Nita Prose’ The Maid’s Secret, Review: Moving series finale

Name: The Maid's Secret
Author: Nita Prose

ByJoanne P Last updatedMay 18, 2025

The Maid’s Secret is the third full-length novel in, and a fitting, moving conclusion to, Nita Prose’ bestselling Molly the Maid Mystery Series. Read my review.

Nita Prose' The Maid's Secret Review - Book 3, A Molly the Maid Mystery

Publication: HarperCollins Australia, April 2025.

Genre: Mystery, Drama, Historical

The Maid’s Secret Publisher Synopsis

Book 3, Molly the Maid Mysteries

Molly the maid is no stranger to secrets…

She sees everything behind closed doors at the Regency Grand hotel: wiping away the dust and grime of guests passing through.

But one secret lies much closer to home.

An old trinket – a faux Fabergé egg – is revealed to be a precious antique during an appraisal at the hotel, making Molly a rags-to-riches sensation. But no sooner has the egg shown its value than it’s stolen: vanishing without a trace.

Determined to crack the case of the missing Fabergé, Molly begins dusting for clues – uncovering a mystery that stretches deep into the past.

For in the pages of a long-forgotten diary, written by her late gran, lie the secrets that could unlock all others – and only Molly holds the key…

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My Review

The Maid (Molly the Maid Mystery #1) was a top-shelf read for me. On one level it was a clever cozy crime mystery. On another, it was a compelling and emotionally astute character study with depth.

Then came The Mystery Guest, in which Nita Prose did not quite conjure the same magical spell. The foreground story felt more ‘cozy mystery’, with that novel’s real strength and propulsion lying in the alternating historical narrative. Through that, we began to learn more about Molly’s stoically selfless Gran, and other characters long in her orbit. Then #2.5, The Mistletoe Mystery – a novella with a very simple plot, that spotlights the progression of Juan and Molly’s relationship.

Despite being a little disappointed by The Mistletoe Mystery‘s lack of heft, I remained hopeful that with Book 3, The Maid’s Secret, Nita Prose would deliver a strong and memorable conclusion to this iconic series. I was invested in its wonderful ensemble cast and felt they deserved it. Well, she has certainly delivered.

Molly’s indomitable late Gran’s influence, and the warmth of her voice, are back in this outing, stronger than ever. Few readers would fail to be moved as the epistolary insights into her past, the sacrifices she made and the consequences she bore are revealed.

One of the great perils of youth is the false confidence that comes with it, but with each passing year, bravado erodes, taking the chip off and leaving something new in its place: humility.

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It is not simply the content of Gran’s diary entries that is moving, but also the context in which she wrote them. And, if her unwavering dedication to the welfare of her granddaughter isn’t enough to leave you moist-eyed, then the way all those still physically present in Molly’s life rally around her in this episode will.

Love cannot be stolen. Not by anyone. Those who do not know love place no value upon it. Often, they don’t even know it’s there. But people like us, who do know it, who see and feel it and cherish it, possess a treasure that can never be taken away.

I felt in The Maid’s Secret Nita Prose has the type and tone of humour, and the demonstrable display of understanding, affection and genuine respect and admiration for one who was once the target of ignorant ridicule, just right. Readers who like all loose ends tied up will revel in this Molly the Maid Mystery series conclusion also.

Just like Molly’s fictional journey, this series’s execution had a few bumpy moments along the way. Ultimately though, it and its titular character shone bright, and left me with a long-lasting case of the warm and fuzzies.