Read by Lauren Ambrose
11 hours, 3 minutes
Published May 2025 by Random House Publishing Group
Publisher's Summary:
Molly Gray's life is about to change in ways she could never have imagined. As the esteemed Head Maid and Special Events Manager of the Regency Grand Hotel, two good things are just around the corner-a taping of the hit antiquities TV show Hidden Treasures and, even more exciting, her wedding to Juan Manuel.
When Molly brings in some old trinkets to be appraised on the show, one item is revealed to be a rare and coveted artifact worth millions. Molly becomes a rags-to-riches sensation, and a media frenzy swirls as she prepares to sell her priceless treasure. Then, on auction day, the treasure suddenly vanishes. and Molly and her friends find themselves at the center of the boldest art heist in recent memory.
But the key to this mystery lies in the past, in a long-forgotten diary written by Molly's Gran. For the first time ever, Molly learns about her grandmother's secrets: how she was born into a wealthy family and fell head-over-heels in love with a young man her parents deemed below her. As fate would have it, Gran's greatest love was someone Molly knows quite well.
My Thoughts:
When Molly brings in some old trinkets to be appraised on the show, one item is revealed to be a rare and coveted artifact worth millions. Molly becomes a rags-to-riches sensation, and a media frenzy swirls as she prepares to sell her priceless treasure. Then, on auction day, the treasure suddenly vanishes. and Molly and her friends find themselves at the center of the boldest art heist in recent memory.
But the key to this mystery lies in the past, in a long-forgotten diary written by Molly's Gran. For the first time ever, Molly learns about her grandmother's secrets: how she was born into a wealthy family and fell head-over-heels in love with a young man her parents deemed below her. As fate would have it, Gran's greatest love was someone Molly knows quite well.
My Thoughts:
The Pros:
- Lauren Ambrose' reading. I'm sure these are quite enjoyable books in print, but Ambrose brings the characters to life, especially Molly. If you're interested in reading the series, I highly encourage you to "read" the audiobooks.
- The back story - how Molly's Gran came to have a daughter with the Regency Grand Hotel's doorman, Mr. Preston. It wasn't going to be possible to have yet another death in the Regency Grand (I mean, no one's going to stay there if there are deaths there regularly, right?), so Prose had to find another way to work a mystery into Molly's life.
- Molly. She's always an interesting character who's endeared herself to readers, and to so many people in her life.
The Cons:
- The story of how Molly came to be in possession of a rare and coveted artifact is a little improbable. I wondered how Prose would it out, because it was equally improbable that Molly would suddenly become unbelievably wealthy. The truth of that felt equally improbable to me. Still, it's make believe and sometimes you just have to get over what feels improbable.
- I'm not sure where Prose can go from here. There is the Christmas book that I reviewed in December but between all of these books, things seem pretty well tied up.
The Verdict:
Fans of the series will enjoy this one. The books are light and fun and great for reading between heavier reads.
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