The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose

 

When a fine arts and collectibles fair hosts an event at the Regency Grand Hotel Molly takes along some of her grandmother's prized possessions, little realising that her life could be about to change forever.

As a fan of Molly the Maid, I was over the moon to see that author Nita Prose was giving her a third outing in The Maid's Secret. Although there is a mystery element to the story, it doesn't play as big a part as it did in the first two books in the series The Maid (read my review here) and The Mystery Guest (read my review here).

Fans of the series will know that Molly was raised by her gran, a woman who had a huge influence on her life and made her the open, hard-working and honest person she is. Molly's gran was one of those people who didn't dwell on the past, she was firmly rooted in the present. A large part of The Maid's Secret reveals her gran's backstory in the form of diary entries, a diary she wrote for Molly. Through the diary we meet a young Flora Gray, born into a wealthy but loveless family. As a result, she is raised by her nanny and because of this she remains grounded, hoping to attend university and make something of her life.

Flora's diary entries are interspersed with current-day events in the hotel. During the fair, a valuable antique was unearthed and subsequently auctioned off in the hotel. The auction is to take place on live TV, hosted by celebrity auctioneers and puts Molly at the forefront of proceedings, not something she wants or likes. Somehow, the antique mysteriously disappears in front of everyone. The staff at the hotel like nothing better than a mystery to solve and we see many of the characters we have grown to love involved.

I found myself more absorbed by Flora's story than that of Molly, partly because she was pushing against expectations but also because I wanted to know how she met Molly's grandfather, Mr Preston. As both storylines approach the conclusion we discover that they are linked, but the important question is will there be a happy ending for Molly? I think fans will be satisfied with how things turn out.

The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose will be published on 10th April 2025 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a review copy.

Author Details

Nita Prose is the author of the Molly the Maid series, including THE MISTLETOE MYSTERY, THE MYSTERY GUEST, and THE MAID, which has sold more than 2 million copies worldwide and was published in over forty countries. A #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestseller and a GOOD MORNING AMERICA Book Club Pick, THE MAID won 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 MAID was also an Edgar Award finalist for Best Novel. Nita lives in Toronto, Canada, in a house that is moderately clean.