Review
The Mystery Guest

I was delighted to be delving back in to the story of Molly Gray at The Regency Grand Hotel. Everything about this character I adored. Her quirkiness wins readers over quite quickly.
In this story, a very famous author is giving a conference in the hotel and just as he is about to reveal a secret about himself, he keels over and dies.
Molly, now the Head Maid is aghast. Everyone is suspicious and under suspicion when they are informed that he has been poisoned and somehow she feels responsible.
She sets about trying to absorb all the information floating about between the groups with the view to solving the crime. I loved how this story was told through two timelines giving us such a brilliant background to how she came to know the author himself.
I loved the relationship she had with her gran and it was such an important part of her life.
A little detail towards the end of the book really warmed my heart.
Well worth your time, a great read.

(I will come back and link my review on my book page once I put it up)
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🧹I had the pleasure of reading the Arc of “The Maid” & couldn’t wait to be approved a copy of this one as well.

🧹Same settings, familiar characters, a murder, a mystery to be uncovered and a maid to be blamed or should we say not to be blamed, forms the plot of Nita Prose’s next book in this series. Molly the Maid finds herself involved in another murder at the Grand Regency hotel. Will she be the main suspect or will she uncover the mystery behind the murder?

🧹Nita Prose has did it once more, by keeping us entertained in this cozy mystery with lots of twist & turns. The setting of the plot is the same with familiar characters, we have already met in her first book. I like that the book is written in dual timeline. Though, I did find the initial half of the book to be a bit of a slow burner🔥 with all the major twist & turns coming in the end. But still the author has done a good job of keeping her readers guessing till the end. Some parts & phrases in this book felt a bit repetitive.

🧹Overall, this book did keep me hooked & guessing till the end. A well recommended cozy mystery as well.

Watching out for book three, is there gonna be one?

Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers at Harpercollin’s UK and Author Nita Prose for this advanced copy.

Another mystery surrounding Molly the Maid. I really enjoyed the first book ‘The Maid’ and I was excited to start reading this one.

Again Molly is involved in another mystery surrounding a death at the hotel she works at. I found this to be another good storyline with some of the characters I remembered well from the last book and then also introducing new people who fitted into the storyline excellently.

A very enjoyable book, and am looking forward to reading the third (if there is one)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I usually read very dark thrillers and crime books but every now and then it’s so nice to read a quirky murder mystery and this charming book fits the bill perfectly! I loved The Maid, and have a bit of a soft spot for main character Molly so it was lovely to be back at the Regency Grand Hotel and to catch up with Molly the maid, now Molly the Head Maid! As with the first book, the most defining relationship in Molly’s life is the one she had with her gran, who raised her and from whom she learned her superior housekeeping skills. I loved that her Gran was a part of The Mystery Guest and that we get more of an insight into Molly’s childhood. The cast is peppered with the colourful characters we met in the first book and some new rather idiosyncratic ones. The mystery itself is quirky, intriguing and satisfyingly literary. However, I don’t want to give too much away on that front for obvious reasons! I will say that if you are a fan of cosy crime and enjoyed The Maid then I think you will love the delightfully winsome The Mystery Guest. I very much enjoyed my time at the Regency Grand Hotel and I’m looking forward to further instalments of Molly’s story!

I enjoyed Nita Prose’s first novel, The Maid, and was excited to see that Molly was going to reappear in a new adventure. I enjoyed this new murder mystery although it never really gripped me. I liked the fact that Molly is a lot more confident in this book and I also enjoyed the dual timeline where we discovered more about her past as well as the character of the murder victim. The mystery itself was well plotted and had a good range of characters, some familiar and some new.
However the setting of mystery novels is an important element to me and I am confused by this one. The story appears to be set in England, probably London, especially with the country house element of the timeline set in the past. However, there are various references such as bills for money and spelling bees. Is the author being deliberately vague or is it actually set in the US?
This was a fun read and I will be interested to see what happens next at The Regency Grand Hotel.
Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Collins UK for allowing me to read this ARC.

4.5/5

AD-PR PRODUCT

Molly the maid is back in the second book of the series, The Mystery Guest. This book follows the mysterious death of the well know author J. D. Grimthorpe.

This was such a wholesome cozy mystery. I love Molly as a character so much. She is so cringy, yet lovable and entertaining!

There was the return of many of my favourite characters from the last book. The book also confirmed some suspicions I’d held on to from the previous book too.

If you like character driven books with a cozy mystery vibe then I would definitely recommend this one! I would strongly suggest you read The Maid first however.

Everything crossed for there to be a book 3!

Day 6
My Review

I was thrilled to delve back into the world of Molly the Maid and the characters introduced in the first book. I enjoyed the alternating timeline between the present and the flashback featuring Molly's Nan and their work at Gristhorpe Manor.

"The Mystery Guest" is a wonderful sequel to "The Maid". Molly, the protagonist, is back with another mystery to solve after a death at the Regency Grand Hotel. If you were already a fan of Molly, you'll love her even more after reading this book.
The second book of the murder mystery series offered insightful flashbacks into Molly's past, uncovering more about her childhood and the development of her unique abilities. Her attention to detail and discretion skills were particularly interesting to learn about. It was a pleasure to get to know her character better, and I am eagerly anticipating future installments that delve even deeper into her intriguing backstory.

However, I couldn't help but feel disappointed by the lack of presence of Manuel in this book, as well as the sidelining of some of the original characters in favor of newer ones. Additionally, towards the end of the book, the story's pace began to slow down, which made it slightly less enjoyable to read. Nonetheless, the charm and simplicity of the murder mystery series still make it a delightful read overall.

#TheMysteryGuest #TheMysteryGuestReadalong #TandemReadalong #NitaProse #MollyTheMaid

An easy read with endearing characters.
Flits easily between present day Head Maid Molly and Molly when she was a child living with her Gran, Flora, who was also a maid.
Quite moving at times, I admit to being a little teary eyed on a couple of occasions in the book.
Not my usual kind of read, but I did enjoy it.
Many thanks to NetGalley UK and Harper Collins for the ARC.
3.5 stars

I loved the previous book by Nita Prose so was excited to read the next. But it didn’t quite reach the same standard. I found my attention wandering and couldn’t get into it. It’s still an enjoyable enough read but didn’t meet my expectations.

I could not wait to read Nita Prose's second novel featuring Molly again and I loved it. Such a good novel and so glad that Molly is back again.

Molly is now Head Maid at the hotel and loving life, she is such a fantastic character. Molly has a trainee in the form of Lily, who is very quiet and subdued but great at what she does.

When a top author falls dead during their sort of conference, Molly is thrust back into the limelight of the dead author's investigation.

We really start to see why Molly is the way she is and I loved reading about her again.

If you love a whodunit with lots of fabulous twists and turns and amazing characters then these novels by Nita Prose are for you.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for allowing me a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Mystery Guest is the second book in the Molly The Maid series by Nita Prose.
Having read the first, which was a very cosy mystery whodunnit, I was looking forward to being back with Molly Gray and intrigued how this was going to be made into a series as the first was wrapped up nicely.
Once again, Molly finds herself involved with a death at the Regency Grand Hotel, where she is now the Head Maid. We also learn more about Molly’s backstory, and even though her Gran isn't around we still get to hear her voice and thoughts through Molly in this novel also.
I felt this was a good follow up , with returning characters , and a new mystery to unfold. Though not quite as absorbing as the first, it still had much of the charm, good pacing and entertaining.
I can also see a new potential career for Molly that would definitely lend itself to further books in the series!
3.5 ⭐️ - Many thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the e-arc!

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose. Molly the Maid #2.
I really enjoyed this book, probably more than the first one. A great cosy crime book with all the characters from the first book and of course Molly.
It's really easy to read, great humour and likeable characters.
I didn't guess who the murderer was ( well I did but I was wrong !) so you're guessing right up to the end.
I especially liked the throw backs to Molly as a young girl living with her Gran.

4.5 stars

Molly the Maid is back and, if I’m honest, in a more credible and endearing rendition. She’s less of a cliché, a more rounded version of the neurodivergent character we met in The Maid, and I loved her!

Now Head Maid at the Regency Grand, Molly rules her fiefdom like a general. She’s still quoting Gran’s aphorisms and has many more of her own enshrined in her Maid’s Handbook, conceived to ensure the desired “state of perfection” she subscribes to.

When a famous mystery writer drops dead in the Regency tearoom, Molly finds herself once again in the frame for murder. But then some memories from her childhood come flooding back. She knows this man, and she knows his secrets. And, with her eye for observation, she’s soon well on her way to identifying the true killer.

For me, everything about this book was a step up from The Maid. I felt the writing was more assured, with dual timelines adding an extra layer of interest to the storytelling. I also found that the chapters about Molly’s childhood lent more depth to her character, eliciting sympathy for and a better understanding of grownup Molly. I liked this Molly better and felt less uncomfortable around her.

Of course, the story is sprinkled with generous amounts of humor and some wonderfully drawn peripheral characters. And the whole sleuthing element is delightfully plotted. It kept me engrossed and guessing until the end.

All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable, distracting, easy read that I’m sure will be well received by all Molly the Maid fans.