Stephanie Sullivan: Review - The Mystery Guest

TITLE: The Mystery Guest

RATING: ★★★★

RELEASE DATE: November 28th, 2023

Summary (from Goodreads): 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 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 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...

REVIEW: The Maid is one of my favorite books, so I was thrilled to get my hands on The Mystery Guest. Molly Gray is such a wonderful character, and she will always remind me of Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory in her mannerisms and the way she talks. Nita Prose is a genius with dialogue and description, and it's so easy to picture this wonderful world in my mind while I read her books. She brings every character to life - not just Molly - and I hope we get another glimpse inside the Regency Grand Hotel in the near future. Although The Maid is still my favorite of Nita's books, The Mystery Guest was enjoyable too. There were parts that felt a bit rushed, but in the end it's a great little whodunit, and I would gladly recommend it to everyone.

(DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this title from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.)