Thank you Libro.fm / Penguin Random House Audio, for the ALC and Random House/Netgalley, #partner for the advanced e-copy of The Mystery Guest in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Ballantine Books / Penguin Random House Audio
Published: November 28, 2023
Summary:
When an acclaimed author dies at the Regency Grand Hotel, it’s up to a fastidious maid to uncover the truth, no matter how dirty—in a standalone novel featuring Molly Gray, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid, a Good Morning America Book Club Pick.
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 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 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 begins to comb her memory for clues, revisiting her childhood and the mysterious Grimthorpe mansion where she and her dearly departed Gran once worked side by side. With the entire hotel under investigation, Molly must solve the mystery post-haste. If there’s one thing Molly knows for sure, it’s that dirty secrets don’t stay buried forever…
My thoughts:
I was thrilled to find out Molly the Maid was back! I loved The Maid and this second book easily became a much anticipated read…and I’m so happy to say it totally lived up to all my expectations and then some.
Being back in Molly’s world is just such a treat. She is still working at the Regency Grand Hotel, so there are familiar faces if you have read the previous book, which I highly recommend as it was a favorite of mine! And if you haven’t, definitely pick it up after reading this one. Once again, a murder has happened, this time a high-profile one that threatens the hotel’s reputation and Molly just happens to know how the victim is and might have the key to figuring it all out.
I loved how this time around, not only do we have another locked-room mystery, but we have a dual timeline that allows us to get a glimpse into Molly’s past. We learn so much about her as a child, seeing her with her beloved Gram. This relationship is just so special and I love that even though Gran is no longer here, we see she is still such a large part of Molly’s life.
The mystery really kept me guessing all the way through, with red herrings a plenty and I couldn’t have loved it more. And Molly’s inner voice as she worked things out was just pure joy.
This is such a quick, fun read and I cannot recommend it enough. I do hope we haven’t seen the last of Molly…especially with that last twist at the end!
Audio thoughts:
I was able to listen to this one and it was a pure delight. The narrator, Lauren Ambrose, did such a great job bringing this book to life. She gave Molly such a great personality and I found myself completely engaged in the audio.
Books in this series:
- The Maid
- The Mystery Guest
