Welcome to the Watseka Public Library’s 2024 Worthwhile Reads Book Blog!! I chose a cozy mystery to start the new year – “The Mystery Guest” by Nita Prose. This novel is the second novel to feature ‘Molly the Maid’ as the main character, but it is a stand-alone novel . . . you don’t need to read the first novel, “The Maid” to enjoy this new read! (But we have both at the library, and you might enjoy meeting all of the characters in the first novel, as many reappear in “The Mystery Guest.”)
Molly is a very quirky young woman, raised by her beloved Gran, and known for taking everything quite literally. She is also very hard-working and has been promoted to Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. Famed author, J.D. Grimthorpe is also at the hotel, and suddenly collapses and dies as he is about to make a major announcement. The police are called to investigate, and everyone is under suspicion . . . Molly, her protege/ Lily, the doorman, the author’s fan club and even the author’s secretary. Who could have killed Mr. Grimthorpe???
I loved trying to solve this murder mystery as I read the chapters, but even more, I loved the backstory that told so much more about Molly and her grandmother. Molly is presumably ‘on the spectrum’ and I really enjoy her character. This was a fast read for me – the chapters are not long and they kept me interested in learning more about the case. Maybe there will be another Molly novel in the future . . . I hope so!
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