Loved the first one and the second does not disappoint. It took me a while to get round to reading this one due to illness but the characters are still as quirky as ever.

I downloaded this book from NetGalley as soon as I noticed it was Molly part two! While parts of the story felt a bit like a rehash of the first book, with predictable twists and turns, Molly's character remains such a delight that it more than made up for any familiarity in the plot. Her unique perspective and charming quirks pulled me right back into the world of The Regency Grand Hotel.

This sequel picks up with Molly, the unforgettable maid who notices everything, including the darkest secrets hidden within the hotel’s five-star facade. When a prominent guest drops dead in the tearoom, the chaos of a potential scandal once again falls to Molly to clean up – but this time, she's also sifting through clues. Was it an accident, or is there something more sinister lurking in the hotel’s polished corridors?

Though the mystery leans toward the predictable, the joy of following Molly’s journey – from her precise routines to her keen observations – is what truly shines. If you loved Molly’s first adventure, you’ll appreciate this return to her world, where even the most routine details are full of meaning.

4/5 stars for a story that’s familiar yet fun, with a main character who will keep you captivated until the very last page.

In a Nutshell: Molly the Maid is back in this second novel of the series. The mystery isn’t as tricky as in the first book, but the proceedings are still enticing. You will enjoy this more if you read it as a character-oriented drama than as a murder mystery. Though this book can work as a standalone, this series is best read in order.

Plot Preview:
Four years after the events of Book One, Molly is still working at the Regency Grand boutique hotel in New York, now as the Head Maid. She is still focussed on maintaining things to a state of perfection. Her personal life is also going well with her beau Juan Manuel.
Just as the Regency Grand is set to host a high-profile event that will hopefully help it brush away the shadows of the old murder case, there is yet another death in the hotel. J.D. Grimthorpe, the world-renowned mystery author, drops dead on the tearoom floor just before making his big announcement. It soon becomes clear that his death was not from natural causes. Molly’s old nemesis Detective Stark is a part of the investigation, and yet again, her eye of suspicion falls on Molly and her new assistant, a timid maid-in-training named Lily. Is Molly innocent, especially considering what we know of her from the first novel?
The story comes to us in Molly’s first-person perspective.

I had read the first book of this series, ‘The Maid’, and was blown away by this wonderful character named Molly.
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The second book continues her character arc well. But will this book work well for you? I’d say it's all about having the right expectations, about knowing what you want from this story. I didn't want a murder mystery when I picked this novel up. I just wanted to meet Molly again and know her more intimately. In this sense, this book is an easy winner.

Bookish Yays:
🍽️ Molly. Still as literal as ever. Still as biased towards the ones she loves. Still as clueless about social mores. Still a fascinating and well-sketched character!
🍽️ It is good to see several beloved characters from the first book return in this sequel. There is a strong continuity in their character arcs, though the plot is almost standalone.
🍽️ Though Molly’s Gran is long dead, her epigrams are still a part of Molly’s thoughts. These evergreen instructions and principles offer a good code of conduct to live by, both to Molly and to us readers.
🍽️ One thing I distinctly remember liking about the first book is that the author hadn’t assigned any tag to Molly’s flawed social meter. (I also remember many reviewers taking it upon themselves to label Molly variously as neurodivergent, autistic, having ADHD, “on the spectrum”… as if you can be socially awkward only if you have a malfunctioning brain or a developmental disorder! 🙄) I appreciate the author’s not succumbing to the pressure and forcibly assigning a tag to Molly’s behaviour. Molly is still her charming-old (LOL!) socially-inept self and still without any label, thereby enabling us to see her as a person and not as a medical condition.
🍽️ The writing is quite fast-paced. It is easy to complete this almost-300-page book within a few hours.
🍽️ The title is quite clever, fitting the book in multiple ways.
🍽️ Thanks to Molly’s old-fashioned morals and learning, the book contains fabulous vocabulary. I love reading novels where even the individual words heighten the overall experience.
🍽️ Plenty of dark humour, partly thanks to Molly and partly because of the LAMBs. (Read the book to know more about this caprine reference. I shall not bleat out any spoilers!)
🍽️ The two timelines – Molly’s childhood years and the present murder mystery – are both interesting and hold their own. At the same time, the first has a bearing on the other. It is a rare case when both timelines are needed by the core plot and are equally well-used.
🍽️ Having read the first book, I knew what to expect from this “mystery.” The book isn't about the crime itself but about Molly's view of the crime and the aftermath, so I wasn’t looking for a traditional murder mystery or a police procedural. That said, there IS a mystery in the book, and while it is not unguessable, it is fairly satisfying. Best of all, no infodump ending despite its being akin to a cosy mystery. (Those who pick the book wanting a traditional murder mystery might not enjoy it as much.)

Bookish Mixed Bags:
🛎️ The writing is a bit repetitive, especially in the first half. I am not sure if this is because of Molly's personality trait (she tends to obsess over an issue until she’s sorted it all out in her head) or an editorial issue. Given that the author is an editorial director at S&S Canada, it’s probably the former. But one part where the repetition got to me was in the behaviour of Lily, the new maid-in-training. All her communication barriers got on my nerves after a point.
🛎️ I wanted more of Juan Manuel in the story, and to see the growth of his relationship with his-opposite-in-every-way Molly. As three years have passed since the events of the first book, they are already in a settled place romantically, and we do see glimpses of their strong bond, but it isn’t enough. Perhaps in the next book?


Bookish Nays:
🔪 The surprise reveal at the end was not needed at all. It felt forced.
🔪 Teensy complaint, but this annoyed me a bit as it was mentioned so often! Every maid, including Molly, seems to be pinning their identity tag “above the heart”. The heart is at the centre of the rib cage! Uniform name tags are pinned either to the left or the right, not in between! It’s quite possible that Molly didn’t know the correct location of the heart, but given her prodigious observation skills and her love for reading, the chances of this are low.

All in all, no major issues. I knew what I wanted from the book, and it delivered on almost all those factors. Other than the repetition and the final twist, I had no major problem with the novel. The “mystery” isn’t as twisty as in the first book, but is still engrossing.

The events of the two books are in a linear timeline, and Molly’s personality is established clearly in the first novel. Thus, better to read the books in order so that you know Molly and her nature well.

The ending hints that there might be a change in venue for the next book. I do love the hotel setting, but if Molly’s story “checks out” of the Regency Grand, I look forward to the new location and book.

Definitely recommended, not necessarily as a murder mystery but as a character-oriented drama with cosy-mystery elements.

4.25 stars.

My thanks to HarperCollins UK and Harper Fiction for providing the DRC of “The Mystery Guest” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

MOLLY IS BACK!! And another mystery to solve, I adored this book. I loved finding out more about Molly's backstory and her life and I need a third book in this series please!!

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Nita is a firm favourite. Love her characters and they stay with you for a long time.

Fantastic book with great core characters. Recommend to friends for anyone who loves this genre of book!

I didn't realise this was part of a series but it can be read on its own I feel. Molly has lots of personality and the writing style is fun and easy.

A great sequel to Nita’s previous novel. The writing style is so unique and really helps the main character’s personality shine through.

I loved the first book, so was very excited to get my hands on a copy of her new one. This didn’t disappoint either.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a free ecopy of The Mystery Guest in exchange for an honest review. I liked this book much more than the first in the series. I felt like the plot had more pace and depth. Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed by the ending but would definitely read more in the series.

Ahh my favourite maid Molly is back and caught in a murder mystery yet again. It's rare for a sequel to be better than the original book, but I do believe this may just be it - or at least just as good as the first one. I mostly enjoyed filling in information from Molly's life as a child and in getting to know Gran better too.

Thank you to the editor and Netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest and impartial review.

Molly the maid returns in this new messy mystery! I adored ‘The Maid’ so I couldn’t wait to read this standalone follow up. Both books bring a different take to your typical murder mystery with genuine likeable characters making for a heartwarming read.
Molly is such an endearing character and I adored her friendship with Lily, her maid in training. This is one to read if you love character driven mystery!

Loved reading The Maid, so was looking forward to this one. Molly is back and loving her job. The narrator of the story was good however it was quite easy to see who the killer was.

Molly the Maid is back and as wonderful as ever. Told with the same refreshing narrative as the first book Molly once again finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation but this time the victim is someone from her past and the suspect is her protégé.

I honestly can't get enough of Molly, it's so wonderful to have a neurodivergent main character that, for me, captures the essence of ASD. It's empowering!

"The Mystery Guest" by Nita Prose is a captivating mystery thriller and the second installment in the "Molly, The Maid" series. This medium-paced book centers around Molly, who once again takes on the role of an amateur detective. The plot starts off quickly but slows down in the middle. Unlike the first book, this story delves into themes of sexual harassment, adding depth to the murder mystery. The real excitement begins after you’ve read more than half of the book. Although I enjoyed the first book, I felt this one could have been more engaging if other characters were given more development, as it primarily focuses on Molly and her struggles. Nevertheless, if you're looking for a light read to finish within a day, "The Mystery Guest" is a great choice. I would rate it 4 stars.

Molly the maid's past did not feature very prominently in the previous book. We are given hints as to her growing up with her grandmother, but the details were only about their conversations and not about other things. One can actually pick this book up without having read the first.

There is a new maid in training who lacks Moll's confidence but has other traits which did not help our lead protagonist make sense of the world around her. We go back in time, in an almost dual timeline narrative featuring the man who ends up dead in the hotel. This time around, it all happens in front of everyone and another maid is a suspect.

The investigation is more perfunctory in this, since there are secrets that might implicate other people. It also moves faster than before with Molly accusing people and figuring out her mistakes almost immediately.

I actually enjoyed this book more than the previous one. Our protagonist's quirks and sympathy for a past where she had just had one person understand her continued to grow on me. I would recommend this series, or even this book to people who like odd central characters.

I would not have guessed the culprit, but given the information we are, it is easier to pick up red herrings than actual predictions. I wonder what the next book will do to shift the narrative.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy. I loved The Maid and Molly's character from the first book so couldn't wait to read the 2nd one.
It was fun and enjoyable and I loved being back at the hotel with Molly.
I love the way she is with people and how much pride she has in her job. I gave it 4 stars as it seemed a bit obvious who the killer was but I still really enjoyed it and if you liked The Maid you must read this!

I absolutely loved The Maid and had high hopes for The Mystery Guest, it did not disappoint whatsoever. It was nice to be back at the hotel.

Molly the maid is back in another amazing cosy crime book. A distinguished author dies at The Regency Grand hotel, and Molly’s input while the detectives investigate the case, allow her to assist the team to discover the truth. All while maintaining cleaning and etiquette standards to ‘perfection’.
I really warmed to Molly’s positive and bubbly nature who speaks her mind in the politest way. With her childhood spent at the authors mansion, when her beloved Gran was a maid there, Molly has an insight in the killers true motive.
Thoroughly enjoyable, I would love to see another Molly the Maid mystery.

Another gripping read from Nita. I loved the previous book and this one didn't disappoint. I would recommend this book to friends and family