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now_booking 's review for:
The Mystery Guest
by Nita Prose
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I adored Molly in the first book (The Maid) but her growth and development as a character and her increased self-assurance was a delight to read. This book really felt like Molly coming into her own and I was completely surprised by the resolution of the mystery.
The premise of the novel is that renowned mystery novelist, Mr Grimthorpe books into the hotel where Molly works to make a dramatic announcement only to be killed before he’s able to do it. Immediately under suspicion are the staff of the hotel where Molly works and it’s up to Molly and her friends and colleagues to solve the mystery.
This was a joy to read. I usually don’t like shifting (past/present) timelines but this was never jarring. There could have been a bit more character development and a bit more of a dive into some of the heavier issues presented in this book. Not doing so made the novel feel a bit more surfacey and less grounded. Even though I understand that it was in Molly’s character not to dwell too long on unpleasant thoughts, there are quite a few really heavy themes that were dealt with in a way that I think needed a bit more care, depth and on-page discussion. I wish Juan-Manuel had been more a part of this book to add a bit more dimension to Molly’s diligent work life, but hopefully this is a series that will continue and we we will get to see him and future characters later on. Are parts of this immensely unrealistic? Yes. But this was a delight to read and I looked forward to picking it back up everytime I put it down. I also listened in audio and I found the narrator did a good job. Looking forward to more in this series.
The premise of the novel is that renowned mystery novelist, Mr Grimthorpe books into the hotel where Molly works to make a dramatic announcement only to be killed before he’s able to do it. Immediately under suspicion are the staff of the hotel where Molly works and it’s up to Molly and her friends and colleagues to solve the mystery.
This was a joy to read. I usually don’t like shifting (past/present) timelines but this was never jarring. There could have been a bit more character development and a bit more of a dive into some of the heavier issues presented in this book. Not doing so made the novel feel a bit more surfacey and less grounded. Even though I understand that it was in Molly’s character not to dwell too long on unpleasant thoughts, there are quite a few really heavy themes that were dealt with in a way that I think needed a bit more care, depth and on-page discussion. I wish Juan-Manuel had been more a part of this book to add a bit more dimension to Molly’s diligent work life, but hopefully this is a series that will continue and we we will get to see him and future characters later on. Are parts of this immensely unrealistic? Yes. But this was a delight to read and I looked forward to picking it back up everytime I put it down. I also listened in audio and I found the narrator did a good job. Looking forward to more in this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Bullying, Death, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse
Minor: Rape