Molly is now Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. Molly is guiding a new maid in training, Lily, teaching the newbie all the tricks of the trade.

This is the second book about Molly, and the first, The Maid, I really enjoyed. This one was a disappointment. Too much Gran, too much same old, same old. Along with the promotion Molly appears to have developed an overload of sass. What was endearing in the first book became stale and old hat in this one. Characters are bumbling and stereotypical.

It is a book that I would have loved to enjoy like the first one. Sadly it fell very flat in my opinion.

1.5*

Thank you NetGalley.

A great story with so many twists, it makes it hard to work out who done it as there are so many options for who it could be!!

Another cracker from Nita Prose. Was delighted to have the opportunity to read the next offering in the Molly Gray series. Another great storyline, good mystery with lots of other things going on. Especially enjoyed the lookback to Molly's childhood and her grandmother. . Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an advance copy.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY FOR THIS REVIEW COPY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.

When I read The Maid, back in 2021, I felt an instant connection. It was such a different-cozy mystery. Molly was different but that's what made the book really interesting. I wasn't expecting a sequel. I was pleasantly surprised to learn about it.

Regency Grand Hotel has again witnessed the murder that to of a famous mystery writer. Somehow Molly again got involved with everything. She is the head maid, working very hard and happy with Juan.  She is the head maid, working very hard and happy with Juan. This time she is not going to let cops drag in this situation. Molly has learned to stand up for herself and her social skills are also getting better.

It was a good mystery, I had my doubts regarding the twist, but still, I enjoyed it. I love the world-building and all of the minor details that quickly transport me to Molly's world. It was interesting to get to know about her childhood and the events related to it. I'd say Molly's character is risky, it is hit or miss. Sometimes it gets close to annoying territory where I don't care about her or her narrative. On the positive side, that didn't happen frequently. Most of the characters were the same except Lily and I didn't feel anything for her, except annoyance. I don't like the way Molly treated her or graphically explained each expression or action. It felt creepy and irksome to me. I wish there was a bit more to the story. Overall, I enjoyed the book and its twists.

Delightful Whodunit..
Molly Gray returns, in this sequel to The Maid, with another mystery to solve and another mess to clean up. Molly is now enjoying the title of Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel and, as ever, has her mindset firmly set in perfection mode. Calamity is not far away, however, and when an esteemed mystery writer drops as dead as a dodo in the tearoom, Molly’s own call to action is spurred. Unfortunately, Molly knows much more about this particular guest than she would care to admit. Another delightful whodunit and a sequel that does not disappoint in the slightest. Charming characters, a vivid sense of time and place and a nicely constructed puzzle at its very heart. Most enjoyable.

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose is a delightful murder mystery story involving Molly Gray, who is now Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel.
Molly’s world is turned upside down when a prominent writer, J D Grimthorpe drops dead in the middle of the hotel tea room floor, where he was to make a big announcement.
Molly’s old adversary Detective Stark is investigating the murder of writer and everyone looks like a suspect.
A fascinating and interesting read, with amiable and eccentric characters and a terrific plot.
Highly recommended

I was worried that The Mystery Guest wouldn't live up to The Maid which I really loved but I shouldn't have been concerned as it is every bit as good. I loved being reaquainted with Molly and the other staff at The Grand Regency Hotel. I also liked finding out more about Molly's childhood and what moulded her into the maid she is today. Whilst I didnt love the big reveal of who the killer was, I would still give this book 5 stars as I love Molly and everything about her.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the second about hotel maid Molly Gray. Since falling in love with her and her unique ways in The Maid I was pleased that life was treating her well and she had he dream job of Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel - that is until there is another murder to solve - that of the famous author JD Grimthorpe - in the middle of a live public event.
Again Molly finds herself caught up in the investigation, with a finger being pointed her way. In order to help uncover the truth about the death of the famous author she looks back into her past, back when she first met JD Grimthorpe when she was just a child.
It was interesting getting to know a bit more about her past and I confess to having cried a little in the scene about her mother. I can't wait to see if Nina writes another novel about Molly as I'm not ready to say goodbye to her yet.

The Maid was one of my favourite reads of 2021. I absolutely loved it, and was thrilled to receive a copy of the sequel.

I know it's not very literary to say, and there will be more detail in this review as it goes on, but at the very simple level, this is a very good book. With great writing, intriguing characters, a thrilling whodunnit. It is just a very enjoyable read.

It has everything that made The Maid such an amazing read, but with added extras. It has that extra that comes with experience. It's not better than The Maid as such, because I thought that was very good, but this just adds to the world that Nita has created.

I read The Maid nearly two years ago now (at time of writing), and so I was worried that I wouldn't remember enough of it. But I shouldn't have worried. It immediately sucked me back in. It's like I've never been away. I was thrown straight back in and it was entertaining from the off.

Molly is still a fabulous character and she is instantly fully formed. Whether it's from reading the first book and therefore already knowing her, or whether it's just Nita's character creation, Molly is right there from page 1 in all her glory. Some may say she's an unusual character, strange, weird, annoying, pedantic etc. There's clearly some neurodiversity going on. I for one really love her. Yes she is different, she is a bit odd, yes she lacks certain social skills, but she's just one of the most fantastically created characters and I really enjoy reading her.

There are two timelines in this book. One in the present, and the other titled "before" which follows Molly as a child. It really helps flesh out the character of Molly and explains why she is the way she is, and why she takes such care and attention in a - some would say menial - profession.

This one had more heart to it. That's not to say The Maid didn't, not at all. But the time Nita has spent with Molly, got to know her, fleshed her out a bit, it means we as readers get more out of her and it feels so much deeper and layered, and more human and relatable.

You would think that the more crime and murder mystery whodunnit books I read, the more obvious it would become as to how the writer manages to write it so well. But I'm still amazed. To write one that is gripping, layered, exciting, not obvious but realistic...I can't even being to think how. I started writing a whodunnit book once in the Miss Marple style, but I found it so difficult to keep the killer hidden, but with enough clues to suggest red herrings etc.

Whodunnits can feel like a slog to get through, bogged down with necessary (and sometimes unnecessary) detail, and you end up just wanting to skip to the conclusion. But this felt the opposite. I read it in less than 24 hours. It was so gripping that, yes, I did want to get to the end to find out who did it, but I wanted to get there via every single page.

I won't spoil the ending, obviously, as that sort of ruins the whole point of a whodunnit, but there's loads of twists and turns and red herrings and possible culprits and secrets. And again, I feel I should be getting better at discovering the answer seeing how many I read, but I did not see it coming at all, so all in all a very successful whodunnit.

I do wonder if we will get any more of Molly in the future, or whether there's a limit on how much death that can happen at one hotel before it shuts down. Who knows. Only Nita knows. But whatever she chooses to do, I'll definitely be in that queue to get my hands on it.

I think I've said that word 'whodunnit' in this review too much, and now it doesn't feel like a real word.

I flew through The Mystery Guest that was so kindly gifted to my by @netgalley. I think I read this in a total of 2 days, it was epic! I wasn’t expecting a sequel to The Maid, but The Mystery Guest was a great addition to the series. We get a closer look at the characters and now, Mollys eccentricities don’t stand in her way like they once did - it was great to see her flourish when she was allowed to do the things she was great at. I thought the message of this was great and really well done, and also very true for a lot of people. Some people don’t get on with mainstream school but are really great at what they love. A fabulous sequel and a solid 4⭐️ from me!

⭐⭐

Having read 'The Maid' (which I gave 5 stars) I was quite looking forward to 'The Mystery Guest' unfortunately it fell very flat for me.

I really wish this book focused on Molly in the here and now. It didn't need to follow the same formula as the first book with 'Gran' and the before. I can not tell you enough how much I hated those characters in this book. They were unnecessary and did more harm to the overall story.

Would I recommend this book? Sure. Just because I seriously disliked it doesn't mean that my friends who read the first one won't enjoy this.

Would I purchased this book for a friend or myself? Absolutely not.

When a reclusive author is murdered just as he’s about to make a mysterious announcement at the Regency Grand Hotel almost everyone becomes a suspect, including head maid Molly Gray.

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose is the second book in the Molly the Maid series, featuring Molly Gray. Taking place three years after the events of The Maid we see a much more assured Molly. Mr Snow, the hotel manager, has promoted Molly to head maid and taken on board all of her suggestions for the training and duties of the maids.

When J. D. Grimthorpe, a successful but reclusive writer decides to make a big announcement it’s the Regency Grand Hotel that becomes the venue. The press and a legion of the writer’s loyal fans are all present when disaster strikes and the writer drops dead during his presentation.

This second murder in the hotel is a catalyst, resulting in Molly losing much of the confidence she has gained. Not only does she have to work to ensure she isn’t a suspect in the murder, but she also has to prevent her maid-in-training, Lily, from being the prime suspect.

We learn that Molly has a history with J. D. Grimthorpe, something she has kept secret for years. The story alternates between the murder investigation and twenty years ago when Molly first met the author. We get a fascinating insight into Molly’s past, learning a little more about her social issues and why she is in the care of her beloved grandmother.

The sections based in the past give us the opportunity to learn more about Molly’s grandmother, Flora, and the care she took raising Molly. Many of Flora’s sayings are peppered throughout the story, with Molly using them as rules to live by. We discover that these sayings are a result of hard work, kindness and a desire to ensure Molly has a positive code to embrace.

Ever observant Molly is the one who pieces all the clues together, solving more than one crime while she’s at it, and even bringing her nemesis to task. The detective in charge of the investigation acknowledges Molly’s attention to detail, pointing out that they are excellent requirements for a police officer. Could we be seeing a spin-off series?

Having thoroughly enjoyed The Maid, I was looking forward to this sequel. I wasn't disappointed, and finished it in two days. Molly, now promoted to Head Maid, returns with all her quirks carried through in great continuity. I was delighted that Gran, having died in the first book, was still present throughout this one in the flashback parts. The weaving of Molly's past into her present was a neat way to keep Gran present as a most endearing character, and the revelations about her difficult past add welcome layers. The book was as delightfully written as the first, with the plot unfolding at a fun pace and incorporating nice little twists and turns. The LAMBS provided a great supporting cast as the mystery unfolded, and I am still shuddering about all that cat hair. I hope Molly doesn't take up Stark's suggestion - I want a lot more of Molly the Maid.

Had me totally addicted , and I just sat for hours turning the pages, as there was no way I could put it down until the very end… thrilling read, this book is an absolute must-read , it’s just too good to miss.

Molly the Maid #2.

Yes, Molly is back and she is now Head Maid at the five-star boutique Regency Grand Hotel and has been for three and a half years, where to her shock and horror a VIP guest drops dead on the tearoom floor. As Molly‘s friend Angela puts it, the doodah has hit the fan, only she’s less polite! It’s the day when reclusive and irritable award-winning author of over 200 books, J D Grimthorpe, is to make an important announcement in the newly restored tearoom. What will his statement be? Well, will we ever know as it’s Grimthorpe that has hit the deck, stone cold dead before he can speak and panic ensues. Molly‘s nemesis, Detective Stark investigates, oh dear.

I love Molly as a character, she is extremely memorable with lovely, old-fashioned turns of phrase and acute observational skills detecting things others miss. As ever there’s the influence of her beloved Gran whose love of Molly is a joy to behold. I enjoy just about everything that makes her uniquely Molly. I like how the storyline flows back to Molly‘s past to when her Gran works for the Grimthorpe‘s. The less said about this husband and wife team the better, I’ll leave that “pleasure “ for future readers. We get to know Gran much better in this book and it shines a spotlight on Molly‘s early life which is very illuminating. A big grrrrr in the direction of Ms Cripps, her teacher, what a failure she is. Thank heavens Molly has wonderful Gran.

As with the first book, this is extremely well written with plenty of clever and witty elements to it. The dialogue is terrific with some making you laugh, others cross and some which breaks your heart. I love the fairytale element (we’re talking Grimm here, not Disney) which is very strong in Part One with one character represented in “to perfection“. There are lots of smart inclusions and illusions, especially when young Molly is in the Grimthorpe mansion, in particular, those that involve great expectations. It flows really well between the past and the present with knowledge gaps being filled seamlessly.

Whilst there are plenty of twists just as in book one they don’t wow me in quite the same way as that does, though one gets a big thumbs up and helps to explain much. I wonder too if we get to many of Gran’s pearls of wisdom?? I’m also somewhat underwhelmed with the big reveal and the unmasking of the perpetrator and I never entirely buy into this aspect of the story line. However, I do thoroughly enjoy the Christiesque notes which are bang on. If as I suspect there will be a third book with a new direction for Molly, I question whether I really want it??? I’d say quit while you are well and truly ahead but what do I know!!

Overall, it’s undoubtedly a really good book despite some of my reservations and it’s very easy to read and highly entertaining. It has all the elements you want in a cozy mystery and Molly is quite simply fabulous.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins, Harper Fiction for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy of The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose. This was an enjoyable read which, although I enjoyed the previous book more, still was a compelling read.

I was very excited about this book but unfortunately it fell a bit flat when compared to the prequel. There were a lot of similarities but I don’t think there should have been. It needed to be more gripping- in my opinion.

Molly the maid is back in the sequel to The Maid.

Molly is now Head Maid and wears her badge with pride. The hotel tearoom has been refurbished and we find Molly and her maid in training Lily preparing for a grand event in the tearoom - a reclusive mystery writer is about to make a grand announcement when much to the shock of the assembled guests he drops down dead. Soon Molly is being drawn into the mystery as she has her own secret about the man who she knew in the past...

I did enjoy reading 'The Maid' so was pleased to be asked to review the next instalment. Sadly, I did not enjoy this book as much. Molly is the same as she was in the first book with the exception of having acquired a boyfriend who is absent for most of the book as he is visiting family in Mexico. Most of the characters felt very 2 dimensional and even Molly has shown no character development either. Some characters felt like caricatures - I'm thinking of the group of LAMBS and Detective Stark (who doesn't seem to be able to detect anything at all). It was interesting to learn a bit of Molly's history and also the history of her Gran but the repetition of all the cleaning phrases got kind of annoying (there is only so many times you can read 'Grab a duster buster' before you start to silently scream).

Some will love this book and some will be, like me, less than enamoured by it,

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Molly the Maid is back - a very likeable character who prefers life in the shadows and is dedicated to providing excellent service. Her naivety can be a danger and she is at the centre of the drama again when a distinguished writer drops dead at her hotel. Has he been poisoned by the staff? What’s Molly’s past connection with this rather disagreeable man? A gentle and entertaining read

It appears that my prayers were answered, as I loved "The Maid" so much that I had wished for a sequel. I was really excited to read "The Mystery Guest" and I did enjoy it but maybe not as much as Nita Prose's first book. As Molly is now Head Maid, she is less of an unseen character. The book was good and fell comfortably within the Cosy Crime genre but I felt it was lacking something that the first book had.