secrets and lyes

Molly Gray is now the head maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. It’s been years since she was accused of murder of a guest, and she has kept her head down and worked hard, and now she is the head maid. She’s very proud of that, as all she’d ever wanted was to be a maid. Her Gran was a maid, and she had taught Molly everything she knew. Molly was an excellent cleaner and a compassionate boss, because of her Gran.

It’s a big day at the Regency Grand. Reclusive mystery author J.D. Grimthorpe has planned a rare appearance, to make an announcement. Molly has been tasked with preparing the room, making sure that every single thing in the room is in place for the big event. She has done this with the help of her new maid-in-training Lily. Lily is quiet but hard working, so Molly has her help prepare the tea for Mr. Grimthorpe before his big announcement. And just as he was about to tell the fans and the press his announcement, he took a drink of tea and then keeled over.

After spending years polishing the tarnished reputation of the hotel, the Regency Grand is once again the place of a murder.

Since Lily was the one who gave Mr. Grimthorpe the poisoned tea, all eyes immediately look to her as a suspect. Molly disagrees, and she puts her superior observational skills to use to clear her name. But it’s not just her investigative skills she has to offer on this case. She also has her memory. Because when she was a kid, her Gran worked for the Grimthorpes as a maid. And briefly, Molly did too. As a child, she lacked the understanding of social cues. But as an adult, looking back over what had happened, Molly can see things much more clearly.

Maybe even clearly enough to figure out who killed J.D. Grimthorpe. And maybe even come up with a way to lay a trap for them.

The Mystery Guest is the second book in Nita Prose’s Molly the Maid series. Molly is clearly neurodivergent, from the way she thinks so literally to her traumatic childhood, being bullied by the other kids for her lack of social awareness. But it’s that same mind that can put the clues together and see what others miss, even the detective who once accused her of murder.

I love Molly and not only the way she thinks but the way she can explain the way she thinks. Those who are looking for a glimpse into the mental processes of someone who is neurodivergent will find Molly fascinating. And those looking for a twisty mystery can find happiness in this story as well. The Mystery Guest is smart, kind, and insightful, letting Molly and her superior reasoning skills take us from the mystery to the solution in record time. While some of the scenes from her childhood were heart-breaking, Molly emerges from this story even stronger and more special than I imagined. As a fellow oddball in this world, it made me feel at home to spend time with Molly and her Gran, and I can’t wait to see what she’s going to teach me in her next book.

Egalleys for The Mystery Guest were provided by Ballantine Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.