The Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid #2)

 

Molly Gray, now Head Maid of the 5-star Regency Grand Hotel, definitely knows her way around cleaning, because once again she’s swept my heart away!

In The Mystery Guest, book # 2 of the Molly the Maid series by Nita Prose, Molly is back at it, leading her team of maids to restore rooms to a “state of perfection”. It’s a job that she takes very seriously and she’ll settle for nothing less than the best for guests in her care - a quality she learned from her beloved Gran, whose words of wisdom still guide Molly years after her death.

This time around the hotel is hosting an exclusive gathering for VIP guests of famous author and well-known curmudgeon, J.D. Grimthorpe. Among those in attendance are his personal secretary, Serena Sharpe, members of his fan club the LAMBS (Ladies Auxiliary Mystery Book Society), Molly and her new maid-in-training, meek and mild Lily, who is responsible for serving Mr. Grimthorpe his tea.

When Mr. Grimthorpe takes to the stage, he promises a major announcement to those watching with rapt attention. What could this news be? Unfortunately, it remains a mystery when their beloved author drops dead in front of them! 

With a new suspicious death within the walls of the Regency Grand Hotel, Detective Stark (who should be called Detective Snark) is back to investigate when it’s discovered that Grimthorpe was murdered. When it comes out that Molly spent time in Grimthorpe’s mansion as a child when her Gran worked as a maid for him, Molly once again finds herself on Stark’s list of potential suspects. Luckily, she’s not afraid one bit. She’s too busy doing her own investigation!

Will Molly clean house of the criminal responsible for Mr. Grimthorpe’s murder? One thing is certain: she’ll approach this with the same order and precision that she uses in all aspects of her life! Just as she would leave no bed unmade and no object unpolished, she will leave no stone unturned in her pursuit of the truth!

I enjoyed the first book and found Molly such a likable and quirky character, but I liked this one even more!  Chapters highlighting the current investigation intermingle with chapters from Molly’s past with her Gran in Grimthorpe mansion. I loved the look into the past and seeing Molly’s special relationship with her Gran fleshed out more. I also loved seeing who Molly was as a child and how her experiences formed her. She overcame so much, and you can see why she’s so resilient! I’m curious for the new direction the ending suggests for Molly and the series.

I listened to this on audio, wonderfully narrated by Lauren Ambrose, while reading along on my Kindle. It’s a great book in either format, and bonus if you can do both! You can read this as a standalone, but I recommend reading The Maid first, so you can get to know Molly even better. It’s a fun mystery with great characters, new and old, and a satisfying ending. I highly recommend it!

★★★★ ½ 

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, NetGalley and author Nita Prose for this digital ARC to honestly review. It’s now available.