nita-prose – Jill's Book Blog

Review: The Mistletoe Mystery (Molly the Maid #2.5)

Title: The Mistletoe Mystery (Molly the Maid #2.5)
Author: Nita Prose
Genre: Mystery, Contemporary
Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: October 1, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Molly the Maid has a whole new mystery to solve in this heartwarming novella from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid and The Mystery Guest.

Molly Gray has always loved the holidays. When Molly was a child, her gran went to great lengths to make the season merry and bright, full of cherished traditions. The first few Christmases without Gran were hard on Molly, but this year, her beloved boyfriend and fellow festive spirit, Juan Manuel, is intent on making the season Molly’s mofinst joyful yet.

But when a Secret Santa gift exchange at the Regency Grand Hotel raises questions about who Molly can and cannot trust, she dives headfirst into solving her most consequential—and personal—mystery yet. Molly has a bad feeling about things, and she starts to wonder: has she yet again mistaken a frog for a prince?

A heartwarming, magical story about the true spirit of the season, The Mistletoe Mysteryreminds us that love is the greatest mystery of all.

Review:

Molly Gray always loved celebrating Christmas with her Gran. Now that she lives with her boyfriend, Juan Manuel, he is trying to continue her traditions and start new ones. Even though he is being very thoughtful with gifts and traditions, Juan is acting strangely. He is speaking to other women and sneaking around at work. At the same time, Molly is a little apprehensive about the Secret Santa gift exchange at the Regency Hotel, since she was teased at the last one. Molly must figure out what is going on with Juan, so they can have a happy holiday together.

It was so fun to revisit Molly Gray in this holiday novella! There was a little mystery with what Juan was doing, but I guessed what he was planning early in the story. I loved reading about the traditions Molly had with her Gran and the new ones she was starting with Juan.

The Mistletoe Mystery is a fun holiday novella for fans of The Maid!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy of this book!

Other books in the series:

Have you read The Mistletoe Mystery? What did you think of it?

Review: The Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid #2)

Title: The Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid #2)
Author: Nita Prose
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Contemporary
Publisher: Viking
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: November 28, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

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:

Molly Gray is now the Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. At an event at the hotel, the famous author J.D. Grimthorpe drops dead, leaving the hotel staff as the prime suspects. However, Molly keeps it a secret that she knew Grimthorpe as a child. To figure out who the killer is, Molly revisits memories of visiting the Grimthorpe mansion with her Gran as a child.

I was so glad to revisit Molly in this story. She’s a unique character who doesn’t understand many social cues, so she’s viewed as “different” by many people she encounters. Despite this, she perseveres and works to solve the murders that occur at the hotel. It was nice to see some of Molly’s memories with Gran, but I would have liked to see the story stay more in the present mystery. The murder mystery was suspenseful, with an ending I didn’t expect.

I hope we get to revisit Molly Gray in the future.

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy of this book!

Content warnings: addiction, alcoholism, poisoning, death, theft