The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose
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
Countdown to 2023 – Day 8 ‘Baubles’ (23 days remaining)
8 December 2022
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Baubles, Colourful Covers, Countdown to 2023, Day 8, Nita Prose, The Maid
Today is day 8 of my countdown to 2023. Today’s prompt is ‘Baubles’ and I’ve chosen a book with a striking cover. The prompts can be found here if you want to join in. I’m hoping to use mostly books read this year. Let’s begin:
BAUBLES (these add some colour, a very colourful and striking cover)
The Maid by Nita Prose was the first book that I read this year and it makes a great addition to this countdown and in particular this prompt.
Tomorrow: Fairy Lights – a book of the fae/magic
The Maid by Nita Prose
10 January 2022
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Cosy murder mystery, Nita Prose, The Maid
My Five Word TL:DR Review: A cosy, quirky murder mystery
I really enjoyed The Maid. I was looking for something different that would help me find my reading mojo and this book certainly helped with that and then some. This is a cosy mystery with a central character that you can’t help but be charmed my. Molly the maid is a lovely character, splendidly old fashioned, delightfully articulate, perfectly well mannered and ever so slightly obsessed with blitzing dust and grime.
I quite fell for Molly. She’s the sort of character that you can’t help wishing to meet. She is very quirky, she sees things slightly differently to others and unfortunately this has often led to bullying, taunting and name calling. She definitely can’t read a room or gauge other people’s emotions and takes the things that people say quite literally which often leads to some strange encounters. Molly has been raised by her grandmother after her mum ran away with a ‘bad egg’ and her gran has been helping her to navigate life by giving her guidelines and rules for certain situations, an etiquette code if you will. Unfortunately, Molly’s gran passed away a few months before this story starts and so although we constantly share snippets of the wisdom she imparted we don’t actually make her acquaintance and her demise has left Molly alone to fend for herself.
As the story starts Molly shares with the reader her love for her job at the Regency Grand Hotel where every day she takes great pride in returning rooms to ‘a state of perfection’. We start to get a feel for her as she guides us through her day which ends when she returns to her quiet and orderly, but ever so lonely apartment. Molly misses her gran and is also struggling to cope financially but she faces each day with optimism. That is until she finds one of the guests dead in his room and within fairly short order she finds herself embroiled not only in various illegal activities but also becoming ‘a person of interest’ to the police.
This is such a good book to get along with. The writing is perfectly balanced, the setting just pops into your mind’s eye with remarkable ease and the plot slowly but surely becomes more out of control as Molly is sucked from one situation to the next. The thing is, Molly frequently misunderstands signals, body language, facial expressions etc, she’s innocent and truthful to a fault and so the notion that she could be set up to take the blame for murder simply doesn’t occur to her. She has the most remarkable memory which makes her statement to the police invaluable but at the same time her desire to protect certain others leaves her story lacking somewhat. You can’t help but read with your heart almost in your throat when Molly makes certain decisions that you know are going to come back to bite her.
There is a fairly standard cast of characters, the sort you would probably expect with this type of setting but this just adds to the easy way that you slip into this book. And what about the names – Mr Black/Mr Snow/Miss Grey – I love these. Then there’s the handsome barman, the rather snippy supervisor, the steadfast doorman and the wealthy couple who rent the penthouse plus a few other shady characters who pop up from time to time.
In terms of criticisms. I don’t really have any to be honest. This isn’t a dark or gritty murder mystery. the humour is a little dark in that Molly is often unaware of what is actually taking place around her but for the most part this is the very epitome of ‘cosy’ mystery. and I was totally enthralled. I wouldn’t say that this resembles police procedure in any way so if you’re looking for a slice of reality then this probably isn’t the book for you but I have no hesitation in recommending this, it has a lovely found family vibe and Molly is a refreshingly unique character to read about. I can’t wait to see what Nita Prose comes up with next.
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
