I enjoyed the first 2 Molly the Maid books so the third one was an obvious choice for me. However, I felt that the harsh divide between the Gran and the Molly chapters was too polarising. To be honest, I felt that the Gran chapters changed her character too much to bring this late into the series, and I didn’t enjoy them as much. I wanted the focus to be more of Molly and her life, much like the first 2. I found myself skimming the Gran chapters just to get back to the main story. Because of the this, the Molly story felt too quick and short to really wrap up the series. I would recommend the first 2 but the 3rd fell flat for me.

It was such a delight to be back with Molly and friends. She is very lovable character and the development of her character by Nita Prose has been a joy to read. Molly lives in a very particular way, often seen by some as peculiar, she has high standards and as such often struggles to understand those around her who do not share her passion. This latest instalment in the series, sees Molly preparing for her wedding to her beloved Juan and the young couple are facing financial challenges. In a surprising turn of events, Molly is faced with the prospect of a large windfall, what follows is a wonderful tale of mystery, secrets and many scenes which will have the reader hook from the start. I certainly was and I highly recommend this title to anyone who enjoys a cosy crime, lovable characters and an incredible twist. Thank you Harper Collins and NetGalley for the review copy.

Things are looking up for Molly the Maid. Head Maid and in charge of special events at the hotel where she works, engaged to be married and loving her life.

A left treasure from her beloved grandmother is about to cause a sensation. It is worth money, lots of it but then it is stolen from the very hotel where she works and of course with her reputation, she is the one to solve the crime.

The answer lies in a diary her grandmother kept and tells the story of a romance and how love can sometimes conquer all.

Cosy mystery with an interesting characters, subtle humour and a warmth that you do not get with other books in this genre.

I fell in love with Molly the Maid in the first book, and every subsequent book gave us more of her story. This book peels the curtain even more as we learn about Molly’s grandmother. Molly strikes it rich on a TV show that appraises people’s treasures, and there’s a surprise in store for Molly and her family! 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Nita Prose has my heart. Molly the Maid has my heart. And I wasn’t ready for this series to end, and I am going to miss this glorious world. It’s hard to say much without spoiling the series as a whole, but please please please buy these books!!

Molly the maid returns in’The Maid’s Secret’ and her life is turned upside down in this 3rd book of the series.

Molly’s life runs on routine and order both at home and at work but that all changes when an antiques show is filmed at the Regency Grand Hotel where she works and an item that she takes in for appraisal turns out to be possibly priceless.

Molly is unwittingly thrown into a media frenzy and everybody wants a piece of her which is far too unsettling for her and her forthcoming wedding plans. A spanner is thrown in the works which leaves Molly with another mystery to solve which makes for an entertaining read.

It’s impossible not to love Molly as a main character and it’s great to see a neuro-divergent character front row and center. I hope to see more in the series in the future to see what lies ahead for Molly.

The Maid's Secret is the final installment of the series and I'm absolutely gutted to end the journey with Molly! She's been an absolute delight from the very start and this didn't disappoint. I loved the mystery, the returning cast of quirky characters, everything about Molly and her mannerisms, and getting to know more of Molly's Grans backstory!

If you enjoy a cosy crime, murder mystery set in a bustling London hotel then you'll want to check this out.

Nita Prose is an auto buy author for me now and I can't wait to see what else she has to offer..

‘The Maid’s Secret’ is the third book in the Molly the maid series by author Nita Prose.

Molly is now Head Maid and newly appointed Special Events Manager of the Regency Grand Hotel. With a wedding to her loving fiancé Juan Manuel only two months away, things are finally falling into place for Molly or so she thought. When the team from a reality TV show, Hidden Treasures arrives at the hotel all sorts of chaos follows. Molly gets an appraisal of her late Gran’s belongings and everyone is amazed when one of the items is revealed to be very rare and priceless. Molly is suddenly the centre of attention and very wealthy, but just as quickly, the treasure vanishes in what becomes a headline-making heist.

I have read and enjoyed the other novels in this series so was really looking forward to this one. This one was a little different to the other books in the series in that it is not just an whodunit but we learn more of Molly’s past and family. Through a long-lost diary, Molly uncovers secrets from her Gran’s privileged past, learning of a forbidden love and a connection that changes everything she thought she knew. Switching between past and present the novel works well dealing with Molly’s personal story as well as the unravelling of the crime.
The strength of the novel for me was the very good characters that came to life in this cosy crime novel.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I am always glad to get back to Molly the Maid's adventures. This time is directly concerns her life! What an amazing character. I love her so much!

I would like to thank Netgalley and the published for providing me with the e-copy.

In all honesty, I was really disappointed with the third installment of Molly’s adventures.

I absolutely loved the first book in the series, but this one fell really short of my expectations.

The ‘heist’ was really underwhelming. I found the host of the Antiques Roadshow style appraisal programme irritating and unlikeable. And the idea that Molly had a priceless Faberge egg just sitting on a shelf was a bit daft.

Much of the book is her Grandmother Flora’s diary. And young Flora is a million miles away from the wise, caring woman that raises her granddaughter. The whole family is just so awful, with attitudes that seem ridiculously outdated for the time period.

There were some moments of magic, but sadly this one didn’t hit the mark for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for my gifted digital copy of The Maid’s Secret.

A decent read, but didn’t quite sweep me off my feet. 🧹 I still love Molly’s unique voice and perspective, and there were moments of charm and cleverness throughout but the mystery didn’t grip me as much this time. It felt a little slower and less surprising than The Maid. That said, it was still enjoyable in parts, just not as strong a follow-up as I’d hoped. A solid 3⭐️ from me!

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Thank you to Netgalley and Harpercollins for my copy. This is another backlog.

This is the third instalment of the series. As we continue to follow Maid Molly on her adventures in this book, we also follow Molly as she reads through her grandmother's journal, which makes me feel like we got to know her grandmother better and how their relationship has become so close between her and Molly. It also shows some things I didn't expect in the past and some I did expect. This book definitely started unexpectedly for me, and I never imagined this was the way this story would turn. Molly is so shocked at her rags to riches, as was I, and I also like how this book shows how this can affect normal people's daily lives and routines. Learning about Flora was definitely my favorite part if this book and it made me smile.

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In a Nutshell: The grand finale of the ‘Molly the Maid’ series, and sadly, the weakest book of the set, even counting that disappointing novella. Molly’s story is interesting, but her Gran’s story, which gets greater focus, is too typical. The mystery is also quite lacklustre. Recommended only to staunch Molly fans. Not to be read as a standalone.

Note: This review might contain minor spoilers from the earlier books of the series.

Plot Preview:
Still working at the Regency Grand as the Head Maid and also the Special Events Manager, Molly is looking forward to her nuptials with Juan Manuel. When a TV crew comes to the hotel to shoot the hit reality TV show ‘Hidden Treasures’, starring art appraisers Brown and Beagle evaluating ordinary belongings in hopes of finding a priceless treasure, Molly never expects that her life would change overnight after one of her Gran’s heirlooms turns out to be a rare artefact. But with great fame comes great peril, and Molly’s heirloom soon vanishes. The clue might lie in Gran’s old diary, through which Molly finally learns of her Gran’s past.
The story comes to us in the usual first-person perspective of Molly, and also in Gran’s first-person POV through her diary entries.

I was a huge fan of the first Molly book, ‘The Maid’, falling instantly in love with the quirky titular character. The second book, ‘The Mystery Guest’, was also very good, even if the mystery itself wasn’t satisfying. The third entry of the series, a Christmas novella titled ‘The Mistletoe Mystery’, was a mixed bag, as it failed to do justice to Molly. I was hoping that this fourth book, which is known to be the last of the series, would end on a high note. Sadly, it wasn’t to be.
By now, I have learnt not to read this series as a mystery, even though every book contains some or the other enigma. The novels work far better as character-oriented dramas than as crime stories. But even with this altered expectation, this final book fails to impress beyond a level.
Unlike in the first two novels, there’s no murder or death in this book. The suspense is connected to a theft. It is not so difficult to narrow down the possible suspects, and the reveal is also not that impressive. So it would be better not to expect any mystery from this novel. Rather, read it for Molly and Flora (Molly’s Gran.)
A great chunk of the book comes from Flora’s perspective. In fact, the titular ‘maid’ character this time isn't Molly but Flora. At first, I was thrilled to be finally able to learn Flora’s backstory. These chapters started off quite well, with the content written exactly how a diary would be penned, with personal notes, observations, recollections, and confessions. However, after a point, the diary lost its identity and felt more like a typical novel full of back-and-forth conversations and scene-by-scene detailing. This is one of my pet peeves in fiction: a diary not written as a diary. Once the “diary” feel disappeared from Flora’s POV, the appeal of her confession was lost. Moreover, the content of this tell-all was mostly straightforward (with only one major surprise), feeling like a historical romantic drama. It might work for those who enjoy women’s fiction, but I didn’t expect this kind of storyline while reading a Molly the Maid book.
Further, because of the earlier books in the series, we are aware of Flora’s end, her doomed relationship with Mr. Preston, and her failed connection with her estranged daughter Margaret. As such, the backstory doesn’t hold much suspense. We already know the destination; we just have to wait to see how Flora reached that destination, which isn’t that tricky to guess.
More disappointing to me is the fact that Flora’s younger personality isn’t exactly in continuation with what we’ve learnt about her so far. Some of her reveals are disappointing, even though I accept that her youthful mistakes probably helped in making her the beloved Gran whose wise aphorisms made the first Molly book extra-special.
As about half of the book comes from Flora’s perspective, Molly’s POV doesn’t get as much focus as in the previous books. What little we get of Molly still matches her established persona, and I was delighted to see her settled in her profession, comfortable with Juan Manuel, and looking forward to the next phase of her life. While I would have loved reading more about Molly, I still enjoyed the little glimpses I saw of her life. I am glad her story comes to a satisfactory finish.
One of the things I most appreciated about Molly’s arc is how she read Flora’s entire diary in one go, unlike in most other novels where characters read a page or a chapter at a time when they find a secret/long-lost diary. A binge-reading session is so much more realistic and believable!
Molly’s first-person is still filled with her “Molly-isms”, her Gran’s morals, and her formal vocabulary. But she has also incorporated some of Juan Manuel’s modern lingo into her speech. So it is quite funny to see that her linguistic struggles still persist, thanks to new hotel recruit Speedy, whose utterances are limited to GenZ phrases.
Speedy is the best of the new characters in the book. There are a few other new characters, thanks to the TV crew and Flora’s confessions. But as this is the final book of the series, I enjoyed seeing the old favourites – especially Angela who finally gets her due – making their presence felt even in their limited appearance.
All in all, I loved Molly’s arc, had mixed feelings about the “mystery” in the contemporary timeline (decently intriguing but poor resolution) and was somewhat bored by Flora’s arc. I don’t regret reading this book, but I do wish the overall novel had lived up to the standards set by the first two Molly books and that it had much more of Molly and at least a little more (and better) mystery.
Recommended only to those who have read the earlier novels, and want to know Flora’s life story and to see Molly settled. This book wouldn’t be effective as a standalone.
3 stars. (Mostly for Molly’s story.)
My thanks to HarperCollins UK and HarperFiction for providing the DRC of “The Maid's Secret” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I enjoyed Molly the Maid first two books and the idea of the third revealing Gran's past was an interesting one. However, the constant emphasis on the wordplay ' Molly the Maid was getting tiresome, as was her vulnerability
Gran's story was predictable given the previous two books.
I think this series has run its course.

I love the Maid books so much. This was another brilliant instalment in the tale. I could happily read these all day. Well written, pieced together beautifully and a great read.

Amazing read! Great conclusion to the series! I love Molly the maid and all the wonderful characters who accompany her. Easy heart warming reads

While I thought the first two Molly the Maid books were sweet and easy reads, this one didn't really deliver for me. It felt rather cliché and predictable to the point where it played out exactly the way I thought, and usually I'm always the last to figure out the mystery! I liked that the story deviated a little from the "murder" plots of the books before, but because of the split timelines, it felt that the "mystery" part of the story wasn't particularly well developed and the ends all tied up a little too conveniently.

3.5 stars

Although I really loved the first two books in this series, for me, this final installment fell a bit short, primarily due to the dual POV, which was split between excerpts from Gran’s diary and a present-day timeline involving a Fabergé egg, an audacious heist, and Molly in the thick of everything yet again.

While it was interesting to learn about Gran’s surprising childhood, I felt it took up too much of the book and took the focus away from Molly, who has always been the star of the show. I missed the quirkiness that made Molly so endearing in earlier installments..

That said, this was a quick, light read, and many reviewers seem to have enjoyed it.

I look forward to seeing what Nita Prose produces next, starting with a fresh page.

Molly is now not just Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, but also Special Events Manager, and everyone at the hotel is eager and excited about the filming of an episode of the popular reality tv show "Hidden Treasures" (like "Antiques Roadshow") at the hotel. Not only will the hosts and appraisers Baxley Brown and Thomas Beagle look at items brought in by fans and others, but hotel staff will also get a chance to have the two men review their treasures.

Molly is also excited because she and Juan Manuel will be getting married in two months, so there is much to do. In light of this, Mr. Preston gives Molly her gran's journal to read, as gran had wanted Molly to receive this only when she was emotionally ready.

On the day of filming, Molly brings in some of her treasures in a shoebox containing little things her beloved gran had. One of these items is the beautiful, decorative egg that featured in book 2. To everyone's surprise, Beagle and Brown inform Molly that the egg is priceless, and she's now a multi-millionaire.

Molly immediately becomes the focus of social media posts, much to her dismay. Eager to return to her quiet life, she agrees to Beagle and Brown auctioning off the egg as soon as possible. They all decide to have the auction at the Regency Grand, but, shockingly, the item is stolen while filming. It's an audacious theft, and Molly gradually begins noticing some odd things. She also begins reading gran's journal entries, which give Molly gran's life story, as well as reveal to Molly a connection between gran's life and the egg, which goes much beyond what Molly could have ever expected.

This was another great entry in a series I thoroughly enjoy for Molly's pluckiness, her many rhyming, pithy sayings, and the lovely friendships and romance she has found by just being herself. Molly may see the world a little differently than others, but she's smart, highly observant, and above all, kind.

Author Nita Prose not gives us an amateur sleuth story, but she also gives us a poignant and revealing history about Molly's gran. adding much depth to the woman whom we've never properly met, except through Molly's memories. Gran's life before Molly is not what I expected, and it gives us context for things gran taught Molly, but also gives us background on another character very important to Molly.

The reveals are satisfying, and the story wrap-up heartwarming, and I loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley and to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, and to Penguin Random House Canada (Adult) for this ARC in exchange for my review.

A fun book, I think this series has run its course. It was fun to read the revelation of Molly's fortune, but the rest of it is getting a bit silly