The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose

A wedding. A heist. A secret.

Molly Gray’s life is about to change in ways she could never have imagined. As the esteemed Head Maid and recently promoted Special Events Manager of the Regency Grand Hotel, good things are just around the corner, including her marriage to her beloved fiancé, Juan Manuel, only two months away.

But Molly’s entire existence is upended when a film crew descends upon the hotel to shoot the hit reality TV show Hidden Treasures, starring popular art appraisers Brown and Beagle. On a whim, Molly brings in a shoebox containing a few of her gran’s old things for appraisal, and much to everyone's surprise, one item turns out to be a rare and priceless treasure. Instantly, Molly is both a multi-millionaire and a media sensation—the world’s rags-to-riches darling—until the priceless piece vanishes from the hotel in the boldest, brashest antiquities heist in recent memory.

The key to the mystery lies in the past, in a long-forgotten diary written by Molly’s gran. For the first time ever, Molly learns about Gran’s true-to-life fairytale, a young girl to the manor born, the only child of a wealthy magnate. But when Gran falls head over heels in love with a young man her parents deem below her station, her life is thrown into turmoil. As fate would have it, the greatest love of Gran’s life is someone Molly knows quite well….

Together with her friends, Molly combs the past and the present to catch the thief before looming threats against her become real.

A spirited heist caper and an epic love story, The Maid’s Secret is a spellbinding whodunnit that will capture and warm your heart.

Hardcover, 336 pages

Audioboook, 11 hours, 3 minutes

Published April 8, 2025 

by Ballantine Books/Viking

4/5 stars

And here we have the conclusion to Molly the Maid Series, or is it really ?

This was an audio read for me and I quite enjoyed it. Again told from Molly‘s point of view, but also from her Grans as she takes us through her life story. I’ll confess that I really enjoyed Grans story more, because of its history and what takes place.

Molly‘s journey to the altar is interrupted when she discovers that one of her Grans possessions is worth millions, therefore Molly has now become a target for unsavory characters and the media. How Gran was able to possess such an item is what her past story highlights.

This was a great audiobook and an enjoyable mystery, it was a story of hope, family and love & friendship.  A fitting conclusion for Molly.

This book was part of my 2025 reading off my shelf challenge and is booked number 32.

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

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 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...

Paperback, 304 pages

Published November 28, 2023

 by Penguin Canada

4.5/5 stars

Molly has returned, three years later, as head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel.

This was a fun sequel to The Maid. It had some of Molly‘s background and her growing up years with Gran that were intricately woven into this story. Beginning with the murder of renowned author, J.D. Grimthrope and where Molly meets again Detective Stark. Was it natural causes or foul play? Thus begins this story

For me, it was Molly's story that took center stage with the murder being nicely in the background, but not too far back. With a more personal glimpse into her past, with some of the obstacles she faced and overcame along with what makes her tick made this an enjoyable and entertaining room. The ending was fitting with lots of loose ends tied up neatly.

 I would love to see Molly again in another story, but I would also like to see what else the author can come up with.

This book was part of my 2023 reading off my shelf challenge

The Maid by Nita Prose

A dead body is one mess she can't clean up on her own.

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life's complexities all by herself. No matter--she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly's orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what's happening, Molly's unusual demeanour has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black. But will they be able to find the real killer before it's too late?

Both a Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different--and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.

Paperback, 304 pages

Published January 4, 2022 

by Viking

4.5/5 stars

The buzz was crazy on Instagram for The Maid, (are you on IG? Come follow me  margaret.at.justonemorechapter).  

Molly is an endearing character, a bright light, a breathe of fresh air.  I love her enthusiasm and dedication to not just her job but life. She was misunderstood and loved & criticized by others.  When I finished reading The Maid I had the urge to clean something, but the fear of discovering a corpse quickly put that thought to rest.  Thus that is how this story began.

The Maid is a layered story, between the infamous Mr Black, unreliable characters and Molly's naivety made this a nice rounded read. With murder and mayhem its also about relationships and trust.

I loved the way the author flawlessly wove the past to showcase Molly's upbringing, mainly her relationship with her Gran.  Lots of words of wise thoughts to ponder.

"Everything will  be okay in the end.  If it's not okay, it's not the end."

“That’s the trouble with pain. It’s a contagious as a disease. It spreads from the person who first endured it to those who love them most. Truth isn’t always the highest ideal. sometimes it must be sacrificed to stop the spread of pain to those you love.”

I am happy that I caved to IG pressure and read this book, the beginning might have been a tad slow but I read the last half in one day.

My copy obtained from my local public library - but truly I would love a copy in my library.