The Mystery Guest is the second maid mystery by Nita Prose. We are reunited with Molly the Maid as she once again finds herself in the middle of a murder that happens at her place of employment, the Regency Grand Hotel. This time the victim is a very famous mystery author who (surprise, surprise) Molly had met when she was a younger. And the coincidences do not end there, and the murder is a mere device used to reveal more about Molly’s past.
If you’ve read The Maid (the first maid mystery) than you are familiar with Molly and her idiosyncrasies. I imagine one either finds them charming or annoying and subsequently will affect how you enjoy this story. Molly is a little more confident with herself in this novel and I think that helped me not get too annoyed with her mannerisms but sometimes Molly’s naivete dragged on a little too long. I don’t want to disclose any of the so-called revelations of the story though most are obvious but again, for many, they may enjoy learning along with Molly. It is definitely true, as Molly states herself that “I notice the wrong things at the wrong times”.
The Mystery Guest is an easy read so if you are looking for a light heartened mystery and enjoyed the first maid mystery you will enjoy this. The one lingering mystery I have after reading this book is why it was titled The Mystery Guest as opposed to the more obvious The Maid in the Mansion?
[3 out of 5 stars]
