Book Review: The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

“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…”

Goodreads blurb for The Mystery Guest

Review:

I read The Maid last year and there was admittedly a lot I didn’t like about it. However, there was enough that I did like that I was interested in reading this next installment. I’m so glad I did! 

Molly Gray finds herself entangled in another murder of a Regency Grand Hotel guest. Though not under immediate suspicion this time around, her trainee, Lily, is. Moreover, Molly had been acquainted with this guest, a renowned author, in her youth. Going back and forth from then and now, Molly aids in catching the killer. 

I was super into the ‘before’ part of the story. I loved getting to see more scenes between Molly and Gran and particularly seeing Molly as a child. Everything tied in nicely as well. The present part of the story didn’t captivate me quite as much until near the end. I enjoyed the reading experience much more this time, which tends to be the case in series for me anyway. I’m officially hooked and look forward to any future installments! 

A huge thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of the book! 

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• Molly maintained her charm much better in this book.
• The flashbacks to Molly’s childhood.
• The epilogue!
• It was less political than the first book.

What I didn’t like:

• I wish Juan Manuel had more of a role, however, there was no need.
• With the flashbacks so details and lengthy, I sometimes lost my place on the current events.

Afterthoughts:

This book was a pleasant surprise! It was the perfect travel read.

Where to buy the book: