Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

This is the April Monthly Group Read discussion of The Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid #2) by Nita Prose. This book can be used to fulfill prompt #29 A book with a neurodivergent main character
April is Autism Awareness Month! I'm certain there is at least one member out there fitting the description of "knowledgeable navigator" to lead this discussion! Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer!
No one has volunteered and my copy will arrive tomorrow, Tuesday, April 2, so I will pose some questions, etc., for discussion! I am so anxious to read this one!

HERE is a listing of potential discussion questions. These are meant to not only help those who volunteer to facilitate these monthly discussions but also to provide ideas for members participating in discussions!

Every person reads at a different pace, so please use spoiler tags if you are sharing any plot-related surprises. This allows others to decide whether this information might reveal surprising information they have not yet read. It can also be helpful to other readers if you post the location within the book noting your progress (chapter and/or page number). That way, if someone else has read that far they can go ahead and open the spoiler, but if not, they'll know to skip it for now and return later...

TO ADD SPOILER TAGS:
Use this for spoilers, just remove the spaces:
< spoiler > write your spoiler here and close with < / spoiler >

Posts here should only be contributions to discussion about this book.

Some pre-reading questions:
1) Have you read the first installment in this series, The Maid?
2) If you have read the first installment, did you enjoy it? Did anything about it surprise you?
3) What specific expectations do you have for this book?
4) Are you planning to use this book to fulfill prompt #29? If not, which Popsugar prompt will you use it to fulfill?

I'll begin...
1) Have you read the first installment in this series, The Maid?
I sure did!

2) If you have read the first installment, did you enjoy it? Did anything about it surprise you?
I did enjoy it. It made me think and consider just how complex people can be, regardless of diagnoses and subsequent expectations for behavior, etc. It did surprise me. I was not expecting Molly to do some of the things she did...

3) What specific expectations do you have for this book?
I will alter my initial expectations I had prior to reading the first installment and expect Molly to be a much more complex character than I initially expected!

4) Are you planning to use this book to fulfill prompt #29? If not, which Popsugar prompt could you use it to fulfill?
Maybe someone will die in the first chapter? (prompt #27)
Maybe it will take place over the course of just 24 hours? (prompt #24)

I find it interesting that each book I read fulfills just 2-3 prompts for the 2024 Popsugar challenge, when in the past, each book usually could be used to fulfill at least 5-6 prompts! Wild!

My copy is in hand and I’m starting to read. Stay tuned!

I read this book earlier this year and enjoyed it!

I'm about halfway through (I think) - I'm listening to the audio and I'm enjoying it.

1) Have you read the first installment in this series, The Maid? I did and I LOVED it. I just love Molly. I listened to it on audible and the narrator did a fantastic job.
2) If you have read the first installment, did you enjoy it? Did anything about it surprise you? The ending. :)
3) What specific expectations do you have for this book? I just hope it's as good as the first.
4) Are you planning to use this book to fulfill prompt #29? If not, which Popsugar prompt will you use it to fulfill? It will be for prompt #29.

Rose wrote: "I read this book earlier this year and enjoyed it!"
Great!

Britany wrote: "I'm about halfway through (I think) - I'm listening to the audio and I'm enjoying it."
Wonderful!

AF wrote: "1) Have you read the first installment in this series, The Maid? I did and I LOVED it. I just love Molly. I listened to it on audible and the narrator did a fantastic job."
I love her as well! Good to know the audiobook is a good one!

"2) If you have read the first installment, did you enjoy it? Did anything about it surprise you? The ending. :)"
Ah! I was a bit surprised as well. Using spoilers can you list what surprised you?"
(view spoiler)[I was surprised by her willingness to be in a relationship with Juan! Surprised but very happy for her, as long as he continues to treat her well! :) (hide spoiler)]

"3) What specific expectations do you have for this book? I just hope it's as good as the first."
Me, too!

:4) Are you planning to use this book to fulfill prompt #29? If not, which Popsugar prompt will you use it to fulfill? It will be for prompt #29."
👍😊

Just FYI: my husband has suffered a stroke and I am using this discussion as my one grounding activity beyond trying to care for him!

I do have one question...

How does it make you feel to have (view spoiler)[the death announced right away in the beginning and then spend the rest of the book trying to figure out how, why, and by whom? (hide spoiler)]
This doesn't bother me at all. Especially for this series since I particularly enjoy following Molly's thought process as she works to identify the details. I contend that if humans would simply make room for each of us to understand our world in our own unique ways life would be ever-so-much better for all of us! We do not all think in the same ways and we should accommodate all individual thought processes. End of rant... 😁

I hope to have an opportunity to read more later today and will post comments/questions. However, I highly encourage anyone reading this currently or having read it in the past to post your own thoughts... That makes for a much better discussion, IMO!

Oh no Lynn! I hope you husband is ok, that sounds awful.

I don't post a lot but I am doggedly working on my list. I just wanted to jumped in here to send hugs and best wishes to Lynn and her dh. I hope things get better and better soon.

And, since I'm here 😊 ... I just coincidentally read The Mystery Guest and was as touched by Molly as I was in the first book. And appreciate that the main characters around her are understanding and non-judgemental. It could have gone in another direction, and we don't need any more hate.

Britany wrote: "Oh no Lynn! I hope you husband is ok, that sounds awful."
His symptoms are not severe, so that is something to be ever-so-grateful for!

Meg wrote: "I don't post a lot but I am doggedly working on my list. I just wanted to jumped in here to send hugs and best wishes to Lynn and her dh. I hope things get better and better soon."
Fortunately, his symptoms are not severe and he already has made gains in his maneuverability, etc. 😋

"And, since I'm here 😊 ... I just coincidentally read The Mystery Guest and was as touched by Molly as I was in the first book. And appreciate that the main characters around her are understanding and non-judgemental. It could have gone in another direction, and we don't need any more hate."
I really enjoyed The Maid and am enjoying this second installment as well. Yes. Hate is so regressive! We need respect, acceptance, appreciation and whenever possible LOVE! At least IMO! 🤗

I have read through Chapter 6.

Oh, my! I have all kinds of possibilities floating through my head regarding Mr. Grimthorpe and his prior contact with Molly! I just hope it isn't as traumatic as my imagination can make it! What possibilities were the first to come into your mind?

And I just realized the title is definitely ironic...a double entendre of sorts.

And the personal assistant, cutting out immediately, etc. Do you think this might be a 'red herring'? Or is she now your #1 suspect?

I'm glad to see Stark back in this book. It appears she has learned a bit better to appreciate Molly's attention to detail and not get so frustrated by Molly's honest and direct observations. I was thrilled to see Molly refer to their previous interactions:
If you're here to investigate, it would be preferable to avoid gross miscarriages of justice this time around."
I felt this was a nice way to emphasize that jumping to conclusions and wanting to press charges before accumulating evidence, etc., would be unwise... Since that was what happened last time...

I am impressed by Molly's ability to learn and change her behaviors with regard to social interactions. And I find her mention of her gran's little euphemisms is quite entertaining! Such as To err once is human; to err twice is idiotic. LOL

I plan to finish this one tomorrow! Anxious to see how it all turns out!

Oh, my! I LOVED this book! So much to unravel!

Some initial questions:

1) Did you suspect the relationship between Molly and Mr. Prescott at all?

2) Were you surprised at the (view spoiler)[ghostwriting (hide spoiler)] bend in the plot?

3) What surprised you the most by the end of the book?

Please comment, but use spoilers as appropriate! 😊

I'll start.

1) Did you suspect the relationship between Molly and Mr. Prescott at all?
This just confirmed my suspicions from the first book!

2) Were you surprised at the (view spoiler) bend in the plot?
Totally! Though it made sense!!

3) What surprised you the most by the end of the book?
I think I was most surprised at the gracious actions of the publisher in granting (view spoiler)[Serena the financial remuneration to which she was entitled, based upon her mother's work. (hide spoiler)] YAY!!

I just finished last night. I felt in the middle about it- I enjoyed revisiting the Regency Grand, but it felt a little bit forgettable to me.

Britany wrote: "I just finished last night. I felt in the middle about it- I enjoyed revisiting the Regency Grand, but it felt a little bit forgettable to me."
Sorry it wasn't more enjoyable for you!