The Mystery Guest

The Mystery Guest is a delightful whodunnit that also enlightens readers about where Molly began and how she's faring now.  

This story is set a few years after the first book (The Maid) and there have been some changes in Molly's personal and professional lives. She continues to hold tightly to her grandmother's words of wisdom and Molly has her signature old-timey vibe as she takes on her highly coveted and illustrious role of Head Maid in the small boutique hotel. But when a famous, reclusive author suddenly dies in the hotel during a highly anticipated event, Molly finds herself once again in the middle of a murder investigation with a police detective who is not her biggest fan.

This new Molly the Maid mystery is an entertaining story with a cozy mystery vibe. Told in two timelines, readers are privy to the current murder mystery and get a glimpse into Molly's childhood and her close relationship with her Gran - a woman who we get to know better and who had some secrets of her own. The mystery was solid with a few twists and the ending poignant, but learning more about Molly and her early life was my favourite part of the book. 

This clever sequel captures the charm of the first book while giving readers another good whodunnit. I enjoyed the depth Prose gives Molly and readers will gain a better understanding of this memorable neurodivergent main character as she finds comfort and confidence in her own strengths and capabilities. I hope Prose has more books planned for this series. 

Note: While this book could be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading The Maid to get a better understanding of Molly and how far she's come.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Viking Books for the complimentary digital advanced copy of this book which was given in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Nita Prose

Genre: Mystery, Canadian

Type and Source: ebook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Viking (Penguin Random House Canada)

First Published: November 28, 2023

Book Description from GoodReads: When an acclaimed author dies at the Regency Grand Hotel, it's up to a fastidious maid to uncover the truth, no matter how dirty—in a standalone novel featuring Molly Gray, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid, a Good Morning America Book Club Pick

Molly Gray is not like anyone else. With her flair for cleaning and proper etiquette, she has risen through the ranks of the glorious five-star Regency Grand Hotel to become the esteemed Head Maid. But just as her life reaches a pinnacle state of perfection, her world is turned upside down when J.D. Grimthorpe, the world-renowned mystery author, drops dead— very dead —on the hotel’s tea room floor.

When Detective Stark, Molly's old foe, investigates the author’s unexpected demise, it becomes clear that this death was murder most foul. Suspects abound, and everyone wants to who killed J.D. Grimthorpe? Was it Lily, the new Maid-in-Training? Or was it Serena, the author’s secretary? Could Mr. Preston, the hotel’s beloved doorman, be hiding something? And is Molly really as innocent as she seems?

As the case threatens the hotel’s pristine reputation, Molly knows she alone holds the key to unlocking the killer's identity. But that key is buried deep in her past—because long ago, she knew J.D. Grimthorpe. Molly begins to comb her memory for clues, revisiting her childhood and the mysterious Grimthorpe mansion where she and her dearly departed Gran once worked side by side. With the entire hotel under investigation, Molly must solve the mystery post-haste. If there's one thing Molly knows for sure, it's that dirty secrets don't stay buried forever...