My Five Word TL:DR Review : Nita Prose Did It Again

I loved The Maid by this author, it has such a wonderfully cosy and charming feel to it and yet at the same time it manages to introduce readers to a totally new and unique character in Molly the Maid.  So, I was really pleased when I saw her latest instalment The Mystery Guest and to cut to the chase I confess that Prose has won me over again.  The Mystery Guest has such a lovely feel to it.  It’s easy to read.  It has a murder mystery that feels reminiscent of Agatha Christie and Molly is once again an absolute delight to read about.

The story takes place about three or four years since The Maid. Molly has been Head Maid at the Hotel for about 3.5 years, writing her very own manual, or maid’s guide, on how to behave and how to return a room to a state of perfection.  She has recently in fact taken on a Maid in Training, Lily, who she has taken under her wing.  The opening chapters set the scene for a special event.  A world renowned author is using the hotel to make an unprecedented speech in which it’s hoped he’ll be announcing his latest novel. Molly is in charge of supervising the event which is due to take place in the newly opened tea room.  The press and fans alike have gathered at the venue but before the author has a chance to make his announcement he quite literally drops dead.  Foul play is immediately suspected and in the ensuing chaos clues and indeed personal possessions have been overlooked at the scene of the crime and, of course, the last person to assist the recently deceased was the new maid Lily – on which suspicions now land with a deafening thud.   Never fear though, Molly is nothing if not determined and her eye for detail will once again prove invaluable.

So, I won’t delve further into the plot.  This is a cosy murder mystery and, if you’ve read The Maid (which I hope you do before reading this one) then you’ll have a good idea what to expect and I suspect you won’t be disappointed with this latest instalment.

What I really enjoyed.

As with The Maid, the pacing is perfect.  The story gathers momentum and it feels like there’s never a dull moment.  At the same time though this is balanced with some really winning chapters where we observe Molly as a young child and witness the bullying and prejudice she fell victim to.  I really enjoyed reading more about Molly and discovering more of her backstory.  It’s really easy to see why her gran was so influential in not only protecting Molly but also giving her a foundation that she could build upon in later life.

On top of this the setting is absolutely grand.  I love the splendour and finery of the hotel.  Everything polished and gleaming and yet behind the scenes the staff are rushing about like little ants in their endeavours to create this perfect facade.  Plus, a hotel is just so spot on for a murder mystery.  It’s absolutely cliched – but I love it.  You have the capacity to introduce eccentric guests, bossy managers, nuisance co-workers and so much more and it’s all so easy to picture.

Finally of course the characters.  Molly is obviously the stand out character.  Her quirky personality really shines once again and in fact I would say she’s grown in confidence since The Maid.  For this episode her partner was absent (due to family matters) and to be honest I think this was a good decision.  It meant Molly had to stand on her own two feet without having someone else to lean on.  The surrounding cast all play their roles well and Detective Stark is once again the lead investigator – fortunately, this time around she realises how invaluable Molly is in terms of her attention to detail.

Basically, I’m loving this series (although I’m not sure if there are more books to come – hopefully?) I wouldn’t say it places a lot (or any) emphasis on police procedures, it’s not really that type of book.  It’s more about the quirky and unusual, a cosy murder mystery with a winning leading lady.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks.  The above is my own opinion.

My rating 4.5 of 5 stars