The Mystery Guest: A Maid Novel

A quick read that draws you in within a few short pages. Humor, plot twists, and solid, fleshed out characters. A great Sunday afternoon escape. Admittedly, I read this book before her first but look forward to reading it and catching up on the back story. A wonderful character arc in the last few pages that hint of fun and more from Maid Molly. I look forward to the 3rd installment coming out this year!

Really enjoyed this book. Lovable characters, nice plot twists. And then I got to the end… and the plot started resembling another book I recently read quite a bit… ML Longworth’s “the secrets of the Bastide Blanche” has a similar resolution and plot ending… What a shame!

The story got my attention right away. The primary character, Molly, is one who sees things from a very different point of view. She notices the smallest detail which is a huge asset in her work and in helping solve the murder. .It’s a lovely story of the love of a grandmother for her only granddaughter. At the same time there is that murder, a look behind the scenes at the work of a maid in a boutique hotel, a story of how people often misjudge others, before they really know them.The movement from Molly’s younger days to the present time and back is very easy to follow and brings clarity to Molly’s life and situation.I enjoyed the book and was eager to find out what happened next. I began reading one evening and didn’t put it down the next day until I had read the last word. I’m glad I did, there is a twist at the end

I read “The Maid” several years ago. I can't recall the plot, but I certainly remember Molly Gray, the hotel maid with an “eagle eye for details” and a very literal, some would say compulsive, way of perceiving life—a way that can make for amusing as well as uncomfortable situations. In her follow-up novel, “The Mystery Guest,” author Nita Prose has given us a story that’s something of a cozy mystery containing both comedy and sadness.Heroine/narrator Molly Gray continues her housekeeping duties at the Regency Grand Hotel, only now she is its Head Maid, training and overseeing all the other maids.A famous mystery writer organizes a press conference at the Regency, promising to reveal a long-held secret. As he stands before a gaggle of reporters, the secret on the tip of his tongue, he collapses and dies. The police soon determine he’s been murdered and focus on Molly and her co-workers as possible perpetrators. Who is the real killer? And what was their motive for killing the writer? Did it have anything to do with the unrevealed secret? Those are the questions Molly has to answer in order to clear herself and the people she cares about.Excepting the first third, I found it to be a well-written tale that’s also a “quick read.” Like so many stories today, it proceeds along two tracks. The first is set in the present. The second explores past events that lead to and explain the present.I did have problems with the first third. Molly, with all her quirky literalness and compulsion, seemed like a "one-trick pony" and I doubted that she’d be able to sustain the story. Many of the attempts at humor struck me as trite or stale or just not very funny. (In fact, I remember one of the jokes from an episode of "The Odd Couple" airing some 50 years ago)And there seemed to be a saccharine or treacly quality to the story--especially Molly’s unrelenting optimism and her incessant reliance on cutesy, rhyming slogans. I almost quit 33% of the way through. But I kept going and found some of those flaws actually to be elements of a story far more serious than the opening third indicated.Ms. Prose does a good job of fleshing out Molly’s character and expanding on her story. Her settings—including the Regency Grand, a fusty old mansion, and the small apartment Molly once shared with her “Gran”—are well-drawn. The characters may not be particularly deep, but they are engaging and Molly’s relationship with her Gran turns out to be, at times, very touching.The plot is clearly fictional. There’s no mistaking this story for one based on real events, especially since it relies somewhat on "deus ex machina" coincidences. (But, hey, if it worked for Dickens and Lieutenant Columbo--who actually play small parts in this story--then why not for Nita Prose?) And while there are a number of twists and feints in an effort to create surprises, I found some of the reveals predictable. (Then again, could be I've read too much Dickens or watched too many "Columbo"s.) All in all, however, I found the plot entertaining.So, for me, "The Mystery Guest" was a "mixed bag." Some parts I liked. Some I didn't. Hence the three stars. I'll probably forget the story within two weeks. But I'm not likely to forget Molly the Maid.

Molly Gray is now Head Maid at the Grand Regency Hotel. She is perfect for this position because she not only is a rule follower but she takes pride in her work. She has taken timid Lily, maid-in-training, under her wing teaching her the rules of cleaning and proper behavior for a maid at the hotel.The Grand Regency has been chosen to host a special event featuring demanding best selling author J. D. Grimthorpe.Lily has prepared the two Tea Carts for Grimthorpe as he requested. The room is crowded and full of fans and fan clubs to hear the big announcement that the author has promised. But, as he takes the stage and sips his first cup of tea, seasoned with honey instead of sugar, the author drops dead. And once again Molly and The Grand Regency are plunged into the mystery and investigation of a murder committed in the hotel!This second book in the series features Molly and an interesting cast of new and returning characters. All seem to have secrets including my favorite character ( besides Molly) Mr. Preston , the doorman.The story is narrated by Molly as was book one. She is very open about her uniqueness in the way she functions and how she sees life. She is probably somewhere on the autism spectrum. Her story unfolds in flashbacks which helps the reader better understand Molly and her ways.The man she shares life with is in Mexico visiting his mother and most of his appearances in the novel are by phone. It is interesting to see how Detective Stark’s character grows and develops throughout the book. Though Cheryl was up to her old tricks, I did not see her “growth” coming. Overall, I liked the book but not as much as I enjoyed book one, The Maid. Read these books in order which should help explain Molly’s personality and her way of thinking. It’s a good mystery. I am starting 2024 off with this four star read!

Molly the maid is one of the most interesting characters I have ever encountered. She has a social awkwardness that is caused by her brilliance. I loved how the author continued her eccentricity as she learned to navigate the world a little better. And I love how her quirkiness helps her solve mysteries.

While I am thrilled to have received this copy of The Mystery Guest, it did not arrive in perfect condition. The back cover was damaged. It is still readable, but I expected it to be in perfect condition as it is new. Also, it took 17 days to arrive.

The author,s style is straightforward but somehow resounds in the positive.In a way it is a testament to the serenity prayer.The “maid”is a delightful character ,honest to a t and thoroughly likeable.Her logical mind is a wonder to behold.The supporting characters resemble people whom we have met in life.In a way it is a story about the triumph of love and justice .For those of us readers who crave those elements,this is a comedy,a story with a happy ending.

Loved both books great story fantastic characters ,very descriptive detail love the inter woven stories.great reads can't put down highly recommended

"The Mystery Guest" by Nita Prose is the second book in the Molly-the-Maid series and like the first book "The Maid", I really enjoyed reading it.The book is more a character-driven cozy mystery than an action-packed crime novel, but this is okay since the main focus is on Molly and her involvement in a murder at the Regency Grand Hotel, where she works as Head Maid. The victim is J. D. Grimthorpe, a renowned bestselling mystery writer, who is residing at the hotel to make an important announcement in front of the press and an exclusive circle of fans. But before he can do so, he drops dead after drinking from his cup tea. As it turns out later, he was poisoned.Molly knows Grimthorpe from when she was a child and accompanied her grandmother, a maid at the author's mansion, to work during her holidays. There Molly made certain discoveries that are very useful now to find the murderer and solve the case. Molly becomes a kind of sidekick to Detective Stark, who learns to appreciate Molly's special way of looking at things and her sharp observation skills.As I have mentioned before, you don't really get lots of action and violence, the focus is on Molly, who has undergone some changes in personality since book one (she is much more self-confident now!) and on J. D. Grimthorpe, who was not the person everyone thought he was. But smart Molly figures out his secret and contributes to solving this case.I like the character of Molly, she's an honest, hard-working, diligent and sensitive young woman, who has finally found her place in life. The ending suggests that there might be a book 3 in the making and that Molly might even go for a different job.Well, I'm definitely looking forward to reading another book featuring Molly!

Eager to read this second novel about Molly, I found it over- descriptive, drawn in repetitions, a bit naive as if the author addressed schoolchildren or mentally disabled adults. Considering myself not ( at least entirely!!) disabled, I dropped it.

A wonderful sequel to The Maid. Again Molly is faced with a death in her hotel. There are twists and turns to this story that will leave you guessing until the very end as to who killed the VIP guest. The story is told largely with a twin timeline of the present and of Molly's childhood. A totally enjoyable read, Nita Prose is cementing her place in the whodunnit genre. I can not wait to see what she comes out with next.