The Mystery Guest: A Maid Novel

Nita Prose’s The Mystery Guest is the second novel in the Molly the Maid series. The first novel, simply titled The Maid, introduces the protagonist, Molly Gray. The Maid became an international best-seller and won multiple awards, including the Ned Kelly Award for International Crime Fiction, the Fingerprint Award for Debut Novel of the Year, the Anthony Award for Best First Novel, and the Barry Award for Best First Mystery.

The first two installments of the series fit comfortably in the cozy mystery genre, in which the protagonists are amateur sleuths, and any violence or sexually explicit events generally occur “offstage.” However, Prose’s novel stands out because protagonist Molly Gray’s unique way of thinking helps her to become a talented detective even as her quirky mannerisms hinder her socially. While speculation about Molly’s neurotype abounds, Prose has declined to confirm Molly’s diagnosis as a neurodivergent individual and states instead that Molly’s struggle with belonging is universal; the author’s themes often revolve around this topic. While Molly sees and remembers small details that are instrumental in identifying the killer, her difficulty with reading human behavior and her literal interpretations of conversations often create misunderstandings and conflicts. The first novel is as much about Molly finding people who accept, value, and love her as it is about finding the killer of an unlikeable hotel guest. The books often take on a humorous version of dramatic irony whenever Molly’s thoughts contrast with information that the narrative has already revealed to the reader.

The Mystery Guest differs from the first novel in a few significant ways, for Molly now has a strong group of friends and colleagues who give her confidence, and while she isn’t always understood, she knows that she is safe and loved. The Mystery Guest also shows a widening range of people who come to appreciate her gifts, including Detective Stark, who eventually offers her a job. The figure of her deceased Gran continues to play a key role, and the plot makes extensive use of flashbacks to include her in the current text. Molly and her gran’s shared past is explored more thoroughly and provides clues to the current murder and to Molly’s character and relationships. While the first novel is a coming-of-age story, the second provides a deeper exploration of Molly’s situation and character.

Molly’s inclination to see things in black and white and her often rigid moral code fuel the series’ theme of vigilante justice, but this time, Molly teams up with Detective Stark rather than remaining under a cloud of suspicion. She is also forced to decode a wealth of negative human behavior, and these events cause her to recall early memories such as the incident in which her mother stole from her. On the whole, however, the novel features the same overarching theme of acceptance that runs throughout the series thus far. Many of the symbols and motifs from the first novel also reappear in the second book, such as Gran’s encouraging aphorisms, the pillow that was used to end her life, and the Fabergé egg. The third novel in the series, The Mistletoe Mystery, is due to be released in October 2024, and a film version of The Maid with the actress Florence Pugh is in production at Universal Pictures.