Scan barcode
kiwichill's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Bullying, Alcoholism, Classism, Murder, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Grief, and Stalking
hmetwade's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Minor: Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Death, Abandonment, Murder, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Bullying
liltastypuff's review against another edition
3.5
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Alcoholism
Warnings mentioned are all incidents in the past and off page, however they are plot points.shinypurplepants's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Sexual harassment, Addiction, Physical abuse, Rape, Alcoholism, Violence, and Toxic relationship
aftereliza's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The writing is very direct in its narration, Molly has a very clear voice and a keen eye for detail, whether for cleaning, memorising very specific places and details or solving murders. I love the details that came through from the first novel and I think I like the hints of whether Molly's story is going in the future!
Read this in tandem with the audiobook. Finished the audiobook.
Minor: Sexual harassment
mochasandmetaphors's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Minor: Sexual harassment
rngaines14's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
abbeyroad1410's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Molly in this novel is very different from the Molly in the prior novel. Her quirks seem toned down, though much of that could be due to her gain in confidence. Since the last novel, she has been promoted to head maid and appears to have a lot of authority at the hotel. This version of Molly is very likeable and keeps her original charm; however, I feel like her toned down quirks make the character less unique.
One thing that is quite enjoyable about this novel is the flashbacks in time. I think these work very well, especially since the novels goal is to connect Molly to the plot in a personal way that allows her to solve the mystery and gives viable alternatives to the murderer. At times, I think the flashback subplot is more gripping than the original novel. It is nice to get this context to Molly's character and it expands the background of the murder victim.
The end of the novel is fairly well-done
Overall, I was very happy with this sequel, I simply prefer the Maid for his more unique characterization of the lead.
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexual assault
frannook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
Never fear a new beginning. One chapter must end for another to begin.
In The mystery guest we are once again back in the Regency Hotel where Molly has now been promoted to head-maid: she is in charge of all the maids, valued and appreciated by the hotel manager Mr. Snow and her coworkers and has even written a handbook for the Regency Hotel maids.
Her boyfriend Juan has left for Mexico to go visit his family and she is busy with preparing the brand-new renovated hotel's decadent tearoom for a big event: the mysterious author JD Grimthorpe will address for the first time his adoring fans to give a big announcement.
Unfortunately, just when he's about to reveal his secret, he takes a sip from his cup of tea and immediately drops dead, right there in front of readers, journalists and hotel's personell.
And who had prepared the tea cart? So it is that Molly and her maid in training Lily find themselves once more at the center of a police investigation.
What can I say, I just love Molly as a character and I love the whole cast of characters, particularly Molly's grandmother - yes, because even though she died even before the beginning of the first book, she is right there in every moment and every page, never leaving Molly, always offering words of encouragement or having the right saying for every situation in which Molly finds herself in.
It is such a great cozy mystery series, with such good and lovable characters and appealing settings, filled with drama and it perfectly balances more serious topics (such as child abandonment, sexual assault, drug use, grief ) with humor and lightheartedness, which is not at all an easy task!
I truly deeply hope that this is not the last we see of Molly and that her adventures will continue in other books!
... About that. I do have a suggestion for the third book, so follow me okay?
Dear Nita Prose, just get rid of Juan. Nobody cares about him and there's no chemistry there. But Molly and Detective Stark?! I can totally see Molly as a neurodivergent bisexual woman (a great and quite common intersectionality) and Detective Stark as a fearsome butch!
Like, it's an enemies to lovers that writes itself, the foundation was so clearly there on a silver platter in this volume.
All you have to do is give it a little push and there we have it, a third book with a budding sapphic romance between Molly the officer in training and Detective Stark! Pretty please?!
Minor: Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Death, and Murder
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Author: Nita Prose
Series: Molly the Maid, #2
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4.50
Pub Date: November 28, 2023
I received complimentary eARC from Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Cozy • Comforting • Accessible
📖 S Y N O P S I S
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 know: 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 that 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 must comb her memory for clues, and revisit her childhood and the mysterious Grimthorpe mansion where her dearly departed Gran once worked. With Molly and her colleagues under investigation, she knows she must solve the mystery post-haste. And if there’s one thing she knows for sure, it's that dirty secrets don’t stay buried forever...
💭 T H O U G H T S
The Mystery Guest was my final selection for my personal book of the month project in 2023. I selected it because I absolutely adored The Maid, but also because I like showing my support for Canadian authors. Molly the maid found a way into my heart, and I was eager to be back in her world.
Alternating between the present timeline where renowned author J.D. Grimthorpe drops dead during an important announcement at the Regency Grand Hotel, and the past when Molly was ten and tagging along with her Gran to the Grinthorpe residence, this novel is lighthearted, even while tackling some significant topics. Molly is one of those characters that has found a special place in my heart, and so I really appreciated getting a glimpse into her past. Molly is the star of the show, yet the secondary characters, particularly Molly's tight knit circle of supporters, were equally as endearing. I just love how the author continues to incorporate Gran into the story even though she has died.
The mystery is fairly low risk, and unfolds at a steady pace as the past slowly provides clues to what happened. There is definitely a need to suspend disbelief at times, but isn't that a signature aspect of cozies? The sleuthing and aspects of the plot did feel eerily similar to The Maid, yet it didn't deter my interest.
Was this book necessary? Probably not. Did I enjoy it? Absolutely! Would read more books starring Molly the Maid? 100%! I can understand why some people would be underwhelmed, yet I personally loved this feel-good story. Although it is marketed as part of a series, The Mystery Guest could easily be read as a stand alone, which is how the author intended it, despite it being marketed as part of a series. I will definitely be curious to see if Nita Prose's next book includes Molly, or whether she chooses to create a new set of characters.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• cozy mystery enthusiasts
• fans of endearing characters
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"You can fight monsters you can see, or you can run away from them. But the invisible ones are inescapable."
"And what is hope if not the decision to shine light into the dark?"
"It doesn't matter if you understand another person's pain because their injury is real nonetheless."
Moderate: Murder, Sexual assault, Death, Sexism, Misogyny, Classism, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Mental illness, Abandonment, Bullying, Alcoholism, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Ableism, Drug abuse, Grief, and Cursing