Read by Lauren Ambrose
8 hours, 23 minutes
Published November 2023 by Random House Publishing
Publisher's Summary:
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 tearoom 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 know: 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 high-profile death 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, as 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 posthaste. Because if there’s one thing she knows for sure, it’s that secrets don’t stay buried forever.
My Thoughts:
Once again there's been a murder in the Regency Grand Hotel; and, once again, Molly Gray has ties to the murder victim and becomes a suspect in the murder. But this time, Molly is not alone when the battle to clear her name begins. While Detective Stark may not be a fan, so many others who Molly works with are and they are more than happy to help Molly solve the mystery.
Molly's ties to the murdered author aren't immediately known as her ties to him are in her past. Even as a young girl, Molly wasn't good at picking up on social clues, but she was very intuitive. It didn't take her long to figure out that she needed to get her Gran away from the Grimthorpes. When J. D. Grimthorpe is murdered at an event, all of that pain is brought back up for Molly and readers get another chance to learn more about Molly's past, including meeting her mother, and her relationship with her Gran, the woman who raised her. Gran has died before the book series begins but she looms large as a character as she remains so influential on Molly, who continues to her Gran's voice as she makes her way through life. It's a lovely relationship, a piece of the books that makes them so much more than merely cozy mysteries.
Because we've already met Molly in the first book, this book lacks the joy of meeting her for the first time and, now that Molly has her allies, it lacks the tension of the first book. We know that Molly is going to be fine, with a little help from her friends. This time Molly actually plays a bigger role in solving the case, using her unique skills. While I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the first book, it was still a delight as Molly is such an interesting character and Lauren Ambrose does such a great job of voicing her. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
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