Molly Gray is proud to be the Head Maid & Special Events Manager at the opulent five-star Regency Grand hotel, which is 'a timeless treasure, a five-star Art Deco jewel.'
Molly is engaged to Juan Manuel, the head pastry chef at the Regency Grand, and the betrothed couple are happily planning a small wedding at city hall - which is all they can afford on their modest salaries.
Today, though, Molly has other things on her mind. The hit TV show 'Hidden Treasures' - where celebrity appraisers Brown and Beagle assess items brought in by the general public - is filming an episode in the Grand Tearoom of the Regency Grand.
Molly is in charge of the tearoom, and when it's full of guests, Molly will ring the bell and 'a tuxedo-clad army of waiters will march in carrying triple-tier tea trays replete will all manner of delicacies.'
In addition, the hotel staff has been invited to bring collectibles for Brown and Beagle to appraise before the show starts. Molly has a curio cabinet filled with her late Gran's 'treasures', and she packs up souvenir spoons, a vintage teacup, a Swarovski swan, an old key, and a bejeweled ornamental egg on a golden pedestal that Molly thinks is 'a worthless trinket'. As it turns out, Beagle assesses the egg as a one-of-a kind Fabergé treasure, worth at least five million dollars.
Molly immediately becomes a public and internet sensation, with people chasing her down for autographs and selfies. This is awful for Molly, who just wants to go about her 'Molly the maid' job, 'returning the hotel rooms to a state of perfection.'
Brown and Beagle convince Molly to let them auction off the Fabergé egg, which will make Molly rich AND quell the public attention. When the egg is sold for ten million dollars, it starts a string of trouble that involves Molly, her friends, her grandfather, and Police Detective Stark.
The brouhaha about the Fabergé egg is interspersed with entries from the diary of Molly's deceased Gran, a maid who raised Molly on her sparse salary.
Molly and Gran's apartment was small with threadbare furniture, but it was always sparkling clean and filled with warmth. Gran had been a quiet, affable woman who taught life lessons with sayings like:
To err once is human. To err twice is idiotic.
If you choose the right job, you'll never work a day in your life.
A life without love is not worth living.
Molly thought Gran had struggled all her life, so Gran's diary comes as an astounding revelation. Gran's journal reveals her name was Flora Gray, and she was 'born into a life of unimaginable wealth and privilege.' Flora's parents were entitled snobs who taught their daughter to look down on anyone below their social class, and Flora wholeheartedly embraced the snobbery and pretension. Gran's diary goes on and on in this vein, detailing her arrogant behavior (which is REALLY horrible), and leading to the unfortunate events that caused her downfall.
By the end of the book, things settle down, and Molly and Manuel get married and make plans for their future.
I have mixed feelings about this novel. On the one hand, it's fun to visit with the recurring characters, including;
Angela - a hotel bartender who's Molly's best friend;
Mr. Preston - Molly's recently discovered gran-dad;
Mr. Snow - the manager of the Regency Grand Hotel;
Cheryl - a petty thief and the worst maid in the world;
Police Detective Stark - who's investigated several cases at the Regency Grand; and more.
Conversely, the 'mystery' in the story is rather mundane and Gran's diary is completely unbelievable. It's impossible to reconcile the sweet caring Gran detailed in previous books with the mean pretentious Flora Gray described in Gran's journal. In addition, Flora's 'love interests' are straight out of generic romance novels. In my view, Gran's diary is filler for a thin story.
Nevertheless, I'm a fan of 'Molly the Maid', and it was entertaining to follow her adventures in this tale.
Thanks to Netgalley, Nita Prose, and Ballantine Books for a copy of the book.
Rating: 3 stars
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