It was so nice to be back with Molly again!

She is now head maid at the Regency Grand Hotel where she loves her job. However soon she’s caught up in more drama when a guest dies at the hotel and foul play is suspected.

In this second book, we see more of Milly’s past and find out more about her family and her childhood, Molly is still just as likeable and I was rooting for her throughout. I think this will instantly be a bestseller this year. Highly recommend.

I loved The Maid, but this book just didnt hold my attention with its dual time line.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review

The Mystery Guest is the second book in the Molly the Maid series. Molly finds herself once again in the midst of a murder investigation at the hotel.

I actually enjoyed this book more than The Maid. I loved how it flicked back and forth between what's happening at The Regency Grand now and Molly as a child. The dual timeline helped keep the pace of the book. We find out more about Molly's background as well as that of her Gran.

This was such a delightful, light read; it swept me away.

Such an entertaining book - love Molly 'the Maid'. I hope there's more to come from her. Hugely enjoyable and fun reads.

3.5* The Mystery Guest is the second in Nita Prose's super fin series featuring Molly the Maid.

Molly is proud to be a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel and thrilled to be involved in planning an exclusive event where reclusive and world-renowned author JD Grimthorpe will be making a big announcement. Molly ensures the setting is perfect, as loyal fans and the media pack out the hotel but then tragedy strikes and Grimthorpe drops dead.

Molly supsects foul play but is dismayed that her old foe, Detective Stark has been assigned to investigate the case. While Molly can miss the obvious, she is is adept at picking up details that others don't notice. As the furore of the death swirls around the hotel, Molly keeps to herself that her own history with Grimthorpe goes back to her childhood and her early encounters with him may hold the key to unlocking what has happened in the present day mystery.

This second instalment of Molly the Maid zips along. It is fun and light but not without clever twists, genuinely warm moments and some dark themes. Nita Prose delicately balances the suggestion that Molly is neurodiverse, without making a big deal of it, save for it does give Molly the edge over other characters. The support cast from the first book make a welcome return (perhaps save for work-shy Cheryl). My small irk is the rhymes that Molly lives by, which she learnt from her gran, and which can become a little tedious.

I won't hesitate to read the next book in the series, which has been smartly set up as giving options as to where Molly might go next. Each book would work well as a standalone.

Thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for an advance copy.

I adored the first book however this just felt completely flat for me. The characters that I initially loved prior to reading this, just felt cringy and wooden during this book. The storyline felt almost repetitive from the first book, and followed pretty much the same structure.

I loved The Maid and wasn’t sure how a follow up was going to work. My worries were swept away almost instantly; this is a gorgeously cosy murder mystery, in which to understand the crime that’s been committed we need to learn more about Molly’s past.

It was great to reconnect with some familiar characters; reliable Mr Preston, carefree Angela and even Cheryl, previous head maid. Molly, of course, made the story for me; her factual innocence bringing such joy and heartbreak at the same time.

Not often the case with a murder mystery, but this is a joy to read and I ended it with a huge smile on my face. Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for my review copy

I had high expectations of this book and it most definitely did not let me down.

I previously listened to the first book 'The Maid' on audible and automatically warmed an unbelievable amount to the protagonist, Molly. She was portrayed as honest and reliable. This book made me love her even more. She was built upon from the previous narrative and the way in which her past experiences were explored really painted a clear picture of the journey she has embarked on.

In this book, I particularly enjoyed the two narrative strands, one from the past and one from the present. I like how the storylines intertwined and there was a real purpose to the backstory.

Nita Prose is nothing short of a literary genius. The woman writes with grace and an unreal amount of honesty that only the greatest of writers can convey. Every character she brings to life feels familiar and the narratives she explores feels like real life.

I wish this book lasted forever.

The Mystery Guest was a great read. I loved getting back into the world of Molly and the Regency Grand Hotel. From the start of the book I could sense more maturity to Molly and how she has developed since the first book. In this book she has been promoted to Head Maid and she takes it all in her stride. You can really feel her pride through the pages. Although, not everything is smooth sailing.

An esteemed author is staying at the hotel but he is found dead on the tea room floor. It becomes clear very quickly that this is a murder and an investigation takes place. We see the return of familiar faces and continued guesses of who could have murdered the author. Molly knows she must get to the bottom of this scandal.

Molly is such an incredible and quirky character and it makes her indispensable to the investigation. Her way of thinking gives the detectives a different view point. I also loved reading in a dual timeline and getting an insight into Mollys childhood. Reading about the relationship Molly had with her Grandmother was beautiful to read and essential in understanding Molly in the present day.

I highly recommend this book and series to everyone. The quirky characters and gripping plot lines make the books great reads. They are easy to read and they flow really well.

Molly Gray is back with a second adventure! She is now Head Maid at The Regency Grand Hotel and wears her name badge with pride, and she is kept busy restoring guest rooms to ‘a state of perfection’.
But when a renowned guest – a famous mystery writer – drops dead in the grand tea-room during an author event, Molly has an unusual clean-up job on her hands.
Rumours and suspicion swirl in the hotel corridors, and Molly knows that she alone holds the key to the mystery. But unlocking it means thinking about the past, about Gran, and everything else she’s kept tidied away in her memory for so long.
Because Molly knew the dead guest once upon a time – and he knew her . . .

It was so lovely to be back in Molly’s company and to spend time with her and all the hotel staff, old and new. It was also interesting to delve more into Molly’s back story, to discover what went on in her past, and explain the very close bond which developed between her and her grandmother.

Chapters alternate between the past and the present, and what we discover in the past very much informs the present situation in which Molly and the hotel staff find themselves. There are plot twists and red herrings; there is humour, pathos and sadness; there is light and shade, and it all grips the reader as they try to work out ‘who dunit’.

The development of Molly’s character from when we first get to know her in The Maid, is really well done indeed. We see a new, more confident and assertive Molly now: she lives with Juan (though we don’t see much of him this time, as he is absent for much of the story, visiting his family in Mexico), and Mr Preston is a regular visitor at their apartment for Sunday lunch. She is managing a team of maids and training the new members of her team to her exacting standards; she is handling the oh-so-difficult Cheryl and keeping her in her place; and she even stands up to her nemesis, Detective Stark, who is compelled to revise her opinion of her!

With big reveals aplenty, The Mystery Guest is as entertaining and delightful as its predecessor.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Molly the maid is back! Back in a new adventure, but still living in her grandmother’s apartment, which she now shares with partner Juan Marco, and is still working at the Grand Regency Hotel. Juan is on a long awaited trip, visiting family, but Molly decided to stay behind in order to supervise a really important event at the hotel. Mystery writer J.D. Grimthorpe is using the newly decorated Art Deco tea rooms to make an announcement to his fans and the press. Molly knows that Mr Grimthorpe is a very particular man, a knowledge that goes beyond the average researcher, so it must be her that oversees how he’s looked after. Against most people’s judgement she has chosen her protege Lily to prepare his tea cart, sure that she has passed on the requisite skills for her to make a success of it. However, at the crucial moment something goes badly wrong. As Mr Grimthorpe reaches out to his honey pot to add just a little sweetness into his tea, a hush descends. As he takes a drink, chaos ensues when he suddenly plummets to the ground, dead. Moly knows that Lily will be terrified especially since it’s ‘always the maids fault. A female police officer, Detective Stark arrives to take on the case and Molly is drafted in to help because of her skills in observation and memory. Yet Molly has another insight that she hasn’t disclose to her boss or the police. She has met MrGrimthorpe before and her memories of that time are not the most flattering.

Nita Prose gives us two timelines, but in both of them our narrator is Molly. We follow the aftermath of the death of J.D. Grimthorpe, but also go back to the Molly’s childhood where she was taken to the Grimtthorpe Mansion by her grandmother who is their maid. Molly’s different way of observing and experiencing the world and her incredible memory create an exciting and complex journey in both narratives. The child Molly experiences things and narrates like a child. This helps us understand the wonder of visiting such a rich house with all its treasures including the Faberge egg! Through a mishap with the egg, Molly is assigned a job in the ailver room, polishing all the cutlery. This is supposed to be a punishment but Mrs Grimthrope has no idea that cleaning is Molly’a idea of fun. I loved following this unique little girl as she uses the her privileges to get into every nook and cranny. It’s very atmospheric at the mansion, quiet with just the steady tap tap of the keys on a typewriter as Mr. Grimthorpe creates his next masterpiece. Usually she uses his well stocked shelves to read and the classics like Great Expectations. Molly discovers that if she attempts to take a particular book from the shelf it opens a secret door into his study. This proves to be a vital secret that will shape their lives forever.

In the now, Molly is making great progress by thinking back to that time all those years ago for clues. When Grimthorpe keeled over nobody noticed what happened to the tea cart, but when it’s inspected they realise two items are missing - his particular honey pot and spoon plus a signed copy of his latest book. With so many super fans and book bloggers around that day, it could have been one of a hundred people, either looking for a macabre souvenir or looking for a good way to make some quick money - the moment Grimthorpe died his books suddenly became more valuable, especially the one he’d only just signed. Molly wants to check out local pawn shops and book collectors to see if anyone has recently brought the book in. Meanwhile suspicion falls on Lily as she knew it would, she needs all the support someone like Molly can give her.

I love Molly as a character and her development in he last novel was an important part of the story. Here we see her take another person under her wing. In the interviews, the others were not impressed by Lily, but Molly knew she had all the skills to become the perfect maid. She might be quiet and introverted but that meant she wouldn’t waste time talking with colleagues or guests. She might have a polite and deferential way of talking to the customers too. Molly can clearly see something of her old self in this nervous and slightly strange girl. Molly is now head maid so has the hiring and firing power, and she’s certainly found some brilliant staff for the Regency so she is trusted. Lily shines under Molly’s directions which is lovely to see, but other members or staff are suspicious of her, especially Cheryl who is a loud and greedy chancer! I thought Lily’s manner was confusing, especially after Grimthorpea death. She keeps repeating the phrase ‘loose lips sink ships’, so she needs careful handling and Molly knows how. I loved how Detective Stark slowly becomes impressed with Molly and respect that builds between them.

Mr Preston the doorman at the Regency is still there and still having lunch every Sunday at Molly and Jaun’s flat. His relationship with Molly becomes more significant here, not just because of the investigation but because Molly is delving into her own past. Mr Grimthorpe had a very closed circle of people he trusted, including his wife, Molly’s grandmother and the secretary who faithfully turned his notes and verbal ramblings into a proper plot. It was her fingers making the steady clacking sound that was the heart beat of the house. Delving this far back brings up memories for Molly, including the reasons they were banished from Grimthorpe’s inner circle. She also has to process memories of her mother, someone barely mentioned during her upbringing. Despite having a happy and healthy family unit with her grandmother, she still missed her mum desperately and always wondered what happened to her. The mystery is interesting and kept me guessing throughout, with me almost thinking Nita might do something wholly unexpected and pin the blame on Molly! However, it’s the love of this wonderful character that will draw readers to this story and the fact that the mystery fills in some holes in her background is a huge bonus. I found myself finishing the book, hoping that Nita Prose would be kind enough to give us at least one more adventure with this charming and unique character.

Absolutely brilliant, loved it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending.

This is book two of the series and, for full enjoyment, I do recommend you read The Maid first. It's a cracking read in its own right so...
In this, her second outing, Molly - now Head Maid - is overseeing a very special event. Renown author JD Grimthorpe is a guest at the hotel and is hosting a special even in the tea room. Where he will also make an announcement. Lily, Molly's latest protege is responsible for his tea tray but is devastated when the man himself drops dead on drinking it...
And so begins more of the same shenanigans that ensued in the previous book. Molly's nemesis Detective Stark is investigating and interference from her previous boss, now demoted. But in addition to all this, we also learn more about Molly's past, and if that wasn't enough, Mr Preston, the doorman has something important to tell Molly.
I already warmed to Molly in the previous book and that connection has not wavered here. It's a shame that her boyfriend, Juan Manual, is away for most of the book but I guess it's necessary to enable the author to show us more of Molly's past. The failure of her school towards her and how she became a maid in the first place as she "goes to work" with her Gran.
All in all, a cracking follow up to a series opener that I also enjoyed, Roll on book three... My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Molly Gray is back, Head Maid at The Regency Grand Hotel, a five star boutique hotel.
The Hotel is a hive of activity, preparations are all in place in the grand tearoom. A VIP, a famous author is giving a talk, an announcement no less. His fans can’t wait.

I found the start of the book a little bit slow to get into, but once I hit the 10% it just clicked for me.
A different style of writing but I enjoyed reading it.
The book moves between past and present in chapters, bringing the story together like jigsaw pieces.
I enjoyed reading some of the old proverbs, and sayings, the rhymes and quotes.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.

This was a great sequel to the first boom. I enjoyed the development of characters and the storyline that ran alongside each other - super!

Yay Molly the maid is back 🫶🏻 I continued to love Molly and her quirky character 🩷

I loved the duel timeline and finding out more about Molly's childhood and her relationship with her Gran - it's totally adorable.

It was a cozy mystery, easy to read and entertaining. I must admit I prefered the first book to this one, I wasn't completely taken by the storyline this time round, but it was lovely being back with Molly.

Fingers crossed we get another instalement as I can't wait to see what else is in store for her 🧹

Thank you netgalley, author and publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review 🫶🏻

I really enjoyed this, I think more than The Maid! I like the cozy mystery element but with a younger main character yet still having that elderly influence from other characters. Nice and well paced, easy to read mystery!

A return to the Regency Grand Hotel and Molly Gray is now head maid and preparing for a hugely important event which unfortunately leads to another dead body. Molly’s back story as a child with her gran is explored in parallel flashbacks. As ever with these cosy mysteries, the real killer is revealed and peace restored.

It’s lovely to stay at the Regency Grand Hotel again and get to be part of Molly and her friend’s lives. Of course nothing could be straight forward though as there is a murder and theft. This is the best kind of cosy crime as although there’s been a murder the story is quite heartwarming too as it is as much about the characters and their relationships as it is about the crime. And what great characters these are! I think to get as much as you can out of this story you should read The Maid first as everything will fit together much better then.

I absolutely loved The Maid and I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that our favourite maid was going to be returning to the pages. Molly Gray, Head Maid at The Regency Grand Hotel, is still very much endearing and likeable and I enjoyed being among her thoughts again, three years after we were last with her.

In The Mystery Guest, we are taken on a journey via Molly’s POV across two timelines - the present day following the suspicious death of an author at the hotel and Molly’s recollections from when she was ten years old. While I think Molly is an interesting and unique character, I’m not sure that I was entirely sold on the so-called mysteries in this sequel… it just seemed like something was missing which meant that my attention wasn’t fully captured like it was in The Maid and I was a bit underwhelmed with the various reveals towards the end of the novel.

The author’s writing style is great and one that I find comforting. This felt like a lighter read than I was expecting and for me definitely falls into the ‘cosy mystery’ category. While I wasn’t completely taken with the story this time round, it was a pleasure to be back in the company of Molly and I’m intrigued to see what’s next.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.