The Mistletoe Mystery

Charming, festive and cozy.

The Mistletoe Mystery is a novella in the popular Molly the Maid mystery series by Canadian author Nita Prose. This time Molly has a personal mystery to solve - why her boyfriend Juan Manuel is acting so odd. Readers will be able to figure out what's going on in Molly's personal life, but it was fun spotting the clues and oh-so-sweet when things finally dawn on Molly.

The charm of the first two books continues in this short story with touches of Molly's grandma's words of wisdom sprinkled here and there. And nothing says love to a book nerd like an old card catalogue used as an advent calendar. Well played and totally swoony move, Juan Manuel. 

The naughty part of me is eager to see one character get her just desserts, but the nice part of me enjoys seeing Molly take the higher road.

With a bit of mystery, holiday cheer and charm as Molly unwraps a few misunderstandings, this sweet holiday novella is all about family and traditions that will pop readers into the festive spirit 

Note: I recommend reading this series in order to get the full Molly effect. 

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Heads Up: stay tuned for book three of the Molly the Maid series - The Maid's Secret which will hit stores in April 2025!

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Nita Prose

Genre: Christmas mystery

Type and Source: hardcover novella from publisher/author

Series: 2.5 in Molly the Maid series

Publisher: Viking Books (Penguin Books)

First Published: October 1, 2024

Read: October 17, 2024

Book Description from GoodReads: Molly the Maid has a whole new mystery to solve in this heartwarming novella from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid and The Mystery Guest.

Molly Gray has always loved the holidays. When Molly was a child, her gran went to great lengths to make the season merry and bright, full of cherished traditions. The first few Christmases without Gran were hard on Molly, but this year, her beloved boyfriend and fellow festive spirit, Juan Manuel, is intent on making the season Molly’s mofinst joyful yet.

But when a Secret Santa gift exchange at the Regency Grand Hotel raises questions about who Molly can and cannot trust, she dives headfirst into solving her most consequential—and personal—mystery yet. Molly has a bad feeling about things, and she starts to wonder: has she yet again mistaken a frog for a prince?

A heartwarming, magical story about the true spirit of the season, The Mistletoe Mystery reminds us that love is the greatest mystery of all.