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

The Maid’s Secret by Nita Prose

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

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….

My Opinion

The Maid’s Secret is the third book in the Molly the Maid series and I would highly recommend reading the books in order. Who wouldn’t be a fan of Molly? This is such a great series and I really enjoy the way Nita Prose reveals the family secrets. A delightful read.

Rating 4/5

I have read all the books in Molly the Maid series, including the short fictional reads, that the author usually releases during the holiday season and I've enjoyed reading about Molly's life and how her relationship with Juan progresses and also finding out about her life with her granny.

But this book, the third in the instalment, didn't quite live up to the expectations and in fact felt the weakest link in the series. This maybe because originally this series was a cozy murder mystery, and in parallel we also discovered about Molly's life with her granny and how personal life develops. But there is no murder in this book and although there is some mystery of the stolen Fabergé egg, the whole plot seems to fall flat and honestly, sometimes feels boring.

The chapters alternates between Molly's present life, where suddenly she is pushed to the centre of limelight when she discovers that her Fabergé egg, is a precious antique and she is now a multi-millionaire. The sudden fame and popularity stresses Molly and her cozy, personal life becomes a prime content on a reality show. The other chapters details about Molly's grandmother and how she came to possess this Fabergé egg. I liked these chapters but the whole story was very cliched and predictable.

I just hope that the next book is better than this. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy of the book.

I've thoroughly enjoyed this series so I was keen to read the final instalment. I think this one might have been my favourite.
I loved the two storylines in this book. Firstly we join Molly in her life as a maid when she decides to value an old antique egg she owns and discovers it is worth millions. What follows is a heist at the Regency Hotel as the egg is suddenly stolen. Who took the egg? Who is threatening Molly and why?
The second part of the story is narrated by Molly's Gran through a diary she wrote as a young girl. I loved this part the most. I became completely immersed in Flora's life story particularly the love story between her and John.
Both stories come together as the diary holds some of the answers to the current mystery.
Molly is such a brilliant character and I loved delving into her past
This is one of my favourite cosy crime series so I'm looking forward to seeing what Nita Prose writes next.

I have loved Molly the maid since the first book and the second was just as good. She has a quirky way about her (obviously on the spectrum) so beguiling and a really likeable character.
I’ve enjoyed reading about her mishaps and the other people in the hotel. But sadly this book just missed the mark of actually being interesting. I became bored with the Molly parts very quickly, it was too much of the same drama that has played out in the last two books. I did enjoy more the parts going back in time with her gran, but to be honest I had lost interest by then and so I skimmed to the end.

Some book series are compelling and while the characters are generally the same, there are good plots that keep you wanting to read them. But, for Molly the maid to continue, it needs to diversify the plot somewhat and change it up, but then perhaps it wouldn’t be the same Molly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I loved this, next in the series of Molly the Maid. Loved getting all of Flora’s history and seeing how the lives in the past shaped future events and characters. Warm, funny, deep, very engaging and highly recommend.

A perfect , satisfying and wholesome read .
In this book we have two time lines Molly in the present day and her Gran’s voice through her diary .
Molly is back and her character shines through and she returns with all her best turns of phrase .
Can Molly go from rags to riches and lead a life she could only have dreamt?
The writing is excellent and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep the readers interest .
I’ve enjoyed the previous books in the series but I think this is my favourite it’s such a satisfying read.
A must read for all Nita Prose fans.
A solid five star read.
An excellent read!
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction.

A perfect ending to the series. I don't think I could ever dislike a Molly book and I'm just sad it's all over. Very excited to see what Nita Prose does next!

The Maid’s Secret
Nita Prose

‘It is an unfortunate fact of life that sometimes we grow old before we grow wise, and for my part, I have learned-too late-the error of my ways.’

When a daring art heist takes place at the Regency Grand, Molly’s life is threatened. The question is who’s out to get her and why?

‘Dear Molly,
Life is a mystery. Try as we might to solve it, a new puzzle
always presents itself.’

There’s always high jinks and shenanigans when Molly’s around. There’s plenty afoot in The Maid’s Secret, including a wedding, a heist and a secret.

“Don't you see? All it takes is one moment
of desperation to turn a good egg into a bad one.”

This book delves more into Gran’s past and helps expose secrets from her younger years. We also have the current chapters and the life changing events occurring to Molly. Plus of course, a classic who done it style mystery to solve.

‘Life is unpredictable. Like an episode of Columbo, it never turns out quite the way you think it will.’

These books are light and easy. All her classic catchphrases are back as usual;
"Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative,” “If it's not okay, it's not the end,"
‘deep cleaning to give meaning’, “denial isn’t just a river in Egypt”, "Fair and square, the maids all share” and of course “a tissue for your issue”. I find it’s Molly’s quirks that make her a character to keep returning to.

This is a very fun palette cleanser book.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨ Secrets and lies
✨ Friendship
✨ It’s best to read the first books to better understand the characters.

Wow! I think this is the best book out of the three Nita Prose has published.
The story unfolds across two timelines and points of view — one from Molly and one from her grandmother — beautifully showing how deeply she loved her until the very end.

A faux Fabergé egg that Molly didn’t even know was worth millions sets everything in motion. Will she go from rags to riches — or not? So many secrets and dramas are uncovered because of it.

The historical love story adds such a powerful layer to the narrative — I think it might be the best part.

Highly recommended for fans of heartfelt mysteries with strong character developement.


❤️shaye.readss

Another lovely Molly the Maid story, possibly the conclusion of these books as it feeld like this tale is now wrapped up. I thoroughly enjoyed this series and am looking forward to seeing what comes next from Nina